Fener/Balat Walking Tour, Pierre Loti Hill & Ferry in Istanbul

Explore the historic outer western area of Istanbul away from typical tourist routes. Experience the local culture and lifestyle, admire centuries-old Ottoman buildings, take a cable car up Pierre Loti Hill, and cruise the waters of the Golden Horn..

• Explore the Fener/Balat district and admire Ottoman houses, churches, mosques, and synagogues
• Take a cable car up to the historic Pierre Loti Café and take in the spectacular views of Istanbul
• Enjoy a ferry ride on the waters of the Golden Horn, the world’s longest natural harbor

Meet your guide in front of Rustempasha Mosque in the heart of Istanbul. You’ll take the local bus to Fener to discover Istanbul’s heritage. Travel by public bus to the colorful Fener/Balat district, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and at one time home to Istanbul’s Ottoman Orthodox and Jewish residents. See traces of Ottoman life, including wooden houses, mosques, churches, and synagogues, standing together and demonstrating the multicultural and religious ways of the Ottoman Empire. After walking along the cobblestoned streets of the Fener/Balat World Heritage area, you’ll continue along the historic Byzantine city walls that date to the 4th century A.D. and the time of Constantine the Great. See the exterior of the historic Eyüp mosque complex, a sacred area where pilgrims come to visit the mosques and the tombs of Muslim saints. From here you’ll take a short cable car ride up to the famous Pierre Loti Café, a popular meeting point for locals.

Enjoy stunning panoramic views of Istanbul while sipping a drink in one of the cafés where French Poet Pierre Loti was inspired to write Aziyade, part biography and part love story about his escapades in Istanbul in the late 1800s. Walk back down to Eyüp to catch the local ferry for a cruise on the blue waters of the Golden Horn. See Ottoman houses, shipyards, the old and new Galata bridges, Ataturk Bridge, ancient city walls, mosques, churches, and other historic and modern sites. You’ll disembark at Karaköy Harbor, where the tour ends.

E-MAIL