Istanbul HOHO buses

[S.O.C.I.O.C.A.T.s]

I have been reading about Istanbul HOHO buses and it appears quite a mixed review. Has anyone had experience with these? Recommend them? Which line? Have a free day before we embark and thought this might be a good way to get overview of the city.

Thanks

PAH

[4774Papa]

I have been reading about Istanbul HOHO buses and it appears quite a mixed review. Has anyone had experience with these? Recommend them? Which line? Have a free day before we embark and thought this might be a good way to get overview of the city.

Thanks

PAH

We were in Istanbul in September. The traffic is terrible, especially in the historic part of the city. Don't waste your money on the HoHo bus. You can take the tram from the port or even walk to the area where Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are located.

[cruisemom42]

Like the other poster, I would not recommend using a HOHO in Istanbul. Traffic in Istanbul is crazy. You'll spend way too much time just sitting in traffic.

 

The main tourist sites -- Haghia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Cistern, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Archaeological Museum, etc. -- are all in one small area and it's easy to walk among them. If you do need to get from point to point, use the tram, which is cheap, easy, and has its own dedicated track.

[RJHNorthyorks]

I agree with the above posters. We either used the tram or walked from the port over to the sights we wanted to visit. We particularly enjoyed the walk.

[S.O.C.I.O.C.A.T.s]

Since we have already seen all the major attractions, We were thinking of HOHO as a means to see the rest of the town economically. Any suggestions beside the HOHO?

[4774Papa]

Since we have already seen all the major attractions, We were thinking of HOHO as a means to see the rest of the town economically. Any suggestions beside the HOHO?

Walking.

[4774Papa]

Here is some information formerly posted on cc.

 

Topkapi palace 25TL (u12s free), + another 15TL for the Harem

 

Hagia Sophia

Entry cost 25 TL

 

For both of these you can buy tickets in advance (except for the Harem, which you get from the box office once inside the Topkapi palace) from http://www.muze.gov.tr/hagiasophia This worked out well as we went straight in past the long lines. You print out an email with a QR code for each ticket and remember to take it with you

 

For u12s (free) you don't need a ticket. Our youngster was obviously under 12 and the official at the turnstile waved her through, but we had her passport with us anyway.

 

The only downside with buying your ticket in advance is that the website makes it clear it is non-refundable so if you don't use it, it's lost. But as 25TL is not a fortune I'd say getting it this way is well worth it - just double check you get the date right.

 

Blue Mosque

Entry is free and they provide clothing if your shorts don't cover your knees. You can't go in at prayer times, so as the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are almost next to each other go to the mosque first and check your possible entry times (i.e. outside of the 5 prayer periods). That way you will know when to go there and not waste precious time. If you get lucky and can go in straight away, do so and go to the Hagia Sophia afterwards - your ticket there is for the day and does not specify a time. Once inside the mosque we spent about 15 minutes looking round. The tiles are stunning and I would have liked longer here but was mindful of our schedule.

 

Basilica Cistern

You can't buy your (10 TL) ticket in advance but the queue moves quickly. There are over 50 steps down to the cistern floor. I think this is another 'must-see' as there can't be too much else like it anywhere. It's a one trick pony but a great one, and we spent 15 minutes down there.

 

Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower (12 TL) & Spice Bazaar

 

Obviously going to Sultanahmet by taxi is easiest way but the tram is simple and less susceptible to traffic delays. As you leave the port turn right, walk about 200 yards and you'll see the stop. But before you do that ask someone where the nearest machine is to buy the tram tokens (red plastic discs which you use to open the platform gates). Each ride cost 2 TL pp so you'll need 4 pp to go there and back. If you want to go the Grand Bazaar after Sultanahmet you could walk (about a mile) or tram it, in which case you'll need another disc. There is a token machine at Sultanahmet (probably more than one) if you need to top up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

to the Topkapi palace was 25TL (u12s free), + another 15TL for the Harem (where the kids had to pay ) You only see relatively little of this enormous complex, but there's still plenty to be fascinated by and I loved it. The Topkapi without the Harem is like Laurel without Hardy so if you go, don't miss it. As we were with Kagan we did not need to get our tickets in advance as he just walked up to the counter and got them for us. He is very knowledgeable and we had a great time - highly recommended. We spent about 90 minutes in the Topkapi Palace

 

As first-timers to Istanbul we were very glad to have a guide to help us get to Sultanahmet, show us how to get a tram etc, and of course he was superb at showing us around the harem and palace grounds. However there is so much to see in Istanbul that you can't stay very long at any one place and if you did a bit of research before going to the Topkapi can do a decent DIY job, even if it is not as good as having someone like Kagan with you. You can hire an audio guide for the harem, and probably the palace too.

