


Istanbul Express: From Ancient Mosques to Vibrant Streets
The trip in a nutshell
Istanbul, a city bridging two worlds, connects West and East, uniting two continents not just symbolically but in the daily lives of its people.
The city's complexity is striking—truly a "collection of many cities." Its architecture and social landscape shift dramatically within mere meters, from Taksim to Kasımpaşa or Sultanahmet to Kadırga, revealing vastly different realities.
Both the European and Asian sides showcase a mix of conservative and modern neighbourhoods, like Beyoğlu and Kadıköy, historic sites like Sultanahmet and Üsküdar, bustling shopping areas, and religiously diverse quarters like Fener and Balat. Picturesque villages line the Bosphorus.
In our five-day journey, we'll explore Istanbul's many faces—from the Blue Mosque to Hagia Sophia, vibrant neighborhoods, lively markets, and the flavors of street food and sweet Turkish delights.
This trip leaves us with a taste of Türkiye and a desire to return and dive deeper into this world among worlds.
Trip type
Express: jam-packed itinerary to make the most of the few days of holiday allowance you have.
Physical rating
LOW - this itinerary is easy-going and any extra sports or activities are entirely optional - minimum physical effort is required.
Entry requirements
Please visit your country's official government website to find out the necessary requirements for entering the country of destination.
Arrival and departure
This trip will begin and end in Istanbul. Aim to arrive on the first day by 5pm - on the last day you are free to leave whenever!
Group
2 WeRoaders
What's included
4 nights accommodation in shared rooms
"Local Experience": unwind with a traditional Turkish bath at a genuine hammam
Guided tour to explore the historic Fener and Balat districts, including a visit to the majestic Suleymaniye Mosque
Travel coordinator services
Cancellation up to 31 days before departure — 100% refund (deposit refunded as a gift card) or option to change trips.
Itinerary
Welcome to Istanbul
Check-in
Round trip flights are not included in the package, so you can choose from where and when you want to fly. This is to give you maximum freedom of choice!
Check-in at the hotel in Istanbul followed by a welcome meeting with the rest of your group! We kick off our adventure with a stroll through the vibrant streets, exploring local products from fish to books, before heading to the seafront to relax in the sun and enjoy our first sunset on Turkish soil.
Included: overnight stay
Money pot: local transport (public and/or private).
Not included: meals and drinks
Istanbul: there's so much to explore!
Fener and Balat
We can’t visit Turkey without experiencing the true soul of Istanbul—the hidden charm of the lesser-known neighborhoods of Fener and Balat. Picture colorful wooden houses, narrow cobblestone streets, and the aroma of freshly baked bread. So, let’s lace up our comfortable shoes and unleash our inner Indiana Jones!
After our adventure, we’ll visit the local spice market and refuel with a delicious local lunch.
Suleymaniye Mosque Fatih Quarter
After lunch, we’ll enjoy a nice cup of Turkish coffee—and if we’re lucky, we might even have our grounds read! Who knows what insights they’ll reveal? In the afternoon, we’ll explore the Suleiman Mosque and the charming Fatih neighborhood, home to some lesser-known yet beautiful mosques.
After a day filled with culture and exploration, we deserve some relaxation. A delightful aperitif with a view of the Bosphorus—especially as it glows with the colors of sunset—will be just what we need.
Typical dinner and nightlife
In the evening we’ll be ready for another memorable dinner together at a traditional restaurant. Afterwards, we'll dive into the heart of Istanbul's nightlife on the lively Istiklal Caddesi.
Included: overnight stay, guided tour to Fener and Balat and visit to the Suleymaniye Mosque.
Money pot: local transport (public and/or private).
Not included: meals and drinks
Istanbul: Beyond the Bosphorus
All Asian quarters: Uskudar, Kuzguncuk and Kadikoy
Üsküdar is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Ottoman Istanbul, originally a residential area and still maintaining that charm today. With over 180 mosques, some predating the Ottoman conquest, it's home to some of the city's oldest religious sites.
