Istanbul with 12,000 cruisers!

:eek::eek::eek:

Yes, we arrive on Friday, July 24th with over 7.000 passengers in port then overnight to have an additional 5,000 arriving on the 25th.

This port is the main reason we picked this cruse on the Celebrity Reflection so I am a little disappointed that we may be spending our time in a line. Our first time to Isatnbul so we want to do the top sites plus try to throw in a few fun things with our college age kids.

I have done some research but need practical advise. What tickets can we buy in advance to skip any lines, or guides we can hire to do the same? When should we try to see the Blue Mosque? Arriving on a Friday causes some scheduling adjustments but at least we are the first ship to arrive that day. :)

Thanks for any and all advise!

Istanbul is a city of 14 million residents that gets 12 million tourists per year. It has over 100,000 hotel beds. Istanbul is expected to surpass Paris in visitor numbers in 2016. The 12000 cruise ship visitors will be a drop in the bucket compared to all the other tourists and residents.

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istanbul will be heaving with tourists. The lines will be huge and 12000 additional visitors will have little additional impact.

As others have said 12,000 cruisers in Istanbul is nothing. Think of it as adding an extra 12,000 people to LA. You won't even notice it. Shot that is a empty day at Disney.

Yep, it will be crowded…… it was a few weeks ago when we were there for our 3rd visit. We had seen the major sites but our son and daughter in law had not.

It was a National Holiday for Turkey and the place was packed with tourists….. mostly Turkish tourists.

We found at Hagia Sophia, that the line to buy tickets was much shorter than the line for tours that already had tickets …… go figure. But we were through the line and in within 10 minutes…. the tour line was really really long tho - maybe an hour to hour and a half.

As for the Blue Mosque. you have to visit in between prayer times…. and the line was long for that too…. no way to get around that one though.

The Basilica Cistern line was crazy long….snaking around the block. But there were guides putting together groups of 6. They would go down the line and ask. 20 euros and SKIP THE LINE. Which is what we did. We walked right in. He gave us a short history lesson of the cistern and then we wandered around by ourselves. Had a turkish coffee at the little cafe near the exit steps.

The Grand Bazaar was packed as well. We wandered for a bit, bought a few items and then left.

We used the tram and getting back at 5:30 was definitely a challenge. We had to wait for 3 trams before one came along that had any space whatsoever.

The tram is still the best way to get back and forth to the historic district….. as traffic can be horrendous.

Good luck - Istanbul is one of our favorite cities (ports)…….

Thank you everyone for your replies. My brain must be frozen from all of the research I have been doing for our stop in Santorini where that many people would make a big difference. :)

I recommend hiring one of the excellent private guides in Turkey for the day. They are not that expensive and you will learn so much more than following a guidebook or listening to an audio. The personal interaction with a local cannot be overstated IMO when you are in a new city like Istanbul where there is so much to see and learn. Notice that even people like Rick Steves almost always have guides with them when touring these cities. It is a much more efficient use of your time as locals know what itinerary to take and the fastest route plus will be able to skip any lines.

A good one is more than worth it.:)

I recommend hiring one of the excellent private guides in Turkey for the day. They are not that expensive and you will learn so much more than following a guidebook or listening to an audio. The personal interaction with a local cannot be overstated IMO when you are in a new city like Istanbul where there is so much to see and learn. Notice that even people like Rick Steves almost always have guides with them when touring these cities. It is a much more efficient use of your time as locals know what itinerary to take and the fastest route plus will be able to skip any lines.

 

A good one is more than worth it.:)

Do you have any recommendations on which guide to use?

Do you have any recommendations on which guide to use?

We used EKOL, both in Instabul and in Kusadasi. We were very pleased with the service.

You don't need a guide for Istanbul. Guidebooks and the audio guides for use at Topkapi, Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia are great.

You don't need a guide for Istanbul. Guidebooks and the audio guides for use at Topkapi, Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia are great.

Do you NEED one? No, you can certainly get around without one. But a good guide does more than just tell you about the most popular tourist spots. A good guide tells you about out of the way places. A good guide tells you secrets about when to go where. A good guide can answer all your questions about local culture and customs, tell you which shopping areas to avoid, answer practical questions about things like tipping or public transportation etc.

