What would you do in Instanbul?

Are you arriving at 3 PM from the US or elsewhere in Europe? If you are coming from the US I would suspect that you will be tired and won't want to do anything too strenuous other than go for a walk. If you are arriving from elsewhere in Europe you still will not have much time to do anything but go for a walk. We arrived in Istanbul 3 days before out tour started this last summer so we had time to go and see some of the things that the tour did not cover. There was so much to see there, even after being on our own and then on the tour, that we returned to Istanbul for 5 days after the tour was over and still did not get to see everything we wanted.
We have taken 8 RS tours and always try to check into the first tour hotel several days before the tour starts just so we can see the sights that the tour does not cover. We always ask for a quiet room with a view, if not mutual exclusive, and then ask to stay in that room during the tour's stay. That has always worked and quite often we end up with a much better room than the tour provides. If you are coming back to Istanbul after the tour is over, check out Hotel Sutten Hill (sp?) that is in RS Istanbul guide book. We stayed there and would stay there again in a minute. I have seen it recommended by numerous folks on this web site. If you end up staying there, be sure to tell them you found them in the RS guide book as they gave us a discount after asking to see our RS guide book when we checked in.

I'd highly recommend taking in a show at the Hodjapasha Cultural Center. We saw "Turkish Dance Night" and it was absolutely spetacular. They also have a Whirling Dervish show. Google it and you can watch the videos of parts of each show to see if it's something you might be interested in. Tickets can be purchased anywhere you see a sign advertising it. And I think the previous poster was describing the Spice Market when they were talking about the smaller market that is like the Grand Bazaar. I liked the Spice Market much better than the Grand Bazaar.

I went on the RS Istanbul tour last year. You may will probably be staying in Sultanahmet. I would advise you to go to the Grand Bazaar as we did not spend too much time there. Another possibility is walking across the Galata Bridge. If you enjoy shopping there is another small bazaar near the Blue Mosque which is very managable and not as intimidating as the Grand Bazaar...it will be about 5 minutes from your hotel. You didn't mention your daughter's age but you might want to visit a hamam for a Turkish bath. These are some of the things you will not be doing on your tour. You will have a wonderful trip and lifetime memories
of Istanbul. Enjoy!

Great ideas! This is my 3 R.S. trip and I would have liked to have gone earlier, but my daughter has limited time off from work. So we will do what we can! We will definitely look into the things suggested. We are flying from JFK and understand the jet lag, but taking a walk after a long flight will be just the ticket. And shopping!!

Actually, the name of the smaller bazaar is Arasta not the Spice Market. The Arasta is just down some back stairs from the Blue Mosque. I'm sure your hotel can give you specific directions and the Whirling Dervish is not my idea of something to do after arriving on a long flight. A group of us from our tour went on the open night we had and most of us fell asleep and others were constantly looking at their watches. It became a "bonding factor" with us however,
most of us would not recommend going.

Since you're apt to see the major sites as part of the tour, consider some minor sites and simply walking around. There are a number of small mosques and sites that are quick to visit and will give you a feel for the city by walking to them. I like the following - Sulieman mosque (if its not on the tour and is not still being renovated), Galata bridge and markets between it and the Galata tower (fish market and other specific market areas), Galata Tower (nice views of the city), Rustem Pasa Cami (nice mosque near the Galata Bridge), Dede Efendi House (1700's era house in Sultanahmet), Istiklal Street and Taksim Square (main shopping area). Have fun.