No need for a costly tour in Istanbul

[GrandmaHofmann]

You can take the same "tour" as the ship takes you on for a total of 16 Turkish Lira or $8. Here is how you do it. At the entrance to the port, turn left and walk five minutes. You will see the Tophane tram stop in the middle of the street. You must buy a token from the machines which take 5 TL notes or change. Then insert the token in the turnstyle and you are on! These trams run constantly. Sometimes back-to-back, so don't worry about missing one. If you want to go to the Spice Bazaar, get off at Eminou, cross the street, turn right and go around the mosque. The bazaar is right in front of you, to the right of the Mosque. Don't miss the bird seed sellers on the mosque wall nor the shoe shiners! When you are done at the Spice Bazaar, get back on the tram. You will need a new token every time. Take the tram to the Sultanament stop, walk downhill, and you will see the Sophia and the Blue Mosque. To get to Topapi, walk around the right side of Sophia and press on. It is not far. When you are all done there, get back on the tram and get off at the Bezerit stop. Exit the tram and turn right. Walk down the incline and you are in the Grand Bazaar. When you are ready to go back to the ship, just take the tram going in the other direction to Tophane and get off, turn left, and walk five minutes to the port. Some trams make everyone get off at Eminou on the way back. Just do not exit thru the turnstyle. Just hop off with every other person on the tram and wait with them til another tram comes up. It could not be easier, it is incredibly cheap, and you go at your own speed.

[scarborofare48]

Excellent description. We did exactly that on our Grand Med cruise in Oct. 2013. To give you an idea of how easy it is, we did it without the benefit of this excellent advice. One word of caution; beware of offers of "free" tour guides. We fell for it and, while we did get a very good personal tour ( an hour plus) of the Blue Mosque, and he was able to get us in without waiting in line, it just "so happened" that his family owned a carpet store just down the street. After such a great personal tour we felt obligated to take a look. Our "free" tour ended up costing $750.00. We did get a beautiful wall hanging for our living room but, we may not have had to, if we had not "taken the bait.". Caveat emptor!!

 

Sent from my AT100 using Forums mobile app

[texancruzer]

Special note ****

 

On our last visit to Istanbul we got on a tram to head back to the ship. It stopped at the last stop (Eminonu)before the Galata bridge and sat for a while.

 

Some nice Turkish men were pointing at us and then to the door. Seems we had gotten on the tram that only goes that far and then heads BACK the other way (away from the ship)

 

Cant remember which color tram etc….. but if you stop there and sit for a bit, you might consider getting off and taking the next one on the other track.

 

It was a bit difficult getting over to the other tram (a fence in the way) but we managed.

 

Do not let this deter you from using the tram. It really is easy, safe, cheap and much faster than any other form of transportation in Istanbul. We will be using it again next May.

[MeHeartCruising]

Great advice. One note.... There is more than one walking exit from the port. And there are more than one tram stop that might be suitable options. Depending on where exactly your ship is berthed in the line of possible ships in port, it is possible that you may actually want to turn RIGHT to get to the closest tram station. However, walking to the left will never be wrong since that is in the direction of your desired travel. But you may walk a little further before you find the closest tram station than if you had chosen the other direction. If you research the tram stop locations or ask someone on the street you will be ready to go.

Edited December 1, 2014 by MeHeartCruising

[4774Papa]

Also, I recommend renting an audio-guide at Hagia Sophia, Topkapi and the Basilica Cistern.

If you have time the Archeological Museum is wonderful. It takes minimum of half a day for the museum.

[GrandmaHofmann]

We found that if you turned right out of the port and went to the next stop, the amount of walking was identical. Some trams do stop at Eminou, but I am not sure why the men told you to go out. We just got off and waited with everyone else about 2 minutes til the next tram came through.

[ROCruiser]

You can take the same "tour" as the ship takes you on for a total of 16 Turkish Lira or $8. Here is how you do it. At the entrance to the port, turn left and walk five minutes. You will see the Tophane tram stop in the middle of the street. You must buy a token from the machines which take 5 TL notes or change. Then insert the token in the turnstyle and you are on! These trams run constantly. Sometimes back-to-back, so don't worry about missing one. If you want to go to the Spice Bazaar, get off at Eminou, cross the street, turn right and go around the mosque. The bazaar is right in front of you, to the right of the Mosque. Don't miss the bird seed sellers on the mosque wall nor the shoe shiners! When you are done at the Spice Bazaar, get back on the tram. You will need a new token every time. Take the tram to the Sultanament stop, walk downhill, and you will see the Sophia and the Blue Mosque. To get to Topapi, walk around the right side of Sophia and press on. It is not far. When you are all done there, get back on the tram and get off at the Bezerit stop. Exit the tram and turn right. Walk down the incline and you are in the Grand Bazaar. When you are ready to go back to the ship, just take the tram going in the other direction to Tophane and get off, turn left, and walk five minutes to the port. Some trams make everyone get off at Eminou on the way back. Just do not exit thru the turnstyle. Just hop off with every other person on the tram and wait with them til another tram comes up. It could not be easier, it is incredibly cheap, and you go at your own speed.

