Please review my Istanbul itinerary

[turquoisestarchild]

Hello,

 

I will be in Istanbul on a Saturday and Sunday in late July. My ship will be there from 7 a.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. on Sunday. My husband and I are in our 30's. I'm looking for advice on my itinerary and have written questions throughout. Thanks in advance!

 

Day 1: Ship docks at 7 a.m.

Take tram to Gulhane

Do you think I will arrive at Topkapi before 8:45 if I depart the ship ASAP? If so, I may decide to get off at Sultanahmet and go to the Blue Mosque first.

8:45 - 11 Topkapi Palace and Harem

11 - 11:15 Walk down through Sultanahmet to Haghia Sophia

11:15 - 12:15 Hagia Sophia

12:15 - 12:45 Cistern 2 mins walk

12:45 - 1.15 Blue Mosque 5 mins walk (When are their prayer times so I can avoid them?)

1:15-2:00 Lunch

Take tram to Beyazit or Çarsikapi –Which stop is best?

2:00 – 3:00 Shop in Grand Bazaar

3:00 Walk downhill from Bazaar to Spice Market 20 mins

3:30 -4:30 Spice Market Or I could save Spice Market for tomorrow…

 

Back to cruise ship if really tired/need to freshen up??? Would you suggest going back to the ship in between day/night activities?

To return to ship: Take the tram marked Kabatas and get off at the Karakoy stop

 

Evening:

 

1. Istiklal street/Beyoglu

2. Turkish Dance Show- 21:00 (9:00 p.m.) Sirkeci

Is it possible to do both Istiklal street and Turkish Dance show? If so, which should we do first?

 

Day two:

??- I can take out the Spice Market and do it on Day 1 if it works better. If I take it out of Day 2’s itinerary, are there any other suggestions for before the cruise?

9:30- Arrive at Spice Market (I think I read it opens at 9:30 on Sundays. Can anyone confirm this? How close is this market to Eminonu where I would need to get for the cruise?)

11:00-12:30- 90 minute Bosphorus cruise with Turyol 12 TL/person Does anyone know if this is the earliest cruise on a Sunday?

What is the easiest/quickest way to return to the ship after the cruise?

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to be well-prepared and experience as much as possible. (Like all of us!)

[Keith1010]

A couple of comments. What time of year will you be there? The summer is very crowded so you need to consider that.

 

I would do the spice market the first day.

 

If your ship leaves at 2:00 PM that means you need to be back on the ship by 1:30 PM. I would not take a cruise that gets you back at 12:30 PM. I would be concerned about a delay.

 

I am not sure if there is an earlier one on Sunday but if there is I would do that.

 

Keith

[cruisemom42]

You have an awfully busy day on Day One. I know you are young, but I worry not so much about your energy levels, but that you're going to spend the day constantly thinking "I've got to move on......I've got to stay on schedule....."

 

Here's what I would suggest.....and you can feel free to disagree with me!

 

Do the Spice Market on Day Two, and skip the Bosphorus Cruise altogether. I know Rick Steves and other guidebooks say it is a "must do" but this is for people who don't arrive and leave Istanbul on a cruise. You're already on the water and you get some nice views entering and leaving Istanbul. Personally, I enjoyed the cruise on a longer land visit but didn't find it to be that fascinating.

 

So that gives you a little breathing room on Saturday. I'd recommend doing the Spice Market and -- if you have time -- the Rustem Pasha mosque, which is very close by:

 

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/GoldenHorn/rustempasa.html

 

Alternatively, if you get overwhelmed on Saturday, you may feel better knowing you could squeeze something else to Sunday if needs be. You may want to linger in few places.....

 

I haven't done the Turkish Dance Show, nor am I a huge fan of Istiklal, so I can't comment on your evening plans. I'd prefer a nice dinner in a good (not touristy) restaurant in Sultanahmet with a view of the Haghia Sophia or Blue Mosque.

 

The Beyazit stop is the one I used for the Grand Bazaar. Alternatively you can walk along, following the tram tracks -- from the Blue Mosque it's not all that far. Perhaps before you do that (either walk or take the tram), you might consider stopping in the Hippodrome beside the Blue Mosque to see the monuments there -- another "do not miss" in my opinion.

 

Prayer times vary; here is a calendar so you can look up the day:

 

http://www.asfory.com/muslim_prayer_times/istanbul_turkey.html

[maryann ns]

Even if you have to wait to get into Topkapi until it opens at nine, it is good to get there before the crowds. We did this and when we were leaving, there were large groups of school children lined up ready to go in.

[cruisemom42]

 

So that gives you a little breathing room on Saturday. I'd recommend doing the Spice Market and -- if you have time -- the Rustem Pasha mosque, which is very close by:

 

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/GoldenHorn/rustempasa.html

 

 

Oops, just re-read this and realized I typed in "Saturday" where I meant "Sunday" -- hope it wasn't too confusing.

