Ruby Princess - May 16 - Instanbul

[marving9999]

One of our first stops on this beautiful trip will be in Instanbul. I want to take a small tour in the morning and using the ships tour is fine, however these tours bring you back to the ship quite early. I want to spend more time at the Grand Bazaar. Is there a problem taking a taxi from the Grand Bazaar back to the ship. Is it relatively safe to do that. Also, what about finding a tour at the pier to take you around and then stop at the Grand Bazaar. Any information would be helpful.

 

 

Marvin & Judy

14th Cruise

[sea-explorer]

I personally wouldn't suggest you take a ship's tour in Istanbul. I'm sure you would enjoy the experience & ambience much better at your own pace & it is fairly simple to do. The main attractions, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Cisterns & Topkapi Palace are all together in the same area & you would have to walk from one to the other whichever method you choose.

 

I wouldn't take a taxi either as there have been a few stories of overcharging, taking circuitious routes etc. There is a tram stop near the port gates which will take you to the Sultanahmet area. See the sights in whatever order you prefer and then take the tram again, a couple of stops, to the bazaar area. There is a site here which gives an overview of this.

 

http://www.letsgoistanbul.com/1day.asp

 

You might also find this thread useful.

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=15018484#post15018484

 

Just do a little research about the history & sites via good guide books (library?) & google etc & you're all set.

[Keith1010]

I wouldn't just pick a tour on the spot. I would either take the ships tour or do research ahead of time to book a private tour.

 

Whatever you do, yes, you can easily get from the pier to the Grand Bazaar. The distance is not great. But there can be a lot of traffic based on time of year and time of day.

 

Keith

[CathyCruises]

We were there for two days and took the tram everywhere we wanted to go. There was a stop about 1 block from the ship. It even has a sign inside that tells you which attractions are at which stops.

 

You DO have to have YTL (Turkish Lira) to buy the 'jeton' for the tram--there is a little booth right at the stop where you buy it. We went into Starbucks, bought two coffees with dollars, and they gave us change in YTL which was perfect. You only ride it for about 10 minutes over the bridge to the old quarter. We did take a taxi at one point (bought 3 rugs and had left the credit cards on the ship so the shop guy took us back there by taxi to get paid!) and I would not recommend taxis at all. Traffic was at a standstill in many places--but the little tram just chugged along on its tracks! In fact, when we got off the tram, we passed the tour buses heading back to the ship--we walked way faster than they drove!

 

Just so you know, the Grand Bazaar is a zoo--so be careful and make sure you know how to get out--they will 'hard sell' you on everything from levis to underwear to apple tea! If you so much as pause to look at something, they will be all over you! Most of it is just tourist junk--so beware!

 

Cathy

[descal13]

Hi, Marvin! We are on the Barcelona to Venice run right before you board (May 4 sailing). You are welcome to check out our roll call, some of our passengers are very well informed about Istanbul and other ports and have tours arranged. They can certainly give you helpful information. Have a great trip!

[CoralReef]

Istanbul is so pleasant and easy to do on your own, I really wouldn't spend money on a ship's tour if you are just going back into town afterwards. Take the tram! Click on the "Independent Istanbul" link in my signature for details. The tram does require Turkish lira, but you can easily get these at an ATM. It's very cheap compared to a taxi.

 

If you do decide on a ship's tour, don't ride back to the port. After the tour is over, tell the guide you are leaving, then go see the Grand Bazaar, wander around, whatever. Take a taxi or the tram, whatever you are comfortable with, back to the ship when you are done.

[Dunmore2]

We booked a private 4 hour tour online from reading recommendations on Cruise Critic .The van picked us up at the pier and then took us on the scenic route. The driver dropped us off( with our guide) at Hagia Sophia. We also saw The Blue Mosque and the underground cisterns. We enjoyed having a tour guide who was fluent in English (he had traveled a lot in the States). You can ask your tour guide to take you to whichever areas interest you the most and they are good at avoiding the crowds. The van picked us up after 3 hours and then we toured the Grand Bazaar. He took us to some of the more unique areas,and then when his time with us was up, he showed us the best restaurant there. We caught the tram back which was very simple. It was a great experience. Another nice thing with having this tour guide was he paid all the entrance fees for us and we gave him Euros in exchange. We knew the exchange rate and he was completely fair.

[marving9999]

Hi Dunmore2, who did you get your tour through. Do you have a Web site for it.

 

Thanks

[rebeccalouise]

I hated my tour in Istanbul. It was a waste of time. There was so much that I didn't see. First of all, one of the posters pointed out the all the sites are in the same spot and are easily done on your own. All these places sell guide books so you can read them as you explore.