 

Thanks for the information. We will need this for our February cruise. We did a land tour of Turkey last year, but this time we will DIY our time in Istanbul.

[texancruzer]

Some trams do stop at Eminou, but I am not sure why the men told you to go out. We just got off and waited with everyone else about 2 minutes til the next tram came through.

 

To clarify. We got on a tram headed towards the ship. It stopped at the stop near the spice bazaar (the one before the Galata Bridge). Evidently it was a tram that only went that far and then goes back the way it came instead of continuing on towards the dock area. If we had stayed on that tram it would have taken us back the way we came…….. we had to get off and change trams.

[cruisemom42]

A number of us have been advocating seeing Istanbul this way for years. If anyone is interested in more info, there have been great posts here that people have taken the time to put up with step by step info and even photos if you do a search. It really IS that easy. Just make sure you have a guidebook or some information on the places you'll be visiting.

 

P.S. The Archaeological Museum, while wonderful, is undergoing an extensive renovation right now and many areas of it are closed. It probably wouldn't be best to plan on seeing it until at least some of the areas are open again.

[dabear]

For a first time visit to a port we recommend taking an orientation tour & then go back on your own later. We've been to Istanbul 2x (& will be there a 3rd time in 2005). There is alot to see here, but unless you are going to have a guide book to help you understand) having a guide tell you about the places adds so much more than just looking at a historical site. Agree that the tram is very easy to use in Istanbul.

[24butterfly]

Thanks for the information. We will need this for our February cruise. We did a land tour of Turkey last year, but this time we will DIY our time in Istanbul.

 

I would also suggest getting a good guide book--I always recommend EyeWitness (Knopf) Guides as they have pictures in them. Don't know how long you're in Istanbul for, but maybe "10 Best Things to See in Istanbul"....Absolutely love the city...Very exotic....

[LocoLoco1]

Thanks for great Istanbul info. QUESTION: We arrive into Ataturk Airport. For our 3 days in Istanbul...where do we first stock up on the local Turkish currency? Is it reasonable to depart into the city with $200/USD in small local currency, then find other ATM's as needed? Locomotiveman Tom

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for great Istanbul info. QUESTION: We arrive into Ataturk Airport. For our 3 days in Istanbul...where do we first stock up on the local Turkish currency? Is it reasonable to depart into the city with $200/USD in small local currency, then find other ATM's as needed? Locomotiveman Tom

 

There is a bank of about six ATM machines after passport control and baggage claim, in the area just before you exit the terminal for ground transportation. ATMs are the best place to get local currency in terms of a favorable exchange rate.

 

I have never had a problem locating ATMs in Istanbul, so you should be able to get more as needed.

[LocoLoco1]

Cruisemom42, Thanks. Nothing worse than stepping into the unknown without walkin' around money. Staying in Sultanahmet. E-Visa done. Have Rick Steves and MarcoPolo Guidebooks. Ready. Locomotiveman Tom

[syesmar]

I agree that it's easy to get around Istanbul. But it typically takes a little while for me to get oriented. This was one of our first cruise stops, and I was still a bit jet lagged & my ATM card was giving me issues (there is a good change place to the left of the port, just keep walking that street in front of the port to the left and it's on the right). Be sure to have smaller change for the tram machines! (Or you will have to get it, costing you more time!)

 

We arrived around 4pm and were in Istanbul for 24 hours! I wanted to visit the Chora Church upon arrival, as it was closed the following day. My guide books said to catch the bus to Edirnekapi from Eminonu, and while true, for a cruise passenger you don't have to pick it up there, there are bus stops closer to the port that can save time.

 

Getting help from the locals and even our on board travel guide proved a bit confusing at first (border control kept changing which exit was acceptable upon arrival----as others have said, there's 2 or 3 options.....going LEFTward will put you closest to everything and save precious time). If you have a map, ask someone to circle where you are so you can get your bearings, and if you can highlight where your desired tram and bus stops are on the map in advance, it will help!

