In The Footsteps Of Rumi Tour / Konya

My guide Hatice was so knowledgeable and so friendly. I learned an incredible amount of information about the glorious Rumi. It was a perfect tour and exceeded my expectations.

You really do need to do this tour with a guide, especially if you're unfamiliar with Rumi. If you're lucky you'll get Hatice. She was not only informative but had a way of connecting my lived experience with Sufi philosophy not in a preaching manner; she seemed to have a sixth sense about it. We shared meaningful conversations, laughs and I totally enjoyed my time with her and the day.

Huseyin guided us through a very knowledgeable tour - very at ease we had a very in depth knowledge of the mystical life of RUMI RA and his companions

- Deep Expertise: Hüseyin( tour guide) has outstanding knowledge, particularly on Rumi, and enriched the tour with wider context about Turkey. - Well-Planned Day: We visited numerous sites and enjoyed a delicious included lunch. - Special Bonus: Good timing allowed us to witness the rare Friday Changing of the Seljuk Guard at Aladdin Mosque—a highlight we wouldn't have seen otherwise. - Overall: A seamless, engaging, and unforgettable day. Thank you Mete (tour agency) for the excellent arrangements! 👍

Everything was so amazing! If you want to connect more deeply with Rumi, one of the greatest poets of all time, I highly recommend this day tour. Mete, Sakir, and our driver were all super helpful, knowledgeable, accommodating, and took care of everything for us. They organized everything really beautifully so we had a very smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable pilgrimage day from Istanbul to Koyna specifically to connect with Rumi and experience the city he called home for a significant part of his life. If you are considering visiting Konya to connect with the life and legacy of Rumi, do it! And personally we had a fantastic experience with this tour, can’t recommend them enough 😊

This tour was truly amazing! I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to connect with the life and legacy of Rumi, one of the greatest poets of all time. Mete and Sakir and our driver went out of their way to organize a perfect day for us, covering all the important sites in Konya associated with Rumi. It was totally worth the day trip from Istanbul just to experience this amazing day connecting with the legacy of Rumi. They took care of everything for us so we didn’t have to stress at all, and were super helpful, knowledgeable, accommodating, and just all around friendly and amazing people. Couldn’t be happier with this experience! If you are at all considering going on this day tour of Konya, to follow the Footsteps of Rumi, don’t think twice, just go for it! You will be happy you did. Everything was 10/10 amazing 😊

Fatma was a brilliant guide! So knowledgeable and always ready to answer any of our many questions about Konya and Rumi. Would recommend this trip to everyone!

Fatma is a great guide and story teller. If you are interested in the life and legacy of Rûmi and want someone who is knowledgeable but who also resonates with the teachings to guide you through the different historical sites, then this tour is for you.

The tour was very informative. The guide Hayri was well informed . I enjoyed the overall experience.

beautiful and very pleasant tour. very kind guide. I recommend the tour to everyone. We visited several important places and lunch was delicious

Amazing tour for Konya through the lens of Rumi. Mr Heyri and all organisers (Meti and driver) were super friendly and accommodating. Mr Heyri gave a very detailed and passionate account of Rumi's life that bought the city to life in our eyes. The tour was accompanied with a lovely meal. Highly recommend this tour for those in Konya. Our thanks to Meti and Mr Heyri for their amazing hospitality

We had an amazing one-day experience in Konya! Everything was so well-organized and planned that we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Fatimah, our guide, was fantastic—she shared so much interesting information about every place we visited. It truly felt like we were visiting local friends who showed us around and made sure we were comfortable the entire time. They even went above and beyond by adding a couple of extra stops that weren’t originally part of the tour and arranging late-night airport transportation for us. It was such a thoughtful and memorable trip!

Amazing way to spend a day in Konya! Hayri was my guide. He provided a wealth of fascinating information about Rumi. As a solo traveler, it felt as if I was spending the day with a local friend in Konya telling me all about the history. We saw Rumi and Shams of Tabriz's tombs which I was delighted to see after reading the book, "Forty Rules of Love". I learned about the local Konya cuisine and Hosmerim (which is a MUST to try before leaving Konya), things you won't get in other parts of Turkey. I really enjoyed learning more about the purpose and goals of the dervishes and how their aim is to temper the ego and not take themselves too seriously. It was a very curated experience! By the end of the day, I felt as though I had made a friend. I would definitely recommend this trip. It's worth every penny! You will leave feeling a bit more lighthearted, spiritual, and connected to the rich fabric of Konya!

