Welcome to Beyoğlu
The high-octane hub of eating, drinking and entertainment in the city, Beyoğlu is where visitors and locals come in search of good restaurants and bars, live-music venues, hip hotels and edgy boutiques. Built around the major boulevard of İstiklal Caddesi, it incorporates a mix of bohemian residential districts such as Çukurcuma and Cihangir, bustling entertainment enclaves such as Asmalımescit, and historically rich pockets such as Galata and Karaköy that have morphed into style centres.
Top experiences in Beyoğlu
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Beyoğlu activities
Istanbul Dolmabahce Palace Luxury Small-Group Tour with Entry
Start your tour with a pickup from your European-side hotel in Istanbul by luxury Mercedes minivan. Settle back in air-conditioned comfort as your guide talks to you about Istanbul’s rich history — from Byzantine and Ottoman eras to the current day — on the way to your first stop.Hop out of your minivan at Dolmabahçe Palace and head inside to explore. The grandiose building was one of the last Ottoman Empire palaces to be built, and its architectural style presents a medley of influences, blending opulent Ottoman and Neoclassical design. Learn about its history while walking amid chandeliers, marble and gilded furnishings.After your tour of Dolmabahçe Palace, travel to the artsy neighborhood of Beyoğlu where the prestigious Istanbul Modern Art Museum awaits. Focusing on contemporary Turkish artwork, the museum covers two floors of a converted warehouse and is home to an array of temporary exhibitions as well as a cinema and arts library. Learn about the art, and admire highlights such as the permanent art history exhibition. Then, head out on a walking tour around the Balat area, the cultural heart of Istanbul’s Jewish community. Stroll along the streets, and look out for the Ecumencial Orthodox Patriarchate, an intriguing church compound where the ceremonial head of the Greek Orthodox Church is based.Leave Balat and travel to Rüstem Pasha Mosque, one of the city’s gems. Small yet spectacular, the mosque boasts an eye-catching interior with incredible tiles that adorn the walls and ceiling. After admiring the interiors, travel onward to Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar. Scout out the most interesting stalls to visit, hear bargaining tips, and then bid your guide a fond farewell as your tour finishes.
Private Tour: Istanbul's Jewish Heritage
After pickup from your hotel in the morning, start your private tour with a drive to the Galata Tower, built in 1348 by the Genoese during their colonial expansion in Constantinople. Located in the centuries-old Jewish quarter of Galata, which was seized and destroyed in 1203 by the Fourth Crusade, the tower dominates the skyline and remains a symbol of the city. Continue to the nearby Ashkenaz Synagogue, founded by Austrian Jews in 1900 for the Ashkenazi Jewish ethnic division. This is the only still-active synagogue of its kind in Istanbul. The synagogue holds weddings, bar mitzvahs and other religious ceremonies, and is open for public visits and prayers.Also in the Beyoğlu district is the Jewish Museum of Turkey, your next stop. Formerly known as the Zülfaris Synagogue, this 19th-century religious structure was restored and remodeled as a museum in 2001 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Sephardic Jews in the Ottoman Empire. Inside the museum, learn about the traditions and history of Turkish Jewry, and its coexistence with Muslim culture, as well as the historical accounts of the Jewish odyssey from Spain to Turkey.Your last stop is the Etz Ahayim Synagogue, also known as the Ortaköy Synagogue, located in the Ortaköy neighborhood of Istanbul's Beşiktaş district. During the Ottoman Empire and the first decades of the Turkish Republic, communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews coexisted in this area, and today it continues to show how people from multiple cultures and religions can live in harmonAfter gaining insight into Istanbul’s Jewish history, return to your hotel in the early afternoon.
