Fener and Balat are Istanbul's historic Greek and Jewish quarters along the Golden Horn. 600 years of minority history, rainbow-painted wooden houses, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and some of the city's best café streets. €25-90 for a 2-4 hour walking tour.
Make your own Turkish mosaic lamp in a 90-120 minute workshop for €45-60. You choose the glass colours and pattern, glue 200-400 pieces into a metal frame, grout the lines. Central Sultanahmet, Galata atelier, and Antalya versions compared.
A Cappadocia ATV tour runs 2-3 hours for €35-55 and rides through Rose, Red, Love, and Pigeon Valleys at valley-floor level. Sunset slots are the photo highlight. Automatic quads, no license required, guide-led single-file convoy.
Tandem paragliding from Babadağ's 1,969-metre summit lands on the Blue Lagoon at Ölüdeniz. €75-150 for 20-40 minutes airtime. The only commercial paragliding site in the world where you launch from a 2,000m peak and land on a protected swimming beach.
Suluada Island — the uninhabited islet that Turkish tourism has nicknamed the Maldives of Turkey — is a 5km boat ride offshore from Adrasan. €35-65 for a 9-hour day including lunch and hotel transfer. Small-group tours worth the €10 upgrade for better snorkelling window.
The Cappadocia Green Tour covers the south-west corner: Derinkuyu underground city, the Ihlara Valley 14km canyon hike, Selime Monastery rock-cut Byzantine complex, and Pigeon Valley. €45-70, 9 hours, lunch included. Best for day 2 or 3 after the balloon.
An Istanbul food tour runs €50-120 for 4-5 hours and 8-12 tastings — spice bazaar, lokanta lunch, street vendors, meze, Turkish coffee. The Kadıköy Asian-side version is less touristy than the Spice Bazaar equivalent; private tours work best for dietary restrictions.
The Princes Islands are a 90-minute ferry from central Istanbul and the best day trip from the city — car-free, horse-free since 2020, pine-covered, and home to wooden Ottoman-era mansions. Three tour options and a self-organised guide that saves €30 per person.
The Blue Mosque is free to enter and takes 20-30 minutes inside — but you need to avoid the five daily prayer closures, dress modestly, and understand the 17th-century context that makes the Iznik tile work and six-minaret story come alive. Three guided tour options, prayer time schedule, and how to pair with Hagia Sophia.
A Cappadocia balloon flight runs €180-280 per person with a 3:30am pickup, 60-90 minutes airtime at sunrise over Göreme fairy chimneys, and a champagne breakfast on landing. Three operator options, cancellation rates, safety, what to wear, and how to pair the balloon with the rest of a Turkey trip.
Pirate ships, sea caves, Cleopatra Beach from the water — Alanya boat tours pack a full day of coastline for under $25.
Antalya boat tours range from $21 island trips to pirate party boats. This guide breaks down the five types and what to expect.
Dolmabahce Palace tickets, the Bosphorus-front rooms, and why the clock stopped at 9:05. How to book from Istanbul.
The Basilica Cistern charges TL 600 for foreigners and the Museum Pass won't cover it. Here's how to get tickets and skip the queue.
The Sema ceremony is 750 years of Sufi devotion still alive in Istanbul. Here are the best venues, what to expect, and how to book.
Turkey's cotton castle is 600km from Istanbul but worth the trek. Flights, buses, or multi-day tours — here is how to visit Pamukkale.
Your guide to booking a guided walking tour through Istanbul Old City, from Sultanahmet to the Grand Bazaar.
Fly from Istanbul to Ephesus in an hour. Our guide covers the 5 best day trips, what to see at the ruins, and practical booking tips.
Warm marble, a merciless scrub, and you walk out reborn. Here is how to book the right Turkish bath in Istanbul — from Ottoman hamams to private options.
The Spoonmaker's Diamond, the Harem, 400 years of Ottoman sultans — your guide to Topkapi Palace tickets, skip-the-line options, and the best tours.
Everything you need to know about visiting Hagia Sophia — tickets, skip-the-line options, best times, and what to see inside.
Flights, buses, balloon rides, cave hotels, and day tours -- everything you need to plan a Cappadocia trip from Istanbul.
The best Bosphorus cruises compared -- dinner shows, budget ferries, and sunset yachts from 7 to 31 dollars per person.
Discover the top photography experiences in Asia, from hot air balloon rides in Turkey to Taj Mahal photo tours and wildlife safaris in India, perfect for every shutterbug.