 

I felt perfectly safe in Istanbul and I would do the tram as suggested.

 

You will feel safe in the Grand Bazaar too. Badgered but safe.

[CintiPam]

The easy-to-use modern and clean tram seems tailor-made for DIY touring. Istanbul is so easy to do on your own. Everything is well-labelled in both English and Turkish. The tram stops right at the cruise port, and will whisk you in 10 minutes to the main tourist sights in the Sultanahmet, Old District. Topkapi Palace, Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Basilican Cistern and Hippodrome are clumped all in one place.

 

Stay on the tram two more stops and you're right by the Grand Bazaar. No hassles with the traffic of Istanbul or taxi drivers, and the tram runs every couple of minutes. There's only one tram line, so you cannot go wrong.

 

Self-touring is so easy in Istanbul. Get a good guidebook, either Rick Steves' Istanbul or the DK guidebook, and save your money to hire a guide for Ephesus, where it will add immeasurably to your appreciation of the site.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Dunmore2]

Hi Dunmore2, who did you get your tour through. Do you have a Web site for it.

 

Thanks

The site is allaboutturkeydotcom

and the person we emailed was Burak Sansel

[snorklefan]

We currently are booked on a Princess ship's all-day tour which includes the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Topkapi (but not that harem portion), and Grand Bazaar, and it also includes a cruise on the Bosphorus to see the palaces and the gardens. But you are inspiring me to tour Istanbul on our own. I'm guessing that we would have to drop the Bosphorous portion, but we would get to see the Topkapi harem instead. Is that a good trade, harem vs. Bosphorus view of palaces (regardless of the tour vs. on our own)?

[Joa]

Hi

 

I know everyone suggests dont get a taxi at the pier but we did and had a great time. BUT negotiate a price first and remember it is expected in Turkey to haggle. Tell them in advance that you only want to visit shops that you want to go to ie not their cousins carpet shop.

 

We did all the attractions and the cab waited outside for us plus they usually know somewhere nice for lunch. Do the more popular stops first if you can to try to beat the ships tours.

 

Dont pay in advance but at the end.

[CoralReef]

We currently are booked on a Princess ship's all-day tour which includes the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Topkapi (but not that harem portion), and Grand Bazaar, and it also includes a cruise on the Bosphorus to see the palaces and the gardens. But you are inspiring me to tour Istanbul on our own. I'm guessing that we would have to drop the Bosphorous portion, but we would get to see the Topkapi harem instead. Is that a good trade, harem vs. Bosphorus view of palaces (regardless of the tour vs. on our own)?

 

I didn't do the Bosphorus, and I'd love to... I'm sure it's gorgeous. But the Topkapi Harem was one of the highlights of our trip. There are some pictures in my album starting at http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2232326280053482779jKNOvH and continuing for about 10 photos. I'm glad we got to see the Harem; it was our favorite part of Topkapi.

 

Another big factor is the time you spend waiting for people on group tours. The group tours sometimes spend 30 minutes per site just on bathroom breaks. We really enjoyed going at our own pace.

[hcat]

The April 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler (page 52) has a short article with a few pics & a lovely 3 D color map of Istanbul's historical area. You can probably get it in the library & it may be helpful.

[Summertimescallingme]

We (husband and two children) went to Istanbul 2 years ago and based on the recommendation of a friend booked a tour guide. I can honestly say he was the best guide we have ever used. We have travelled extensively all over the world and have probably had at least 40 guides, both private and ship tour. We booked our guide, Can Gunay, for and day and a half and it was wonderful. He is very professional and knowledgable. His love of his culture and people, along with his knowledge was unbeatable in our opinion. We had certain places we wanted to see, and also asked his opinion. We asked and ee took us through the Grand Bazaar. I would not have wanted to bargain my way through there without his help. I don't usually gush, but he was that good. We are travelling to Ephesus this summer and plan to have Can come over to Kudasi and guide us through Ephesus. Can is an accredited tourist guide and graduated from the university program. If you are interested his email is cangunay@mailcom. I'll look and see if I can find his website address as well. Good Luck, Istanbul is a beautiful city.

[janchor]

Last May, Princess ran regular shuttles from near the Grand Bazaar back to the ship. If you were on a Princess tour and decided to stay and wander on your own it was free. If you were on your own tour I think you could take it back to the ship--for a fee or course.

