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Istanbul Derby: Fenerbahçe v Galatasaray

Specific Tour Istanbul

From €449,00 449,00

Duration

4 days

Type

Specific Tour

Group Size

Max 15 people

Languages

English

Overview

Considered one of the capitals of football, Istanbul is home of three giants in Turkey: Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. Football for them really is more than a sport, it is part of everyday Turkish life. Most newspapers devote an average of 4 pages daily to the subject, even during the summer when there are no more matches. It is just crazy!

Upon arrival in the city, you will soon realize that football has a more important place than religion in society, which affects all classes of the population. From the President to the taxi drivers, women, men and children; everyone has an opinion about football and knowing which team you support is such a big deal. The atmosphere, the madness at major games sometimes has no comparison to Europe and even the world. The songs of the supporters, flags, and choreographies provide a memorable show you will not forget.

Understanding Turkish culture requires an understanding of the love that Turkish people have for football. This sport moves people’s passions to the point of delirium. Turkish football fans not just support their team and cheer for them, but they follow and analyze every move of their favourite teams in the papers, wear clothes adorned with their team’s symbols and logos, and endlessly talk about the matches with friends as well as strangers in every kind of social situation.

In this trip, you will meet our English Speaking local who will take care of the whole group at all times. You will visit the Old Town and walk through the main landmarks, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. He will be able to connect football with amazing stories from these specials places. Are you ready?

THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT

This trip is now sold out. Get in touch via info@homefans.net for more information.

Organized by

Homefans_hf

Member Since 2020

87 Reviews

Experience organized by Homefans_hf

Verified Homefans Host 87 Reviews

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Experience the fiercest football game in Turkey
  • Explore Istanbul with the best local tips and guidance
  • Sample delicious authentic food
  • Learn the history of Istanbul and Turkish football

Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Istanbul
Day 1 - Welcome to Istanbul

Today's all about getting together, as adventurous football fans from across the world arrive in Istanbul for derby day.

You'll meet your local host Sinan - who'll kick off the trip in style by taking you to a traditional Turkish food place for dinner.

So you can meet your fellow travelers and prepare for an incredible, jam-packed day of action tomorrow.

Day 2 - Stadium tours and Free time
Day 2 - Stadium tours and Free time

Istanbul is a city of many stadiums and clubs...but we will head to Besiktas to have an amazing stadium tour behind the scenes.

If there's another good football game in town, our host will be happy to give you more insight and take you there.

Day 3 - Match day
Day 3 - Match day

It's matchday! And what a day this is.

Today starts with a magnificent city tour and a look into this city's amazing history. You'll see the best of Istanbul with your local host and marvel at sights like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and the Grand Bazaar.

Then we'll visit the historic Besiktas area along the European shores of the Bosphorus strait. From there, we will take the boat or go by mini-van to the Asian side of the city to meet up with Fenerbache supporters groups, to learn their chant and get immersed in their local fan culture before heading to the stadium together. Where you'll see one of the loudest and most insane football atmospheres on Earth!

After the game, your host will be happy to give you the best nightlife tips. Or help you get back to the hotel and recover after a truly crazy day!

Day 4 - Time to say Goodbye
Day 4 - Time to say Goodbye

Unfortunately, even the finest (and craziest) adventures must come to an end. But the new friends and fantastic memories you've made will last for a lifetime.

It's time to pack your bags, check-out, and say goodbye to the majestic city of Istanbul. But don't forget to stay in touch with your fellow travelers - you might meet them on another Homefans sooner than you think!

What you get

  • 3 nights in a 4* hotel in Istanbul (Twin Room)
  • Daily breakfast
  • Match ticket (Short Side)
  • Private stadium tour
  • Pre-match experience in the city
  • Mini-van or boat for the match day experience
  • Walking tour through Istanbul
  • Trip manager and Local Host
  • Insurance
  • Flights
  • Single room (available for surcharge)

FAQs

Do I have to pay the full amount when I book?

You can do it if you wish.

You can also secure your spot with a deposit, and then pay the balance in up to two instalments no later than 60 days before you travel. In this way you can organise yourself and plan ahead with time!

What does a trip include?

A trip on the Homefans marketplace is a carefully hand-picked experience curated by Homefans and the local hosts in the destination to offer a unique sports experience through local eyes.

It usually includes the following:

  • Match Ticket
  • Local Host
  • Pre-Match Experience with local fans
  • Pre-arranged activities

In some cases more activities will be added or some will be omitted (and mentioned in the inclusions)

Where in the stadium will we be sitting?

If we know where you will be sitting, we always mention this is in the inclusions section.

Unfortunately, we are not always able to tell you that at the time of booking. However, our destination managers and local hosts work tirelessly to make sure you get the best seats.