Do you NEED one? No, you can certainly get around without one. But a good guide does more than just tell you about the most popular tourist spots. A good guide tells you about out of the way places. A good guide tells you secrets about when to go where. A good guide can answer all your questions about local culture and customs, tell you which shopping areas to avoid, answer practical questions about things like tipping or public transportation etc.

Agreed,

I think you need to balance the benefit of a guide to the cost.

It is cheaper without a guide, but easier, since you don't need to research as much.

I like doing the research and many times the guides are repeating stuff that I have already read about.

Make sure you get a guide that doesn't take you to a carpet shop, where they get a cut of the sale.

We opted to go it alone, rather than ship excusion last year. As we left the port there were hundreds of "tour guides". We ended up taking a VIP minibus tour. The guide quoted 140euro for the 6 hours, and we made it up with 100 euro trip, as he was so good. We still saved around 300euro for the 6 of us, on what the ship was offering, and we had a day tailored for ourselves.

We just got back from a cruise that included Istanbul. On our 2nd day there, we were the only major cruise ship in port but there were still long lines because of all of the other tourists in town. Our worst line that day was at Tokapi Palace because it had been closed the day before. If you choose to tour on your own, be sure to check out the open days for the sites you are most interested in.

We usually do not bother with guides, but decided to use one here, sharing with others in our roll call because we wanted to maximize what we could see in a day. The authorized guides have a separate line to purchase tickets. Even with tickets in hand, we still had to deal with some long lines, but we wasted no time in trying to figure out where we were supposed to go. She was also very helpful in navigating the Grand Bazaar, finding genuine souvenirs, telling us what prices were "fair", and finding a good restaurant.

In any case, start your day early!

Oh my! Please understand that Istanbul has the fifth largest city population in the entire world! You are talking about at least 14 million souls (not sure if anyone knows the true number). So 12,000 cruise ship passengers will not even be a blip in the city. Of course these cruise folks will add to the crowds at the already crowded tourist places, but it will still be a mere blip on the already large number of tourists. Just noticed that one web site lists over 2000 hotels/inns in Istanbul (we have stayed at only 3).

Hank

Do you have any recommendations on which guide to use?

We were there the same day as Texancruiser and the crowds/lines were crazy. I guess I am naive, but I could not believe the crowds that day. Traffic was jammed and the trams were packed. We had a private guide/tour for two booked through Ephesus Shuttle (Seda Cengiz, who is affiliated with Curio Travel - Seda was fabulous, request her). Seda was able to somehow get us into Hagia Sophia very quickly, as well as in immediately at the Underground Cistern, notwithstanding the insanely long lines at both. We "could" have done Istanbul on her own but were so glad we had Seda - she knows so much and we really enjoyed talking to her about her life in Istanbul as well as the sight we saw. Had we been there on our own, I am afraid the length of the lines (coupled with the surprising heat) might have caused us to give up and miss out on some great experiences.

Whatever you choose to do, start early. It made a big difference that we started at Topkapi Palace very early - not very crowded then but by the time we were about halfway through, people were pouring in. The lines all day at the Blue Mosque were terrible, so we went back for the last entry time, arriving about an hour before, and we were able to sit on the steps right outside the entrance area and be one of the first people in once the doors opened. It was pretty peaceful doing it that way - the various tour operators who were there (including Seda) did a good job of trying to keep some order to the growing crowds so that those who had arrived early and waited on the steps got to be at the front of the line. I was glad to have someone taking care of us like that.

We were there the same day as Texancruiser and the crowds/lines were crazy. I guess I am naive, but I could not believe the crowds that day. Traffic was jammed and the trams were packed. We had a private guide/tour for two booked through Ephesus Shuttle (Seda Cengiz, who is affiliated with Curio Travel - Seda was fabulous, request her). Seda was able to somehow get us into Hagia Sophia very quickly, as well as in immediately at the Underground Cistern, notwithstanding the insanely long lines at both. We "could" have done Istanbul on her own but were so glad we had Seda - she knows so much and we really enjoyed talking to her about her life in Istanbul as well as the sight we saw. Had we been there on our own, I am afraid the length of the lines (coupled with the surprising heat) might have caused us to give up and miss out on some great experiences.

 

Whatever you choose to do, start early. It made a big difference that we started at Topkapi Palace very early - not very crowded then but by the time we were about halfway through, people were pouring in. The lines all day at the Blue Mosque were terrible, so we went back for the last entry time, arriving about an hour before, and we were able to sit on the steps right outside the entrance area and be one of the first people in once the doors opened. It was pretty peaceful doing it that way - the various tour operators who were there (including Seda) did a good job of trying to keep some order to the growing crowds so that those who had arrived early and waited on the steps got to be at the front of the line. I was glad to have someone taking care of us like that.

