PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE IN ISTANBUL........?

[Lois R]

Hello friends, need some help please. I travel solo and will be sailing out of Greece in April and we having an overnight stop in Istanbul. I have one day taken care of with the cruiseline.  But I need to see more and want to find a guide.....any one have any first hand experiences that can be well recommended?  Remember, this is for a solo female...65 (if that even matters).  This is my first visit to Istanbul............

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you🙂

[GrammySpo]

Similar question so adding on to your question. Looking to get a private tour guide for the day that can provide highlights in the morning and then check out some breweries in the area. This requires a guide with a car. Have found lots of walking guides, but not driving ones. Good luck to both of us.

[edinburgher]

Istanbul is super easy to DIY, single female or not.

 

Take the tram from the cruise port to the Sultanahmet District where many of the sights are to be found close to each other. Buy entrance  tickets to whichever you plan to visit.Maybe have some printed off info with you for reference, or a guide book. Either walk back to the ship or walk partly back taking in bazaars etc along the way,  or walk some and take a tram the rest of the way.  You can enter the Grand Bazaar up in the Sultanahmet area and meander down through it exiting almost at the waterfront next to the Spice Bazaar (sadly no longer uniquely spices) and the Galata bridge. where you could catch a tram as the cruise terminal is further along.

GrammySpo  Not sure why you would want to spend time away from one of the most fascinating cities in the world to visit a brewery (which you could visit almost anywhere else), especially as muslims do not drink alcohol.

Edited January 22, 2023 by edinburgher

[Lois R]

On 1/21/2023 at 1:00 AM, GrammySpo said:

Similar question so adding on to your question. Looking to get a private tour guide for the day that can provide highlights in the morning and then check out some breweries in the area. This requires a guide with a car. Have found lots of walking guides, but not driving ones. Good luck to both of us.

Ahhhh....that sounds fun😃

[edinburgher]

Apologies I muddled the first reply as I was too late to edit.

 

GrammySpo  Not sure why you would want to spend time away from one of the most fascinating and unique cities in the world to visit a brewery (which you could visit almost anywhere else), especially as muslims do not drink alcohol (meaning fewer choices)

 

In Istanbul, alcohol is mostly sold in supermarkets, but more commonly in hotel bars and restaurants.  In Sultanahmet you might find a tiny number of on street  "bars". which you could search for online.

 

Re guides with cars.  Istanbul is famous for gridlocked roads and  long slow journeys even without actual traffic jams, so driving could be a bit of a nightmare.

As drivers would need to allow plenty time for journeys I suspect that the majority of locals do not own cars, instead using public transport.

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by edinburgher

[Lois R]

26 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Istanbul is super easy to DIY, single female or not.

 

Take the tram from the cruise port to the Sultanahmet District where many of the sights are to be found close to each other. Buy entrance  tickets to whichever you plan to visit.Maybe have some printed off info with you for reference, or a guide book. Either walk back to the ship or walk partly back taking in bazaars etc along the way,  or walk some and take a tram the rest of the way.  You can enter the Grand Bazaar up in the Sultanahmet area and meander down through it exiting almost at the waterfront next to the Spice Bazaar (sadly no longer uniquely spices) and the Galata bridge. where you could catch a tram as the cruise terminal is further along.

GrammySpo  Not sure why you would want to spend time away from one of the most fascinating cities in the world to visit a brewery (which you could visit almost anywhere else), especially as muslims do not drink alcohol.

Thank you for the information. Sounds like it is easy enough to walk around on my own. Are there plenty of signs for directions and such?  I will continue to do more research. 

[edinburgher]

Sounds like it is easy enough to walk around on my own. Are there plenty of signs for directions and such?  I will continue to do more research. 

 

 

Plenty signage to and at the most important sites, just as you would find in any major city visited by tourists, but you could look at printing off an online tourist  map of the area you would spend most time in, eg Sultanahmet. Or a guide book would have one.And read up on tram routes, ticketing etc.  With the info it should be really really easy to DIY the main tourist sites and travel from and back to the port. by  tram.  Stops are anounced so you only need to know where to get on and off. 