I had a wonderful day with Hayri during my tour of “In the footsteps of Rumi”. Hayri was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. He was able to bring Rumi and the Mevlevi order he founded to life

Thank you to Hayri and team from Selene Travel for an amazing day. We covered Rumi and his journey from beginning to end. Hayri was very informative. Thank you for an enlightening day

This was a wonderful tour of the places related to Rumi as described. The tour guide, Hayri, was extremely knowledgeable about each Rumi location and other significant sites. He explained the overall history and told interesting anecdotes and legends about Rumi and other important figures of that time. In the morning we walked to all of the locations in the center of Konya. We stopped for a very good lunch of traditional Turkish food and then continued to outlying sites in the afternoon in a van.

In May 2024, I brought a group of clients on a Spiritual retreat &tour through Turkiye. Konya was our first city & Fatma was our guide. Fatma was beyond amazing! She not only gave us all the information, but could easily read the group & what they needed & were interested in. Going to all the sites and getting the meanings behind it, such as the Sema, was moving. Walking the path Mevlana walked to the mosque & then praying the mosque was special. Fatma arranged that the group met with a practicing Dervish, whom we sat in conversation with & could ask any questions we had, which was the highlight of the day. If ever you're in Konya, do not hesitate to have Mete & Fatma take you on a tour of this beautiful city. I know I will be back over & over again and they are the only people whom I'd contact. Thank you Fatma and thank you Mete. You both made our group's trip amazing!

Such a beautiful experience. I saw photos of the Mevlana museum before but the full spiritual power is only felt when you are there and it is truly awe inspiring. Konya is a city full of extremely kind people and is very safe. I actually prefer it here over Istanbul. If you want to do this tour, I highly recommend staying at Araf Hotel - which is also run by a Rumi admirer.

A great insight into the life and times and message of Rumi and his contemporaries. Hayri shared his wealth of knowledge as we walked the city and his knowledge about local cuisine during lunch was an added bonus. The car with Mehmet was comfortable and always on time. Thank you for a heart filling experience and hope to visit again soon!!

The best private tour ever with Selene Tour- Mette n Huseyn as thr guide. Huseyn is a very good and patient guide. Veru knowledgeable and is able to answer all our queries. He is help and accommodating as well. The lunch was superb. Time and money well spent with Selene tour. Highly recommended 10 stars!

We spent a delightful & educational day with Fatma who is very knowledgable & thoughtful. She brought the life of Rumi alive through a blending of stories & historical facts. A Wonderful way to get to know Konya as well as the Beloved Rumi. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Fatima is very knowledgable & thoughtful. She brought the life of Rumi alive through a blending of stories & historical facts. HIGHLY RECOMMEND 😊

We visited Konya in December 2023. It was my dream to touch the memories of Rumi & Shams Tebrizi in the city where Masnavi was created! Imagine, how we were happy to find out about this amazing tour " In the Footsteps of Rumi'. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mehmet and his wife - Fatma for this wonderful experience: we not only visited museums, and holy places but also got acquainted with the history of each painting and item in them. We also visited mosques and places where there were ancient madrasas where Rumi taught. Viatour representatives- Mehmet and Fatma were very knowledgeable and have taken care of our every request! The tour was promptly and efficiently planned so we did not wait in line and even tasted delicious national cuisine. Fatma met us with the dervish and we had a chance to ask him questions and buy books and souvenirs there. These people knew their business extremely well and helped us navigate in Konya to discover not only touristic but also other local places which were historical pearls of Turkey. Thanks to Viator, we will never forget Konya, and come back there in October- musical festival! If you plan to visit Konya, to take Rumi & Tebrizi footsteps and discover Sufism, semazen and Ney music – I recommend you from the bottom of my heart to benefit from this tour. Thanks a lot Mehmet and Fatma again!

I would recommend this tour highly, warmly and without reservation if you want to understand what Konya is all about. I had the amazing experience of exploring sights that I wouldn't have known or found out about had I not booked this tour. It was off the beaten track, authentic and connected me to what I needed. Mete my guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and made the experience 5 star from start to finish. I felt safe, comfortable, well looked after and well fed! I got to see the real konya, not just the sights but the people and the heart which made it a trip I will always remember and treasure. I can't wait to go back!!!

