Holidays in Istanbul (Turkey): tours from Almaty from 527,000 ₸

I needed to urgently book a trip to Istanbul because of a sudden window in my vacation, I found the tour myself at that agency where my friend took a shopping tour last year and was satisfied. The manager helped with the documents, we got everything done in one day, although I had already mentally said goodbye to that money because of the lack of available seats in August. We arrived in the evening, checked in instantly, the hotel though turned out to be right in the tourist anthill, but that's even convenient — everything's nearby. Every morning I drank pomegranate tea on the roof and looked at the mosques, that view was worth all my previous attempts to carve out time for rest. I ate so much Turkish delight that I reached a state of nauseating sweetness, but the merchants at the Grand Bazaar surrounded me with such attention that I simply had no strength to refuse, they smiled and even threw in a discount like I was a local. You absolutely have to take the ferry to the Asian shore, the air is completely different there, although in that one hour crossing I connected with this city more than during all the museum tours, sometimes simple things give you more than a schedule. The vacation was a hundred percent successful and I'm endlessly grateful for such a familiar and noisy ending — I came back absolutely happy with bags and Czech shoes, which I don't regret buying one bit.

s leteli ne dolgo a vot po stanbuls kim probkam my polzli chasa tri!! vse hotelo i patselovat i ewe chtoto pokupat, shopy tam otdelnoe iskusstvo no glavnoe e wrapat vodoi derzkie prodavcy na ulice vsyu turu portili, ne sovetuu s nimi sporyat no magaziny na istiklale prosto ogon, kupila serebrianyy braslet po tsene kotoraia v moskve dazhe broshkoi by ne byla, boyus teper not otorvut s rukami, odno znayu 100% vernus eshe v avguste tou drugim gidom potomu chto etot terpelivyi velichestvennyi na vechnye operazheniia i arkhyitektura eta stoit vsekh etikh tolko chto populyarnykh zapahov ryby i prolitogo kofe))).

Went with them to Istanbul in December — all smooth, didn't even expect it. Hotels were picked decent, transfer didn't let me down, though I worried about the weather, but it actually turned out great. Came back satisfied, would tweak a coupel of small things, but overall — solid five!

Паспорттым мерзімі бітіп қалған, ескі ксерокөшірме жарамайтын, Турцияға да жиналдық — сонда агенттікке кірдім, сол жерде менеджер кездесті, тез бәрін реттеп берді. Құжаттарды бес күннен кейін алдым, бір апта күтемін деп ойлағам, кезек жоқ еді, бірақ жалпы әсерді офистегі вай-фай бұзды, ол бірде бар бірде жоқ — ақымақтай отырып, өз трафигімде лентаны шарладым. Соңында ұшып кеттік, шекарадан бзз проблем өттік, бірақ осындай бір сапар үшін осының бәрі бюрократия, әрине, ол да бір квест, жұмыс басты, қыздар, жарайсыңдар.

Istanbul in December is the best decision, dark, damp, but there’s some kind of its own atmosphere, like the city lives for itself. The agency picked a hotel in the European part, the view from the window is absolutely a bomb, you can see the Bosphorus even through the fog while you sip your coffee and have breakfast. I walked so much that my new sneakers ripped by the end of the third day, had to buy local canvas shoes at the bazaar, and they turned out more comfortable (rediculous situation, but still paid my own money for them). What grabbed me most was Hagia Sophia — inside it’s like time got mixed up, frescoes with Arabic script, some kind of magic, I stood there for an hour staring at a wall. Food is of course a whole other story, on every corner they’re frying something that just makes your belly happy, but the real top is the fish sandwich by the pier, just like it’s written in the Istanbul textbook. Came back home with a feeling that I cheated December and lived it like four different seasons at once, if the agency does the same tour in March – I’ll be first in line.

