Istanbul guide

[VicKen]

My husband and I will be in Istanbul for 3 nights (May 17-19, 2007) prior to cruising with Norwegian Jewel. I have been reading about private guides and have been in contact with several of them. Since it is just the two of us we are interested in sharing the tour and have told several of the guides that but it seem it is our responsibility to find fellow travelers. We have posted to the roll call for our trip but apparently no cruise critic readers have yet booked this cruise. Any ideas on ways to find others who will be in Istanbul the same time as we are?

[martyap]

We just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. We stayed at the Hotel Sari Konak in Sultanahmet. We used Lale Kosagan for two days but Istanbul is not that difficult to do on your own. We walked to the Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Aya Sofia, Galata Bridge, Spice Market, Grand Bazaar and up and down Istiklal Cadessi. With a little reading you can do it on your own but Lale was very reasonably priced. We used the tram, ferry and public buses and Istanbul was great!

 

Marty

[avidtraveler92583]

Hi Marty,

 

My husband and I will be in Istanbul after our Oceania cruise. We will be also staying in the Sari Konak. It sounded wonderful from all the reviews we read, was it a good place to stay? Also we will be with an associate of Lale, she was already booked and we wanted a good overview of the city. Anything special you would care to share would sure be appreciated, any great shopping tips or restaurant tips. I understand the owners of the Sari Konak make some good suggestions. Look forward to hearing about your experiences, we are so looking forward to this trip.

 

Fran

[martyap]

Hi Fran,

 

The Sari Konak is a simple and modest boutique hotel in Sultanahmet. Nothing fancy but clean and comfortable. What made it special were the staff who became like family. A very large number of our 10/24 cruise

critic "family" stayed there so that made it even more special. It is a two-three star hotel but the people we met enhanced our stay. There are certainly many other hotels with more lavish ammenities. Hope that helps you. (We did have mosquitos in the room in October....bring Off spray)

 

The location in Sultanahmet made it very easy to walk to the Blue Mosque,

Aya Sofia, Cistern and several local restaurants. The area was very safe during the day and when we were there even at night. We visited during Ramadan/Seker Bayrami so there was greater evening activity. Each night there was a "festival" near the Blue Mosque with vendors and loads of food stands. This is traditional during Ramadan. Normally Sultanahmet is rather quiet in the evening....the real activity is on the other side of the Galata Bridge in Taksim.

 

Lale was very good. She is very knowledgeable. We were a group of eight so the cost was reasonable. It was $120 for the group on a walking tour + $160 additional when she used a van/driver. We used her two days and went on our own the other three. We walked all over or took the local bus and trams.

 

Don't know how many days you are planning to stay. We added days and was glad we did. The airport is about a 30 minute ride and costs about $25-30 TRY. The port is very close to the hotel. The Sari Konak paid for the taxi from the airport since we stayed 5 days. They also reduce your bill by 10% for cash. We paid in lira. Used ATM's all over Europe w/o a problem.

 

Do some research on the Istanbul Forum page on http://www.tripadvisor.com also

http://www.turkeyplanner.com. If you need more info contact me at markar23@optonline.net.

 

Lots of great restaurants. Near the hotel Ramy was excellent. Develi Kebap restaurant was good and they p/u/ If you love fish have the Sari arrange for p/u to one of the restaurants near Kempeki. Also....on the other side of the Galata Bridge is the pedestrian street leading to Taksim....LOTS of excellent restaurants on and adjacent to this pedestrial street called Istiklal Cadessi.....Haci Abdullah was super. Also Hamdi Restaurant near the Spice Market.

 

Marty

[avidtraveler92583]

Thanks so much for the information. It made me wish my trip was closer. The info on the Sari Konak is just what we hoped for. We wanted to be in the Sultanahmet and usually opt for local/casual rather than opulant. Clean and comfortable suits me fine especially if the staff/owners are caring and attentive. From your experience would you guess the Sultanahmet is safe at night during the quieter periods? I have heard nothing but great and interesting things about Istanbul, I expect it to be a hightlight. We will be in Istanbul for 4 nights, one on the ship (we are sailing on Oceania) and 3 in the Sari Konak. It will be about a 22 day trip with air travel, the cruise through the Greek Islands and 4 days in Athens pre-cruise. Thanks for the tips on research sights, I have been doing some and still have some time yet to put all the finishing touches on since we travel in May.

