Buta Tour İstanbul — Local services in Fatih

Where to begin... nothing is clear with this tour apart from the price (and even then, if you pay by card they put commission on top which they don't tell you about) and your start and end point.

(TL;DR: JUST. DON'T. GO. Very disappointing and waste of time)

Overcrowded small mini bus which you get dropped off to by taxi that is very late (we thought they forgot about us).

The information about the tour isn't very clear. You get told the general stuff but once the day is done and they ask for payment and your opinion, you end up discovering that you can have a different choice of food if you have dietry requirements, that there are separate baths for men and women and that it's less crowded during the weekdays.

It's difficult to express just how uncomfortable we felt when going to the hot spring pools. It was a Sunday, so very busy and we were not informed of there being separate baths for males and females. The guide assumed we would be fine in the mixed one but oh no! We were very much LESS than fine... as we entered we noticed it was only men everywhere who gawked at us as we went by, not giving it much thought we got changed in the 3 shared female changing rooms where we had to leave our clothes... and then made our way to the pool. Due to the long changing time, I went ahead and didn't wait for the other ladies and that's where I was nearly in tears. The whole outside pool, full of just men staring as I went to put my towel down and made my way to the pool. Once in, I found a gap which wasn't surrounded by anyone and kept to myself, only to have 4 men swimming over in my direction and placing themselves around me. After a few uncomfortable moments I moved to the other side where there was a gap and again, they followed me! The only thing saving me is seeing the other ladies approaching the pool and I hurriedly swam to them.

The place itself is quaint and it's nice to walk around but the thermal hot spring really need some work. A quick paint job to freshen up the walls, something on the marble floors so you don't trip and crack your head, maybe sweep the leaves and dust that's been collecting... it's very minor details but they're key to someone feeling like they're in a hygienic and safe environment.

I understand there is a difference culture, the price is low and you can't control your surroundings but if we were told Sundays are busy or that the mixed pools would mainly have men there and that we can use the separate sex baths instead or that you can ask for a vegetarian option or maybe the fact that when you pay by card you get charged commission then the whole experience would have been...

Buta Tourism Istanbul is an organization of criminals. They are well connected with Taxi drivers baiting their passengers. They have a way with words that will trap you in thoughts of proving yourself that you are worth to enjoy your travel. These drivers instill fear too, it felt like a trap when they stop at the bridge call someone on the phone and won't take your money for the payment of a trip until you waited for the waitress or waiter who will pick you up. Next thing you know, you are led to a restaurant under the bridge and face with so-called fresh seafood. Unlike other respectable and global restaurants with Michelin star, restaurants under Galata bridge doesn't show first the menu with prices except they show you their appetizer and so-called fresh seafood without mentioning their price or ingredients in the recipe that may lead to fatal allergies. It was mind blowing how they use psychology at their utmost scamming action. After 1 hour of making you feel like under a probe of microscope while eating, you will be presented with a bill 100x worth it's value. You could have eaten the same recipe with 700 Turkish Lira of Sea food and not 20,000 Turkish Lira. By the way you will be the only one dining there or if a passerby tourist ask, they will just smirk and go on walk away. This was really suspicious but it was my first time and is the last time. This tour operator is a scam. From taxi to Galata bridge restaurants and the bill will be charge not by the restaurant but by a tour operator. Very organized criminals. STAY AWAY TOURIST!

Don't let their words or action get to you. They will bleed you dry, because in the end their actions isn't warm but as cold as ice because basically you are a stranger and getting your money won't matter to them as it...

“YALOVA THERMAL TOUR FROM ISTANBUL” (08/Feb/2023) was the worst tour I ever had in my entire life.

Let me tell you why: f) We didn’t get any schedule by any means (WhatsApp, sms, email, etc.). This could be understandable as it was a very short-notice tour. g) The guide (he never told us his name) did not speak any word in English, and he did not understand any English as well. He never made any efforts in communicating with us the on-going schedule. He never counted the passengers (he should, at least, before and after getting on and off from the van in the ferry platform). He almost left us in the ferry (we were the only 3 persons in the ferry apart from the ferry staff, when coming back from Yalova to Istanbul). h) The thermal staff were very rude. They asked us to leave all our staff (watches, phones, food, water, etc. in the lockers closed to toilets. To our surprise, then, many people around the swimming pool was with their backpacks, phones, food, and everything. i) The restaurant: toilets and food were nice, but the service (waiters and supervisor) was rude. We requested another table because the sunlight was just in our eyes and it was uncomfortable to eat like that. j) The ferry’s toilets were smelly, and I could only find a women’s toilet with latrine (instead of toilet).

In summary, I would not recommend the Yalova thermal tour to anyone. It is not...