орталықтағы бір турагенттікке кірдім, менің жұмыс бабыммен байланысты емес, жай әкемнің туған күніне қайда барамыз деп екіленіп жүргенбіз, сонда менеджер бірден Стамбулды ұсынды, ал біз тіпті ойламаппыз, бірақ қарасам билет те қолжетімді, қонақүйі де керемет екен, сосын расымен де солай болды. қаланың өзі бір бөлек әлем, мешіттері емес, трамвайда жүріп қараған көшелері ғажап, сондай бір ретсіз қозғалыс пен адамдардың шуылы, бірақ соның ішінде мына Галата көпірінің астындағы балықшыларды көрдім де, неге екенін білмеймін өзімді бақытты сезініп кеттім - дәмханаларда отырып шәй ішу де бір тәуір, үндемей отырасың да сол тірлікке қарайсың, айтпақшы менеджерге рақмет айтқым келеді солай жақсы кеңес берді, қайтқанда Польша арқылы ұштық, Краковта 4 сағат отырдық бірақ аш боп, ештеңе үлгермедік, билеттегі ол кідіріс шаршатты, содан да болар бәрі біткен соң деймін үйге келгенде жаның рақаттанады, қайта барып көрмек түгілі өкінбеймін бірақ дайындалған турым өз дегенімізше сапалы болды ғой

Turkey of course Istanbul is just another world, although the manager from the agency told me to go across that bridge and I almost really got lost, but it's such a city where even when you're lost it's still beautiful. Those narrow streets, the smell of coffee and fried fish, I bought so much stuff that the suitcase wouldn't close, just like always with me, but it's Istanbul and you can't come and not bring anything back, and those huge mosques from the outside, inside it's generally such a feeling that you've stepped into another era, only thing is the queues everywhere are long — and that was annoying of course, but overall I had a great trip, came back happy as a clam

Never thought I would like it this much, but Istanbul really pulls you in. Went on a tour from Almaty through a local agency, took a tour to Istanbul for 5 days, the organization is honestly top, checked in fast without any hassle, the guide spoke Russian and was knowledgeable, not boring. The first day was crazy heat, I even regretted bringing jeans instead of shorts. But in the evening we stumbled on a little cafe near the Galata tower, they make turkish coffee in a turka right in the sand — now that's what I call it, we were in Asia, but we didn't even go to Nevsehir though they offered. Came back packed with impressions, but hoarse from the market vendors I had to shove with my elbows. Hagia Sophia is of course a powerhouse, inside it takes your breath away, but the lines were huge to get in.. well actually they moved fast because our group was small and well-organized. Hotel we took with a view of the Bosphorus, the sunsets from there — fire, sat every evening on the balcony watching the ferries go by, though I was afraid it would be noisy from the waterfront no. actually after that it was no time for sunsets, we saw so much that my legs were buzzing, every single one. I of course envied the landlady whose apartment my friend was renting with white envy while she had mosquitoes in the stairwell, and here it's beautiful. anyway I'm not a foodie but that street burger in its pure form no frills for 5 dollars where they grill it in front of you finished me off turned out tastier than expensive restaurants. we also went to the asian side by ferry and honestly it was cool more for the vibe than the sights. thanks to the travel agency, I'm usually picky and raised a fuss writing the manager at night complaints about the air conditioner which was a bit capricious, and they changed our room within a couple hours without unnecessary questions… amazing service. a five with a plus no doubt

my wife talked me into renewing the visa before a family vacation, im lazy myself but then i found a tour where they help with this, so we also grabbed a decent excursion to Istanbul so we wouldnt sit on the beach all day. everything was done fast all through one window in an hour and a half, and it turned out to be a good deal – the visa was added as an add-on to the tour instead of running us around consulates. liked that they didnt shove mandatory shopping into the program like everywhere else but gave us relaxed time by the mosque and the waterfront i even accidentally wandered onto the fish market and tried a fresh mackerel sandwich – still think about it. the boat trip on the Bosphorus was a whole separate pleasure, though it was windy, i got cold but the views were worth it overall im thrilled with the trip came back happy almost like after a vacation. the only thing i noticed – the brochure with the route was given to me only at the airpot, didnt get that, but everything went smooth so its a minor thing. nothing to complain about, the organization is on point and they didnt push extras, five stars for sure.

