Istanbul - tour or DIY?

[Analog187]

We prefer DIY when we are in a safe place and we don't have to worry about time constraints.  From what I've been reading, it seems like Istanbul seems pretty safe and with the tram right by the cruise dock, it's easy to get to where all the sights are.  I was considering booking a ship tour but they seem rather expensive.  We also don't like big tour groups and prefer to do things on our own when possible.   Wanted to see what the consensus was here.   Thanks in advance.  

[cruisemom42]

Istanbul is a fairly easy place to DIY, considering the size of the city, because most of the sites tourists want to see are grouped together in the old part of town (called Sultanahmet). Taking the tram is easy, though it gets ever more crowded, so be patient. If you take the tram from the port across the bridge to the Sultanahmet stop and get off, you can walk to Haghia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, and the Basilica Cistern easily.  You can get back on the tram (or just follow the tram tracks on foot) and continue a bit farther to reach the Grand Bazaar. (Or shop at what I consider a better bazaar, along the side of the Blue Mosque, called the Arasta Bazaar....)

 

Edited to add: I've done Istanbul on my own from a cruise ship twice, as a solo woman and never felt unsafe. 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by cruisemom42

[MeHeartCruising]

I'll agree with cruisemom42.  I went DIY when I visited Istanbul in 2010 (things could have changed) and had no problems with the overnight stay.  I walked or took the tram wherever I needed to go.  I walked a ton.  I never felt unsafe.  I got local currency from an ATM and used my credit card where I could.

 

I was approached by a LOT of "salesmen" on the sidewalks who wanted to take me back to their store to have some tea and to see what they were sure I wanted.  They usually started off by saying something like "Where are you from?" or "I have a cousin in Nashville, are you from near there?" or some other innocent conversation.  If you're not interested (I wasn't), you just politely say "No thank you".  They don't always accept that right away, but keep saying it and they will leave you alone.  

 

Other than that, I had no issues walking the tourist areas or the business area between the Port and Taksim Square.  At one point, near Taksim, the street I was on cleared out quickly when a group of riot-gear-wearing police/military came marching through.  I was a little unsure about the situation, but they marched off in another direction from where I wanted to go, so I kept going.

[Hlitner]

Istanbul (one of our favorite cities to visit) is fine for DIY, but you really should have a game plan.  It is also helpful if you are good walkers since one can cover a lot of ground by walking.  You also need to consider that many of the most popular sites will take more time than one might expect.  Topkaki is an expansive site that can take hours to explore.  In fact, one could make a case to go to Topkapi, than walk over the Blue Mosque, and if you still have time you might want to head towards the Covered (Grand) Bazaar area for some fun.  And this is just scratching the surface of what this city has to offer :).  For those who have previously been to Istanbul and the usual sites we also like the Underground Bascilica Cistern.  DW and I had been in Istanbul 3 or 4 times (including some multi-day stays) before we finally ventured down into the Underground Cistern and we could not believe that we had somehow ignored this interesting place on all of our previous visits.  

 

Hank

[wineoclock]

Istanbul is one of my favourite places to visit. Easy & safe on your own. I agree about the underground cistern. I also love sitting in the grand bazaar having a coffee & watching the world go by.
 

Make sure you know what to visit & when.

 

Females should have heads & shoulders covered for mosques. I usually throw a shawl/scarf in my bag to take with me. 

[Sail1982]

Hello

 

I visited about 10 years ago, we decided to do DIY to Princes’ Island. It was a great day and cost very little on the ferry! Our ship was staying overnight though so we had no time constraint's. From what I remember the que for the ferry on return was huge and took a while so if you do it alone leave plenty of time to return to the ship.

 

Safety we felt very safe here, no problems whatsoever. I am the same as you and much prefer doing things at my own pace.

 

Enjoy

[roberts2005]

On another thread, I have read about the difficulty of getting in and out of the new cruise port.  Anyone have recent experience this summer.

 

Also, how long a walk from the ship to the tram.

 

Is there a taxi right by the ship. Or is it on the outside of the port?

[BlueBear4Travel]

We were in Istanbul in June, there was absolutely no problem walking around on your own. We took a free tour, which was great.

