About this experience
The famous street with a red tram is full of surprises, and on the tour you will understand how many amazing places can be found in its backstreets. I will tell you about the secrets of Istanbul's Paris and Amsterdam, show you an interesting cafe of a great documentary photographer, and introduce you to the masterpieces of the Pera Museum. And to conclude, we will have coffee on a terrace with a wonderful view of the Bosphorus.
What to expect
French charm of Istanbul
On a walk along the bohemian French Street, you will learn about the original tile for steep steps brought here from Europe; the pink-yellow shades of facades; copies of street lamps, given as a gift by Paris and once adorning its old streets. By paying attention to bright and subtle details, you will understand how the image of a European quarter with colorful Eastern strokes was formed. I will also advise you on where to have dinner in the evening with live music and a glass of wine.
Istiklal in detail
I will tell you about the local Red Light Street and places where even the police are afraid to go in the evening. I will show you the cafe of the famous director and documentary photographer Ara Guler, whose walls display famous works depicting Istanbul at the beginning of the 20th century. At the Pera Museum, we will discuss the symbolism of Turkey's most expensive painting "The Tortoise Trainer" by Osman Hamdi Bey. We will not ignore the Pera Hotel, where the rooms of Ataturk and Agatha Christie, who worked here on "Murder on the Orient Express", are preserved. Then we will stroll to the Galata Tower, and will finish with a cup of aromatic coffee on a terrace with a magnificent view of the Bosphorus.
📷 Throughout the entire tour, I will be taking photos of you in the most colorful and interesting places in Istiklal and its surroundings.
Organizational details
- If the tour starts in the morning, we will include a Turkish breakfast in the program
- Extra expenses: breakfast ~5€/person, entrance to Pera Museum 1-2€/person, coffee on the panoramic terrace
