A couple of years ago, I received an email from the Turkish government and the European Union asking me to speak at a conference on supporting Syrian refugee students, all expenses paid.
Having never been to Istanbul, I responded with an enthusiastic “Happy to speak!” The conference coincided with a time when I had to grade final papers for my university students. So I only gave myself two days outside the short conference to see the sights.
I travel a lot, and I tend to dislike organized tours. However, given the short time available, I booked a one-day tour of city attractions the day before the conference began.