[Beardie]

We will be spending a day in Istanbul in Sept.(8th) and have been told that some of the main attractions (Topkapi Palace) will not be open to the general public, but that you can get in to see them only if you are on a ship's tour (Princess). Since we would like to take the tram and DIY, I was wondering if there is any truth to this.

[CoralReef]

We will be spending a day in Istanbul in Sept.(8th) and have been told that some of the main attractions (Topkapi Palace) will not be open to the general public, but that you can get in to see them only if you are on a ship's tour (Princess). Since we would like to take the tram and DIY, I was wondering if there is any truth to this.

 

Yes. Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays, but some of the larger cruiselines have special arrangements to have their tours admitted.

 

All the other main attractions should be open to the public, so if Topkapi isn't a deal-breaker for you, you can still DIY. Topkapi is fabulous, but there is plenty to see in Istanbul.

[marving9999]

For the major tourist stops on the TRAM, (Topkapi Palace, Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Basilican Cistern and Hippodrome), does anyone know exactly what is the stop on the TRAM; what is the name of the stop on the TRAM where these sites are located. (So we can map it out on the transit map)

 

Also, I understand that the Grand Bazaar is located two additional stops past the tourist stops. What is the name of that stop on the TRAM (again so we can map it out on the transit map)

 

Two other questions, first, do we need a turkish visa for the one day in port in Instanbul and Kudasdi, and do we need turkish money for anything other than the TRAM. Do we need turkish money for any of the tourist sites.

 

I know that in the Grand Bazaar, US $ are accepted

 

Thanks

 

 

Marvin & Judy

[SusaninCali]

Yes. Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays, but some of the larger cruiselines have special arrangements to have their tours admitted.

 

All the other main attractions should be open to the public, so if Topkapi isn't a deal-breaker for you, you can still DIY. Topkapi is fabulous, but there is plenty to see in Istanbul.

 

 

Bummer! We're going to be arriving in Istanbul at 2 pm on a Monday and have Tuesday there as well. Wanted to DIY. Does anyone know if we could do Topkapi on Monday afternoon, say by 3 pm to whenever it closes? Is that feasible? Hate the idea of paying for a ship's tour on Tues. just to see it.

[CoralReef]

Bummer! We're going to be arriving in Istanbul at 2 pm on a Monday and have Tuesday there as well. Wanted to DIY. Does anyone know if we could do Topkapi on Monday afternoon, say by 3 pm to whenever it closes? Is that feasible? Hate the idea of paying for a ship's tour on Tues. just to see it.

 

Yes, very feasible. A visit to Topkapi should take about 2 hours.

 

Aya Sofya is closed on Monday, and it's right next to the Blue Mosque and Yerebatan Cisterns, so Tuesday would work better to see that area.

[CoralReef]

For the major tourist stops on the TRAM, (Topkapi Palace, Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Basilican Cistern and Hippodrome), does anyone know exactly what is the stop on the TRAM; what is the name of the stop on the TRAM where these sites are located. (So we can map it out on the transit map)

 

The route map posted in the trams lists the Sultanahmet stop for all the historical attractions. That stop is indeed roughly in the middle of the historical area. However, if you want to start with the attraction furthest from the ship (the Blue Mosque) and work back towards the ship, I believe the Cemberlitas stop is a slightly shorter walk to the Blue Mosque. Just look for the 6 minarets. (Aya Sofya has 4, all the other mosques in the area have 1 or 2.)

 

Aya Sofya is right across the street from the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica (Yerebatan) Cistern is just a block from Aya Sofya-- follow the signs. There are also signs to the Grand Bazaar, although some say "Grand Bazaar" and some say "Kapalicarsi".

 

For Topkapi, the closest tram stop is Gulhane. Facing the direction the tram was going, walk left (towards the Bosphorus). Gulhane is a very busy commercial area, but after just a block or so you'll be walking through a pleasant parklike area and will soon see the Topkapi walls. If in doubt which way to go, go uphill. Topkapi is on a high point, so the 5-10 minute walk is all uphill (although not steep).

 

Two other questions, first, do we need a turkish visa for the one day in port in Instanbul and Kudasdi, and do we need turkish money for anything other than the TRAM. Do we need turkish money for any of the tourist sites. I know that in the Grand Bazaar, US $ are accepted

 

You do not need a visa if you are only staying one day in port, and not flying into or out of Turkey.

 

If not on a tour, you need Turkish money for the tram, for admission to Aya Sofya and Topkapi and the Cistern, and if you want to make a donation at the Blue Mosque. ATMs are everywhere and very easy to use, with instructions in English as well as Turkish.