Istanbul · BALAT & FENER TOURS
The painted timber houses of Balat and the old Greek and Jewish lanes of Fener are the city's most photographed backstreets. These 10 walking tours are priced and paced for the hills, with a guide who knows which door is a café and which is a film set.
Walk Istanbul’s Fener and Balat with a guide, visiting the Bulgarian Iron Church and Ahrida Synagogue on a 3-hour route.
“Perfect tour. Thank you our tourguide Yunus. He had everything so interesting and clearly explained. If you want to go new and interesting places in Istanbul I definitely recommend.”
Half-day walk through Istanbul's Fener and Balat, from Greek Orthodox sites to synagogues and colorful stairs, guided in English.
“What a picturesque part of Istanbul! I'm so glad I booked this tour! I learned a bit of history and saw some beautiful architecture. If you want to experience more than just the standard tourist attractions, choose this tour!”
Walk the Fener and Balat neighborhoods to see the Bulgarian Iron Church, Saint Mary of the Mongols, and Ahrida Synagogue, with coffee.
“We had the whole tour to ourselves and the guide was informative. Highly recommend!”
Fener and Balat Istanbul tour with a guide, public tram rides, Greek Orthodox and Bulgarian churches, Ottoman houses, and tea in local cafes.
“Salih was an excellent guide. Engaging and interesting. Fener is a fascinating area and I'd certainly recommend this tour to anyone in Istanbul for more than a couple of days.”
3-hour guided walk through Fener and Balat colored streets with a historian guide, Orthodox churches, and the Ahrida Synagogue.
“beautiful experience. a tour to do absolutely, Yunus is a fun guide and passionate about the work he does.”
A small-group afternoon walk through Istanbul’s Fener and Balat, with Golden Horn views, a Pierre Loti tea stop, and Ottoman-era stories.
“Great tour by Onder. Professional, knowledgeable and willing to help! It was my first day in Istanbul and this was the first tour/sightseeing I did and he really set the bar high. Would definitely recommend this to cover Fener, Balat, Pierre Loti and the Golden Horn - have a great time!”
Galata Tower plus Fener and Balat streets with a small-group guide, ferry and transit, and stops at Orthodox and Jewish sites.
“A super tour with Erol that gave me a view of Istanbul I might not have discovered on my own. From start to finish this was a wonderful tour of Istanbul, beginning at Galata tower, learning it's history and that of the area surrounding it, seeing the beautiful views from the top of the tower; exploring the charming neighborhoods of Fener and Balat, enjoying delicious Turkish desserts and tea at a local cafe; relaxing on the final leg on the ferry ride home. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone, it was such a pleasure and Erol is incredibly knowledgable and easy to be with.”
Small-group tour of Galata Tower, Kamondo Stairs, the Iron Church, Balat and Fener, ending with Golden Horn views by ferry.
“Despite the rain our guide Erol made this a really enjoyable experience. He is so knowledgeable, engaging and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Galata tower and surroundings (with many gorgeous photos) and then our journey to Balat and Fener. The churches are stunning and it was particularly beautiful to see the architecture, interior decor and many relics. The neighbourhoods of Balat and Fener are very charming with their colourful houses. We stopped for tea and cookies in a local cafe recommended by Erol. Erol was a super guide and I would highly recommend this tour.”
Walk Galata’s best streets, ride tram lines, climb Galata Tower for big views, then wind into Fener, Balat, and the Egyptian Bazaar.
“This was a great tour to really experience Istanbul! Seeing neighborhoods, the Egyptian bazaar, and the Galata tower. It was really worth it to have a private tour to get to ask questions and really personalize the tour!”
Private 5-hour walk in Istanbul’s Fener and Balat, with Byzantine walls, churches, a synagogue, and skip-line help for museum tickets.
“The most memorable aspect of the tour was our guide, Ali. We enjoyed getting to know him over the course of our walking tour in the Bohemian neighborhoods of Fener and Balat. Besides his knowledge of the subject matter, he took nearly 60 pictures on our tour and sent them to us after the tour was over. The tour itself was memorable if for no other reason than the amount of walking we did that day. Although I do recommend this tour, you need to be prepared to walk quite a bit and up some pretty steep hills. My favorite part of the tour was the Greek school - the…”
Every kind of day out in the city, and the best of each.