During the tour, we delved into some historic facts of Konya's Seljuk period and retraced the footsteps of Rumi. Hüseyin was a knowledgable and experienced guide, providing us with insightful commentary every step of the way. Despite the challenges of Ramadan, we didn't miss out on experiencing the local culinary delights, the flavorful Furun kebab. While one day barely scratches the surface of Konya's rich history, having Hüseyin as the guide laid a foundation for further exploration. I'm grateful for his expertise and guidance!

It was so amazing, friendly, lot of information and tips about everything , facilities and help wherever he can👍👍

We had a fantastic tour with Selene travel. Our guide Fatma provided information about this particular Sufi order that even I as a student of Sufism did not know. It was a wonderful tour to get a first-hand experience about the life of Mevlana. In addition, the tour company arranged for us to see an authentic Sema ceremony. This was the highlight of the tour for me. Thank you SELENE travel.

If you are looking for an inner trip, then this tour is definitely for you. Fatma not only shows you the story of Rumi and Konya, she also guides you in the philosophy of Sufism and Islam as it is practiced in Turkey, with a deep insight on the country's past. With passion and dedication you will be introduced into one of the most beautiful stories of History. You will learn a lot about the city, and about yourself.

I can really really recommend this tour to anybody interested in Islamic mysticism a.k.a. Sufism! At first I was a bit skeptical as I am normally not the person doing guided tours, but rather visit things on my own. However, in this case my experience was completely different: The guide Fatma was very kind and well informed and did not hesitate to delve deep into specific topics related to the spots we were visiting. The mix between walking to different spots such as the tomb of Shams, the Aladdin mosque or the Mevlana museum, and visiting places such as Konevi‘s tomb by bus was chilling and practical. I even had the chance to have a profound talk with a Mevlevi Sufi and sit inside a small retreat chamber (traditionally used by Sufis for 40 days retreats) and hence experience Sufism not only theoretically, but also „in action“. No matter if you visit these places in Konya on your own: This tour definitely complements your encounter with Konya‘s Sufism and should be on your bucket list when going there.

Fatma is an outstanding guide of her amazing city—Konya. From the first moment she met my wife and I in the lobby of our hotel (and she was early), and over the six hours of a delightful walking and riding tour of the city, she established herself as being knowledgeable, considerate, patient, generous, personable and professional. With her gentle sense of humor and excellent command of English, she was wonderfully informative without lecturing. Since we came to Konya specifically to follow in the footsteps of the 13th century mystic, poet and scholar, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, this is exactly what we wanted and this she allowed us to experience. Upon leaving our centrally-located hotel (the Bablin Butik Otel), Fatma guided us into and past a host of significant sites including (but not limited to); the Mevlâna Museum, tomb and complex, the Karatay Madrasah, the tomb of Rumi’s beloved friend, Shams Tabrizi, the Alaeddin Mosque where Rumi prayed. The tour also included transportation to a few sites at a few miles distance from the old city center, delicious refreshments and a great lunch, along with and a wonderful and extended conversation with a Mevlevi Dervish! We hope to return to Konya again and take another tour with this wonderful guide!

This tour was amazing. Out tour guide was very sweet and knowledgeable and we got a chance to visit multiple sites in the city. Highly recommended.

Mete and Belkis were wonderful. They were both knowledgeable about sufism and were able to arrange the tour for me and my cousin according to our interests. We got to eat wonderful food and visit the tombs of famous sufis. We even were able to sit in the seclusion chamber used by Ibn Arabi’s step son. I highly recommend this tour