went to istanbul because my wife had been wanting to see the bosphorus for a long time, well and i wasn't against it either, we took a tour through a local agency so we wouldn't have to bother with a visa and a hotel. the hotel turned out to be fine, view of the water is gorgeous but the beds are a bit hard, like i slept on boards, though maybe it's just me being old and having a featherbed at home. but i didn't expect to enjoy the ferry ride so much, wind in your face, tea from a little glass, and those seagulls that steal your simit, and the hagia sophia cathedral — that's genuinely mesmerizing, you feel the energy, though there are as many people as in the metro at rush hour and security guards on every corner glaring at you. anyway i always thought turkey was only beaches, but here it's actually a whole history, i left satisfied, also couldn't find any everyday downsides, and for a Man that means a lot, i'll definitely go again, maybe i won't even need the consulate if i get a schengen for greece

I needed a foreign passport for a visa, and time was running out, so I went to this agency in our neighborhood, and figured I'd check out tours while I was at it, since I was right there. The passport was done fast, about ten days, but in the end I ended up coming back for a trip to Istanbul for 4 days, solo, because they quoted me a decent price on a last-minute deal with a flight. Overall the trip worked out fine, I crawled all over the Bosphorus, even hopped over to the Asian side on a ferry for 40 lira, which was cheaper than our metro, but the hotel was proper noisy, walls like cardboard and you could hear the neighbors brushing their teeth, though that's more on me, because I couldn't be bothered to check ratings while sitting at the airport. Weather was unlucky, damp and windy, but on the flip side there were barely any queues at Hagia Sophia, dry and warm inside, but the real highlight was the food, sesame simit on every corner and coffee stronger than ours, so I came back without souvenirs but with a couple extra kilos. I guess if I'd booked the trip not through this agency but on my own, it'd have turned out the same, but here I didn't have to figure anything out myself, and that's exactly what I wanted before the trip..

This was my first Istanbul, but zero complaints about the travel agency — everything was clear, just as agreed, and even the little hiccup with the transfer got sorted on the spot, in the chat. The city itself — it’s something else, labyrinths, the smell of cinnamon and fish, I stuffed myself with simit and almost died of happiness in the Basilica Cistern, and on the way back I was already flying with the thought that I’ll definitely return and only through them)

Svyazalas' s menedzherom, ona vse bystro podskazala i podobrala variant, hotelos' srazu sletat, no tak vyglyadelo luchshe vsego. Gu-lyala po Sultanahmet tri dnya, nogi gudeli kak posle marafona, no vid s Galatskoi bashni prosto snosil kryshu. Vernulas' s chemodanom sladostei i glavnoe chto bez edinoi problemy, pyaterka.

went to apply for a schengen visa, well actually for the documents for it, and then it suddenly turned out that it's easier to just take a tour to Istanbul for the New Year and the weather was crappy and I wanted to go home, but both tickets and the hotel were already paid, the manager advised to walk around the asian part — and she wasn't wrong. the city is of course huge, by the evening my legs were buzzing so much that the elevator in the hotel seemed like a gift of fate, but the fish market and that guy with tea outweighed everything. the breakfsts in the guesthouse were monotonous, olives and some kind of cheese — but that's a trifle when the Bosphorus is rustling outside the window. the downsides are probably only that the locals don't get a damn word of russian I was in shock, had to explain myself to the tram driver with a sign. came back happy and with a bunch of magnets still it's a five.

got a new foreign passport for my mom at the passport office, and then we thought — since the document is fresh anyway, let it work for a month, and i also wanted to see Hagia Sophia after all those restorations. booked a tour with the guys at "Alem-Tour" (who recommended it? yeah the neighbor from the parking lot said they have supposedly last-minute deals) and didnt regret it, though i generally hate all this "all-inclusive", theirs turned out to be just transfer + hotel in Sultanahmet, plus a hammam as a gift thrown in confusingly, but at the airport they met us with a sign and even arrived an hour before the return flight

