Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

2 SPORTS & ACTIVITIES o KILIÇ ALI PAŞA HAMAMI

HAMAM

WALKING ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-393 8010; http://kilicalipasahamami.com; Hamam Sokak 1, off Kemeraltı Caddesi, Tophane; traditional hamam ritual ₺ 310, massages ₺ 220-520; h women 8am-4pm, men 4.30 11.30pm; j Tophane) It took seven years to develop a conservation plan for this 1580 Sinan-designed building and complete the meticulous restoration. Fortunately, the result was well worth waiting for. The hamam’s interior is simply stunning and the place is run with total professionalism, ensuring a clean and enjoyable Turkish bath experience. ARTWALK ISTANBUL ( % 0537 797 7525; www.artwalkistanbul.com; group tours ₺ 75-100 per person, private tours by negotiation; h Apr-Dec) Saliha Yavuz and her small team of curators, artists and critics offer guided English-language visits to commercial and artist-run galleries, as well as artists’ studios, providing an excellent introduction to the city’s vibrant contemporary-art scene. Tours concentrate on neighbourhoods, with gallery walks in Galata, Tophane, Taksim and Nişantaşı, and a tour of artists’ studios in Kadıköy.

İSTANBUL ON FOOD ( % 0538 966 7671; http://istanbulonfood.com; tour US$100)

WALKING

New to the city’s increasingly cluttered food-tour scene, this small outfit offers a popular four-hour ‘Twilight at Taksim’ tour with a maximum of seven participants. You’ll wander through the side streets on either side of İstiklal Caddesi sampling plenty of street food and kebaps before popping into a meyhane (tavern) for a rakı and finishing with baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu.