Activities in Turkey
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FEATURED
Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul's Egyptian Bazaar
3-4 hours (Departs Istanbul, Turkey)
by Viator
Breathe in the heady mix of spices and herbs in the Egyptian Bazaar, then take an invigorating cruise on the Bosphorus for superb views of the magical city of I…Not LP reviewed
from USD$46.25 - All activities
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Istanbul Airport Private Arrival Transfer
Varies (Departs Istanbul, Turkey)
by Viator
Let us make your arrival hassle free with an Istanbul Airport Private Arrival Transfer. Avoid all the stress that comes with trying to get from A to B when you'…Not LP reviewed
from USD$15.00 -
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Ambassador Hotel Spa Center
There’s no atmosphere to speak of at the spa centre of this shabby modern hotel just off Divan Yolu, but all treatments are private, meaning that you get the small and pretty hamam all to yourself. Best of all is the fact that the 60- or 75-minute Turkish massage treatment here (bath, scrub and soap massage) includes a 30-minute oil massage given by Zeki Ulusoy. Zeki is trained in sports, remedial and aromatherapy massage and he really knows his stuff – you’ll float out of here at the end of your session. You can also book the hamam for private use (€20 per person per hour) or book a 45-minute Turkish bath treatment without the oil massage (€35).
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Bougainville Travel
A long-established English-Turkish tour operator with a solid reputation and much experience in organising any number of activities lasting a full day (unless otherwise specified), including canoeing (TL70 on the Patara River, with individual rentals TL40/70 for a single/double); canyoning (TL100); mountain biking (TL72, with individual rentals TL44); paragliding (TL180 for flights lasting 20 to 30 minutes); scuba diving (TL56 per dive including all equipment); and sea kayaking (TL60).
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12-Island Tour
Many travellers sign up for the 12-Island Tour, a boat trip around Fethiye Bay (Fethiye Körfezi). The boats usually stop at six islands and cruise by the rest. Some are booze-cruise-style tours so check you're getting what you want. Hotels and agencies sell tickets or you can negotiate a price with the boat companies around the tourist office at the marina.
The normal tour (Fethiye Körfezi) visits Yassıcalar (Flat Island) for a stop and a swim, then Tersane Island for a dip in the turquoise waters and a visit to the ruins, followed by Akvaryum (Aquarium) for lunch, a swim and a snorkel. Cennet Köü (Paradise Bay) is next for a dip, followed by Klopatra Hamamı (Cleopatra's…
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Korfez Diving Centre
Ayvalık is famed among the diving fraternity for its red coral. Lying at depths between 30m to 42m, it's not for beginners though. The best dive sites to see it are at Deli Mehmetler, Ezer Bey and Kerbela. Other marine life you might come across includes moray eels, gropers, octopus, encrusting anemones and, occasionally, sea horses. There are various dive companies in Ayvalık who can organise trips to see the coral including Korfez Diving Centre.
A day's diving (including two dives, lunch, all equipment hire and insurance) costs €50 per person. For those keen to learn or to improve, the company runs various PADI courses, including the four-day open-water course (€450).…
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Harran-Nemrut Tours
Harran-Nemrut Tours or sunrise/sunset tours (€40, minimum four) to Nemrut) This tour usually takes you to the Atatürk Dam along the way. It's relatively good value, but don't expect more than a driver. At the time of research no other operators were offering these tours from Urfa.
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Orsep Royal Hotel
Conveniently located behind Sirkeci train station, this hotel has an excellent gym and wellness centre with an indoor pool, hamam, sauna, steambath, Jacuzzi and exercise equipment. There’s also a small rooftop pool with fabulous panoramic views.
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Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency
Next to the tourist office, the Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency sells boat tickets and organises parasailing (TL125 for 45 minutes), day-long rafting trips (TL85) and half-day horse-riding excursions (TL50) along with lots of other water sports including so-called blue voyages.
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Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
8 hours (Departs Istanbul, Turkey)
by Viator
This comprehensive sightseeing tour of Istanbul provides the perfect introduction to the fabled city that spans Asia and Europe. On this one day sightseeing tou…Not LP reviewed
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Aquarius
Unabashedly proclaiming itself as ‘the only gay sauna in İstanbul’, Aquarius can also lay claim to being the only one with a swimming pool in its premises, which means it comes closest to what most Western gay sauna habitués are used to – most notably a clean environment. An added attraction is the stable of 15 hunky delicious masseurs who take you into the private cubicles for a massage – be sure to negotiate the price and the service parameters clearly. Note: what goes on here should remain here.
reviewed
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Roman Baths
The sprawling ruins of these 3rd-century baths are 400m north of Ulus Meydanı. The layout of the baths is clearly visible; look for the standard Roman apoditerium (dressing room), frigidarium (cold room), tepidarium (warm room) and caldarium (hot room). A Byzantine tomb and Phrygian remains have also been found here. More excavations are in the pipelines.