 

It´s not difficult to get in or out of the cruise port but the walk through the building itself is loooong and we found it annoying. They put up turnstiles and close glass doors so you can see people zig zagging through the building.

 

The tram stop is maybe 200metres /5min max on the main road after exciting the cruise port.

When using the tram you of course need to buy a ticket. Be aware that the machine only accepts credit card, smaller turkish banknotes or coins.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 9/25/2022 at 11:58 AM, roberts2005 said:

On another thread, I have read about the difficulty of getting in and out of the new cruise port.  Anyone have recent experience this summer.

 

Also, how long a walk from the ship to the tram.

 

Is there a taxi right by the ship. Or is it on the outside of the port?

The ship is very secure at Galataport, which is great, but presents a little bit of a challenge in having people drop you at the ship like in some other ports.  I'm not sure if taxis are allowed into the Galataport terminal basement to sit there waiting for passengers.  But the port does have a website, and that may give you more info.  If not, you can walk out of the building, head toward the main street nearby, and perhaps hail a taxi.  When we arrived by taxi from our hotel, the driver was directed to the basement, so that's about all I know about taxis there. I did not see any other taxis, and no signs, but perhaps now that Galataport is getting more ships, things will be better marked and explained. Ships are "attached" to the terminal via ramps and perhaps a causeway thingey).  But once you're underground, you can't see your ship.   But if you walk out of the terminal at Galataport, you can probably find a taxi on the main street.  However, I forget which way you turn to do that, and despite some signs, I first ended up in the crazy retail place right outside the port terminal rather than the street I wanted. But from the terminal to the tram, I'd say it's probably no more than a 5 minute walk.  Be forewarned that you need to buy tickets before getting on, and I don't know if the machines that at least should be close to the stop accept credit cards or anything other than Turkish lira.  We went to Istanbul early for our cruise and bought a few tickets before we went to the port. And be forewarned the tram can be pretty crowded, though we were there the week of Ramadan, so it was super extra crowded, so......?  But if traffic is really slow, especially over the Galata Bridge, it may be faster than taking a taxi.  If you take the tram, I'd buy two tickets.  Some machines can be very busy. And don't cut your time short if coming back from Sultanahmet if you go by taxi. By tram, I'd guess it's no more than a 10 to 15 minute ride by tram to the closest stop to Blue Mosque.  And Eminonu (a favorite place for me), Topkapi, the Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, etc.  Take a head covering if you want to go in "real" mosques and be prepared to take off shoes and leave them outside or in a box.  I loved Kilic Ali Pasa mosque near the port - quiet, beautiful, no tourists other than me, etc. 

 

I probably have more info on where the tram is, what direction you need for Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque, Hafia, etc.) and that kind of thing.  Let me know if you do.  I just took it down to the big park above Topkapi, and then came back and walked around, exploring two beautiful mosques near the Galataport terminal.  

Edited September 30, 2022 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[Markanddonna]

Was in Istanbul for a day from port. All tour reports were pretty awful. Both private and ship. I heard those who did the tram were happy. Istanbul's crowds and traffic were problematic. Lots of frantic walking and groups getting separated. Do the tram

[WESTEAST]

On 9/20/2022 at 7:02 AM, Hlitner said:

Istanbul (one of our favorite cities to visit) is fine for DIY, but you really should have a game plan.  It is also helpful if you are good walkers since one can cover a lot of ground by walking.  You also need to consider that many of the most popular sites will take more time than one might expect.  Topkaki is an expansive site that can take hours to explore.  In fact, one could make a case to go to Topkapi, than walk over the Blue Mosque, and if you still have time you might want to head towards the Covered (Grand) Bazaar area for some fun.  And this is just scratching the surface of what this city has to offer :).  For those who have previously been to Istanbul and the usual sites we also like the Underground Bascilica Cistern.  DW and I had been in Istanbul 3 or 4 times (including some multi-day stays) before we finally ventured down into the Underground Cistern and we could not believe that we had somehow ignored this interesting place on all of our previous visits.  