 

Regards and thanks again,

 

Fran

[martyap]

Merhaba Fran,

 

We were gone 24 days and it will be hard to beat this trip/cruise. Our meet and mingle had 100+ and it was a blast. Rome, Amalfi, Venice on Halloween, Santorini, Nice, Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Florence and Barcelona.

 

You should be fine in Sultanahmet in the evening. Stays light later in May and weather should be perfect. The tram is about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. It is on the main street Divan Yolu and near all the sights. From there you can take the tram to Eminonu. We took the tram once and also walked following the tracks for 30 minutes as there is lots to see along the way. Eminonu is the hub....the Spice Market and huge Sultanahmet Mosque are right there. You will love the Spice Market. From there you can walk directly across the street and either go to the different ferries or walk across the Galata Bridge and across the Golden Horn.....Gorgeous!. Lale took us on the ferry up the Bosphorus and had a van meet us up the Bosphorus but you can easily do the ferry on your own...depends how many people in your group and how much $$$ you want to spend on guides/drivers.

 

DO walk over the Galata Bridge. Once on the other side (left) you will see a sign for the Tunnel. Take the Tunnel (a one car subway/funicular for a few cents) the one stop up to the top of Istiklal Cadessi. From there walk the entire length of Istiklal. It is very wide and rather flat and slightly uphill. Get a good guide book like DK or Lonely Planet. Istiklal from the Tunnel exit to Taksim Square is about a mile and lots to see and eat and buy....Mado ice cream...pastries....doner kebaps... borek....koefte... have fun! Back to Sultanahmet you can take a taxi, bus or walk. We walked and it took over an hour and a half...it is very steep in the area from the tunnel back down to the Galata Bridge. Lots of music stores in that area....also the Galata Tower is worth the climb.

 

You will love Istanbul and the Sari Konak. Book the "deluxe" room. The regular rooms are VERY small.We are starting to plan our next visit in 2008.

 

Marty

[VicKen]

Hey Fran,

 

I'm the one who started this post and we are also at the Sari Konak - May 17-18 before getting on our ship - when are you there?

[avidtraveler92583]

Hi VicKen,

 

We are there for 4 nights actually May 17-20 checking out May 21. I already have some 1/2 day tours booked with some people that will be boarding the Nautica Oceania after we disembark. Maybe we can hook up, the hotel is sure small enough. We have some free time in the sfternoon and in the evening for strolling around. Where do you live?

 

Fran

[VicKen]

Hey Fran,

 

Guess we'll be in the hotel together for two nights - we arrive late afternoon on the 17th for two nights then transfer to our ship for one night before sailing on the 20th. We were interested in sharing tours on Friday the 18th or Saturday the 19th maybe even 1/2 day on Sunday the 20th. I have been emailing a number of guides but they are not really good in getting back to me. I suspect they are out on tour. We live in the Dallas area.

 

Vickie and Ken

[LDEK]

Hi,

 

We were at the Sari Konak for 5 days this past October. The Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Hippodrome and Aya Sofia are all about a 10 minute walk. There is a small Bazaar right down the street and the Grand Bazaar is about a twenty minute walk. Don't miss the Spice Market or walking across the Galata Bridge and the Golden Horn to Istiklal Cadessi. Topkapi Palace is also very close. With a little reading there is lots you can do on your own. We did a combination on our own + touring with Lale Kosagan. An excellent source of info is on www.tripadvisor.com the Istanbul forum pages or www.turkeyplanner.com. You will love Istanbul!!!! Eat manti, koefte, boreks, pide and doner kebaps.

 

Marty

[Wendy The Wanderer]

That little bazaar near the Blue Mosque is called the Arasta Bazaar, and it's very nice. A bit less intimidating than the Grand Bazaar, although all the merchants will be very "friendly", but just be polite and tell them you're not interested (if you're not.) I was impressed with the variety of merchandise packed into this little street--since we were staying at a nearby hotel, we got to walk through it several times a day.