 

There should be much online info about the tram system in Istanbul if you search.

Edited January 23, 2023 by edinburgher

[fountainpen]

On 1/23/2023 at 8:30 AM, edinburgher said:

Sounds like it is easy enough to walk around on my own. Are there plenty of signs for directions and such?  I will continue to do more research. 

 

 

Plenty signage to and at the most important sites, just as you would find in any major city visited by tourists, but you could look at printing off an online tourist  map of the area you would spend most time in, eg Sultanahmet. Or a guide book would have one.And read up on tram routes, ticketing etc.  With the info it should be really really easy to DIY the main tourist sites and travel from and back to the port. by  tram.  Stops are anounced so you only need to know where to get on and off. 

 

There should be much online info about the tram system in Istanbul if you search.

Hi we are going to ISTanbul in 2024 January, arriving in a cruiseship and wants to explore Istanbul for 2 days. Would there be long lines at the usual sites like Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque etc. in the colder month of January? Can a guide help u "skip the line" if there is such a thing?Thanks

[cruisemom42]

On 1/22/2023 at 10:03 AM, Lois R said:

Thank you for the information. Sounds like it is easy enough to walk around on my own. Are there plenty of signs for directions and such?  I will continue to do more research. 

 

Lois, there are lots of signs in the historic area, but be prepared that they are not always in English. However, with a little deciphering (and advance prep) they are easy to figure out. The signs directing you to Tourist sites are always Brown with white lettering. Here is a typical sign:

 

 

Note that the top sign points you toward the Grand Bazaar (for whatever reason, they translated it).

 

The second one is for Haghia Sofya (makes sense, just sound it out). Sultanahmet is the name of the relatively small historic area where most of these sights are located.

 

Yerebatan Sarnici is a bit of a puzzle, but I knew from reading that "Sarnici" means "Cistern" in Turkish, so it is pointing me to the Underground Cistern with all of the Roman columns. 

 

Topkapi Sarayi is also pretty easy if you know the name of the palace of the sultans is Topkapi. 

 

Anyway, this is a pretty good sampling of the kind of signs you'll find all around the Sultanahmet area.

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

20 minutes ago, fountainpen said:

Hi we are going to ISTanbul in 2024 January, arriving in a cruiseship and wants to explore Istanbul for 2 days. Would there be long lines at the usual sites like Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque etc. in the colder month of January? Can a guide help u "skip the line" if there is such a thing?Thanks

 

Unless things have changed, I don't think there is any way to skip the line at Haghia Sofya, but crowds should definitely be smaller in January...

[Markanddonna]

On 2/17/2023 at 4:04 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Unless things have changed, I don't think there is any way to skip the line at Haghia Sofya, but crowds should definitely be smaller in January...

The only way to  skip the line is to bribe a local and cut in with someone he knows as a "friend." Sort of slimy. Our bus driver made some money doing this, and the tour guide let him in. Some people see the long line and give up. Our tour guide advised us to wait a bit because Hagia Sofia closes for prayer periodically, and the line doesn't move. Then, it opens back up, and the line moves pretty well. Everyone has to go through security. Since it is free, there are no advanced tickets or skip the line.

 

I would also advise people to use public transportation- the tram. There are guides who will meet you at the ship and escort you on a tour using the tram. We were in absolute gridlock with just one medium size ship and one small one. We got out of the van in the middle of the street and walked to port. It was unlike anything I've seen. The traffic wasn't moving an inch, and others have told me (post-cruise) that is standard nowadays. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Markanddonna

[GreenFamily]

Just to confirm, it is possible to use a credit card to pay for tickets at the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace? 

Edited February 22, 2023 by GreenFamily

[cruisemom42]

18 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

Just to confirm, it is possible to use a credit card to pay for tickets at the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace? 

 

The Blue Mosque has no entry fee -- nor does Haghia Sophia as it is now also considered a mosque instead of a museum.

 

Credit cards are accepted at Topkapi Palace. Be sure to buy the ticket that also includes the Harem (additional charge) if you want to see it -- I found it one of the more interesting areas.