ISTANBUL
Worth your time in Istanbul.
The 15 workshops travellers book most in Istanbul, from the headline sights to the quieter finds. What each one costs, how long it runs, and whether it earns a slot on a short trip.
Make a Turkish mosaic lamp in Istanbul in 2.5 hours with artisan guidance, unlimited tea and coffee, and a take-home souvenir.
Most Popular“Such an amazing workshop! A very memorable experience. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. Nihal was an excellent teacher. A must do experience in Istanbul. It also gave us the opportunity to visit the Asian side as well”
Make a signature perfume in Istanbul with a Bosphorus view. Test 50+ scents, blend your own, and take home 50ml.
“It was an amazing and very enjoyable experience for us. Our guides Tuana and Elif were very helpful and friendly. Overall great activity!”
Make Turkish coffee in Istanbul: grind, brew in a cezve, taste multiple cups, get fortune-telling, and leave with a take-home set.
“Everything was well arranged for foreign visitors like us, from metro pickup to coffee history presentation, especially the Turkish coffee brewing in the end ! What a wonder ! What we have experienced was not only the history in a dose but taking a bite of slow coffee life in Turkish culture. We enjoyed a…”
Make a Turkish mosaic lamp in a 1500-year-old inn in Karaköy. Stencil-on-glass, tea and delight, plus a lamp you can take home.
“This mosaic lamp workshop in Istanbul was one of the highlights of our trip! Serhat and Esra were the perfect hosts - warm, knowledgeable, and so much fun to be around. They shared the beautiful cultural history behind the mosaic lamps, which added so much meaning to the activity. The studio is charming and located…”
Design a Turkish mosaic table lamp in Galata with 55+ glass colors, instructor help, and unlimited tea and delight. Take it home.
“The lamp making itself was fun, the sales approach around it very unnecessary. First, they try to upsell you to a larger lamp. When saying that you don't want a larger lamp, they try to persuade you. Then the sales person got visibly upset because we still didn't want it. After catching himself, he was…”
Create your own Istanbul perfume with 50+ ingredients and snacks, then take home a 50ml bottle, custom label, recipe card, and certificate.
“Awesome experience, this was one of the best experiences I had in Istanbul”
Hands-on Turkish coffee workshop in Istanbul’s 500-year-old room: brew your cup, learn history, get fortune read, take home a handmade cup.
“Petek was amazing, really friendly and accommodating and we really enjoyed the workshop :)”
Make your own stained-glass painting in Istanbul with expert help, unlimited tea and snacks, and a framed souvenir to take home.
“We loved the experience, it is a very nice crew. Pick up went smoothly and the results are stunning!”
Turkish coffee on sand in Istanbul: brew in a copper cezve, get fortune telling from grounds, and take home a pot, cup, and beans.
“We had so much fun learning the history of Turkish coffee and learning how to make it. Daryn was the ideal leader for our experience. He was highly interactive and really made our time so fun. Of course it wouldn’t be a true Turkish coffee experience without the fortune telling. ⭐️”
Make a Turkish mosaic lamp in Old Town Istanbul with a small class, coffee and snacks, and a LED lamp you can take home with an adapter.
“Fun activity and great for solo travelers. Took about an hour. You get to keep your lamp and they have adapters for different parts of the world…………………………………………………………………………………………………….”
Make your own perfume in a stylish Galata atelier with 90+ notes, Ottoman scent layering tips, and a take-home 50ml bottle.
“Highly recommended. Learned a lot about making perfumes. Made my own perfume with my own scents that I like .”
Learn Turkish coffee and coffee-grounds fortune telling in a small Istanbul class near Eminönü, with tea, sweets, and take-home goodies.
“This was a fun and entertaining experience. Benjamin was a fantastic host. Got to learn about the history or Turkish Coffee and how to make it. The fortune telling was enjoyable, interesting abs funny. Highly recommend the experience.”
Learn Turkish home cooking in a Beşiktaş apartment with local moms. Make dolma, börek, meze, and eat together for $90.
“The highlight of my visit to Istanbul. Nuran was welcoming and friendly. This was a low key 'informal' home cooking experience and I was surprised at how many really authentic dishes we were able to make together in her tiny kitchen. Travelling alone, I was able to join in with a group of others. I…”
Learn Turkish rug weaving in Istanbul. Small-group loom time, English guidance, tea and snacks, and a take-home carpet piece.
“Great and unique activity to do with friends/family indoors. Ilker and Kaan are wonderful hosts and they not only take you through the process very patiently, but also spoil you with sweets, chocolate and coffee. They also kept us engaged in a free flowing conversation and we didn’t even realise how three hours passed! Highly…”
Make your own 50 ml Istanbul perfume with Bosphorus views. Blend scents with a pro, sip Turkish tea, and take home a recipe.
“It is totally worth it! The experience is amazing, at a really good price and Tuana guided us to find the perfect scent, she was so kind.”
From the domes of the old city to the Bosphorus, the bazaars and the table, every way to spend a day across two continents.