We always aim for the long side of the home supporters section.

Can I upgrade my seat location?

We can always upgrade the seat location based on availability, at an extra cost. We do recommend that the group  stays together in the same area to get the most out of this experience, but if you would like to enquire about an upgrade, feel free to get in touch.

How many people will be on the tour?

The maximum number of people the host will allow is stated above.

However,  this number may not always be met and it may even be possible that your party is on the tour on your own.

Higher numbers make for a more sociable experience, lower numbers make for more personalised attention from your host. Look at it as a win/win!

How do you plan and execute your trips seamlessly?

The trips and activities on the Homefans marketplace are designed and executed by fully-vetted locals, and supervised and monitored by Homefans.

All bookings made on Homefans are backed by our Buyer Guarantee so you have a peace on mind when booking.

With more than 10,000+ customers , Homefans is one of the biggest specialised sports marketplaces in the world.

Can children / young adults join the tour?

Homefans is for everyone!

If we can accept children, there will be an option to do so in the booking flow. However, for some trips, our local hosts take the decision to open this up to adults only, based on the content of the tour. If you are looking to travel with under 18’s, please feel free to contact us and we can discuss your options.

Will I have to share a room?

In order to keep competitive prices,  the trips on the Homefans marketplace always offer prices based on 2 people sharing.

If you wish to stay on your own in a single room, you may pay a supplement for a guaranteed single room. This can be found on the extras section at checkout and you can add it to the booking. You can also get in touch with us to arrange this.

Can I extend my stay / upgrade my hotel?

Yes, you can extend your stay by clicking on the EXTRAS section at checkout, choosing the number of extra nights you wish to extend your stay.

For a hotel upgrade, please get in touch with Homefans and we will assist you in this matter.

Can I cancel my trip if I cannot travel?

If you foresee that you cannot longer attend this trip, we appreciate if you let us know with time in advance.

According to our Terms & Conditions , if you tell us 45 days before the trip starts, we can keep your deposit and transfer it to another future trip or use it as credit.  The deposit payment is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

Why are there local hosts on the trips?

Homefans was created to address a pain point we experienced quite often. You travel abroad to watch a sporting event, yet once you arrive, you still feel like an outsider, with a lack of knowledge around the destination and the event.

The local hosts on the Homefans marketplace address this issue by becoming the local link to your trip. They enhance the experience completely, and create that necessary human connection – and will surely become friends in the future!

Reviews

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Ryan

17/01/2023

What a city and what a football experience!!

What an amazing time we had in Istanbul, what a supe city! The hotel was situated close to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque so easy for sightseeing in between the football. Ogulcar (OG) was the perfect host and along with the big one (Fenerbahce v Galatasaray) we watched two other matches with OG. We arrived near the stadium 7 hours before kick of and the party had started; the bars and restaurants were full, and the streets were full of flares and colours!! OG had booked us into a bar/restaurant near the sea and the atmosphere was superb. Shame about the result but the weekend was perfect. Cheers Home Fans and OG!!
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Sean Cusack

17/01/2023

Fenerbahce v Galatasaray

Brilliant football weekender in Istanbul for the three of us. My wife and I chose this trip to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary and our eldest son came along too. Two hours standing on our seats at Fenerbahce - no problemo. OG was a magnificent host. Great sense of humour. He has great knowledge of football. He wore the disappointment of Fenerbahce losing three nil to their main rivals with great fortitude! Our hotel (Hotel Fer) was quality - and location was ideal for getting easily to the two games (at Besiktas and Fenerbahce), tram was three stops and a ten minute walk to Besiktas and to Fenerbahce it was a few minutes walk and three stops on the Marmaray Metro. The area near the hotel had many bars and restaurants, nice and convenient. We enjoyed pre-match entertainment before both games - and even got to shake hands with OG's Dad. I thoroughly recommend this trip to all football fans.
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Chris

16/01/2023
What can I say about ogulcan and the Istanbul experience. It was nothing short of an absolute belter of a wkd. Went on my own but was like a trip we mates who all love the footy. Our host ogulcan was an absolute legend, took us to 3 games in the wkd which were all decent. Besiktas was a ripping first atmosphere and introduction to the passion of Turkish football. But the fehnerbahce vs galatasaray game was a mint experience. Started about 6hr before kick off and was a ripping day. But ogulcan was top throughout and not just with football but with local knowledge on museums and buses etc. For sure will come back to Istanbul again
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Roberto Hagio

14/01/2023

Great trip and experience.