Istanbul Modern Art Small-Group Tour with Admission Ticket
After a pickup from your Istanbul hotel, meet your guide by the prestigious Galatasaray High School in the neighborhood of Galatasaray. Then, set off to discover the city’s modern Turkish art scene on your leisurely paced walking tour. Stroll down Istiklal Street, a pedestrianized avenue thronged with shisha cafes, Turkish tea houses and, most importantly, some of the city’s leading art institutions: Galeri Zilberman, SALT Galata, Borusan Contemporary and more.Exhibitions at the popular galleries often change, so your guide will select the most interesting places to visit on the day. Learn of the evolution of Turkey’s art world from the 19th century to the present day, and hear of Abidin Dino, Ara Güler and other notable Turkish artists who have made names for themselves in recent years. Having explored select Istiklal Street galleries, continue through the meandering streets of Beyoğlu to scout out artistic gems in the Tophane and Karaköy neighborhoods. Although away from the beaten tourist trail, Tophane is gaining attention with its pop art culture and quirky exhibitions that cover a range of media from video to print. Likewise, Karaköy is a boho paradise, and its contemporary galleries and vintage-inspired art shops are helping to stamp Istanbul firmly on the artistic map.As with Istiklal Street, the 30 or so galleries in Tophane and Karaköy are constantly changing, so let your guide select a number of exciting places to visit on the day. Having seen some of the areas’ most interesting works, visit the Istanbul Modern Art Museum on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait.Step inside to view the expansive selection of artwork with your guide. Focusing on the work of Turkish artists, the large museum is spread over two floors of a converted warehouse and boasts a range of temporary exhibitions as well as a cinema and arts library. Hear little-known facts about its standout features from your guide, and admire highlights such as the permanent art history exhibition. Your tour finishes inside the museum, and you can stay inside for longer, if you wish, to view the works at your own pace.
Istanbul Street Food Tasting Private Tour with Asian Side
Meet your guide at the Founders Hall Visitor Information Center and proceed to the public ferry for a ride across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of Istanbul. First stop: the colorful and chaotic Kadikoy Market. Crammed with all manner of delicious edibles, from olives to bread to stuffed grape leaves, the market is bursting with fishmongers, fruit sellers, butchers and gourmet food shops. Snack on lamb-topped Turkish pizza, sugar-coated sweets or kebabs.From there, stroll across the low-lying Galata Bridge where, for generations, fishermen have been pulling in the daily catch. Stalls selling everything from jewelry to simits (Turkish bagels) line the bridge. On the other side, in the Beyoglu district, you’ll encounter Karakoy Gulluoglu, a shop that makes the best baklava in Istanbul. Eat this sweet delight, a Turkish pastry made of several layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey.Walk off your dessert by trekking up the hill to Galatasaray, a neighborhood that is home to Galatasaray S.K., one of Turkey’s most famous soccer teams. Jump on the tram on Istiklal Caddesi, the city’s grand bustling boulevard lined with shops and restaurants. Hop off and explore the street as your guide explains the area’s history and points out landmarks and famous buildings.Afiyet olsun! That’s Turkish for ‘bon appetit.’ After this tour, you might have that phrase memorized.
Istanbul Beyoglu Food Night Walking Tour with Meze Sampling
Meet your guide near Taksim Square in Beyoğlu — the district once known as Pera — for your tour. As you walk, listen to your guide as they share fascinating insights into the area’s street cuisine and tell you about the tastings to come.Head to your first stop, a burger outlet famous for its islak burgers or 'wet burgers.' These soggy buns are doused liberally in tomato-garlic sauce before being left in hot glass cabinets to make them extra wet. Sink your teeth into one — they’re addictively scrumptious!Continue along Independence Street and delve into Çiçek Pasajı or ‘Flower Passage.’ This covered arcade and its neighboring Nevizade Sokak passageway brim with noisy meyhanes (taverns). Head inside some with your guide to savor a selection of traditional small plates such as patçanga böreği (melted cheese rolls) or soslu patlıcan salatası (eggplant salad).Next, dive into the streets around the fish market and find Dürümzade, a grill joint specializing in dürüms (kebab wraps) that was recommended by chef Anthony Bourdain in his travel TV series, No Reservations. Savor a freshly made dürüm, crunching through the outer, crispy tortilla into the succulent meat inside.Drinking coffee is central to Turkish culture and sometimes coupled with kahve falı (fortune-telling using the dregs of the cup). Follow your guide to a coffee house and have a go; sip some typically strong local coffee, turn your cup upside down and ‘read’ the shapes left behind — a fish-shape, for instance, spells a new love.Finish at a popular restaurant to feast on tasty meze such as stuffed vine leaves and yogurt with herbs, all accompanied by raki, the anise-flavored spirit that's a staple here.Say goodbye to your guide at your original departure point and end your tour with a great, new understanding of Istanbul’s vibrant street cuisine.
Istanbul Private Departure Transfer - City to Ataturk Airport
Private transfer from all hotels in European side of Istanbul to Ataturk Airport, up to 5 people. (districts included: Sultanhamet, Fatih, Old City, Laleli, Sirkeci, Taksim, Beyoglu, Gatata, Besiktas, Karakoy, Levent).The following information is required to complete your reservation, please include it in "Special Requirements" box: Airline and Flight Number Departure time Full Hotel Name (or apartment name) and Address for pickup Requested Pickup time Number of suitecases (standard size is 46x69x29cms - 18x27x11in) email and mobile phone number