Istanbul Contemporary Art Walking Tour: Explore Modern Museums and Art Galleries

10 Ratings

Beyoğlu

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Embark on a 4-hour morning walking tour in Istanbul to explore the vibrant contemporary art scene. Visit cutting-edge galleries in Tophane and Karaköy, and learn about the changing art world in this cultural hotspot.

Duration: 4 hours, 10 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Istanbul Modern | Istanbul Museum of Modern Art - Established in 2004, Istanbul Modern is Turkey’s premier museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
SALT Galata, Istanbul - Located on Bankalar Caddesi, SALT Galata was designed by French Levantine architect Alexandre Vallauri to serve as the headquarters of the Imperial Ottoman Bank.
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What's Included

Hotel pickup included
All fees and taxes covered
English-speaking professional guide

What's Not Included

Food and drinks
Hotel drop-off

Additional Information

Venture beyond the conventional museum path and delve into Istanbul’s vibrant contemporary art landscape. A 4-hour morning walk will lead you to avant-garde galleries in the Tophane and Karaköy districts, culminating at the inaugural museum that hosted contemporary art shows in the city.
Your tour guide will discuss how the world of modern art is…

Location

Pera Museum

Meşrutiyet Caddesi

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(10 Ratings)

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Dean_s

Oct 6, 2023

Art historian-led tour brings deep Istanbul art perspective - We met Art Historian Tuncer Gul at the Istanbul Modern Museum. We didn’t expect a tour guide with such an encyclopedic knowledge of Turkish art -- and how politics and leadership has changed it over the many centuries. In addition, he gave us astute perspective on how Turkish arts figures in the worldwide scene. One of us is a retired arts editor from the Washington Post, and learned more in six hours than she did in weeks of reading.

Review provided by Viator

X8666fzclarem

Dec 30, 2019

Outstanding guide - We took this tour in December 2019. Our guide Oguzhan could not have been more accommodating or helpful. His knowledge both art and historical is immense and he was very willing to try and help us understand about Turkey, the people, religion, way of modern life etc. He answered our endless questions with patience and sincerity. He also took us to some very interesting and quirky studios!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Adrienne_r

Jan 18, 2018

We took this excellent tour in... - We took this excellent tour in October 2015. I thought we had reviewed this already! I would rate this tour as exceptional - our guide Tunchas - apologies for mis spelling was incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and attentive to our interests. Along with the well known galleries, he showed us numerous small and intriguing galleries that we would never have discovered ourselves. Absolutely recommend as a way of learning so much about Turkish art and culture, politics and history. Magnificent!

Review provided by Viator

Christopher

Jun 9, 2016

Very helpful and friendly tour guide... - Very helpful and friendly tour guide - some good exhibits / artworks at the end Chris

Review provided by Viator

Darlene

Sep 10, 2015

My friend and I were the only ones... - My friend and I were the only ones on the tour and our guide was fantastic - knowledgeable, personable and willing to adjust for our interests. His enthusiasm for his subject and passion for contemporary art were very apparent. He was welcomed by gallery owners wherever we went and really gave us insight into the current art scene in the city. I would highly recommend this walk.

Review provided by Viator

Thomas

Sep 7, 2015

My experience was fantastic! As it... - My experience was fantastic! As it turned out, I was the only person booked on the tour that day, and in addition to being very friendly and extremely knowledgeable, my guide went above and beyond to customize the tour to my interests on the fly!, adding stops and rearranging things to make sure I was seeing things I was interested in. He is clearly very passionate about modern art in Turkey and clearly loves his job. With his insider knowledge, I not only saw the museums but also got to meet a few people connected with the art scene in Istanbul as well. Excellent tour, highly recommended.

Review provided by Viator

Taranveer

Jun 24, 2015

It was absolutely fantastic. I was... - It was absolutely fantastic. I was the only one on the tour that day so it was a private tour with a wonderfully knowledgable guide Levent. I think it was lovely that the guide for this tour was an arts student. It was like being out on a morning stroll through various art galleries with a friend who is as passionate about the subject as you are. From the small galleries on the ISTIKLAL STREET to the stunning Modern Istanbul Museum, this whole tour was worth every penny. GO FOR IT : p.s. - The tour is a morning tour, i.e., it starts at 11 am but Viator has it listed as an afternoon tour. I am glad I called the tour company to confirm the hotel pick up time or I would've missed out on it.

Review provided by Viator

Dora

May 31, 2015

An unusual unique walk that art... - An unusual unique walk that art lovers should consider the guide was knowledgable, passionate, energetic and was always helpful and able to answer questions. This walk takes you around places, little galleries and museums that are not as widely advertised as the overcrowded and overestimated Sultanahmet district. It shows the vibrant contemporary part of Istanbul that is also notable and worth seeing into.

Review provided by Viator

Fromtweety

May 30, 2015

I went on the tour with Tuncer on... - I went on the tour with Tuncer on May 14, 2015. He is an art historian who has vast knowledge of Turkish Art. Since I was the only attendee for the tour, I had a personal guide through the contemporary turkish art scene. We visited various art galleries starting from Istiklai Street. Tuncer explained the each exhibition even the history of building where the exhibition was held. We visited an artist's studio where he painted. It was amazing to see how the artist brought his vision to life. We walked through the different streets where to see the daily life of people in Istanbul from upcoming trendy streets to residential areas. It was great to get a feel of the local life. Then we went to Istanbul Modern Art Museum. It has a great view looking over the other side of the Istanbul across the ocean. The pieces in the museum were intriguing and displayed the current interests of Turkish contemporary art. The tour covered not only the Turkish art, yet also guided through the turkish daily life and their interests. It was one of the best experiences I had in Turkey. Thanks to Tuncer for his incredible guidance!

Review provided by Viator

Ray