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Shore Excursions: Istanbul Fener and Balat Private Tour

Ultimate experience to see all in Istanbul

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Private Starts for min 2 people
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Shore Excursions: Istanbul Fener and Balat Private Tour

Meet your local, expert guide at the port right after your ship has docked. Join your private tour to see the top sites in Golden Horn on a guided tour.

Start your tour with a ferry ride along the Golden Horn. See and walk along the mighty Byzantine walls from the fifth century. It’s a good place to listen to many stories about how the siege happened between the Ottoman and Byzantine armies.

Visit the extraordinary Greek Orthodox Church, Mary Blachernae, and learn about its legend. Pass onto Balat, walking through the color and the vibrancy of its street life, the synagogues, the churches, and the labyrinth of cobblestone streets teeming with kids playing football.

End your walk in Fener, where we see the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate housing a column that is believed to have been used for the binding and flogging of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Fener and Balat are off the major tourist trail; their authenticity makes this guided tour worthwhile. This tour is always a favorite because it’s a reason to leave Sultanahmet and see Istanbul beyond the open-air museum.