 

Hank

Thank you for mentioning that your enjoyed the Bascilica Cistern as we plan to tour it next year. It's our second visit to Istanbul and plan to see new sites such as Dolmabahce Palace, Pasa Mosque or Chora Museum - any feedback on these sites would be appreciated.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 11/12/2022 at 12:32 PM, WESTEAST said:

Thank you for mentioning that your enjoyed the Bascilica Cistern as we plan to tour it next year. It's our second visit to Istanbul and plan to see new sites such as Dolmabahce Palace, Pasa Mosque or Chora Museum - any feedback on these sites would be appreciated.

If you have time in Istanbul by the port, you really should visit the Killic Ali Pasa mosque, and perhaps the mosque's baths nearby, plus the other mosque right near the port.  You may have read a comment by me about Killic Ali Pasa, but if not, I just liked it a lot because it was quiet and lesser-known.  A man came in to pray while I was there, but no other people came in.  Of course, there are probably many other equally beautiful (and probably also quiet) mosques in the city, but I really enjoyed that one in May.  And we went to the Basilica Cistern a few years ago when we were in Istanbul - enjoyed that as well.  I took a ferry in May to the Asian side, which was fun because while I was there, we saw our cruise ship sailing practically in front of us before pulling in at Galataport a little ways away.  I was certainly not expecting that!  

[WESTEAST]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

If you have time in Istanbul by the port, you really should visit the Killic Ali Pasa mosque, and perhaps the mosque's baths nearby, plus the other mosque right near the port.  You may have read a comment by me about Killic Ali Pasa, but if not, I just liked it a lot because it was quiet and lesser-known.  A man came in to pray while I was there, but no other people came in.  Of course, there are probably many other equally beautiful (and probably also quiet) mosques in the city, but I really enjoyed that one in May.  And we went to the Basilica Cistern a few years ago when we were in Istanbul - enjoyed that as well.  I took a ferry in May to the Asian side, which was fun because while I was there, we saw our cruise ship sailing practically in front of us before pulling in at Galataport a little ways away.  I was certainly not expecting that!  

Appreciate that you gave us more options. So sad to hear of explosion in Istanbul Taksim Square area on the weekend.  

[cruisemom42]

On 11/12/2022 at 12:32 PM, WESTEAST said:

Thank you for mentioning that your enjoyed the Bascilica Cistern as we plan to tour it next year. It's our second visit to Istanbul and plan to see new sites such as Dolmabahce Palace, Pasa Mosque or Chora Museum - any feedback on these sites would be appreciated.

 

The Chora church/museum is well worthwhile but check to make sure it will be open when you go -- I read somewhere they are contemplating a new round of restorations plus there is some wrangling as to whether it should continue to be designated a museum or be restored to its status as a mosque (as with the Aya Sofya). Also, if you do end up going to Chora, there is a good and walkable section of the old city walls very close by -- I'd allow an extra hour or so to check them out as well.

 

Dolmabahce Palace didn't much appeal to me, as it smacks of an Eastern ruler trying to compete with western palaces like Versailles. It is very ornate, if you like palaces; just not really in the character of what I think of as Turkish.

 

Consider visiting the Archaeological Museum (near Topkapi) if you haven't already. It is well worth a visit and has recently been modernized a bit. You can see a gorgeous sarcophagus with carvings of the life of Alexander the Great (plus a couple of portrait busts of him); finds from the excavations at Troy, and such oddities as some links from the (giant) chain that was once used to block off the access by water to Istanbul and one of the missing three serpent heads (!) from the serpent column in the old Hippodrome, which was brought to Istanbul from Delphi in the Roman era.

 

Column:

 

Head:

 

 

I also highly recommend visiting the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which allows you to enter the only part of the old Imperial Palace that is open to the public. Here you will find Roman-era mosaics still in place and fairly well preserved.  The entrance is on the street that runs along the left side of the Blue Mosque (if facing the front) but it is easy to miss. 

 

[WESTEAST]

On 11/14/2022 at 8:42 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

The Chora church/museum is well worthwhile but check to make sure it will be open when you go -- I read somewhere they are contemplating a new round of restorations plus there is some wrangling as to whether it should continue to be designated a museum or be restored to its status as a mosque (as with the Aya Sofya). Also, if you do end up going to Chora, there is a good and walkable section of the old city walls very close by -- I'd allow an extra hour or so to check them out as well.

