Sign in with Facebook
Divanyolu Turbedar Sokak No:20, Cemberlitas, Istanbul, 34120, Turkey
of people enjoy staying here
10 Opinions
Tiled panel - Topkapi Palace
Ýstiklal Avenue
Beyti's dining room - Jan 2010
Tombstone
Hi again.
I need help with finding a city guided tour of Istanbul, at least to get in the highlights of the city and it sights.
If anyone has a suggestion or reccomendation I will appreciate it very much. I have taken such tours in Paris, so I know they must exist. I prefer not to have the Hotel included, but that is certainly depending on the Hotel.
Thanks again
msliv
Depending on how long you are staying and how energetic you are, you may not need a tour. My wife & I (both 60) spent a fabulous week in Istanbul last September. Equipped with Rick Steves' guide and the excellent tourist map provided by the tourist bureau, we happily occupied ourselves eight to ten hours a day for a full week without the help of a tour. All of the "must see" sites (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Ancient Cistern and a few others) are within a one kilometre circle. The most fun we had was walking through the back streets from one site to another, mingling with the locals and shopping/windowshopping where they do. The Tram and busses are excellent for trips further afield.The public ferry ride up the Bosporous is a great trip too. We just used Rick Steves' guidebook description to tell us everything. Certainly the best part of our visit was NOT being herded along with a raft of other tourists. Tip: if you want to visit the Blue Mosque painlessly (no wait/no tourists) get there at 8:00am before the tourists arrive at 9:00. It is an active mosque so is open from sunrise. Let me know if you would like any more info.
Istanbul main sights are very close together and you really do not need a tour, they are within walking distance. There is a hop on off bus that takes you around, dropping you off near the main sights. There are tours too, but as said aren't necessary.
Istanbul offers a high number of places to go day and night, since its population nears 15 million people from different parts of the country as well as the world. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés, tea gardens, night clubs, discos, taverns all around the city. In the touristic sites you may find all kinds of those food and entertainment places gathered close to a square or along the alleys. Of course, during your visit, probably in a limited time schedule, you will never want to risk your health and money for random places. "Quoted from http://www.sightsinistanbul.com "
In istanbul is the best activiyy is seeing historical place for example sultanahmet,ayasosya,topkapý place, bogaz view,anadolu and rumeli hisars,yerebatan palace,galata kulesi,hamams, taksim metal bars,discos...etc If you want a ýs the best memory things you come right. Because you could not forget anything abaut a Istanbul ...
This is the smallest of the 3 columns at the Hippodrome. Is easy to find, is the central black column. It was made originally by the greeks in 479 BC as a gift for having defeated the persians in the Platea battle and offered to Apollo in Delphi. Constantine the Great brought this pedestal to Istanbul. It had 3 serpent heads, 1 of which is now at the Archeological Museum.
The road Sahil Yolu coming from the Airport to Old Town follows the south east coast of the europeanside of Istanbul. . I've seen a mixture of names for these waters, Sea of Marmara (Marmara Denizi) should be the right name with some few milliliters of Bosphorous. The strait should start few centimeters Northwest from here. Thing is that you will run having the Sea of Marmara on your right and the defense walls of Istanbul on your left side. The place is a boulevard the hell crowded during weekends. No few are swimming in those waters. Sun-bath is the keyword.
Mediciye Mosque is elegantly seated beneath the Bosphorus Bridge. Like many of my friends I was captivated by it's magic, probably due to it's proximity to the water.
Once a fishermen dock, now the place is known for its Sunday markets, the place is very lively and a favorite of locals. Around the square the are many boutiques, coffe shops, and restaurants.
The Grand Bazaar is a huge complex. One should be careful and note his/hers route as s/he is walking further as it is very easy to get lost in this huge bazaar. All the "paths" or "alleys" look very similar to each other.
Take care of your belongings here. It is not a dangerous place, just full of people. Normal awareness for pickpocketing is enough.
Be aware that the salesman are there to do their work, and can be very strong in their sales activities. Time is easily spent there, even more than you thought. Remember to bargain! It is the normal way of doing business in Turkey. Often there is -unless a shop and clearly marked prices- margin to negotiate even as much as half of the first price. Don't pay too much!
If you are considering of buying a carpet, painting, leather jacket or something else more valuable, remember that you might be invited for a cup of tea and the negotiations may last even a couple of hours.
As a common rule everywhere it is good not to start bargaining if you are honestly not interested and not willing to buy the item. You can find practically anything you want from here: water pipes (nargile) of different sizes, beautiful decorated tea sets and pots, tea, leather products, hand made carpets, handicraft, souvenirs of many kinds, clothes, scarves, jewellery, glass and crystal products - it is difficult to remember what you can't find from there.
Similar to Sipahi Hotel
Near Sipahi Hotel
Cheapest in Istanbul
Great Hotels for Less
Q: day boat trip to black sea at end of November? "Hi! I'll be in Istanbul in the last week of November and first week of December. Do the boats still run to the Black Sea for..."
A: "I don't know if they will run then, but anyway they don't quite go all the way to the Black Sea, only nearly."
Latest Istanbul hotel reviews
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
