Shuttle bus in Istanbul?

[porrah]

Does anybody who has been to Istanbul on a previous cruise know if Viking has a shuttle bus to town?

They have substituted the tour which included the grand bazaar and other sights with a boat ride which takes up the afternoon of our arrival, then the next morning we go to the airport. No time, so we are wondering about missing the included tour and seeing some sights ourselves. Nervous about taxis.

[rjscott]

We were on the maiden voyage , Istanbul to Venice. There was no shuttle bus, and as far as I know, no plans to have one. There is a very good tram system, and if you do some research on the Ports board, there is some very specific info on using the trams from the port to Sultanahmet and back. I would second you plans to steer clear of the taxis if you can.

 

Becki

[id4elizabeth]

To add a little to what Becki said, on the maiden cruise (and so far the only time the Star has been to Istanbul), the ship was docked between the Findikli and Tophane tram stops. About equidistant, but we found the walk to Findikli a bit easier (even though it's away from the old town) due to construction along the sidewalk to Tophane. After you leave the terminal building, follow the driveway to the main road and turn right to Findikli - left to Tophane. The only problem is you will need small Turkish bills or coins as they do not take Euros. You could pick these up in Ephesus. The unmanned kiosks to get the necessary tram tokens are at both tram stops.

 

To see all the best sights, get off at the Sultankamet tram stop. The trams are easier and quicker than the taxis who tend to take long circuitous routes and get stuck in traffic.

 

Given your short time, I would skip the included tour and do any of Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace with the Harem, and the Spice Bazaar. We liked the Spice Bazaar better than the Grand Bazaar, but I know that lots of folks think the Grand Bazaar is not to be missed. While we enjoyed the included tour cruise and the Pasha mosque, we had already seen the other sights.

 

Too bad you have such a short time in Istanbul - it's a fascinating city!

[rjscott]

I' ll agree with Elizabeth about the Spice Bazaar vs the Grand Bazaar. We had time at both and I much preferred the shops & the atmosphere at the Spice Bazaar. Your time at the Blue Mosque will be restricted by prayer times; not so for the Hagia Sofia, so you can do one vs the other accordingly to manage your time.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

 

Becki

[Captain Canuck]

I would not write off the include excursion too fast. been to Istanbul a few times and really wanted to do a water tour but never time. It looks like this tour goes near the Blue Mosque and you could likely leave the tour there and make your own way back to the ship. I would suggest finding out details from Viking before you make a decision.

[NeilP57]

Just a quick reminder that the Hagia Sophia is closed on the Monday, which is the day we arrive into Instanbul. I think this is why Viking have substituted the waterways tour for the original included tour which was meant to include the Hagia Sophia.

 

I am sure you will have seen that Viking also offer an optional tour that includes The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar which on my UK site is priced at £39 per person.

 

Neil

Edited August 18, 2015 by NeilP57
additional information

[id4elizabeth]

The included boat tour takes you by bus to the area around the Spice Bazaar (with about 20 to 30 minutes to go inside), and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. It ends near the Spice Market and New Mosque before walking you back to the bus and bussing you back to the Star. It would be possible to leave the tour at this point, but it would be a long walk from there to the Blue Mosque. There is a tram station across the street from the New Mosque (you'd have to take the underground walkway to cross the street) and from there take the tram to the Sultankamet stop.