Full-Day Private Guided Jewish Heritage Tour in Istanbul | 7 hours

9 Reviews | Istanbul
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Full-Day Private Guided Jewish Heritage Tour in Istanbul
2 Adults x $699.00
$1,398.00
Approx Total
$1,398.00
Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Private Minivan with driver
  • Proffesional Guidance who has enough knowledge about Jewish Heritage
  • Parking
  • All drinks and meals are excluded
  • Admission fee of Ahrida Synagogue ( 16USD per person)
  • Admission fee of Jewish Museum (4,6USD) per person
  • Admission fee of Galata Tower-13,4USD per person

Overview

We ensure that each Jewish Heritage Tour leaves you with treasured memories. Our itinerary combines explorations of Jewish history in Asia Minor; important local sites of interest; cultural delights, and the company of like-minded travelers. You’ll enjoy ease, camaraderie, and in-depth educational content with our knowledgeable guides. Visiting Ahrida Synagogue can be done only with appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We send a request letter to management with passport details and full names of visitors as an official Travel Agency latest one week before than tour date. The visitors have to share passport details after booking this tour. Visiting the Synagogues and the Jewish Museums requires permits from Chief Rabia and you will need to present your passport during the visits.

Pickup points

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Pickup details

We can pick up our guests from their hotels in city center ... Read more â–¼

Itinerary

  • Ahrida Synagogue

    Ahrida Synagogue was built by Romaniotes (Greek Jews), dating back to the 1430s, from the city of Ohrid (called 'Ahrid' in Greek) in what was then the Ottoman Empire and is now North Macedonia. Neve Shalom is said to have moved to Constantinople more than 550 years ago Sephardi Jews arrived in the Ottoman Empire from the Iberian peninsula beginning in 1492, and soon were a larger group of Jews in population than the Romaniotes. The Romaniotes of Istanbul, as in many communities, including Thessaloniki became assimilated into the Sephardic culture and adopted the Sephardic liturgy as well as the language of the Sefardim, Judezmo. The Ahrida synagogue building, one of the two ancient synagogues in Istanbul's Golden Horn. Ahrida Synagogue is known for its boat-shaped tevah (the reading platform, known in Ashkenazi communities as a bimah). It is also the only synagogue in Istanbul at which Sabbatai Zevi, founder of the Jewish Sabbatean movement, prayed.

    1 hour

  • Yanbol Synagogue (Pass By)

    Yanbol Synagogue was built by Sephardi Jews who moved from the Bulgarian town of Yambol to Istanbul during the 15th century. The synagogue is also known as the Bulgarian Synagogue owing to the origin of the community. It was constructed in the 18th century. However, it underwent repairs during the end of the 19th century thus the structure today is not the original. Today, the synagogue is only open for Shabbat services due to a decrease in the Jewish community in the area.

  • Balat

    Balat district is in the old city on the European side of Istanbul, on the western shore of the Golden Horn. Historically, it was the center of the Jewish community in Istanbul. As in neighbouring Fener, Balat's back streets are lined with colorful small stone two and three-storey terraced houses and a few grander mansions. It is one of highlights of Istanbul to visit. Many of the houses have been repainted in bright colours to give a distinctive feel to the neighborhood.

    2 hours

  • N/A

    Neve Shalom is the central and largest Sephardic synagogue of Istanbul. It is open to service especially on Shabbats, High Holidays, bar mitzvahs, funerals and weddings. The synagogue was built in response to an increase in the Jewish population in the old Galata neighborhood in the late 1930s. A Jewish primary school was torn down in 1949 for that purpose and the synagogue was built on its ruins. The construction completed in 1951.

    45 minutes

  • N/A

    Jewish Museum in Istanbul includes sections on the intermingling cultures of Jewish and Muslim Turks and ethnographic articles that depict the traditions of Turkish Jews, as well as the historical accounts of the Jewish odyssey from Spain to Turkey. So It is totally different museum than other museums in western countries.

    1 hour 30 minutes

  • Galata Tower

    The Galata Tower is an old Genoese tower in the Galata part of the BeyoÄŸlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was built as a watchtower at the highest point of the (lost) Walls of Galata district. the tower is now an exhibition space and museum of Tourism Ministry. It is a symbol of BeyoÄŸlu and Istanbul.

    1 hour

  • Askenazi Synagogue (Pass By)

    The Ashkenazi Synagogue is an Ashkenazi synagogue located near the Galata Tower in Karaköy It is the only currently active Ashkenazi synagogue in Istanbul open to visits and prayers. The synagogue was founded by Jews of Austrian origin in 1900. It is also the last remaining synagogue from a total of three built by Ashkenazim, as the population of Ashkenazi Jews accounts for 4 percent of the total Jewish population of Turkey. Visits to the synagogue can be done during weekday mornings only with appointments.

  • Kamondo Stairs

    A gorgeous, Gaudí-esque stairway constructed in Istanbul by a prominent Jewish family. Kamondo Family had built these stairs for their kids in 1860s to go to the school.

    45 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • This tour can be done only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Because of Shabbat, Synagogues do not give appointments to visit on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Free Cancellation

June 19100% refund
June 20No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    9
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Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 9 reviews with 5 stars

Prepare to have your eyes opened

Published on Sep, 2024

These are difficult times for a Jewish Heritage tour in Turkiye, with most synagogues closed to the public for fear of a repeat of the bombings perpetrated by foreign terrorists in past years. Nevertheless, Zerrin put together a wonderful tour of Jewish neighborhoods, the Jewish Museum, and access to the largest synagogue in Istanbul. She is historically and culturally knowledgeable, filled with regional perspective on the long and rich history from 3rd century BCE through modern days, interlaced with influences of political power and foreign nation states. I came away significantly enlightened and a little embarrassed by my knowledge gaps regarding the significant role that Turkiye has played in fostering and protecting Jewish heritage and people through the centuries. Highly recommended.

Istanbul and its heritage

Published on Jan, 2024

The city is the same, Istanbul. The attraction is different, the Jewish Heritage. And the agency. The agency is the same - Travel.Concierge. Again great performance, interesting facts told like fairytales by their guide. Great experience due to Travel.Concierge's professionalism and friendliness!

knowledgeable and flexible

Published on Aug, 2023

Zerrin was absolutely fabulous...she was with us for the whole 10 days of our trip. Very flexible when we needed changes made, extremely knowledgeable. You can choose to have a very history filled tour or a slightly more relaxed one. She listens to the client and adjusts accordingly. We have also recommended her to many of our friends who have traveled with children who told us that she was super accomodating with them as well.

Unique and unforgettable experience

Published on Aug, 2023

Simply amazing! Zerrin unveiled to us a storied and wondrous tale of Jews in Istanbul to in a way that only an expert and passionate guide can. Each stop on the tour was carefully curated to paint a picture of Jewish life in Istanbul. We felt the joy and melancholy of each temple, delighted in Zerrin's narrative, and were left astonished by the footprint that Jewish community left in this grand city. This tour was a unique experience for us to connect with our heritage and, most definitely, one of the most cherished memories of our trip to Turkey.

Great tour!

Published on Aug, 2023

Thanks, Zerrin, for the lovely tour! Your knowledge and experience as a tour guide is very impressive. Zerrin planned our day in Istanbul perfectly, was able to get us into locations of interest quickly, and shared interesting stories with us that we otherwise would not hear anywhere. Thank you Zerrin!

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