JE 3
Grand Jewish Heritage Tour of Turkey
The Tour
From the synagogues on the Golden Horn via the restored Great Synagogue of Edirne to the Juderia of Izmir and the ancient synagogue of Sardis: this tour brings together the sites of Turkey's Jewish heritage in one arc — two thousand years in eight days, from antiquity through the Sephardic golden age to the present-day communities.
The Program Day by Day
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
Arrival, transfer to the hotel in Galata/Pera or Sultanahmet. In the evening, welcome dinner and introduction: 1492 and the invitation of Bayezid II, Sephardic immigration, Ladino.
Day 2 – Istanbul: Galata and Karaköy
The Jewish Museum of Turkey and the Neve Shalom Synagogue, the center of today's community; the Ashkenazi Synagogue and the Schneidertempel; the Camondo Stairs and the story of the Camondo banking family in the old financial district on Voyvoda Street.
Day 3 – Istanbul: Balat and Hasköy
In Balat, the Ahrida Synagogue with its ship-shaped bimah and the Yanbol Synagogue; the lanes of the old quarter on the Golden Horn. In the afternoon, Hasköy with the Karaite quarter and the large old Jewish cemetery — grave inscriptions in Hebrew, Ladino and Ottoman Turkish.
In the evening, on request, Ortaköy with the Etz Ahayim Synagogue on the shore of the Bosphorus.
Day 4 – Edirne: The Great Synagogue
Day trip to Edirne on the border with Greece and Bulgaria. The Great Synagogue of 1909, reopened in 2015 after decades of decay, is one of the largest synagogues in Europe — a building in the style of the temple architecture of Vienna's Leopoldstadt, erected after the great city fire for what was then the second-largest Jewish community in the empire.
Also the old town of Edirne with Sinan's Selimiye Mosque as an architectural counterpoint. In the evening, return drive to Istanbul.
Day 5 – Flight to Izmir, Karataş
In the morning, domestic flight to Izmir. In the afternoon, the Karataş quarter: the Beth Israel Synagogue, the Asansör donated by Nesim Levi and the lane of the singer Dario Moreno. In the evening, the Kordon promenade.
Day 6 – Izmir: The Juderia of Kemeraltı
The core day in Izmir: the synagogue ensemble of the Juderia — Signora Giveret, Shalom, Algaze, Bikur Holim, Etz Hayim — the cortijos and Havra Sokağı. Also the history of the Sephardic merchant families and the chapter of Sabbatai Zevi.
The market is the way, not the destination: shopping stops are not part of the program.
Day 7 – Sardis and Ephesus
In the morning, Sardis with the largest synagogue of the ancient world — mosaic floors, marble walls, directly beside the Roman gymnasium. In the afternoon, Ephesus with the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater and the menorah carved into the steps.
In the evening, farewell dinner in Izmir.
Day 8 – Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Izmir Airport (ADB).
Services
✓ Included
- 7 nights with breakfast (Istanbul, Izmir)
- Domestic flight Istanbul–Izmir
- All excursions in an air-conditioned vehicle with driver, day trip to Edirne
- Accompanied throughout by the licensed tour guide
- Registration of all synagogue visits with the communities
- All admission fees mentioned
- Welcome and farewell dinners
Not included
- International flights and travel to and from Turkey
- Lunches and dinners, unless mentioned
- Personal expenses, tips
- Trip cancellation and international health insurance
- Visa, if required
Important Information
Best time to travel: April to June and September to October.
Fitness level: Moderate: city walks on cobblestones, walks across the sites at Sardis and Ephesus, one long excursion day to Edirne.
A note on group size: For congregational trips we recommend 10 to 25 participants; however, the tour can be run from 1 person.
Dates: Freely selectable in 2027 and 2028, no fixed departure dates. If your preferred dates are not possible, we will offer you an alternative. On request, we plan around Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
Principles of All Tours in This Series
- Shopping stops are, without exception, not part of the program. No carpet, jewelry or leather businesses. They can be arranged separately at the express request of individual participants, with shuttle at the shops' expense.
- The service provider is our partner company in Turkey; all services are rendered in the destination country.
- Flights and travel to and from Turkey are booked by the customer. All prices exclude flights.
- Guided by state-licensed tour guides, in 25 languages on request — including Hebrew.
- All routes can be adapted to the respective group in length, pace and focus. We take Shabbat planning and wishes for kosher or kosher-style meals into account when drawing up the program.
- Encounters with the local Jewish communities and attendance at a service can be scheduled, insofar as the communities make this possible in the individual case. A commitment to this is not part of the travel services.