 

Dolmabahce Palace didn't much appeal to me, as it smacks of an Eastern ruler trying to compete with western palaces like Versailles. It is very ornate, if you like palaces; just not really in the character of what I think of as Turkish.

 

Consider visiting the Archaeological Museum (near Topkapi) if you haven't already. It is well worth a visit and has recently been modernized a bit. You can see a gorgeous sarcophagus with carvings of the life of Alexander the Great (plus a couple of portrait busts of him); finds from the excavations at Troy, and such oddities as some links from the (giant) chain that was once used to block off the access by water to Istanbul and one of the missing three serpent heads (!) from the serpent column in the old Hippodrome, which was brought to Istanbul from Delphi in the Roman era.

 

Column:

 

Head:

 

 

I also highly recommend visiting the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which allows you to enter the only part of the old Imperial Palace that is open to the public. Here you will find Roman-era mosaics still in place and fairly well preserved.  The entrance is on the street that runs along the left side of the Blue Mosque (if facing the front) but it is easy to miss. 

 

 more

Thank you cruisemom42 for your response with feedback and additional recommendations.  You have such great knowledge and we really appreciate that you share your insights with us and CC readers.  We will review and see how we can fit in some of these sites. 

Edited November 15, 2022 by WESTEAST

[John Bull]

I suggest you take the tram from near the port to the Sultanahmet stop. From there you can easily visit places like the blue mosque, the Roman cistern, Hagia Sophia (various spellings) etc on foot. Then cross to the Grand Bazaar & through it (and mebbe the Spice Bazaar) down to the waterfront at Eminonu, and take the tram across the Galata Bridge and back to the port.

Do it that way round because the walking is almost all downhill.

 

The tram not just for the economy or the experience - it has its own dedicated lane past the slow or stationary traffic and is much quicker than taxis or tour buses.

Easy enough to DIY, but if you book a guided tour don't dismiss one which uses the tram rather than a car. Because of parking etc, a car needs a driver plus a guide and the distance between sights is short - the only advantage of a car is somewhere to stash any stuf you want to take or buy.

 

 https://www.tooistanbul.com/en/public-transportation-istanbul/

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Transport/fares.html

 

JB 🙂

 

[wineoclock]

We’ve used the tram when staying near Taksim. Was sad to hear about the explosion there at the weekend. My sister was there the week before staying with friends.

 

I love the cisterns so interesting. 

[flare3192]

We will be on a cruise departing from Istanbul. We fly in two nights early and stay in old town. We thought we would take a taxi to the cruise ship with our luggage but after reading this I am wondering about that -- however with the crowding on the trams and with luggage I am still leaning to a taxi service and would like feedback on that. The day we board the ship we did not plan to do anything else Have to leave the hotel by noon. 

[John Bull]

1 minute ago, flare3192 said:

We will be on a cruise departing from Istanbul. We fly in two nights early and stay in old town. We thought we would take a taxi to the cruise ship with our luggage but after reading this I am wondering about that -- however with the crowding on the trams and with luggage I am still leaning to a taxi service and would like feedback on that. The day we board the ship we did not plan to do anything else Have to leave the hotel by noon. 

 

 

We used the tram.

But then we're cheapskates.🙄

Trams are crowded, luggage is a bind, and royally screws-up everyone else on the tram.

And with the re-design of the port area, you may have to haul your luggage a lot further than we did.

Avoid that grief. Do as I say & not as we did - ask your hotel to pre-book a taxi,  preferably at a fixed price.

But for sight-seeing unencumbered by luggage, tram is the way to go - much quicker & much cheaper

 

The rip-off taxis are at the port, and travel from there to Attaturk airport by public transport is complicated - tram to  Zeytinburnu İstasyonu, then a short walk to the train station (yes, we did that too 🙄). So again pre-book a private taxi transfer - it shouldn't cost a great deal more than airport to hotel.

 

BTW, for arrival or departure by air you will need a tourist visa - easy to get an e-Visa on the internet from the Turkish govt website https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

I think it costs US$50 

Use that website - other official-looking websites are visa agents who will add their own charge.

