walking tour of grand bazaar in istanbul

We spent four or five hours in the Bazaar over two visits and didn't have trouble finding our way around. Its possible to get a little disoriented but we could always find our way out. There are several entrances besides the main one. You can really do this on your own if you are inquisitive and looking for adventure. Stop and talk to some of the shop owners, they welcome conversation.

Highly recommend you do this on your own. It is a great adventure. The Rick Steves Istanbul book has a suggested walking tour route as well as a great map. We quickly found we just wanted to wander at will. While in area walk over to the nearby Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. Far different from the Blue Mosque. We wandered downhill toward the Golden Horn getting on narrow streets far from the normal tourist route. The sights and sounds are still fresh in my mind 18 months later. Also recommend while on this walk a stop at Rustem Pasa Mosque. The Rick Steves book is excellent as a guide to all these places. Have a wonderful time.

You can always use Google and TripAdvisor to try and find a guided tour of the Grand Bazaar. I was in Istanbul earlier this year and don't remember any tours specifically dedicated just to the Grand Bazaar. There are lots of tour companies that include the Grand Bazaar as part of their larger tours of Istanbul. If you do tour on your own (not hard to do at all), I highly suggest bringing along a little compass. It's easy to get turned around and not remember what entrance you came in, but navigating by compass can help you overcome this.

Thanks for the very useful information. I am going to take the advice of all of you. Smiles, Patricia