Destination
Type of Activity
Editors Pick
Read MoreArter
Located in a refurbished mansion on one of Istanbul’s biggest shopping streets, Arter, which opened in 2010, is already regarded as one of the city’s most esteemed contemporary art studios. While the gallery supports international artists, most of the exhibits...
Read MoreBasilica Cistern
The final sight on Sultanahmet’s holy trinity tour is the Basilica Cistern or “Sunken Palace,” a subterranean well that is located southwest of the Hagia Sophia. The cistern, known as Yerebatan Sarayi in Turkish, was first constructed by Constantine then...
Read MoreBlue Mosque
Across the park from the Hagia Sofia is the early-17th-century Sultanahmet, or Blue Mosque. Famous for its scandalous six minarets (only the Prophet’s mosque at Mecca was allowed that many) and blue Iznik tiles, which inspired its nickname, the building...
Read MoreBorusan Contemporary
Located in a 100-year-old mansion that is the headquarters for Borusan Holdings, a Turkish steel and energy business, this gallery is open to the public on weekends only (so as not to disturb business hours). Abutting the Bosphorus, the collection...
Read MoreBosphorus Cruise
A magical way to see Istanbul is from the water. While there are commercial group day cruises, the best way to enjoy the sights is on a private charter, which can depart directly from one of the Bosphorus hotels (if...
Read MoreDolmabahçe Palace
In 1853, the reigning sultan abandoned the Topkapi Palace in Sultanahmet for the Dolmabahçe Palace, which is located directly on the Bosphorus. The glittery, over-the-top interiors were designed by French decorator Séchan, who also masterminded the interiors of Paris’s Opera...
Read MoreEphesus
Ephesus is not an easy day trip from Istanbul, but for those eager to see the well-preserved Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient world’s seven wonders, the journey is worth the effort. Leave on an early-morning flight to Izmir,...
Read MoreGalata Mevlevihanesi
The most authentic whirling-dervish performance in the city takes place every second and last Friday of the month, from April to September, at the Galata Mevlevihanesi, a former Sufi lodge that is now a museum. Check the website for show...
Read MoreHagia Sophia
Built between 532–537, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, when the city was Constantinople, the Hagia Sofia had the largest dome in the world for a thousand years until it was eclipsed, in 1436, by Florence’s Duomo. Once one...
Photo by Kathryn Nathanson. Courtesy IndagareRead MoreIndagare Tour: Istanbul Food
Indagare can arrange an Istanbul food tour with an expert culinary guide through the streets of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu neighborhood, which will include a stroll down Istanbul’s famous and always bustling Istiklal Avenue. On this tour, travelers will indulge in Turkish...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Food and Market
Istanbul is home to some of the most exciting markets and bazaars in the world and also boasts a long culinary tradition. For those interested in food, tours can be arranged that visit the historic Spice Bazaar and food markets...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Historical Highlights
Spend your first morning exploring Sultanahmet, near the shore of the Sea of Marmara. It’s the most picturesque part of Istanbul’s Old City and holds most of the major sites. Start with visits to the fabled Hagia Sophia and Blue...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Istanbul Art Scene
Istanbul has a thriving contemporary art scene. Visit studios, musuems and galleries with a resident art expert who trained at Sotheby's and is connected with the local art scene. She can introduce you to photographers, artists and gallery owners and...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Istanbul for Teens
For most teenagers, Istanbul is different from anything that they have seen in their life. Indagare can arrange special visits to hip neighborhoods like Ortakoy, Bebek and Nisantisi where they will find many other teens their age. They can also...
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Istanbul Shopping
There are so many options for shopping within Istanbul that it can often be hard to find exactly what you are looking for. Whether you are interested in hunting through the best of Istanbul’s famed bazaar or seeking out high-end...
Photo by Kathryn Nathanson. Courtesy IndagareRead MoreIstanbul Archaeological Museum
The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is a compound of museums housing palace collections, which were formed by Osman Hamdi Bey, the museum director, master painter and archaeologist during the late 19th century. The three major sections are the Archaeology Museum, the...
Read MoreIstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), a non-profit foundation focused on the arts, has a wonderful location in the restored Art Nouveau Deniz Palas in Şişhane. Since its founding in 1973, IKSV has launched five regular festivals focusing...
Read MoreIstanbul Modern
The Istanbul Modern museum, housed in a former customs warehouse by the Bosphorus, is an important stop for those interested in 20th-century Turkish art. It also has good international exhibits. Have lunch at the wonderful Istanbul Modern Café. Indagare members...
Read MoreMisir Apartment
This art nouveau building in Beyoglu is one of Istanbul’s best destinations for contemporary art. With six galleries in all (including Pi Artworks, Galeri Nev and Galeri Zilbermann), the art space promotes innovative works by Turkish and international artists.
Read MoreMoreish
This unassuming restaurant turns into a DJ-fueled dance party on weekend nights. Arrive after 11 pm, when the party gets started.
Read MoreMuseum of Innocence
The Nobel Prize–winning author Orhan Pamuk wrote his work The Museum of Innocence about a fictional collection of items representing a tumultuous love affair. It wasn’t until a few years after publishing the book that he funded and built the...
Read MoreNardis
This small jazz club in Galata is a great place to spend an evening listening to live music.
Read MorePera Museum
Art lovers praise the Pera Museum for its role in bringing outstanding international art to Istanbul. Working in partnership with institutions such as the Tate Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, St. Petersburg Russian State Museum and the Maeght Foundation, the...
Read MorePrinces’ Islands
If you have a day to spare, take one of the ferries leaving from Kadıköy, Kabataş or Bostanci to one of the four Princes’ islands in the Sea of Marmara. For centuries, the islands were known as the place where...
Read MoreRumeli Hisari
Rumeli Hisari fortress was built by Sultan Mehmed II in 1451, before he conquered Constantinople. It sits just before the Fatih Bridge, the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, which Mehmet selected to allow complete control of the strait.
Read MoreRüstem Pasha Mosque
Designed by Mimar Sina is the small Rüstem Pasha Mosque, whose Iznik tiled walls are even more amazing than those of the Blue Mosque.
Read MoreSakip Sabanci Museum
This collection of paintings, ceramics and calligraphy is housed in a stunning villa that was the family home of one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen.
Read MoreSALT
This ambitious art foundation was founded in 2011, and has two galleries in Istanbul (one each in Beyoglu and Karakoy) and another in Ankara, Turkey’s capital. SALT supports artistic innovation through exhibitions and conferences, and also functions as a research...
Read MoreSüleymaniye Mosque
This is the largest, and some say the most beautiful, mosque in the city. Built in 1557 for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient, it’s considered a masterpiece of the architect Mimar Sina.
Photo by Kathryn Nathanson. Courtesy IndagareRead MoreSultanahmet Square
Just steps from the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque in the heart of the Old City is Istanbul’s Hippodrome of Constantinople, or Sultanahmet Square. This square was historically a circus used as a sporting center for chariot racing and social...
Read MoreTopkapi Palace
You’ll need at least half a day to properly explore the Topkapi Palace. The administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four hundred years, from 1465 to 1853, the palace is a lavish complex of beautifully preserved tiled buildings...
Photo by Kathryn Nathanson. Courtesy IndagareRead MoreTram Ride on Istiklal Avenue
Experience the hustle of Istanbul with a nostalgic, traditional tram ride on Istanbul’s most famous street, Istiklal Avenue. The history of this tram dates to the 19th century when it ran through the Beyoglu neighborhood connecting Taksim Square with Galatasaray...
