Accessible Tourism in Istanbul - Wade’s Story
Wade, an adult with cerebral palsy, shares his experience of holidaying in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to visit Istanbul. The city is intriguing in so many ways… a sprawling metropolis of 16 million people that bridges two continents – Europe and Asia – that has layers of the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires woven together with modern Turkish influences. The city's iconic skyline is marked by the majestic domes and minarets of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, set against the sparkling waters of the Bosphorus Strait. Then there’s the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets on the world, consisting of over 4,000 shops spread across 61 streets; and above all, throughout the city you can feast on so many delicious dishes of Turkish cuisine.
There is no doubt that my declining mobility is becoming more of a factor as I experience premature ageing associated with cerebral palsy. So, when I research travel tours, I specifically look for ones that either include a vehicle or market themselves as wheelchair accessible. For my first tour, I booked a 3-day private tour to explore the sights of Istanbul with a driver (which also marketed itself as wheelchair accessible) and included my accessibility requirements along with a booking. In addition, I sent the tour company an email about a week before my arrival, reiterating that I use a walking frame and can only walk around 500 metres at any one time, to which I received no response.
The first day of the tour arrived, and despite having a driver, it involved a tremendous amount of walking in and around some of the most popular sites such as the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. By the middle of the afternoon, I was incredibly fatigued. Trying again to be proactive, I discussed with my tour guide about how we could make the following day more accessible and enjoyable. After all, it was just the driver, tour guide and me. The tour guide and I agreed on a plan for the following day, but soon after I arrived back at my hotel, I received an email from the tour company which said that the rest of my tour had been cancelled, as the guide did not agree to a ‘disabled tour’, and they would refund me for the other two days. Needless to say, I was astonished, outraged, and severely disappointed.
Spoiler alert… This travel journey does end on a positive note, however. I had also signed up for another tour as well, as I also wanted to sample some of Istanbul’s world-renowned cuisine and wines. For this, I contacted a company called Private Istanbul Walking Tours about their food and wine tasting tour and explained my accessibility requirements as well. Within hours, the company’s owner, Furkan Gokcel, responded to my email, saying that he believed that travel should be inclusive for everyone, regardless of their limitations.
Furkan’s tour definitely did not disappoint! We started the day with a delicious Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) at a restaurant situated along European side of the Bosphorus, followed by some amazing baklava and Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi), and then we were off to the Asian side of Istanbul by ferry. Furkan was always conscious of the walking distances and conditions, and even had a wheelchair in our van in case I needed it. Wine tasting and sampling a nearly endless amount of different Turkish cheeses filled the afternoon, which was capped off by walking to a local bar to try a gin-based cocktail called a hönönö. The entire day was pain-free (the wine and hönönö might have had something to do with that!) and so enjoyable that I agreed to doing another tour for the following day!
Pictured: Furkan and me at the best coffee shop (according to the sign, at least!)
The next morning’s tour started on the Asian side of the city with yet another amazing Turkish breakfast! Turkish breakfasts are legendary for their variety and flavour, consisting of a tremendous spread of never ending small dishes that include bread, cheeses, grapes, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, menemen, which are scrambled eggs cooked with tomatoes, green capsicum, and sometimes cheese or spicy sausage (sucuk); and last but not least, kaymak (honey mixed with clotted cream) which is divine when spread on oven-fresh bread and washed down with the obligatory Turkish tea (çay).
Pictured: Turkish breakfasts are a feast for the eyes and stomach.
Completely fuelled up for the day, Furkan and I walked around a couple of Istanbul’s most historical neighbourhoods, Fener and Balat, which are filled with brightly painted houses, cafes, and colourful street art. Again, Furkan was thoughtful in letting me know how far we would be walking, and always knew of a cool cafe nearby where we could take a break if needed.
Pictured: Cats rule in Istanbul, and quickly become your best friend.
A visit to Istanbul would not be complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar, which is where our driver Umit took us to next. The bazaar itself is massive, and I explained to Furkan exactly what I wanted to buy there as a souvenir – quartz tiles. Furkan knew exactly where to go within the sprawling, bustling bazaar for the tiles, which saved me the time and energy I would have spent walking aimlessly through the crowded market. I found exactly what I wanted, and it was a great way to wrap up two fun-filled days touring between two continents all within one city!
So, two different tours of Istanbul with vastly different experiences and outcomes. The lesson learnt? Many websites promote tours online as wheelchair accessible and/or inclusive to people with disabilities, but my advice is to always contact the tour operator directly about your specific requirements and confirm that they can and are willing to cater to your needs. Luckily, there are people like Furkan who agree that world of travel should be inclusive for everyone, and Furkan and his company do an amazing job of customising tours so that people with disabilities can enjoy and get the most out of what Istanbul can offer.
Once again, the more that people with disabilities can get out and see the world, the more the world will see us.
More information about Furkan’s wonderful guided tours in Istanbul and throughout the Republic of Türkiye can be found here: Private Istanbul Tours - Private and Guided Istanbul Food Tours
