Full-Day Private Guided Jewish Heritage Tour in Istanbul

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| Istanbul, Turkey

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7 hours (approx.)

Hotel pickup offered

Mobile ticket

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.
Also Ahrida Synagogue is a functional Synagogue and is not a museum. They charge donation 45EURO per person. When we send our guest passport reservation, we send donation via bank.

What's Included

Private Minivan with driver
Proffesional Guidance who has enough knowledge about Jewish Heritage
Parking

Lunch All drinks and meals are excluded
Admission fee of Ahrida Synagogue ( 25USD per person)
Admission fee of Jewish Museum 15EURO per person
Admission fee of Galata Tower-30 EURO per person
Galata Tower
The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews
Ahrida Synagogue

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Pickup details

We can pick up our guests from their hotels in city center

What To Expect

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 • Admission Ticket Free

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 • Admission Ticket Free

Neve Shalom Synagogue

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 • Admission Ticket Free

The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews

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 • Admission Ticket Free

Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is an old Genoese tower in the Galata part of the Beyoğlu 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 Beyoğlu and Istanbul.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

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 • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
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.

Frequently Asked Questions

(7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Full-Day Private Guided Jewish Heritage Tour in Istanbul?

A: This tour is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded. Read more Apr 2025