What we do

We are here to make your dream tour come true!

Esoteric Tours are based in Istanbul, Türkiye. In this beautiful city, East famously meets West as the metropolis reaches across the Bosphoros Strait into two continents - Europe and Asia.

Here we find ourselves at an extraordinary nexus of history, trade, culture, spiritual tradition, art, and philosophy. The echoes of Byzantion and Lygos still linger through this Silk Road hub. Over Istanbul’s seven sacred hills you can find Ottoman palaces mingling with Greek Orthodox churches, Roman marketplaces, Egyptian spice markets, caravanserais, bazaars, paradise gardens, hammams, marble fountains, minarets, and mosques!

As well as our tours, we curate and manage special events, symposia, and conferences that celebrate Istanbul’s truly unique history and cultural heritage.

At Esoteric Tours, we believe that travel is a sacred act. Our mission is to guide you into the heart of ancient civilizations, culture, and forgotten wisdom—places where mythology, archaeology, folk and spiritual tradition meet.

We can take you beyond sightseeing. As our guest, you will meet local historians, excavation teams, and cultural guardians.

Our tours are led by expert researchers, authors, and practitioners, who specialise in archaeology and esoteric traditions. Every journey is a pilgrimage. Our itineraries are crafted for mystics, seekers, thinkers, and explorers. We are for people who know there is more to travel than sightseeing.

From the megaliths of Stonehenge, to the buried secrets of Göbeklitepe, from Egypt’s sacred temples to the ancient heart of Mesopotamia and the Garden of Eden — we can lead you through the world’s most powerful esoteric landscapes and archaeological sites. But it isn’t just about places. It’s about people too, the rituals, stories, the ancient memories and energy we all share.

Our guests are curious, open-hearted travelers in search of the Mysteries, those who seek a deeper understanding of history, of humanity and culture. Many are researchers themselves, readers of mythology and esoteric knowledge, those who feel magnetically drawn to sacred places and ancient energies.

Our Specialists

Damla Selin Tomru

Founder of Esoteric Tours, retreat curator and tour guide, author of Göbeklitepe: Mysteries of the Neolithic Era. Damla’s work bridges travel, archaeology and spiritual inquiry.
Erhan Altunay

Author of more than 15 books, Erhan makes frequent appearances on radio and TV in Turkey. He is known for his works on mythology, symbolism, paganism, and esoteric traditions.
İpek Kobaner

Turkish archaeologist, researcher, and storyteller whose work bridges science and myth. Trained in archaeology and archaeometry, she focuses on the ancient civilizations of Anatolia and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Murat Sav

Turkish archaeologist and heritage researcher specializing in Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, and cultural conservation in Istanbul. Works on the study and restoration of historic monuments, including Hagia Sophia.
Sarah Janes

Writer, researcher, curator specialising in the ancient history and culture of dreaming. Sarah leads retreats to ancient sites associated with healing and oracular dreams, and hosts the online lecture series Explorers Egyptology.
Alistair Coombs

Research covering archaeoastronomy, notions of secret knowledge amid prehistoric communities, and archaic threads in myth and religion.
Ian Baker

Writer, scholar, and explorer specialising in Tibetan Buddhism and Himalayan healing traditions. Longtime student of Tibetan lamas, Ian has written extensively on Tantra, sacred art, and Himalayan geography. Recognized by National Geographic as one of the world’s leading explorers, Baker blends rigorous scholarship with real spiritual practice to illuminate Tibet’s hidden landscapes and esoteric teachings.
Peter Mark Adams

Author, poet and essayist specialising in the ethnography of ritual, sacred landscapes, esotericism, consciousness and healing. A Philosophy graduate, Peter is also an Associate Member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism.
Ioannis Tsiouris

Byzantine art and archaeology scholar at the University of Thessaly. Ioannis specializes in Byzantine and post-Byzantine art, focusing on cross-cultural influences between East and West. He is an active member of several Greek and international Byzantine studies associations.