Istanbul on a Rainy Day: What to Do?
On my third night in Istanbul, the forecast said rain was coming, and I thought my plans were shot.
Turns out, I stumbled on the best rainy-day in Istanbul fix ever: crafty workshops! And not the boring kind either—I’m talking hands-on, actually-make-something, laugh-while-you-learn workshops.
Between foaming up Turkish coffee and piecing together a mosaic lamp, I spent hours indoors having a blast and walked away with souvenirs I actually made myself.
These workshops are some of the coolest things you can do in Istanbul on a rainy day (or not!), and you can totally stack more than one in a day. These are way better than adding another magnet to your fridge, I promise!
Table of Contents
- 1. Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
- 2. Perfume Making Workshop
- 3. Leather Crafting Workshop
- 4. Stained Glass Painting Workshop
- 5. Turkish Coffee Making & Fortune Telling Workshop
- 6. Turkish Tile Painting Workshop
- 7. Traditional Calligraphy Workshop
- 8. Turkish Illumination Art Workshop (Tezhip)
- A Perfect Rainy Day in Istanbul
- More Turkey Guides:
1. Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
This is the big one—mosaic lamps are basically everywhere in Istanbul, but here you actually build your own. I was obsessed with them and I wanted a room full of them, but I settled on just one for now… (I need a house before I get anymore lol)
You pick the colors, glue down the tiny glass and beads, and watch it turn into something you’ll actually want to plug in at home.
It’s a little messy, super satisfying, and you leave with a beautiful glowing reminder of your trip (peep our finished lamps at the end of this article).
👉 BOOK IT: Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
2. Perfume Making Workshop
Think of it as being let loose in a candy store for your nose. You sniff your way through dozens of scents, pick your favorites, and mix up something that’s completely yours.
At the end, you’ve got your own bottle of perfume (with a cute label and all) that you actually made—so much cooler than buying a random duty-free fragrance that costs an arm and a leg just because it has some fancy band name on it.
👉 BOOK IT: Perfume Making Workshop
3. Leather Crafting Workshop
If you want something useful, this one’s for you. You choose what to make (a wallet, pouch, etc.), get the leather ready, and learn how to stitch it together like the pros.
By the end, you’ve got a legit piece you can actually use. No one back home will believe you stitched it yourself.
👉 BOOK IT: Leather Crafting Workshop
4. Stained Glass Painting Workshop
Color, light, and a bit of patience—that’s the vibe here. You pick your design, paint the glass, and end up with a bright little artwork that looks incredible when the light hits it.
It’s one of those “I can’t believe I made that” souvenirs that’s way better than a snow globe. People will ask where you got it, and you’ll be able to say, “I made it in Turkey!”
👉 BOOK IT: Stained Glass Painting Workshop
5. Turkish Coffee Making & Fortune Telling Workshop
This one’s a mix of caffeine and fun. You learn how to brew Turkish coffee the right way, then flip the cup over and “read” the grounds for your fortune.
The fortune-telling part is hilarious (and sometimes eerily accurate). Either way, you walk out wired on caffeine with a good story to tell PLUS your own cute Turkish coffee set to take home!
👉 BOOK IT: Coffee & Fortune Telling Workshop
6. Turkish Tile Painting Workshop
This is your chance to make a piece of classic Turkish art without needing an art degree. You pick a tile, sketch or stencil the design, and paint it with traditional patterns or your own twist.
They frame it up so it’s ready to hang, and you’ve got a flat, packable souvenir that looks like it belongs in a gallery.
👉 BOOK IT: Turkish Tile Painting Workshop
7. Traditional Calligraphy Workshop
Calligraphy looks impossibly hard, but here you’ll get a crash course in Turkish “Hat” style lettering. You’ll practice the strokes, then create your own piece on glass, finished in a brass frame.
It feels classy, it looks beautiful, and yes, you can actually pull it off even if your handwriting is usually a mess.
👉 BOOK IT: Traditional Calligraphy Workshop
8. Turkish Illumination Art Workshop (Tezhip)
This one’s all about the bling. Tezhip is the super-ornate gold and color decoration you see in old Ottoman manuscripts. In the workshop, you work on a pre-drawn design, layer in colors, and add gold accents until it shines.
It’s detailed, it’s relaxing, and the end result looks way fancier than anything you thought you could make in a few hours.
👉 BOOK IT: Turkish Illumination Art Workshop
A Perfect Rainy Day in Istanbul
- Totally indoors—perfect if it’s pouring or if you need to give those gams a rest from bustling around Istanbul.
- You learn an actual skill instead of just looking at stuff.
- The souvenirs are personal—YOU MADE IT! Not mass-produced.
- You can fit two or three in a day if you’re ambitious/waiting out the rain. All of these workshops are in the same place.
- Oh, and yes, there’s always tea, coffee, and snacks floating around, so you’re never running on empty.
- I did the coffee-making and the Turkish lamp experiences, and I wish I could have done them all! The place is a very cool and cozy place to hang out and get crafty!
I hope this helped you plan an epic day in Istanbul on a rainy day, or if you just want to spend a day making quality and unique souvenirs to take home!
More Turkey Guides:
Read more about traveling around Turkey:
- TOP Tips for Traveling to Turkey For The First Time
- Your 2 Weeks in Turkey Itinerary
- Istanbul Itinerary: What to Do in 4 Days
- Istanbul on a Rainy Day: What to Do?
- How to Spend 3 Perfect Days in Antalya, Turkey
- Suluada Island Day Trip from Antalya: Is It Worth It?
- What to Do With 3 Days in Cappadocia, Turkey
- 3 Days in Ölüdeniz, Turkey’s Turquoise Coast Gem
- Butterfly Valley Boat Tour from Ölüdeniz, Turkey
- Blue Lagoon in Ölüdeniz, Turkey: Is It Worth It?