Nearby is Kuzguncuk, historically inhabited by the Jewish community since the 1500s, later welcoming Greek and Armenian residents. It's one of our favorite neighborhoods, where you can find a mosque next to an Armenian church and a synagogue beside an Orthodox church—a symbol of the tolerance and harmony that once thrived in Ottoman Istanbul.
Our final stop is Kadıköy, now one of Istanbul’s most modern and vibrant neighbourhoods.
A traditional Turkish bath
Wait, a Turkish bath? What exactly is that?
A traditional Turkish bath is a more humid version of a sauna—so don’t worry, it’s all about relaxation!
In Istanbul, there are hundreds of hammams. Most are traditional Turkish baths, but in recent years, more Western-style spas have appeared. Since we’re in the heart of ancient Constantinople, we’ll make sure you experience an authentic Turkish bath!
Included: overnight stay, traditional authentic Hammam experience
Money pot: local transport (public and/or private).
Not included: meals and drinks
Final Day Discovering Istanbul
Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia
It's time to dive into the heart of Istanbul, starting with one of its iconic landmarks: the Blue Mosque. This photogenic masterpiece gets its name from the over 20,000 turquoise tiles adorning its dome, a sight that will leave us gazing upwards. The exterior, with its arches, curved lines, and striking symmetry, is equally enchanting.
After visiting the Blue Mosque, we'll descend into the Basilica Cistern, built by Emperor Justinian, captivating us with its architectural precision.
Next, we move on to the grand Hagia Sophia, once the largest church in Christianity until the 15th century. Its majestic dome, golden decorations, and stunning light play create a mystical atmosphere, making it feel like the dome is floating above the nave.
Fish Bread and the Grand Bazaar
For lunch, we head to the Galata Bridge—how about a delicious Balik Ekmek? This famous fish sandwich is a local favorite and a must-try! After satisfying our hunger, we continue to the Grand Bazaar, an ancient market still bustling with stalls for every taste. Don’t forget to sip some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and sample the renowned Turkish sweets—who could resist baklava?
Before heading back to the hotel to prepare for the evening, we’ll catch the sunset from one of the city's many charming rooftops.
Our last night together!
We gather once more for our last night together... the night?! We’re in Istanbul, a city that never sleeps, so why not celebrate with a little fiesta?
Included: overnight stay
Money pot: entrance fees and local transport (public and/or private).
Not included: meals and drinks
Check-out and goodbye
Check out and goodbye
Check-out and goodbye – until your next WeRoad adventure!
End of services. The itinerary may undergo some variations that differ from what is stated above. These variations may not be predictable nor depend on WeRoad’s will, i.e. climate conditions, national holidays, strikes, etc.

The travel coordinators
Our travel coordinators are chosen because they are people like you. Not only are they the best travel buddy you could hope for, but they're trained professionals guaranteed to show you a travel experience like never before
Info to know
Local culture
From 17th February to 19th March 2026 it will be Ramadan: this means that the trip may be subject to changes based on the opening hours of public places. The packed lunch will become our best friend and during the day we will be able to eat in private areas. Being a WeRoader also means respecting local traditions like this one, it will be an opportunity to get to know them even more closely!
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
About Turkey
About WeRoad
Round-trip flights are not included in any of our trips because we like to give you autonomy and flexibility: you can choose the airline you want to fly with, the departure airport that suits you best, and how many and which stops you want to make.
Since flights are not included, you also have more flexibility with your travel dates: if possible, you can arrive at your destination a few days earlier or return home a bit later – or even continue independently to a nearby destination!
This is the question of all questions, and here’s the answer, broken down into points!
The Money Pot is a common fund collected in local currency from all tour participants and managed by your Travel Coordinator.
It is used to streamline paymentsfor extra activities, goods and services that the whole group decides to do and to guarantee flexibility in choosing activities and excursions at the destination in line with the mood of the group.
It is typically collected on the first day of the trip in local currency, although at times, the Travel Coordinator may ask for it to be paid before departure.