 

The next morning we went to the Hagia Sophia on our own

and spent an hour there. Entry cost 25 TL and we bought our tickets in advance from http://www.muze.gov.tr/hagiasophia This worked out well as we went straight in past the long lines. You print out an email with a QR code for each ticket and remember to take it with you

 

Again, u12s are free but you don't get any sort of ticket for them. Our youngster was obviously under 12 and the official at the turnstile waved her through, but we had her passport with us anyway.

 

The only downside with buying your ticket in advance is that the website makes it clear it is non-refundable so if you don't use it, it's lost. But as 25TL is not a fortune I'd say getting it this way is well worth it - just double check you get the date right.

 

Next up was the Blue Mosque

Entry is free and they provide clothing if your shorts don't cover your knees. You can't go in at prayer times, so as the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are almost next to each other go to the mosque first and check your possible entry times (i.e. outside of the 5 prayer periods). That way you will know when to go there and not waste precious time. If you get lucky and can go in straight away, do so and go to the Hagia Sophia afterwards - your ticket there is for the day and does not specify a time. Once inside the mosque we spent about 15 minutes looking round. The tiles are stunning and I would have liked longer here but was mindful of our schedule.

[nana541]

Istanbul was an unexpected delight! Spent 5 days there after a cruise.... We did try the public transportation just to say we did it. Would NOT do it again, though a lovely Turkish woman actually made her husband vacate his seat for me. She then tried to visit with me though she spoke no English and I no Turkish :) it was a lovely memory!

 

We did get on the Public Ferry at the Goleta bridge for 10 Euros and cruised up the Bosphorus River, about an hour and a half. It was Saturday and it was filled with families on a Saturday outing.

 

We are not adventurous at all, but did do some on our own but did hire a couple guides thru our hotel to make better use of our limited time to see the sites. Those local guides cost very little and I would recommend doing this.

 

My final lasting memory of Istanbul was the " Call to Prayer" so beautiful just before dawn as 3000 Imam's across the Mosques of the city in unison call the faithful to prayer.

 

PS we stayed in the Sultanate, easier to walk to all the sites.

Edited November 18, 2013 by nana541

[kikki21]

Would definitely take a tram or walk - the tram does run in different directions.

 

I would love to visit Istanbul again and would love to take a cruise up the Golden Horn and across into Asian Istanbul next time. :)

[kate52]

We used the Hoho bus on our second trip to Istanbul. Like you, we had seen the main sites and wanted an overview of the rest of the city.

Well it did the job, and the price was reasonable. It was interesting and relaxing (we didn't get off) but not memorable. If I were to do it again, I would try to get a ferry across the Bosphorus or explore the main shopping area.

kate

[aunteemom]

Can you recommend a hotel in the Sultanate, number of days to spend in Istanbul, and the guide you used?. We will be flying in early precruise and are now deciding how many days we need. Above, you recommended specific sites. Can you give me the breakdown of what visited each day.

[nana541]

We loved the Agora Life Hotel! Tiny little hotel, walked everywhere - Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Goleta Bridge to catch the ferry up the Bosphorus!

 

This is a tiny little hotel with a beautiful and funky terrace on top of the building. They have spent $$$ redoing this old old building to cater to Western tourists. It tiny and classy. Nice breakfast downstairs we loaded our plates and went up to the roof terrace.

This little hotel has excellent ratings on trip advisor.... Ask for the room with the huge window view of the Hagia Sofia, I could almost reach out and touch it.

 

Very boutique style, if you want a Mariott or Hyatt kinda of hotel them this is NOT the place for you.

 

TIP: if they offer to send you to the Turkish Restaurant, they come and get you and bring you back to the hotel... Do it, so much fun!!! Was one of our favorite memories!! Locals, tourists, wedding parties, everyone eating together at long communal tables sharing tastes of each other's food.

We met people from all over the world at this dinner, great time.

 

We stayed in Istsnbul for 4 days after leaving Mariner. We had two days of private tours to make sure we saw the important sites and then explored and napped the other days.

Edited December 5, 2013 by nana541

[cruisemom42]

Can you recommend a hotel in the Sultanate, number of days to spend in Istanbul, and the guide you used?. We will be flying in early precruise and are now deciding how many days we need. Above, you recommended specific sites. Can you give me the breakdown of what visited each day.

 

For the purposes of looking for a hotel, the area you want is called Sultanahmet (not Sultanate), just to avoid confusion. It's the hub of "old Istanbul" and is pretty compact. Lots of hotels in this area are boutique-style, many from converted Ottoman mansions.

 

I'd plan to spend at least 3 days exploring Istanbul. It's one of my favorite cities. You don't need a guide -- get hold of Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul. He covers nearly everything in good detail.

[4774Papa]

If you are looking for a nice hotel close to the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet, we stayed at the Hotel Lausos. Rooms are a little small, but the hotel is nice, people friendly, free breakfast super.

Also, the price is very reasonable. We got a deal for four nights for about 90 euros per night.

[DeanoNorthPerth]

I've just booked Hotel Sari Konak for the second time. Really loved it a few years ago and can't wait to get back.

 

Highly recommend.