Walking Tours
While Istanbul is a driver's nightmare, it's perfect for walkers. 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 in particular might enjoy the back streets of the Galata Tower area, which contain numerous synagogues and other religious buildings, taking in the Jewish Museum.
Istanbul Walks (tel: 0532 365 9985; website: www.istanbulwalks.com) offers a choice of walks lasting around two hours, including classic sights around Sultanahmet, around the Bazaar, and Galata and Pera. Most tours depart from the Tourist Information Office on Sultanahmet Square in the morning. Reservations recommended.
Bus Tours
Details of bus tour operators with English speaking guides are available at most hotels. In addition to a hop-on hop-off bus service, Plan Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777; website: www.plantours.com) arranges city sightseeing tours, including Jewish Heritage tours. Sites visited include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar. Transfers to and from hotels (European side only) are provided.
Fez Travel (tel: (0212) 516 9024 or 0207 099 2077 in the UK; 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 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 Dolmabahçe Palace and other sites along the way, is offered by Plan Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777; website: www.plantours.com). During the summer, they also run private boat tours of the Bosphorus, as well as dinner cruises and trips to the Princes' Islands.
Between spring and autumn, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus, operated by the Turkish Maritime Organisation, Türkiye Denizcilik Işletmeleri (tel: (0212) 251 5000; website: www.tdi.com.tr), leave Eminönü from pier three in the morning, stopping at Beşiktaş 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 Kavaği. The trip takes two hours in each direction, with the option of stopping for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kavaği. Both single and return tickets are available. There are also small private boats offering cruises on the Bosphorus, for which touts hang around by Eminönü pier to attract passengers.
While Istanbul is a driver's nightmare, it's perfect for walkers. 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 in particular might enjoy the back streets of the Galata Tower area, which contain numerous synagogues and other religious buildings, taking in the Jewish Museum.
Istanbul Walks (tel: 0532 365 9985; website: www.istanbulwalks.com) offers a choice of walks lasting around two hours, including classic sights around Sultanahmet, around the Bazaar, and Galata and Pera. Most tours depart from the Tourist Information Office on Sultanahmet Square in the morning. Reservations recommended.
Bus Tours
Details of bus tour operators with English speaking guides are available at most hotels. In addition to a hop-on hop-off bus service, Plan Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777; website: www.plantours.com) arranges city sightseeing tours, including Jewish Heritage tours. Sites visited include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar. Transfers to and from hotels (European side only) are provided.
Fez Travel (tel: (0212) 516 9024 or 0207 099 2077 in the UK; 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 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 Dolmabahçe Palace and other sites along the way, is offered by Plan Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777; website: www.plantours.com). During the summer, they also run private boat tours of the Bosphorus, as well as dinner cruises and trips to the Princes' Islands.
Between spring and autumn, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus, operated by the Turkish Maritime Organisation, Türkiye Denizcilik Işletmeleri (tel: (0212) 251 5000; website: www.tdi.com.tr), leave Eminönü from pier three in the morning, stopping at Beşiktaş 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 Kavaği. The trip takes two hours in each direction, with the option of stopping for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kavaği. Both single and return tickets are available. There are also small private boats offering cruises on the Bosphorus, for which touts hang around by Eminönü pier to attract passengers.
View Our Airport Guides for Istanbul:
(Istanbul) Atatürk International Airport
(Istanbul) Sabiha Gökçen International Airport