Activities in Istanbul

The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are a car-free archipelago of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara, a popular escape from the city. Grand Victorian-era wooden mansions, pine forests, and horse-drawn carriages create a timeless atmosphere.

A hands-on ceramic workshop in Sultanahmet where visitors paint their own İznik-style tiles under the guidance of a master craftsman, using traditional cobalt and turquoise glazes.

Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul's car-free Princes' Islands, is best explored by bicycle—pedalling past wooden Ottoman mansions, through pine-forested hills and along the waterfront promenade.

Çağaloğlu Hamamı is one of Istanbul's last surviving grand Ottoman bathhouses, built in 1741 and virtually unchanged since. Its marble-domed chambers provide an authentic Turkish bath experience.

A Bosphorus cruise is one of Istanbul's essential experiences, sailing the strait that separates Europe from Asia. The shores are lined with Ottoman palaces, wooden mansions (yalı), medieval fortresses, and modern bridges.

Guided sea-kayaking excursions depart from Beykoz or Anadolu Kavağı, paddling along the Asian shore past Ottoman waterfront mansions (yalıs), fortresses and under the soaring Bosphorus bridges.