(For those making just "port-of-call" visits to turkey on a cruise ship, no visa is required)

 

JB 🙂

[cruisemom42]

@flare3192  I agree with JB -- book a taxi through your hotel. I have stayed in Sultanahmet twice before the start of cruises and took a taxi from my hotel each time. If you can, get a fixed price. And allow plenty of time -- whatever time they estimate it will take to get to the port, double it. 🤣. I recollect sitting in the taxi along the water, waiting to get over the bridge to the terminal. I could see my ship but it took a long time to get there. 

 

I have not sailed out of Istanbul since the opening of the new port, but the traffic won't have changed....

[buramiko]

On 9/28/2022 at 5:56 PM, BlueBear4Travel said:

We were in Istanbul in June, there was absolutely no problem walking around on your own. We took a free tour, which was great.

 

It´s not difficult to get in or out of the cruise port but the walk through the building itself is loooong and we found it annoying. They put up turnstiles and close glass doors so you can see people zig zagging through the building.

 

The tram stop is maybe 200metres /5min max on the main road after exciting the cruise port.

When using the tram you of course need to buy a ticket. Be aware that the machine only accepts credit card, smaller turkish banknotes or coins.

We will be embarking at Istanbul So I’ve been watching a lot of the cruise port videos and sites and still have NO clue where to enter the actual cruise terminal. I saw signs in front of the mall pointing towards the middle sea side of the mall but can any one tell me where the REAl entrance is?? 
I’m very concerned because we’re planning to stay the previous night at the Port Bosporus Hotel and me and husband will be pulling a few big suitcases so I hope the walk isn’t long reaching the luggage drop off area. 
 

And if we stay at Novotel hotel farther away is it not possible to walk over with luggages? Google map is still not updated and I am not able to estimate a correct walking distance, I hope somebody who has stayed in the surrounding area could let me know.
 

[buramiko]

So do all tram stops have ticket booths? 

is it easy to buy one way tickets or I should get an istanbulkart? Thx

[roberts2005]

To get to the ships, you start in the outdoor mall.  You than take an escalator down below the Mall. This is the area where you are processed.  We had an overnight.  So after a long walk we went through electronic turnstiles and another long walk to the ship through a duty free area.

 

not share where you would check in or drop off luggage.

[Hlitner]

While we have often suggested that Istanbul is a great DIY city, getting to or from the port (with luggage) is not something to be done on public transit or by foot.  When going to the port you should simply get a taxi!  A taxi will be able to get you to the luggage drop place (and your ship) and is worth the money when compared to walking into the port while dragging all kinds of luggage.

 

Speaking of Istanbul taxis, like taxis all over the world, there are many dishonest taxi drivers.  Make sure they use the meter and that it is reset when you enter the cab.  If you are going from a hotel to the port, ask the hotel to get the taxi and they can also tell you the approximate cost.

 

Hank

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I agree with Hlitner that if you're embarking, it's best to just get a taxi to be delivered into the basement.  The tram's ok for going to/from the historic area, but I wouldn't try it with luggage.   But as I may have mentioned in a previous post, I'd be careful about where in the basement you're dropped.  I still haven't figured out if there are elevators near where WE were dropped, and if we were simply dropped at the wrong entrance (with no porters available), or not offered elevator use, or what.  Struggling with luggage on the escalators, combined with the language barrier, wasn't easy.  But basically, I think the idea at Galataport is that all vehicles arrive/depart from the basement rather than clog up the street outside the building.

 

When I walked back into the building after some sightseeing, I simply walked to the address given for  the building at Galataport, on the same level as the street, and it wasn't problematic.  I think there were some rudimentary signs back in May, a turnstile where I inserted my ship card (which didn't work; had to get someone's attention), and a bank of escalators.  The hardest part was not finding the building entrance itself, but finding the building after going through the maze of shops/restaurants around it. (If you go out after embarking, look at it before you leave it!  It just looks like an ordinary office building, about half a block from a major street.)

 

Once you check in, you may want to go light on carryons.  You go up two ramps like this to actually get onto the ship.