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Excursion yachts
Excursion yachts tie up in the Roman harbour in Kaleiçi. Some trips go as far as Kemer, Phaselis, Olympos, Kale (Demre) and Kaş. You can take one-hour or two-hour trips or a six-hour voyage which visits the Lower Düden Falls, Gülf of Antalya islands and some beaches for a swim. It's a good idea to ask about lunch when comparing prices; there's a big difference between a sandwich and a three-course seafood feast. Also ask if alcoholic beverages are included.
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Istanbul by Night: Turkish Dinner and Show
4 hours (Departs Istanbul, Turkey)
by Viator
Istanbul by night means floodlit mosques, a fabulous Turkish dinner and a spectacular floorshow with bejeweled belly dancers. It's the ultimate Turkish experien…Not LP reviewed
from USD$81.25 -
Cankurtan
This friendly company has a strong arts and culture bias. It organises a wide range of off-the-beaten-path walking tours of neighbourhoods around the city, including special tours of Jewish, Armenian and Greek neighbourhoods and to the Princes’ Islands. It also runs highly recommended visits to Sufi ceremonies at tekkes in Fatih and Silivrikapı. The company has a second office in Cankurtan, next to the entrance to Topkapı Palace.
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Cağaloğlu Hamami
The most beautiful of the city’s hamams, historic Cağaloğlu Hamamı offers separate baths for men and women and a range of bath services. You’ll find a pleasant cafe as well as a shop selling quality soaps and other hamam accessories (the pistachio-oil soap is particularly fine). You don’t need to purchase a bath mitt unless you want to – as at most tourist hamams, the attendants will supply one if you haven’t brought your own.
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Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul's Egyptian Bazaar
3-4 hours (Departs Istanbul, Turkey)
by Viator
Breathe in the heady mix of spices and herbs in the Egyptian Bazaar, then take an invigorating cruise on the Bosphorus for superb views of the magical city of I…Not LP reviewed
from USD$46.25 -
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Laveda Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul
Luxurious Laveda offers Ottoman bathing rituals juxtaposed with modern wellness procedures. As well as the basic ‘Traditional Hamam’ treatment (given by an attendant who doesn’t hurry through the soaping, skin-peeling and water massage), there’s also a long list of spa therapies and massages, including a Sultan’s six-hands massage. The hamam, which is authentically set up, sports rich marble and soothing piped-in ambient music.
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Ağa Hamami
Built for the private use of Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1454, this is one of the oldest hamams in town and has been restored to retain its Ottoman glory. Providing an authentic Turkish bath experience (mainly for tourists), it has a low-key ambience and allows communal bathing for both genders (male masseur only). Prices are surprisingly reasonable when compared with the historic hamams in the Old City.
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Turkish Cultural Services Foundation
The historic Caferağa Medresesi is the home of the Turkish Cultural Services Foundation, which runs courses for locals and travellers in techniques such as calligraphy, miniature painting, ecru (paper marbling), binding and glass painting. Courses are organised into 2½-hour sessions one day per week over three months and cost approximately TL400. It also occasionally organises shorter courses costing TL120.
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Private Tour: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour including Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace
by Viator
Take a hassle-free tour of Istanbul's most famous attractions with your own private guide to lead the way. You'll enjoy personalized attention on your private t…Not LP reviewed
from USD$81.25 Advertisement
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Snorkel & Dive Center
The Snorkel & Dive Center is an excellent source of current information and also sells good-quality snorkelling and diving equipment, as well as organising dives. The company also runs PADI, NAUI and CMAS courses. A PADI Open Water course costs around €350 per person (including all equipment, tuition and books). It normally takes four days, though three days is possible at a push.
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Yeni Kaplıca
On the northwestern side of the Kültür Parkı, the Yeni (new) bath was renovated in 1522 by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent's grand vizier, Rüstem Paşa, on the site of a much older bath built by Justinian I. Besides the Yen bath itself, you'll also find the Kaynarca (Boiling) baths, limited to women; and the Karamustafa baths, with facilities for family bathing. Last admission is at 10pm; the full massage costs TL25 per half-hour.
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Taksim Dilmer
The best-known Turkish-language courses for native English speakers are run by Taksim Dilmer. On offer are eight-week courses (96 hours total) costing €384; four-week courses (80 hours total) costing €320; eight-week evening courses (72 hours total) costing €288; and 12-week weekend courses (72 hours total) costing €288. Classes have a maximum of 14 students.
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Çeşme Hamamı
Its maze-like location in a backstreet behind the hardware stores that litter this part of town often discourages non-local bathhouse action seekers. But this favourite hamam of bears and pot-bellied moustachioed types is worth finding because of the relaxed attitude of the management. Just be careful you don’t stick out like a pink thumb or you’ll incite a feeding frenzy.
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pottery workshops
Tour groups tend to find themselves shopping for pots in vast warehouses on the outskirts of town. It's much more enjoyable (and infinitely cheaper) to patronise one of the smaller pottery workshops right in town, most of which will happily show you how to throw a pot or two. These are located in the small streets around the main square and in the group of shops opposite the PTT.
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