Want to give your friends an inspiring gift for the New Year? Then give them an experience that they will remember!

Tasting Menu at Mikla: The perfect gift for a foodie is the tasting menu at Mikla, one of the best restaurants in Istanbul with a Scandinavian-Turkish cuisine. You can get a nine-course tasting menu with matching beverages for 210 TL, or just the tasting menu for 140 TL. For more information and to buy your gift voucher, send an email to sabihaapaydin@miklarestaurant.com or call (0212) 293 56 56.

Workshop at the Istanbul Culinary Institute: If your friend loves cooking or if you want your other half to become a better cook, get them a voucher for the cooking classes offered at the Istanbul Culinary Institute. They offer a range of classes each month, from Turkish cuisine and Italian cuisine to pastry making and finger food. Send an email to info@istanbulculinary.comor call (0212) 251 22 14 to buy your voucher.

Concert Ticket: There are amazing performances going on in Istanbul all the time. If you know what your friend likes, just go to Biletix and purchase two tickets for a concert that you can enjoy together. (Make sure you check out our Agenda before you decide which concert you want to take your friend to.)

Babylon Gift Card: If you want to take the safe route, buy a Babylon Gift Voucher from Biletix that your friend can use towards a concert of their own choice.

Museum Entrance Card: The perfect gift for your artsy friend is getting them entrance to over 300 museums in Turkey for an entire year. The participating museums in Istanbul include the Istanbul Archeological Museums, the Chora Church, and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. The card costs 20 TL and can be purchased online (just click here). Just keep in mind that the card is valid only for Turkish citizens and you’ll need to learn the identity card number of your friend before you can buy it for them. (To see a full list of participating museums, click here.)

Istanbul Tour: Regardless of whether you’ve been in Istanbul for 20 years or 20 days, there is always something new to discover in this beautiful city. Give your friend the gift of adventure and exploration, and buy a daily tour of Istanbul. Fest Travel has some great options, such as the Golden Horn full-day walking tour, the Jewish Heritage tour, and Istanbul by night. For a full list of what they currently have on offer, click here. 

Subscription to The Guide Istanbul magazine: Istanbul is constantly growing and changing - it’s almost impossible to keep up. That is, unless you read the bi-monthly magazine The Guide Istanbul where you can get candid recommendations and expert advice on everything about Istanbul. So give the gift of knowledge and subscribe your friend to The Guide Istanbul magazine for one year. Just contact us at info@theguideistanbul.com and we’ll do the rest.  

Four Seasons Gift Card: Get your friend a Four Seasons Gift Card that can be used towards all Four Seasons services, including spa treatments, dining, and accommodation. Give them an excuse to travel more! For more details, click here.

Inter Limousine Rental: Rent a limo for a day or a few hours to get to party, to drive over one of the bridges that connect Asia and Europe, or to get to the airport. Click here to see all the options.