[johnray]

Recently took a cruise with Oceania aboard the ship Nautica that started in Rome on Nov. 15, 2006 and ended in Istanbul on Nov. 27, 2006. An additional 3 1/2 days were spent in Turkey with a great tour guide named Levent Solmaz. I was part of a group that traveled on the Nautica that did private tours together at different ports. The first 1/2 day in Istanbul was with a group of 12 and the full 2nd day was with a group of 8 with the time spent seeing the great sites of Istanbul. Since it was a large group, we stayed in different hotels but the tour bus stopped at each hotel so there was no need for taxi service. Levent gave an informed tour that was flexible while still meeting the individual needs of the group. Possibly, the highlight of our stay in Turkey was an overnight trip to the Cappadocia Region of the country. It is an area that was once covered by a thick layer of volcanic ash which has now turned into sandstone which allowed the local people to build their cities into the rock. There are even caves with churches in them with ornate paintings of religious scenes to view. Two of us, along with Levent boarded a Turkish airline and flew to Kayseri and then took a short bus trip to Urgup where we stayed at the Yunak Evileri Hotel and stayed in a real cave overnight. Also, ate in a resaurant inside a large cave and seen other businesses built entirely inside the sandstone like a factory that made fine china. All travel and lodging arrangements were prearranged which made for a fun and hassle free trip. Levent has a broad knowledge base along with a pleasant personality so you feel like your traveling with a friend, not a guide. If you can spare a couple days, the trip to Cappadocia is worth your time and Levent Solmaz is an excelent guide. He has a web page if you want to check him out. Just type his name in a search engine. Ray

[TudorSue]

Feedback from another recent Nautica cruiser on the Nov 15 Rome-Istanbul cruise (Hi there, Ray).

 

DH and I booked with KAGAN KOSAGAN, Lale's husband, for a full day in Ephesus and then two days in Istanbul. Kagan ( pronounced "Kahn") is a warm-hearted, knowledgeable guide who speaks excellent English. His enthusiasm for Turkish civilization, culture, and historical sites is contagious. We had a fully customized experience everywhere, which was great since we wanted to spend lots of time in the Terrace Houses in Ephesus and skip rug factories, Mary's House, etc. We found his rates reasonable, with his fee quoted per day rather than per person. So if you really feel the need to add more people to your tour, this will make a reasonable fee even more of a good deal. Kagan's email is: kosagan@yahoo.com I strongly recommend him...and I'm a picky New Yorker ;)

 

In Istanbul we visited the out-of-the-way Choros Museum (fantastic Byzantine mosaics), plus all the usual sights.

 

We also stayed at Sari Konak, "deluxe" Room 301, for three nights. Our room was located in the front of the building. (We heard that standard rooms in the rear are significantly smaller/cramped). Sari Konak was a comfortable base with friendly, helpful staff and- as noted - very convenient to the key sights. Do note that it's a modest hotel with amenities accordingly. (No room service, business center, etc.) We also heard very positive things about the Dersaadet Hotel nearby from fellow travelers we encountered at restaurants.

 

We found that our pre-cruise planning paid off very well, and yours surely will too!

[edinburgher]

We were in Istanbul for a one week city break in October, staying in a hotel almost next door to the Sari Konak. Some of the guests in ours were joining Nautica but enjoying a few days pre-cruise independantly.

 

As others have said, there is really no need to hire a private guide here. In the 2 days you will have, most of your main sightseeing will be centred no more than 10 mins walk from the hotel. Some are only 5 mins. In addition to the above mentioned sights, Topkapi Palace, the Mosaics museum (part of Arasta Bazaar)the wonderful Archaeological Museum (next door to Topkapi) and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art on the Hippodrome are also within the 10 minute walk range.

 

And you can easily walk or take the tram to the Grand Bazaar from Sultanahmet. Its 2 tram stops or 20/25 minute walk. And again, its only approx 15 minutes walk or a couple of tram stops down to the waterfront at Eminonu and the Spice Market.

 

Buy a guide book, or downlaod walks, maps, info etc for free from internet sources. There were SO many independants there. Its an extremely popular city. As long as you have the information on what you are seeing, you could manage perfectly easily and save a lot of money...especially if you cant find others to commit to a private tour.