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Tours of the City
Walking Tours
While Istanbul is a driver’s nightmare, it is a walker’s paradise – as long as sufficient attention is paid to drivers, who cannot be relied upon to stop at pedestrian walkways or even red lights. One recommended self-guided walking route is from the Kariye Museum, along the city walls, to the Golden Horn, where visitors can see the little visited remains of the last Byzantine Palace, Blachernae, including its grim dungeons. Jewish visitors might enjoy the back streets of the Galata Tower area, which contain numerous synagogues and other religious buildings.
Istanbul Walks, Eski Bagdat Caddesi 50 (tel: (216) 489 6032; fax: (216) 489 6031; e-mail: info@istanbulwalks.com; website: www.istanbulwalks.com) offers a two-and-a-half-hour Istanbul Classic Walk for US$15. The tour departs from in front of the Tourist Information Office on Sultanahmet Square, daily at 1000, and includes ‘classic’ sites, such as Haghia Sofia, Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Topkapi Palace. Istanbul Walks also arranges special interest tours for groups.
Bus Tours
There are a number of bus tour operators with English speaking guides – details on these are available at most hotels. In addition to a hop-on hop-off bus service, Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 2272; e-mail: operation@plantours.com; website: www.plantours.com) arranges city sightseeing tours, including Jewish Heritage tours. A half-day tour of Sultanahmet costs US$30. Sites visited include the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar. Transfers to and from hotels (European side only) is provided.
Fez Travel (tel: (212) 516 9024 or (0870) 742 4173 in the UK; e-mail: feztravel@feztravel.com; website: www.feztravel.com), which is geared to backpackers, organises longer sightseeing trips for small groups to ‘off the beaten track’ locations. A three-night Istanbul City Break costs US$200 and includes two full days of sightseeing, the services of an English-speaking guide, all entrance fees and bed and breakfast accommodation.
Boat Tours
A full-day Bosphorus river cruise with lunch, including a visit to Dolmabahce Palace and other sites along the way, is offered by Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 2272; e-mail: operation@plantours.com; website: www.plantours.com) for US$60. During the summer, the company also offers private boat tours of the Bosphorus, costing US$30 for a half-day, as well as dinner cruises, costing US$90. Transfers to and from hotels (European-side hotels only) are available.
In summer, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus, operated by the Turkish Maritime Organisation, Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri (tel: (212) 522 0045, website: www.tdi.com.tr), leave Eminönü pier three at 1030, 1245 and 1415, stopping at Besiktas 15 minutes later. The ferry makes its way up the Bosphorus, passing the city’s lovely wooden ‘yalis’ or seaside mansions, up to the old sea gates at Anadolu Kavagi. The trip takes two hours in each direction, with the option of stopping for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kavagi. Cruise tickets cost approximately US$15.
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General
