Istanbul Unveiled: How to Get Lost in the City

What to Expect

Most travelers don't even realize that the best way to get acquainted with the true culture, traditions, and history is to escape from the historical and tourist-crowded part of Istanbul and get lost among the cobbled streets of Pera, Karaköy, Cihangir, and Kadıköy, warmly loved by locals. In one day, we will visit two continents, Europe and Asia, in places you definitely wouldn't find yourselves: these are unknown streets and alleys, districts, sidewalks, and buildings with their own history and atmosphere, which make up the amazing backstage of Istanbul.

I will tell you about the real Istanbul, without veils, myths, legends, and religious tales, share historical facts sometimes delicately omitted, and lesser-known stories of the magnificent Ottoman monuments of Istanbul. You will learn about the city's life, culture, and traditions, about the architectural eclecticism of residential areas, about the lives, education, medicine, work, weddings, and cuisine of the city's inhabitants, about the differences between the residents of the European and Asian parts.

• We will immerse ourselves in the everyday life of Istanbulites, observe locals relaxing in cozy little cafés and climb to the roof of the oldest mansion, where we will drink Turkish coffee, enjoy the incredible view of the city, and hear its heartbeat.
• We will explore the labyrinths of streets built by Ottomans and Italians, run through the alleys still preserving stories of Russian emigration.
• We will take a legendary Istanbul ferry ride from continent to continent across the Bosphorus Strait, rich in city views - majestic Bosphorus bridges, incredible palaces, the lonely Maiden's Tower, and minaret towers here and there. Kadıköy, lying on the other side of the Bosphorus, will welcome you with its extraordinary district atmosphere and air filled with the freshness of the sea, the smell of spices, and coffee. You will discover a completely different cultural world here, dive into one of the most bohemian European places with its rhythm, architecture, and free-spirited energy.
• We will stroll among the few churches that have survived to this day (one of them hosted the Fourth Ecumenical Council). If you get tired, we will rest in the shade of century-old plane tree crowns at a tea garden overlooking the Sea of Marmara.
• We will enter the realm of shops and stores with a history spanning almost generations and navigate the fragrant Eastern bazaar, where you will immerse yourself in an abundance of traditional delicacies and other gastronomic delights.