I have limited time in Istanbul. I am on a 14 day tour in Turkey which takes you to the highlights of Istanbul. We have a half day on our own, which would you suggest, a leisurely optional cruise on the Bosphorus or should we go off on our own walk and explore the city further?
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
417 posts
Do you know what they are going to show you on the tour?
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
Since RS does not have any 14 day Turkey tours, I assume you are on someone elses tour. Have you gotten the latest edition of RS Istanbul Guide Book (4th Ed)?
If not, get it as it has lots of information that can help you no matter what you choose. If you already have it, anything you do will be just fine. As the previous post asks: do you know what your tour will show you? If not find out because your time is very limited and you do not want to backtrack.
Posted by
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
536 posts
consultant as well as guide I would not suggest that to you. One of the best bargains in Europe because The Turks have no Euro is to negotiate a cab for a half day tour - Let the driver make the suggestions and you will be happy - guarantee it!!
Greg
Posted by
OP
Oceanside, NY, USA
4 posts
The tour takes us to St. Sophia, spice market the underground cistern,Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace,Hippodrome, and the Blue Mosque. There might be some other places but these are the main places that are listed in the tour. I also just picked up the RS Istanbul book and it seems to have alot of very good info in it. Thanks for your responses. If there are other sights that you think I should not miss please let me know. Thanks.
Posted by
Tampa, FL, USA
417 posts
There are definately other sights to see, as you will observe in your RS guidebook. Personally, when I go places, I try to do different things, otehrwise, one can get burned out. For instance, many people see one or two cathedrals, and they all start to look alike.
Since you will be spending 14 days on tour, I can guess that you will be seeing many, many ancient sites, ruins, and other areas of historical interest.
It sounds like your tour is going to take you to the main spots, so I would probably opt for the Bosphorus Cruise. Specifically, take a look at the Princes' Islands, there are several different ones, all around 1.5 hours from Istanbul by ferry, quicker by fast boats. Only one, Büyükada, has cars on it, the rest are walkable and you can rent bicycles. Could be a different but fun day. On the other hand, with only half a day, you may not have enough time. In that case, a Boshporus Cruise would still be fun, just not to the Princes' Islands.
Posted by
OP
Oceanside, NY, USA
4 posts
Thanks Mike. I appreciate your input.
Posted by
Spokane, WA, USA
191 posts
All the places your tour takes you are wonderful and amazing! I'm sure cruising the Bosphorus would be a great experience, but our most cherished memory of Istanbul was the afternoon we just walked into a neighborhood. We saw a little market and other shops, enjoyed seeing the families in the park and then sat down at a cafe where men were smoking rented hookahs and playing backgammon. My husband asked if anyone spoke English, and two women sitting near us looked very surprised and said yes. One was an English language teacher and the other was her student. We had a fantastic visit that included them translating to one of the men who was smoking. We found out all about the local customs, and my husband even took a couple of puffs on a hookah. (They come with a disposable mouthpiece, but many men carry their own, so our guy had a spare!) It was a quitet relaxing day in which we learned more about the real Turkish culture than we would have on any tour. We will remember this special afternoon forever.
Jan