You’ll find the amount of the money pot on the website under the section ‘What’s included in the money pot’ – how do you get there? Look for ‘What’s included’, scroll down to ‘Money pot? Click here’, and you’ll find the details.
The amount varies depending on the destination chosen.
It is used exclusively for group expenses that ALL participants decide to take part in.
It is estimated based on the experiences of other groups but can vary depending on the needs of the group itself. As such, the Travel Coordinator may need to increase the amount during the trip.
If not all of the money pot is used, the difference will be returned to all participants at the end of the trip in equal amounts.
The Money Pot also covers the Travel Coordinator’s share of the activities included in the money pot, except for those activities that are free for the Travel Coordinator.
If you pay in advance part of the money pot before the trip for certain non-refundable optional activities, unfortunately, the amount cannot be refunded in case of trip cancellation.
We offer several payment methods to fit every need:
1. Credit or prepaid card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express);
2. Instalment payment with Scalapay up to €4,999 (only available with the “Full trip payment” option – not available with the “Deposit and balance” option; pay in 3 instalments up to €1,200 or in 4 instalments over €1,200);
3. PayPal (for selected destinations);
4. Revolut Pay to pay even faster straight from your Revolut account;
5. Welfare credit – BEFORE BOOKING, reach out to us at [email protected].
If you choose the deposit and balance option, you’ll also be able to pay the balance via bank transfer from your Personal Area.
Anyone who books a WeRoad trip has the option to cancel or modify the trip – including both the dates and the destination – free of charge up to 31 days before departure. In case of cancellation, you will receive a 100% refund of the WeRoad trip price. (Deposits will be refunded in the form of a gift card valid for 365 days from issue date.) If you make a change, a price adjustment will be applied to the new trip chosen – meaning, if the new trip is cheaper, we will refund the difference; if it’s more expensive, you will need to pay the difference.
If you’ve purchased the Flexible Cancellation Option (which you can add in the first step of the booking process), you can request a cancellation or trip change until 8 days before departure. In case of cancellation, you’ll receive a 100% refund of the WeRoad trip price, minus the cost of the Flexible Cancellation option. Deposits will be refunded in the form of a gift card valid for 365 days from issue date.
How to request a cancellation or change to your trip? Send us an email at [email protected] or a WhatsApp on +447716573700. Please share the booking reference for the trip you want to cancel or change, and, in case of a change, the new trip you would like to join.
In general, we always choose local accommodations, avoiding large hotel chains, because we love to experience the culture of the place and, whenever possible, contribute to the local economy. Typically, our accommodations are hotels, apartments, guesthouses, and hostels run by local entrepreneurs, with the same standard maintained across all trips in the same destination.
For our Collection trips, which are our premium category, the accommodations are always 4 or 5-star or carefully selected boutique hotels.
The list of accommodations for your trip will be shared with you by your Travel Coordinator between 5 and 3 days before departure, along with other useful details for your adventure!
If you're wondering why WeRoad trips have a money pot, we’re assuming you already know what it is. If not, or if you have any doubts, we invite you to read all the information here!
Let’s quickly recap: The Money Pot is a common fund collected in local currency from all tour participants and managed by your Travel Coordinator. It’s used to speed up payments for extra activities, goods and services that the whole group decides to do and to guarantee flexibility in choosing activities and excursions at the destination in line with the mood of the group.
But let’s get to the point: why the money pot? First of all: it gives us a lot of flexibility. In all WeRoad trips you will have a bunch of Must See/Must Do activities already included - these are experiences, places or activities that simply cannot be missed! Any extra activities is decided by the group, why? Because each group is unique and may have particular wants or desires and the Money Pot allows each group to customise their trip to make it perfect for their requirements!
It also helps us speed up payments – imagine being in the subway in New York City, one by one purchasing the ticket...a nightmare right? Thanks to the Money Pot, the Travel Coordinator can simply purchase the tickets for everyone making the entire processes smoother! Any leftover money will be returned at the end of the trip and split equally amongst all participants.
In some destinations, buying goods or services on site is more economical as you are able to negotiate the price - places like Morocco, or South East Asia, bargaining is part of the culture. As such, our Travel Coordinators will be able to secure the best deal for all participants.
