Istanbul Active Churches Tour with Private Guide
Start Point: Your Hotel in Istanbul
Istanbul Active Churches Tour with Private Guide
Discover the multi-religious aspects of Istanbul with a personalized Private Istanbul Active Churches Tour. This is perfect for visitors who have an interest in the Christian religion, religious architecture, and a diverse history.
Join a guide for an insider’s tour of various landmarks, including the Greek, Bulgarian, Russian, and Armenian Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, and some of the main active churches in the city.
Highlights of the tour include the Aya Yorgi Greek Orthodox Church at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener, the Bulgarian St. Stephen Iron Church, Aya Panteleymon Russian Orthodox Church, St. Esprit Cathedral, Uc Horan Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Anthony of Padua Basilica, and the Santa Maria Draperis Church.
With a private Istanbul church tour you have a unique opportunity to learn about the religious architecture and the long religious history of the city and the most important active faith communities.
Tour Info
- Destinations: Istanbul
- Duration: 7 Hours
- Start Point: Your Hotel in Istanbul
- End Point: Your Hotel in Istanbul
- Inclusions: Private Tour, Licensed Tour Guide, Transportation by Private Van, Museum Tickets & Attraction Fees
- Exclusions: Meals & Drinks, Gratuity (Suggested), Personal Expenses
- Sight to See: Santa Maria Draperis Church, Uc Horan Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Esprit Cathedral, Aya Panteleymon Russian Orthodox Church, Aya Yorgi Greek Orthodox Church, St. Antuan Church, Bulgarian Church of Sweti George
Meeting your guide at the lobby of your hotel. Today, we will explore Istanbul’s active churches, reflecting the city’s exceptionally rich religious and cultural diversity; showcasing different denominations and traditions coexisting in this unique city.
We start our day with Aya Yorgi Greek Orthodox Church, located within Ecumenical Patriarchate complex in Fener, which has served as the spiritual center of the Greek Orthodox world since 1602.
We continue with Bulgarian St. Stephen Church, famously known as “Iron Church,” as it is the only surviving fully prefabricated iron church in the world, assembled in 1898.
Our next stop is Aya Panteleymon Russian Orthodox Church, a rare rooftop church built in 1871 to serve Russian pilgrims traveling between Istanbul and Mount Athos or Jerusalem.
We continue with Basilica Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, St. Esprit Cathedral in Harbiye, which serves as the main cathedral of the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul and the seat of the Pope’s representative in Turkey.
Then we visit Uc Horan Armenian Apostolic Church in Beyoglu, originally dating back to 16th century and rebuilt in 1838 as an important center of Armenian community.
We continue to St. Anthony of Padua Basilica on Istiklal Street, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, built in Neo-Gothic style in the early 20th century.
Our final stop is Santa Maria Draperis Church, established in 1584, one of the oldest active Latin Catholic churches in Istanbul.
At the end of our program, transfer back to your hotel. This is the end of our service. We sincerely hope to welcome you as our guest again!
This tour includes accommodation and is request based. Please fill out the form below. Our operations team will contact you.
Tour Date
Room Type
Contact Info
Inclusions
- Private Tour
- Licensed Tour Guide
- Transportation by Private Van
- Museum Tickets & Attraction Fees
Exclusions
- Meals & Drinks
- Gratuity (Suggested)
- Personal Expenses
2 Days Before Tour - Free Cancellation
You are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your booking at least 2 days before the scheduled start time of the experience.
However, if you cancel within 2 days of the start time, no refund will be issued, and any modification requests made during this period will not be accepted.
Please note that all cancellation deadlines are based on local time.