Whilst arranging our Turkish tour itinerary, I was advised that I would not miss much if I did not visit Konya. On further research, I came across a decade old English Guardian newspaper article articulating the highlights of a trip to Konya along with a contact of Mette Horzum of Selene Travel for Sufi highlights. I immediately picked up the phone and had a delightful conversation with Mette. He understood exactly from where I was coming from. With a very rudimentary understanding of Sufiism, I wanted to know more about Rumi, the Mevlana sect and I also had a great interest in architecture and history. Our nearly four hour road journey to Konya began in the morning from Cappadocia with Mette. The road trip flashed by with many explanations and insightful discussions. Mette explained the present road to Konya still follows the old Silk route dating back to hundreds of years ago. It is lined with farms growing apple, pomegranate and walnut trees with intermittent remains of old caravanserais. A stopover at the beautifully restored 13th C Sultan Hani Caravanserai showed its immense size, Seljuk architecture and how they functioned. On reaching Konya, Mette had organised a private tour for my family, led by one his tour guides, Belkis, herself a practising Sufi, an academic with an in depth knowledge of the subject and currently pursuing a Phd on Rumi. She spoke perfect English, often reciting Farsi verses with English interpretations. Our afternoon began over cool lemonade, in a shaded garden café, with a brief history of Konya, biography of Rumi, Sufiism’s relationship within Islam, its beliefs and how the Mevlana sect came into being. Armed now with some basic knowledge we set off walking towards the Mevlana Museum, entering through its blooming scented Rose Garden. This former lodge complex, houses the Mausoleum of Rumi and a Museum. Belkis took time to explain in detail the important highlights and its significance. A delicious vegetarian lunch followed our visit. Walking in the footsteps of Rumi, we continued on through the old Gold Bazaar where Rumi had first heard the repeated pounding of the gold sheets which caused him to whirl. A peep into the old Azizye Mosque with its unusual Baroque and Rococo architecture and a visit to an old Hammam. No trip to Konya can be completed without visiting the site where Shams and Rumi are thought to have first met and the Mosque and tomb complex of Shams-i-Tabrizi. A large air-conditioned mini -van then drove us to the Ates Baz-i Veli Turbesi, the tomb of Rumi’s chef and his doctor’s tomb at Kultur Park Alaeddin Tepesi. As our visit fell on a Thursday, our visit culminated in watching the Whirling of the Dervishes in the Rose Garden of the Mausoleum during the evening. This was a fitting end to our tour. Our visit to Konya has been one of the highlights of our visit to Turkey, largely due to the efforts of Mette and Belkis, with the tour tailored to our interests, their explanations and discussions which helped evoke the spirituality and mysticism of Konya. I am so glad that I did not heed the earlier advice but in fact I would go as far as to say a visit to Konya should be a must for any visitor to Turkey. Let Selene Travels arrange your own private and unique tour in Konya. You will not be disappointed.

This was an amazing tour. Our guide was super excellent. She had great knowledge of sufism and Mawlana Rumi. Konya is a very special city full of love and peace.

I had the most incredible time during this tour. I think it was my favorite part of my trip. My guide Belkis was absolutely so lovely, knowledgeable, and passionate about Rumi. We got to visit off beaten paths too. I highly recommend this tour.

Words cannot describe. So amazing the history is drenched in the ppls aswell. Loved every moment. The guide Bilkish was so knowledgeable. The owner also met us at the restaurant which was the best

The tour was private and exclusive. I got to explore and learn about Rumi and, in extension Sufism, the city of Konya, and the history of Turkey in the best way possible. It opened up my view on what religious denomination could be. I liked the idea of including lunch and hotel/train transfers in the tour. The tour was flexible about the order and selection of places to visit, yet managed to meet our time constraint. I am looking forward to revisiting Konya to enjoy other tours from the company along with experiencing more of the local delicacies.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour that Selene Travel facilitated. It was deeply insightful, and I felt a lot of care from the organisation. This allowed me to feel relaxed and taken care of. The knowledge from the guide was rich and deep, which allowed me to submerge into the beauty of Konya and the history and life of Rumi.

Excellent guided tour, a great way to learn about the Rumi in both historical and spiritual context!

I had always been fascinated by Rumi and Selene made it a reality.it was a fantastic and knowledgeable tour couldn’t have been any better Mette was too good

The Rumi Footsteps tour was a very unique and authentic experience. Beyond the well known sites, we traveled throughout Konya to meaningful sites related to his close friends. My guide was very knowledgeable, friendly and personable. Rumi has been a passion in her life. She read Rumi poetry to me in Arabic, Persian and English. I left with of a greater sense of Rumi as being more than a mystical poet but also as a saint.

I booked the private Sufi tour and Hayri was my guide and took me to the most beautiful places in Konya and shared all his knowledge about rumi with me. It was so great. Mete also enriched the tour with his stories. The planning and care for the participants of the tour is from the heart, which you can feel again and again. Thank you for this wonderful day.