From Istanbul
This Turkish coffee on sand workshop in Istanbul is a relaxed, hands-on experience for travellers who have already seen the big monuments and now want to understand a ritual that Turks share every day. In a cosy workshop in the Galata quarter of Beyoglu, a coffee master guides you from choosing the beans to reading the grounds left in your cup.
This Turkish Coffee on Sand Workshop in Istanbul also works as a shore excursion from the Istanbul cruise port — a popular choice for passengers who have one day ashore. Shared departures follow a fixed timetable, so please send us your ship’s arrival and departure times when booking — we confirm pier pickup or suggest the private option for tight port calls. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Simply share your cruise itinerary and the date you are in Istanbul, and we will reserve your places.
Turkish coffee is far more than a drink: its preparation and coffeehouse culture are listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The finely ground coffee is simmered with water, and sugar if you like, in a small long-handled pot called a cezve. Heating it in a tray of hot sand is the oldest technique of all, giving a gentle, even heat that builds a thick, velvety foam. The session follows the recipe of a world cezve champion, and you will learn every detail needed to recreate the sand method at home.
Once the cup is empty, it is turned upside down on its saucer, and the patterns left by the grounds become the starting point of fal, the playful Turkish art of coffee fortune telling. Your host explains what the shapes are said to mean, so you can practise on friends later.
Practical notes: this short cultural daily excursion slots easily into a daily Istanbul tour of your own, or rounds off a Galata day tour or any Istanbul day trip. The workshop is inside the Unver Galata Apart Hotel, about four minutes on foot from Galata Tower and three minutes from the Tophane tram stop. Hotel transfers are not included, and you leave with a coffee set to carry home from Istanbul. Sessions are offered in Turkish, English and Russian.
Your full day programme — click to see every stop.
Turkish Coffee on Sand & Fortune Telling Workshop Make your own way to the workshop inside the Unver Galata Apart Hotel in Beyoglu, a short walk from Galata Tower and the Tophane tram stop. Your host, a coffee master trained in competition brewing, welcomes you and opens the session with the history of Turkish coffee and the customs that surround it in Turkish homes. Next you choose from eight types of coffee beans to create a blend that suits your taste. The practical part follows: first you brew your coffee in a copper cezve on hot sand, watching the foam rise slowly, and then you prepare a second cup on the stove so you can taste the difference between the two methods. Along the way you learn which treats are traditionally served with coffee and why, with Turkish delight on the table. When the cups are finished, they are turned over on their saucers and the host shows you how to read the shapes in the grounds, explaining the common symbols as your own fortune is told. You leave with a copper cezve, a cup set and a pack of your personal blend.
Istanbul → Fortune Telling
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My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
10+ years later we still talk about our Cappadocia balloon ride and the Bosphorus sunset cruise. Some memories are timeless. Thank you Inca Tour!