[turquoisestarchild]

Thanks for all the advice. I really do need to be less hectic when I travel. I am going to eliminate the Bosphorous cruise as suggested and move the Spice Market to Day 2.

 

I also recieved a suggestion on Tripadvisor to eliminate the cruise so I could add in Dolmabahce or Chora Church. From what I understand, they are more difficult to get to though. The Rustem Pasha mosque looks amazing. Should I stick with this and forget Dolmabahce or Chora Church on Day 2?

 

Also, if anyone has any thoughts on my evening plans...let me know.

 

Thanks so much- I love CC!

Kristen

[Keith1010]

Kristen the item I really want to highlight to you is that you will be in Istanbul at a peak tourist season. Just going from the ship to say the Spice Market by vehicle can take an hour whereas March it might take 15 minutes. Just understand there will be a lot of traffic and tourists. I would plan less and have some items that you can add back in if you make better time than expected.

 

Keith

[cruisemom42]

Kristen the item I really want to highlight to you is that you will be in Istanbul at a peak tourist season. Just going from the ship to say the Spice Market by vehicle can take an hour whereas March it might take 15 minutes. Just understand there will be a lot of traffic and tourists. I would plan less and have some items that you can add back in if you make better time than expected.

 

Keith

 

But if you take the tram (from the ship to the Spice Market) it'll only take about 5 minutes.

 

Yes, the traffic is awful in Istanbul, which is why the tram is such a great way to get around. It has a dedicated track in the center of the road (i.e., no traffic jams).

[stripe]

So that gives you a little breathing room on Saturday. I'd recommend doing the Spice Market and -- if you have time -- the Rustem Pasha mosque, which is very close by:

 

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/GoldenHorn/rustempasa.html

 

Oh my gosh....what a great website! Thank you so much for posting the link!!!

[Zaone]

Do not miss Dolmabahce Palace! It so amazing and much more impressive than Topkapi. Well, Topkapi is must do as well, but I was disappointed in it after seeing Dolmabahce a day earlier. And Dolmabahce is not very far from ship as far as I remember (I was not in Istanbul as cruiser, but on my own).

You can go through Spice Market on the way back from Old Town to ship, because it is not that big - I was done there in 20-30 minutes (I didnt buy there anything though) and do Dolmabahce early on second day.

On evening, when it gets dark, climb (well, walk up the track, not exactly climb) the hill accross the street from the Kabatas port. There you will get an amazing view over Bosphorus and several mosques - all lighten up. There are also many nice places to sit down and enjoy the city.

It looks like this (photos by out travel companion Eerik):

http://stnz.fi/blog/images/MG9854.jpg

http://stnz.fi/blog/images/MG9856.jpg

You can do it on the way to Istiklal street.

 

Enjoy - Istanbul is so amazing!

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for all the advice. I really do need to be less hectic when I travel. I am going to eliminate the Bosphorous cruise as suggested and move the Spice Market to Day 2.

 

I also recieved a suggestion on Tripadvisor to eliminate the cruise so I could add in Dolmabahce or Chora Church. From what I understand, they are more difficult to get to though. The Rustem Pasha mosque looks amazing. Should I stick with this and forget Dolmabahce or Chora Church on Day 2?

 

Also, if anyone has any thoughts on my evening plans...let me know.

 

Thanks so much- I love CC!

Kristen

 

Having done all of them, I'd say it's a matter of personal preference as to which one or ones to do.

 

Rustem Pasha -- if you're more interested in the early Turkish history of Istanbul and/or the Iznik tiles.

 

Chora Church -- if you're interested in the Byzantine history of Istanbul and/or mosaics. (Yes, you'd have to take a taxi here and back; if you have time, you can also see the old city walls very close by Chora Church and even get up on top of them....:)).

 

Dolmabahce Palace -- if you're interested in the later Turkish history of Istanbul or are more interested in gilt and crystal than tiles and mosaics. I found it a strange blend of European and Turkish styles that didn't quite "gel" for me. But others really enjoy it.

[srpilo]

Do not miss Dolmabahce Palace! It so amazing and much more impressive than Topkapi. Well, Topkapi is must do as well, but I was disappointed in it after seeing Dolmabahce a day earlier. And Dolmabahce is not very far from ship as far as I remember (I was not in Istanbul as cruiser, but on my own).

You can go through Spice Market on the way back from Old Town to ship, because it is not that big - I was done there in 20-30 minutes (I didnt buy there anything though) and do Dolmabahce early on second day.

On evening, when it gets dark, climb (well, walk up the track, not exactly climb) the hill accross the street from the Kabatas port. There you will get an amazing view over Bosphorus and several mosques - all lighten up. There are also many nice places to sit down and enjoy the city.

It looks like this (photos by out travel companion Eerik):

http://stnz.fi/blog/images/MG9854.jpg

http://stnz.fi/blog/images/MG9856.jpg

You can do it on the way to Istiklal street.

 

Enjoy - Istanbul is so amazing!

 

I couldn't agree more..

Srpilo