Ağa Hamamı — Attraction in Beyoğlu

This review is to share a personal experience of you are like me, who have not had a hamam before. It’s a little lengthy but it maybe able to help someone who’d have loads of questions and wasn’t sure what to expect.

It was my first experience to have a hamam, although having to have lived in Japan with experiences of using an onsen, I was still rather uncertain what to expect from this traditional hamam. I have read many reviews and did a lot of research on which traditional hamam in Istanbul has the most positive reviews by past users and whether the reviews are reflective of the services that will be provided.

I can confirm the past reviews on this particular hamam service provider is closest to what I have personally received! No more nor less. I would highly recommend it to someone who’d not had the ‘Turkish bath’ experience before just like me.

I did a walk-in recki trip and have found the receptionist very friendly and not pushy, i decided to not book anything right away and left the place without the staffs showing any displease. I was advised to go online to book a reservation if I wanted to use the bath and services to prevent the bath having too many guests, it was easy on their website from the Google map, prices were all clear and it only took a few minutes to fill in some simple details which wasn’t difficult at all and they offer many the time slots,

I then received a wats ap message pretty much immediately with instructions, letting me know the options of what I could wear and what to prepare. It was really useful for a first timer like myself. I booked the full experience with face mask and oil massage

Upon arrival, Baha, the front desk receptionist was helpful and all procedures were explained thoroughly and lots of reassurance whenever I had questions, I was give a key to a lockable room to change and place my personal belongings, it was spacious, with a bench, a towel, Slippers and a small envelope with my name was included,

Wearing a swimsuit/ bikini / modesty coverage with towels provided is adviced for ladies in the common bath where it’s used both by men and women. The hot marble ‘bed’ in the middle of the bath was stunning, the whole bath was clean, no traces of misuse and it was well kept and maintained, the high level of hygiene certainly made me feel much more relaxed than I thought I’d feel. do bring a wet bag to bring your wet swimwear home , they will give you back the scrub mitt they used on you too and it will be wet, they will provide plastic bag, but you may not want to carry it around as it’s transparent.

After 30 mins of being in the hot room, I was brought to a private room with two separate marble beds. It’s a full body scrub so no clothes are expected in the private chamber. The ‘scrubber’ did a wonderful job not putting me in shock and the exfoliation process wasn’t as rough as I have heard from some people who talked about what to expect from a hamam that scared me a lot, she did just enough, and I enjoyed it. the bubble bath was heavenly although it was quite awkward when the foam went all over the face, it really felt like being immerse in a foamy bubble arena but lighter and smelled lovelier.

The key was to really be super relax and let them do the job, it was rather liberating to not overthink and it does feel like being a baby being washed, Except it’s more rejuvenating.

Explanations were given throughout.

I really enjoyed the post treatments drink, A home brewed juice/ tea was rather refreshing. I loved it , I’m sure there’s enough photos from others/ Google that many have shared. Hopefully my personal experience would enlighten someone who’d be just as curious about how it will be like as I was being a first timer.

If there was six stars, I’d probably give that to this service provider

Emrah the manager was certainly a great leader for his team and I can’t sing enough praises for the staff . A truly friendly and genuine...

Great, authentic turkish Hamamı experience at a fair price - among the best rated Hamamı in Istanbul, it offers the best price. I highly recommend everyone visiting Istanbul to spend a visit there, even if you never heard of a Hamamı or didn't intend on doing thst when you planned your trip to Istanbul.

Reservation: Start by making an appointment online im advance - you may cancel or reschedule later, you dont have to pay in advance. If you're already around the area, you might as well deop by and make an appointment on spot if you orefer to do so. Staff is English speaking 👌

Price: As listed on their website, we had the Hamamı visit with body scrub for 2800TL per person and paid in cash. Paying by card charges an extra fee, about +400TL. The staff will tell you in advance.

Items/ bring along: You should bring a swimsuit/bikini or swimming pants with you. You'll have to change your clothes inside. Towels are provided, as well as slippers. I also recommend to bring along fresh underwear and some cosmetics. Hamamı is like a sauna/spa combined with getting washed properly afterwards. If you plan to go out afterwards instead of back home, you can prepare yourself as if being at home after a shower.

