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Book your vacation through Family Travel Concierge info@familytc.com or 860-830-4009
This three-hour immersive orientation walk, offered by our partners Context Travel, takes us across the Bosphorus Strait to the Asian side of the city in order to explore a face of Istanbul that most visitors miss. Unlike a traditional "Bosphorus Cruise," which zips past a couple of big monuments on a tourist boat, we make use of Istanbul's public ferry system to cross the water, immersing ourselves in everyday life, and visiting off-the-beaten-path parts of the city that go undiscovered by many travelers.
Designed as an orientation to the city, this approach enables us to
step back and see Istanbul from a distance, explore some of the larger
geographical and historical themes that have shaped the city, and enjoy
the Bosphorus, one of Istanbul's many charms.
We begin our tour at the main pier in the historic center, where we’ll board one of the public ferries to the Asian side, learning along the way how to purchase tickets and use Istanbul’s fantastic boat system. Used by locals, the ferries are a great way to immerse oneself into the rhythm of Istanbul. As we cross through the busy sea traffic that plies the Strait, our docent will point out the major monuments, discuss the role of the waterway in modern commerce, and paint with broad strokes the overall story of the city. As we ride, we'll enjoy a small glass of strong tea, a sophisticated tradition on the ferries.
We'll spend the bulk of our time together exploring two former villages—now neighborhoods of Istanbul—on the Asian side: Uskudar and Kuzguncuk. Our tour will take us to a conservative part of town where there are a number of traditional mosques. Depending on chance, we may be able to ring the imam and slip into one of the least visited of these. Uskudar provides a good jumping off point for introducing visitors to one of the big themes of Istanbul: the tension between secular Turkey and growing religious conservatism. We'll gain valuable insight into these questions by passing by several local monuments and discovering the hidden nooks and crannies in this often-overlooked part of the city.
We’ll then head up the Bosphorus, following a walking path along the water that affords some of the best and most iconic views of Istanbul’s European side. Along the way, our docent will explain how the city developed and grew around this body of water, and the contemporary relationship between each side—European and Asian. Often, the conversation tends towards very “daily life” topics like traffic, commuting, rents, and how the city works (or doesn’t) for its 16 million inhabitants.
Our adventure will eventually deliver us to a small fishing village where Ottoman viziers and other notables built their villas. Today, officially a part of Istanbul, Kuzguncuk still retains its original character and provides yet another contrast in the amazing city. We’ll also explore different cosmopolitan traditions. For example, Kuzguncuk is an area where Jews, Greeks, and Armenians have lived together sharing the same daily habits for centuries. This multi-ethnic fabric has created a unique architecture and community, which we’ll explore in the back roads and alleyways of this atmospheric part of the city. Our walk will carry us past churches built next to synagogues and mosques, and cause us to reflect on the diversity of experience typical of Istanbul.
Our walk may end in Kuzcunguk, a nice place to enjoy lunch. Or, we may return to the ferry piers in Uskudar, depending on the desires of the group. Regardless, we'll emerge from our time together with a deeper sense of the historical and cultural context that frames Istanbul, and will be prepared to visit the rest of the city on our trip.
www.familytc.com
Book your vacation through Family Travel Concierge info@familytc.com or 860-830-4009
This three-hour immersive orientation walk, offered by our partners Context Travel, takes us across the Bosphorus Strait to the Asian side of the city in order to explore a face of Istanbul that most visitors miss. Unlike a traditional "Bosphorus Cruise," which zips past a couple of big monuments on a tourist boat, we make use of Istanbul's public ferry system to cross the water, immersing ourselves in everyday life, and visiting off-the-beaten-path parts of the city that go undiscovered by many travelers.
We begin our tour at the main pier in the historic center, where we’ll board one of the public ferries to the Asian side, learning along the way how to purchase tickets and use Istanbul’s fantastic boat system. Used by locals, the ferries are a great way to immerse oneself into the rhythm of Istanbul. As we cross through the busy sea traffic that plies the Strait, our docent will point out the major monuments, discuss the role of the waterway in modern commerce, and paint with broad strokes the overall story of the city. As we ride, we'll enjoy a small glass of strong tea, a sophisticated tradition on the ferries.
We'll spend the bulk of our time together exploring two former villages—now neighborhoods of Istanbul—on the Asian side: Uskudar and Kuzguncuk. Our tour will take us to a conservative part of town where there are a number of traditional mosques. Depending on chance, we may be able to ring the imam and slip into one of the least visited of these. Uskudar provides a good jumping off point for introducing visitors to one of the big themes of Istanbul: the tension between secular Turkey and growing religious conservatism. We'll gain valuable insight into these questions by passing by several local monuments and discovering the hidden nooks and crannies in this often-overlooked part of the city.
We’ll then head up the Bosphorus, following a walking path along the water that affords some of the best and most iconic views of Istanbul’s European side. Along the way, our docent will explain how the city developed and grew around this body of water, and the contemporary relationship between each side—European and Asian. Often, the conversation tends towards very “daily life” topics like traffic, commuting, rents, and how the city works (or doesn’t) for its 16 million inhabitants.
Our adventure will eventually deliver us to a small fishing village where Ottoman viziers and other notables built their villas. Today, officially a part of Istanbul, Kuzguncuk still retains its original character and provides yet another contrast in the amazing city. We’ll also explore different cosmopolitan traditions. For example, Kuzguncuk is an area where Jews, Greeks, and Armenians have lived together sharing the same daily habits for centuries. This multi-ethnic fabric has created a unique architecture and community, which we’ll explore in the back roads and alleyways of this atmospheric part of the city. Our walk will carry us past churches built next to synagogues and mosques, and cause us to reflect on the diversity of experience typical of Istanbul.
Our walk may end in Kuzcunguk, a nice place to enjoy lunch. Or, we may return to the ferry piers in Uskudar, depending on the desires of the group. Regardless, we'll emerge from our time together with a deeper sense of the historical and cultural context that frames Istanbul, and will be prepared to visit the rest of the city on our trip.
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