Private Tour

Bohemian Istanbul: Fener and Balat's Charm-Private Walking Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

5 hours

Mobile ticket

The areas of Fener & Balat dating back to Byzantine times are rich in history, culture and art. They have historically been home to different communities and religions. A walk through these historic neighborhood offer travelers a unique experience where past and present mingle in colorful cobbled streets, designers cafés and shops are lined with traditional coffee houses. This is the kind of place where you can join locals in buying fresh veggies and fruits from a cart and try authentic Turkish food in local eateries.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

The Walls of Istanbul

You will see one of the most impressive monuments of late antiquity. The Theodosius Land Walls were built in the 5th century during the early reign of Emperor Theodosius II (ruled 408–450)and withheld all attacks until 1453.

Admission Not Applicable

Vlaherna Meryem Ana Church

You will see a very beautiful historic church which is located near the northern tip of the walls of Theodosius. The church was built by the Empress Pulcheria (ca. 450-453), and her husband, Emperor Marcian. This little shrine has the Hagiasma which is the fountain of holy water where water flowed out of the hands of the marble statue of the Virgin Mary.

45 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Skip the line priority to buy museum tickets

Private tour for your family

Private guiding service by an expert tour guide

Lunch

Museum tickets

Gratuities

Transportation

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

Bohemian Istanbul: Fener and Balat's Charm-Private Walking Tour

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

4 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Nice tour
669ciarad,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very nice walking tour with wonderful things to see. Guide was very instrctive and knowledgeable.
Wonderful tour in Istanbul
liab2013,,Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a wonderful day visiting the vibrant Gener & Balat districts! Our guide Resul was very good and touchy us a lot about Turkey history and culture. Wonderful tour of the grocery market where we felt like locals! Turkey is a beautiful country
The great imperial city
J6518LRmarcelom,,May 9, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Istanbul is fascinating. Like every imperial city. I didn't see any security problems and I walked everywhere with my camera. The midpoint between east and west. Full of details and amazing places.
Bohemian Walking Tour - Fener & Balat - A Great Trip
Trang V,,Jul 14, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00
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 exterior was phenomenal and seemed out of context for that neighborhood due to its relative newness and architectural style. It was remarkable. Ali covered everything on our list and even more as he was even able to get us into a church that wasn’t originally on our itinerary - I think it was the Albanian church. By the end of the tour we were ready to call it quits for the day and so Ali took us back to our hotel. I would estimate that we walked between 8-10 miles that day. I’d definitely recommend this company for any tour you’ve interested in taking in Istanbul - and I’d definitely recommend taking any tour with Ali as your guide. You’ll be glad you did! Thanks Ali Bey!