Istanbul from cruise ship

My first response was that you may want to consider taking a ship excursion to maximize your time if there is one that goes everywhere you want and to make this more convenient and comfortable for yourself.

Cruise ships dock at the Galataport. It is possible to take a tram to the area near Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque with little difficulty. You may want to view a few you tube videos about taking and paying for public transport in Istanbul in advance. There are a lot of you tube videos out there.

If you look on Viator there are also many tour companies and private guides that you can make arrangements with for the day. Since you have specific "must sees" and some concerns regarding navigation and safety, perhaps hiring a guide for the day is the way to go if you don't want to do an excursion.

1 - Yes, technically it's possible to see all these sites within that timeframe. The Hagia Sophia + Blue Mosque + Underground Cistern are within a 5-minute walk of each other. Likewise, the Grand Bazaar + Spice Bazaar are a 10-minute walk from each other. The only problem you might encounter are long lines for the Underground Cistern (unless you buy a fastpass ticket).

2+ 3 - The port is Galataport, which is about a 40-minute walk, 20-minute tram ride, or a 12-minute taxi drive from the sites you mentioned.

4- Yes, totally safe. I live here and have no issues. :) If you decide to take a taxi, make sure they don't try to scam you. If you take the tram, keep your hands on your purse at all times.

5- I'm not sure about walking tours, but there is a neat phone app called KarDes - it has a dozen free tours (there's one for Sultanahmet, the area where you're going).

6- Some smaller stores don't accept euros or might try to charge you a higher rate (just something to keep in mind).

Have a nice trip!:)

Agree with Carol now retired. We were in Instanbul on a cruise and took a two day tour through the cruise line. On one of the days we covered all of the things you mentioned and more. We had an early morning start and returned about 6 p.m., so it wasn't rushed at all. It did cost more than doing on our own, but it made for a very efficient use of our time, provided a world of information, and eliminated all the hassle of doing it ourselves. Strongly suggest you give it serious consideration. and then some.

Hi travelpatty, we just returned from Istanbul. It was the final port on our Mediterranean/Adriatic cruise. We did all the things you mentioned via a ship excursion. As others suggested, the best/easiest way to accomplish your goals is to book a tour through the ship or another company.

We found Istanbul to be safe and never felt the least bit uncomfortable. We had no problem using euros or US dollars. The only exception was a local restaurant where we had lunch. They wanted Turkish lira or credit card (we just used a card). It’s a very interesting and different culture, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

PS - women are required to cover their heads when entering the Blue Mosque. If you forget a scarf, you can rent/purchase one for a nominal fee. Everyone needs to remove their shoes.

In addition to checking out what MSC offers, look at shoreexcursionsgroup.com. I’ll be there in 2025 and their tours look pretty good.

Do you think it is possible to see all of these in that short period of time?

Yes, but you will need to be efficient since all of those sights close well before 11 p.m. Check the websites and note the prayer times for the day of your visit - you cannot enter a mosque about an hour before prayer time, during prayer time, and about a half hour after prayers. As was noted, people need to wear appropriate attire (no shorts, no bare shoulders) and women need a head scarf in Blue Mosque. Hagia Sophia is now a fee-based entry to second floor (not the mosque area) so you'd need to check about any restrictions there.

Given your limited time, I might choose either the Grand Bazaar or the Spice Market (but not both). They're very crowded places.

How far is the port from these sites?
Is there a bus/shuttle that will take us there?

Answered by others. I also recommend you consider the ship's excursion or finding a private guide. SRM Travel is the company RS uses for tour guides in Turkey and they do offer cruise excursions. However do note that some people have had recent difficulties contacting the company, so try getting a hold of them right away in case that is still an issue. There have been recent posts in this forum asking and commenting on private guides in Istanbul, have a look and see if there is someone that works for you.

Is it safe to do this on our own?

Absolutely. Take the usual precautions you would in any big city, as pickpocketing on the trams does happen (e.g. use a money belt or under-clothing method to stow your passport/money). I felt completely safe and very welcome there. Note that you will be approached by all manner of people asking to show you their carpet/spice/gift shops. It's perfectly fine to say no thank you and move on.

Is there a walking tour that we could do on our own?

The RS Istanbul guide has several self-guided walking tours.

Will we need currency other than euros?

Smaller vendors and restaurants will probably not accept Euros, so you may need to use a credit card or go elsewhere. Ask about payments before you sit down to order in a restaurant. Read up on how to use the trams if you plan to use mass transit - sometimes it can be a challenge to get tickets using a credit card at the machines.

SRM Travel is Rick Steves’s partner in Istanbul. Their guides often lead RS tours and they are excellent. You might contact them about organizing a private tour that covers all your desired sights.

http://www.srmtravel.com/

This particular tour sounds like exactly what you are looking for:
https://www.srmtravel.com/IST-Walks-OldTown.html. They combine it with another for the markets.

I think the covered bazaar would be more pleasant early in the day, before the second-hand smoke of the vendors gets to an unpleasant density. It's a no-smoking area, but that rule is ignored by a lot of the stall holders.

I don't know whether the Basilica Cistern takes any form of payment other than credit cards and Turkish lira. It may, I'm just not sure of it. And I agree that it's a place where you could run into a line of some significance. Since you have only one day in Istanbul, that would be a shame.