Istanbul Questions

[nyyhoneybee]

3 weeks until I leave! Meaning I have questions for you all! Thank you so much in advance for anyone who takes the time to read this and answer questions!

 

I found this DIY tour online. Thoughts on it? It's a 4 day tour but we are doing one day of it suggested on here during our conference.

 

Day 2: Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar, İstiklal

Get to Topkapı Palace (closed Tuesday) before its doors open and go straight to the Harem to assure your place. After seeing the Harem, explore the rest of the palace/museum, perhaps having an early lunch in the palace's Konyalı Restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara. In the afternoon, walk or ride the tram along Divan Yolu to the Grand Bazaar for shopping, or take a taxi to the Chora Church (Kariye Müzesi, Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, closed Wednesday) to see its splendid Byzantine mosaics, and the City Walls. In the evening, stroll along Istiklal Caddesi (La Grande Rue de Péra) in Beyoğlu to find a cozy cafe, bar or taverna for a drink, then dinner.

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise

Hop aboard a ferry for a cruise up the Bosphorus to Sarıyer near the Black Sea. After a seafood lunch, ride south by land stopping at the Sadberk Hanım Museum, Rumeli Hisar castle, and/or Yıldız Palace and Park. Stop in trendy Ortaköy for seaside tea and snacks, then taxi to Taksim Square for some strolling and window-shopping in Nişantaşı or along Istiklal Caddesi.

Day 4: Lots of Choices!

If there's time before your board your homeward flight, visit the Archeological Museums, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, or the Egyptian Market (open every day); or search for art and antiques off İstiklal Caddesi; or have tea at the Ottoman-Victorian Pera Palas Oteli; or hop aboard a ferry for the one-hour intercontinental round-trip/return cruise from Eminönü across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar, Kadıköy or Haydarpaşa, with fine views of Seraglio Point, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque from the water.

I'm seeing a lot for the Bosphorus Cruise that suggests to ride south by land. How do we do this? Is there a train, a bus, what? How easy is it to get to the ports to do the cruise?

 

 

Anyone do a tour with Backpackers Travel? They do a tour of the Jewish sections that looks interesting to me to do. Is it possible to do this DIY? Is there a company that does tour shares like Ive seen at other cruise ports? I think I am going to DIY for almost everything but I'd like to be able to see some of the Jewish sections.

 

 

How do I make sure that I get to see both some of the Asia side and the European side?

 

 

Anyone take the time to go over to Buyukada? Is it worth it? It seems to be a full day thing, am I wrong about this?

 

 

Places to eat/drink?

 

 

Thanks again!

[Palmetto Lady]

We've been in Istanbul three times and never got to the Asian Side. We spent no time in the "modern side" except for Dolbamache Palace.

[Lolotte]

This is what we did last October and we had a fabulous time.

Day 1 : Topkapi Palace, we srarted with the Harem, took about 5 hours, then went to the Cisterns, fabulous ( 1 hour) . We then walked to the Blue Mosque and to a small Bazaar in the back of the Mosque

 

Day 2 : We dis the hop-on hop-off and stopped at the Dolmabahce palace ( 2 hours), then after going aroundd stopped at Taksim Square and walked down Istikal caddesi ( and tried the fried mussels on sticks) to galata Tower. Nice viEWS

 

dAY 3 : Took the ferry for the Bosphorus cruise, went to the end to Anadolu Kavagi (Asia) had lunch and hiked to the castle before coming back to istanbul.

 

Day 4 : We visited hagia Sofia, then the bazaar and the egypptian market

 

One of the best cities in the world !!!

[1st-timer28]

My husband and I are very interested in taking the ferry to the Asia side. Can someone give detailed information as to how to do that. There is a little info in the rick Steve's cruise port book but I'm not very confident in it. Seems like there is something missing.

[Lolotte]

THE FERRY LEAVES EVERYDAY AT 10:30 WHEN FACING THE GALATA BRIDGE FROM sULTANAHMET, IT IS THE FIRST BOAT ON THE RIGHT.

cOMES BACK AT 4:30.

 

yPU HAVE TO LINE UP AT 10 am. aUDIO tOUR AVAILABLE BUT NOT NECESSARY IF YOU HAVE THE RICK STEEV BOOK.

[1st-timer28]

There is only one ferry each day each way? I was thinking I could visit a couple sites in the morning then catch a ferry to the Asia side for an hour or so then get a ride back to get back on the ship. If there is only one ferry I am glad I found out now and not when we are there.

[John Bull]

There is only one ferry each day each way? I was thinking I could visit a couple sites in the morning then catch a ferry to the Asia side for an hour or so then get a ride back to get back on the ship. If there is only one ferry I am glad I found out now and not when we are there.

 

Plenty of ferries directly across to the Asian side, journey time 15-20 mins. They leave from one or two piers along from where Lolotte mentions. Though be warned, there's not a lot there - its mainly a dormitory area.

I think Lolotte's post may refer to the tourist ferry which takes a round-trip up the Bosphorus - a much more interesting trip if you have the time.

 

JB :)