 

Another tip is to make a copy of a Grand Bazaar map to help keep your bearings.

 

Plan for Istanbul, but be flexible.....Enjoy this unique city!

[hubofhockey]

Private tours are not very expensive in Istanbul. Many are pretty cheap and even include a nice lunch out and admissions fees. These are all with private guides. We were able to see so much on our excursion including the Palace with the baths, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar. All of this with lunch may have been $65 per person.

[LocoLoco1]

CruiseMom42 and... We are going to first gonna do a 10/hr. 'Foodie Alley-Crawl' with a small local group, so we know what we are eating/drinking. Raki MAY be involved. Then we will strike out on our own as you suggest. It should be a fun 3 days. Locomotiveman Tom

[cruisemom42]

CruiseMom42 and... We are going to first gonna do a 10/hr. 'Foodie Alley-Crawl' with a small local group, so we know what we are eating/drinking. Raki MAY be involved. Then we will strike out on our own as you suggest. It should be a fun 3 days. Locomotiveman Tom

 

That sounds fun -- beware the raki!

[bama4cruisin]

CruiseMom42 and... We are going to first gonna do a 10/hr. 'Foodie Alley-Crawl' with a small local group, so we know what we are eating/drinking. Raki MAY be involved. Then we will strike out on our own as you suggest. It should be a fun 3 days. Locomotiveman Tom

 

Locomotiveman,

 

I am interested in details about your tour as we will disembark the Celebrity Constellation in Istanbul next September and stay 3 days. This sounds like a great "orientation" to the culture. Thanks.

[LocoLoco1]

Locomotiveman,

 

I am interested in details about your tour as we will disembark the Celebrity Constellation in Istanbul next September and stay 3 days. This sounds like a great "orientation" to the culture. Thanks.

Bama4cruisin'

We booked 2 using PayPal with UrbanAdventures and also Culinary Backstreets for our Istanbul back street 'Foodie Junkets' in late March2015, and read Tom Brosnahan's superb 'Street-savvy' book etc. His Website I think is called TurkeyTravelPlanner?? He is a Gold mine of Off-beat things about Turkey and Istanbul in particular. I will candidly report back once we get home. We are adventurous in our travels, but not careless. Locomotiveman Tom

[bearette]

I will be on a cruise with twin toddlers. Is it difficult to get on the trams with a stroller? I was thinking about just walking or using taxis depending on the distance. To paraphrase the other poster- cautious not careless.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

[Iluvcruising2]

Our cruise ship, the Norwegian Jade was docked at the Sali Pazari Pier. Today, we planned to take the tram into the city. When we got to the Tophane tram station, the ticket machine wasn't working!

 

We ended up taking a leisurely stroll into the city. Yes, we walked all the way, to the Spice Market, then to the Hagia Sophia, then to the Grand Bazaar and subsequently walked all the way back to the ship.

 

I made this video of the walk from cruise ship to the Spice Market.

[YOUTUBE]bpWH8Ny-16I[/YOUTUBE]

[syesmar]

bearette,

 

If you have another person assisting you, I would think the tram would be ok (others may disagree), as you can just wheel the stroller on. YMMV, but our experience was that the trams were less crowded than say, the Rome metro, and not chaotic.

 

Please check out tomsportguides . com for the Istanbul guide. It's very helpful and has maps detailing the various tram stops outside the port. For me, arrival was a bit confusing at first and if I'd known exactly where our ship was, I could've saved time knowing which tram to catch.

 

Have a great trip!

[Iluvcruising2]

I will be on a cruise with twin toddlers. Is it difficult to get on the trams with a stroller? I was thinking about just walking or using taxis depending on the distance. To paraphrase the other poster- cautious not careless.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

 

I don't recall seeing strollers on the tram. However, the trams are quite modern and I think it should not be a problem to get on a tram with a stroller, assuming the tram is not too crowded.

 

This video would give you a good idea of how the tram looks like.

 

[YOUTUBE]zVZOkOXTEfA[/YOUTUBE]

[cruisemom42]

I will be on a cruise with twin toddlers. Is it difficult to get on the trams with a stroller? I was thinking about just walking or using taxis depending on the distance. To paraphrase the other poster- cautious not careless.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

 

I won't say it's not possible, but the trams can be crowded. Do you have just a regular stroller or is it a large double stroller?

 

The Turkish people are very friendly (and family oriented) and will help you if needed, but when I was there in October, I found the trams to be more crowded than I remembered from a couple of years ago and I really don't recall seeing any strollers on them.