As a solo traveler the best thing I can say about my first Homefans experience is that it ended up being like a trip away with mates, with us being looked after by another mate who lived in Istanbul (Ogulcan our local guide). Great hotel in a perfect location in the centre of the city. The option to add games (Besiktas and Başakşehir) was a real bonus. Loved the atmosphere in the bars and restaurants in Besiktas and before the derby. To top it all off Istanbul is special. Can't wait to go back.
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Anthony Law

11/01/2023

Bucket list trip

The city was amazing, hotel was in a great location and our host OG was superb. Needless to say the Derby was an unbelievable experience. Would highly recommend.

Jonathan Hodges

11/01/2023
Superb trip well organised leaving us all to enjoy the football and the city. Our host Ogulcan took care of everything. Highly recommended.

Hamza Lebelle

18/04/2022

Football fan this is for you !

Where do I start guys ?! From the starting line to the end this weekend was one of the craziest I had to live ! And thanks to our host Ogulcan and Yagiz to make it even better ! Ogulcan reserved us a really place to eat and drink and enjoy our day (6h/7h before the kick off) and the place was already full of fener fan. Took us for a little tour in park next to the stadium where ppl where just chilling singing all day long we weren't even in the stadium you feel you already into it Turkish people were really nice you can't éven stop smiling yourself seeing all those happy face enjoying their day and praising football ! Once you enter the stadium it was like literally another world guys so many people here singing shouting ! I was talking with one member of the group and he tell me something that is stuck in my mind now to describe the experience in the stadium. There's a saying that's goes " You can't even hear your mind" And oooh boy does the fan stick up to it ! Can only recommend this trip as a football fan you have to live it once!

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Luke Cottrell

15/04/2022

Fener vs gala

Great weekend from start to finish and a lovely city. As far as game day goes it was a blast from start to finish. Fenerbache fans packed out the city from the morning through till after kick off, best atmosphere at a game I’ve been too, stadium was already 90% full 2 hours from kick off and the fans didn’t stop singing. My hosts yagiz and ogulcan were extremely helpful throughout and provided great advice on everything as well as adding to the occasion on match day. Hotel was in a great location in too, I went alone and everyone was very welcoming. would recommend this trip anyone 👍👍

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Paul Jeffery

15/04/2022

Something that every football fan should experience

The atmosphere in this match is unlike anything you will have experienced before. The pure passion of Turkish football is on display for every minute of the match (and several hours before as well!) Thank you to Ogulcan & Yagiz for an incredible few days that I will remember forever.

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Ivan Stajin

14/04/2022

Istanbul derby!

This has to be the maddest, loudest and crazies atmosphere in a football match I watched! It started in a local restaurant, warming up with delicious Turkish food and raki (lots of it, since we met 7.5 hours before the kick-off) and enjoying the atmosphere as the place was full of Fenerbahce fans. As I told guys from the group - I don't know how am I going to go to other games after this :) Football and fans are now something completely different for me :) Thanks guys for everything! Highly recommended!

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Kevin_G

14/04/2022

Fener - Gala 04/2022 Passion - Madness...

What a trip it was for us in Istanbul. It has been on my list for a while and I was even more amazed than what I was expecting. Ogulçan and Yagiz have made it so we would enjoy every minute of it. From a nice cruise over the Bosphorus to murals hunting in Besiktas and Fenerbahçe. We even took the luxurious opportunity to attend a second game in the weekend, as Besiktas were playing home too. What I thought would be a warm up to the derby in Besiktas turned into a madness show as well! Derby day was so intense as well. We were immersed in what Turkish football does best in the short side section of Fener's stadium where the hosts secured our tickets. Always felt safe with the company of our superb hosts. Turkish stadiums and atmosphere are pretty under rated by a lot of ppl. It definitely belongs in the top 3 best stadium atmospheres in the world. And football on the pitch is quite good too.

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Bradley Bayliss

13/04/2022

Fener 2-0 Gala 🟡🔵🧨

The trip led by Yagiz & Ogulçan was absolutely superb. We went for drinks on the Friday night and then on top of the amazing matchday experience getting us booked into a highly sought after Fenerbahce bar/restaurant they got us to the game safely and in plenty of time but close up to the action, we lit flares and were behind the goal where the traditional atmosphere was although the whole stadium was bouncing. What an experience! We also went down the bosphorus River between Europe and Asia on the Saturday which was an unexpected but very appreciated addition to the trip, thanks guys again!

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Thomas

31/07/2020

Great atmosphere in Istanbul

Excellent planning, excellent service and excellent tourguiding (thanks a lot Sinan👌). Combined with amazing city of Istanbul and great foodball. Biggest recommendation and for sure not the last time I have travelled with Homefans.

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INQUIRY

    Organized by

    Homefans_hf

    Member Since 2020

    87 Reviews