The procedure: After entering, you'll discuss all the details with the staff. After the explanation, you'll have to pay. You'll receive a key for your private dressing room - chsnge your clothes to swimming clothes there, put on the slippers and leave everything in your room locked up safely. After changing you'll be guided inside the main hall, where you can clean yourself with hot water to your liking, aswell as relax on the hot stone in the middle of the room. Its a huge, flat marble stone, which is heated. I used my towel as a pillow for my head and laid on the stone foe roughly 15 minutes. The air is very humid and hot, similar to a steam sauna (I would guess around 60°C). If you feel uncomfortable before the time is up, just walk out of the main hall. You are given around 30min in the main hall. After that, the staff will guide you outside for the washing procedure. In a separate room, you'll be washed by another person (men are washed by man, women are washed by a woman). You keep your clothes on dueing ghe washing. The washing starts with lukewarm water to cool you down from your time in the main hall. Afterwards your body will be scrubbed with a slightly rough towel to cleanse your skin from dead skin cells and dirt. The scrubbing is followed by a foam bath and lastly with some water to clean everything off. Your hair will also be washed and during the procedure you'll be given a short full body massage with some stretching. Don't worry - the staff is very friendly and will tell you what will be done in advance and what you have to do. Just relax and let them do their thing, not worrying will help you feel at ease. The cleaning takes another 30min time. After the cleaning procedure, you'll be guided outside and you may rest in the entry hall for as long as you wish. A very delicious tea with a piece of Lokum is also included in the price. Drinking water is for free, a amall tea maxhine provides hot, strong black tea for free as well. You may leave anytime you wish.

All in all Ağa Hamamı offer THE Hamamı experience your sre looking for, if you're seeking for suxh an experience online or here on google maps. You may find a lot of tourists there, but that doesn't make this place a "Touri spot" - I'd say due to the very friendly english speaking staff, most internationals are looking for this place. The whole procedure itself is on par with the best Hamamı in Istanbul and the price is only cheaper than other Hamamı since you're not going to be loaded with stuff you don't really want.

Last note: the entry ist a dsrk brown qooden door with a small electric doorbell whixh you have to ring for entering. We missed it...

I honestly don’t understand where all these glowing reviews are coming from, because this hammam is absolutely not worth the outrageous price we paid. First of all, it’s clearly designed for tourists only, which means they don’t even bother with proper service—after all, tourists are unlikely to return. And they don’t put much effort into the experience either, assuming that clueless foreigners will be impressed no matter what.

We booked the most comprehensive package at 5000 lira per person. It included the hammam, body scrubbing, a soap massage, an oil massage, and a facial mask. We've been to several hammams before, so we definitely know what a proper experience should look like.

For those who’ve never been to a real hammam—humidity is key. You’re supposed to sit in a steamy, dimly lit room, barely able to see through the mist. What we got was just a hot and stuffy room with no steam whatsoever.

Then came the wash. For 5000 lira, the last thing you expect is to be washed by two women in their old, personal underwear. Yes, seriously—they were wearing regular bras and panties. Your hammam is supposedly 500 years old—maybe invest in proper uniforms or at least swimwear, so it doesn't feel like your grandma is bathing you in her home sauna.

The soap massage and washing were rushed and done with plain, unscented soap that felt like basic laundry soap. After that, we were sent for the oil massage. It lasted maybe 15 minutes and the oil smelled awful—and worse, it lingered on the skin all day. What shocked me most was the fact that the masseuse thought it was totally fine to go from massaging my feet to touching my face with the same unwashed hands. Is that supposed to be normal?

The final step was a clay face mask applied in such a thin layer that it dried instantly and pulled at my skin. Anyone who’s ever used a clay mask knows it should be applied thick enough to avoid drying out your face like that.

To top it all off, the drying area had a basket full of shared, reusable hairbrushes—with hair from previous guests still in them. Have they heard of lice? That’s not just unhygienic—it’s a health risk!

And the cherry on top? After all this, they have the nerve to hand out personalized envelopes asking for tips. You’re already charging a fortune for a below-average experience—how dare you ask for more money? That’s...