The amount of the money pot is specified in each trip – look for this button
which will take you to a detailed breakdown for each trip, like this:
Even if we don't know the flights of all WeRoaders, there are several ways to find out which flights your travel companions have purchased.
1. Each WeRoader has the ability to communicate their flight details after booking within their personal area so that other travel companions can see the details anonymously. Enter your booking and you will find this section:
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2. If you want to find out before booking, instead, you can contact us and we will support you in your search or you can ask your travel companions for direct information by joining our Facebook group 'WeRoad... let's get to know each other before leaving! (official)' – (here is the extended link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weroadit) look for a post associated with your trip, or ask the group administrators for help in getting in touch with your future adventure companions!
If the coordinator has already been assigned to the trip you are interested in, you can easily find his/her presentation post in the group through the site: in the shift list click on 'Ask the coordinator', or in the trip tab, in the coordinator section, click on 'Ask [coordinator name] about this shift in our Facebook group'. For both cases, see the screenshots below!
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In all our groups, the Travel Coordinator and participants speak English – knowing how to speak and understand English is therefore a fundamental requirement to participate in our trips.
On average the groups are made up of 6-15 people, with a minimum of 3/4 participants and a maximum of 15.
All our travellers are in theirs 20s, 30s and 40s. If you're very curious to know the age range of the group for a tour you're interested in, you can see this by finding the trip on our website, and clicking the down arrow to see the ages & genders of participants. You'll need to have created a WeRoad account with us to do this.
Any issues finding this info just give our team in the office a call, we're always happy to help!
Regarding the male-female ratio, this is not guaranteed and varies trip by trip.
Yes! If you're curious, you can take a sneak peek at the group before booking – although, in our opinion, that kind of spoils the surprise! You’ll find the info in the ‘Group’ section for each trip on the departures page, showing how many WeRoaders have already booked. Click the little arrow and you’ll even see their gender and ages – but hey, that’s exclusive info, so we’ll ask you to log in or sign up to see that!
Yes, in all our trips you will share a room with other same-sex travellers, and the bathroom will either be private or shared only with fellow participants of the trip. The rooms we select can be doubles, triples, quadruples, or multi-bed (up to 8 people in exceptional cases), depending on the destination and availability.
There are never dorms with people outside the WeRoad group, except in certain cases for local experiences, which are specifically mentioned in the itinerary or communicated before booking. These typically involve specific nights in unique accommodations like tents, homestays, or camping, offering a more adventurous travel experience in exchange for some comfort.
During the booking process, you can also choose to opt for a mixed room: in this case, if needed, only those who have agreed to this option may share a room with travellers of a different sex. If you are booking for multiple people together and select this option, the room will not be exclusive to your group but may be shared with other travellers in the group.
The WeRoad Travel Coordinator is an experienced and skilled traveller and will be the perfect companion for your trip. They will be available for any eventuality and will manage all the logistical aspects of the itinerary (transports, timings, accommodations, meeting points, etc.), so you can enjoy the trip without any worries!
You will have the chance to get to know them when the WhatsApp group is created approximately 2 weeks before departure - this will be the moment to ask any pre-departure questions and get to know the rest of the group! If the trip you are interested in already has a Travel Coordinator assigned, you can contact them before booking – their details will be specified in the schedule or on the trip page, or you can search for their name here. After booking, you will find their contact details in your Personal Area, under ‘Bookings and Trips’ > ‘Your Upcoming Trips’ > ‘Trip Details’.
When you set off on a WeRoad trip, you’re officially a WeRoader – and as we often say, 'Once a WeRoader, always a WeRoader'. This means that once you’re part of the community, a little piece of WeRoad will always stay with you, even if you no longer travel with us.
But you’re not just a WeRoader during your trips, far from it! The community is alive and active all year round: you can stay in touch by following and interacting on our social media channels, like the Facebook group or the Instagram profile. We can also meet up for a dinner or a trek together at one of the events organised by our coordinators around the world!