Rick Steve's Group

Rather than trek through Istanbul on our own, we decided to take a group tour. We've long been fans of the Rick Steves shows on Public Television, so we decided to give them a try. It was a great idea! Our guide, Mert Taner, was a local with tons of experience as a guide, and a fun fellow to hang out with. There were 26 of us in the cohort, with kids to grandmothers, married couples, singles, the gamut - all really nice people! Mert was especially good at covering the history of the mosques and churches, even introducing us to the Chora Church, with some of the most fantastic Byzantine frescos we've ever seen.