This was our 3rd visit there……. wasn't it nuts ???? Luckily since we were familiar with things we knew which lines to get in and even the "shortcut" to get into the Cistern (with a guide right there)

We felt it really was a diminished experience with so many people everywhere. Luckily they have a number of public restrooms and they were not crowded at all. And if you find it so - be sure and go when you eat lunch at the restaurant.

We were there the same day as Texancruiser and the crowds/lines were crazy. I guess I am naive, but I could not believe the crowds that day. Traffic was jammed and the trams were packed. We had a private guide/tour for two booked through Ephesus Shuttle (Seda Cengiz, who is affiliated with Curio Travel - Seda was fabulous, request her). Seda was able to somehow get us into Hagia Sophia very quickly, as well as in immediately at the Underground Cistern, notwithstanding the insanely long lines at both. We "could" have done Istanbul on her own but were so glad we had Seda - she knows so much and we really enjoyed talking to her about her life in Istanbul as well as the sight we saw. Had we been there on our own, I am afraid the length of the lines (coupled with the surprising heat) might have caused us to give up and miss out on some great experiences.

 

Whatever you choose to do, start early. It made a big difference that we started at Topkapi Palace very early - not very crowded then but by the time we were about halfway through, people were pouring in. The lines all day at the Blue Mosque were terrible, so we went back for the last entry time, arriving about an hour before, and we were able to sit on the steps right outside the entrance area and be one of the first people in once the doors opened. It was pretty peaceful doing it that way - the various tour operators who were there (including Seda) did a good job of trying to keep some order to the growing crowds so that those who had arrived early and waited on the steps got to be at the front of the line. I was glad to have someone taking care of us like that.

It's important, though, to remind people reading this that this is NOT the usual crowds -- this is the result of a major holiday.

Even with 12,000 cruisers in port, if it is not a major holiday you won't see the kinds of crowds you apparently experienced. I've been to Istanbul numerous times -- some more crowded than others -- but nothing really to the extent you saw.

(Worst crowds ever experienced were in Paris during the week between Christmas and New Years. We waited 3 hours on line to get into the Catacombs. :eek:)

It's important, though, to remind people reading this that this is NOT the usual crowds -- this is the result of a major holiday.

 

Even with 12,000 cruisers in port, if it is not a major holiday you won't see the kinds of crowds you apparently experienced. I've been to Istanbul numerous times -- some more crowded than others -- but nothing really to the extent you saw.

 

(Worst crowds ever experienced were in Paris during the week between Christmas and New Years. We waited 3 hours on line to get into the Catacombs. :eek:)

Yes, I should have made clear that our guide was taken aback and shocked at the sheer volume of bodies out and about, as well as at the horrible traffic jam. Definitely out of the norm she kept saying, as was proven by the next day, when things were much quieter and it was easy to get around, both on the streets and with the tram.

Three hour line!! Do not think I could do that without going bonkers.

We just got back from a cruise that included Istanbul. On our 2nd day there, we were the only major cruise ship in port but there were still long lines because of all of the other tourists in town. Our worst line that day was at Tokapi Palace because it had been closed the day before. If you choose to tour on your own, be sure to check out the open days for the sites you are most interested in.

 

We usually do not bother with guides, but decided to use one here, sharing with others in our roll call because we wanted to maximize what we could see in a day. The authorized guides have a separate line to purchase tickets. Even with tickets in hand, we still had to deal with some long lines, but we wasted no time in trying to figure out where we were supposed to go. She was also very helpful in navigating the Grand Bazaar, finding genuine souvenirs, telling us what prices were "fair", and finding a good restaurant.

 

In any case, start your day early!

Would you mind telling me what company you used for the tour? I would love to try and DIY, but hubby wants a guide and frankly my research time is getting shorter and shorter. :)

We used Daily Istanbul Tours, our guide was very good. Our hotel also had some suggestions for local guides they recommended and which would have been much cheaper.. But we had already booked before we came. So you might want to contact your hotel and ask them before booking yourself. We stayed at Amira Hotel if you're still looking for a hotel. We loved the service there. Highly recommend that hotel!