Needed a new passport, and my old travel agency where I always booked trips closed a year ago. Went on a friend's advice to a Kazakhstani agency, she flew to Antalya with them last year and was happy. Well, they made me the passport fast, and I decided to also take a tour to Istanbul while I was at it, since trust had appeared. I wouldn't have organized the whole trip myself, here even a visa wasn't needed, which is convenient. Flew fine, found the hotel right away, transfer was waiting right at the terminal exit — nice when you don’t have to chase a cabbie and haggle with him. The city is crazy beautiful, but also tiring: by the end of the day my legs were buzzing so bad I’d drop in the room and just lie there silently for forty minutes. Food is a whole other story, I almost burst from kebabs and all sorts of pistachio sweets. Most memorable was the view of the Bosporus from the Galata Tower, though they rip you off for the elevator ride, and we had to stand in line. But honestly there’s nothing to complain about, everything was clearly scheduled, no force majeure or delays on our end. Came home in a good mood, felt like I had more energy, already thinking where to head next year with the same people.

Started with wanting to fly to Istanbul, but going alone felt a bit scary, so I popped into an agency near my house and picked a tour with transfers so I wouldn’t have to think about anything. The hotel came with a view of the Bosphorus and that, I think, settled everything, because every morning I stepped onto the balcony and just stared at the water, though I could’ve also looked down at the people. the routes in the first days were stupid, too crowded, but once I wandered off on my own into the alleys behind Galata, that’s when it got really interesting. Some almost trivial little things stuck with me, like this gadget for lighting a hookah in a tiny cafe that clicked like a lighter from far-off childhood, and the smell of roasted chestnuts, you can’t get used to that. The traffic in the city is, of course, brutal, but I was so absorbed in watching the cats that I didn’t even pay it any mind. They poured Turkish tea into these funny glasses with a waist, and I came back with a whole suitcase of that glassware and one ceramic bowl weighing about three kilos. We ate everything there was, from street burgers to a decent restaurant with a view, and never got sick once, which I count as a real achievement. The weather in April fooled us, it was cold then hot, but the main thing is that on the last day there was such a sunset that I almost missed check-in at the airport, standing there staring out the window like a fool. Want to come back here again, but next time I’ll go as a free traveler, though even with the agency I got lucky: they didn’t even annoy me before the trip with routes, all the info came in endless texts, fine))

Took Istanbul for the New Year holidays. The city is huge, I didn't even expect it, so much stuff in 5 days, though my legs were buzzing afterwards, no joke. The Suleymaniye Mosque is what I remember best, inside it's somehow unrealistically calm, despite the crowds of tourists. Food, of course, is a whole separate story – those kebabs of theirs and Turkish delight, I hauled three kilos home as gifts. But to see everything, a week isn't enough, so I came back happy but drained, but all the gifts got snatched up right away)))

went to Istanbul on a package from a local agency, had a rough time with the transfer at the hotel, but the city itself — top notch. Hagia Sophia inside is just out of this world, nearly stood there for an hour staring at the mosaics, then bought a bunch of spices at the bazaar and almost left my jacket at the cafe. little thing annoyed me that instead of cappuccino they kept bringin some instant stuff, but overall happy as a clam, though it's a four because one day it poured and we got soaked to the bone, even though we walked around plenty..

Well finally got to Istanbul, been meaning to go for three years and it just never worked out. Booked a tour through the agency, the girl set everything up fast, I just handed over the money and a week later I was at the airport. The city is just like some kind of whirlpool, in the morning you're at the Suleymaniye mosque, and an hour later you're already shoving down kofte somewhere in a back alley behind Galata. Climbed all over those endless hills, my legs were buzzing like crazy, but man the views from the Galata Tower are something else. What stuck with me most was the trams — narrow little things, packed to the brim,like our minibuses at rush hour, but the drivers somehow manage to squeeze everyone in. A couple of times I didn't even want to leave the hotel, just lay on the bed staring at the Bosphorus out the window while the AC blew in my face. The weather in July is brutal, of course, humidity like a sauna, but in the evening there's a breeze along the waterfront — and it's livable. Came back happy as a clam, already saving up for a new trip, now I wanna go to Cappadocia through the same agency, since they didn't let me down.