Istanbul Guidebook
Favorite discoveries or tips:
The Galata neighborhood is great fun to explore, and is also popular with residents. Also, winter is a good time to visit, as the popular attractions are not completely deluged with other sightseers.
Heidi in Doha, Qatar 01/29/2012
One thing I forgot when I posted earlier - flight tips.
Domestic flights in Turkey were quite nice. Unlike in the US, on all of our flights they offered complimentary beverages, and a sandwich or cake, to all passengers. We flew Atlas Jet, Bora Jet, and Anadolou Jet; the latter two are part of the Turkish Air group. If you have a choice, take Atlas Jet, not because it was nicer (all were equally fine), but because they have a complimentary bus from the airport to your what is likely to be your destination. From Izmir Airport, they not only went to Izmir, but to Selcuk, which was our destination (over anb hour away). On the way back we flew another carrier, and the train ride from Selcuk to Izmir Airport was PACKED (whereas the Atlas Jet bus was clean, comfortable, and altogether classy).
If you are flying domesticaly in Turkey, be aware that there is a strict 8 kg (17.6 pound) limit for carry-ons. We had packed for US flights (our carry-on bags were absolutely stuffed full, and weighed a ton, since US flights do not weigh carry-ons) and had to do some frantic shuffling of valuables and electronics. My mother found it easiest to use her large purse as her carry-on, and just check her 21 inch "carry-on" bag.
Also, be aware that there are two security checks at Turkish airports. The first one is immediately upon entering the airport, and is only for explosives, weapons, etc. In other words, ALL bagswill be put through the scanner, and they don't care about 3-1-1 liquids, weights, what you are checking vs carrying on, etc. Then you check in, and there your carry-ons are weighed. Then after check-in and before you can get to your gate, the second security check occurs; here, you do have to follow 3-1-1 rules. None of this was difficult, but it is different from US procedures.
Harold Chasen in New York, NY USA 01/06/2012
We found the gravemarker with a tipped turban! Somewhere in the book (2011 Ed) it mentions that a tipped turban on a gravestone means the individual was beheaded. We found a gravestone of this nature outside the mosque at Anadolu Kavagi. I have picture if interested! We also took the Turkish Cooking Class at the Sarnic Hotel. Chef Mehmet Emen speaks excellent English, is highly personable and limits his class to 10 people. We had only 4, so it was like a private instruction class. 4 hours duration, including the excellent meal (which we prepared) at a cost of $168 for two of us. Fantastic experience..
George Braun in Manassas, VA USA 11/29/2011
We especially loved Rick's walking tours of Istanbul Every step of the way, we were amazed and delighted that we discovered described marvels in an ordinary and reliable way. The local ferry ride up to the Bosphorus was especially wonderful. I downloaded Rick's Istanbul onto my Kindle and became a tour guide as we travelled. I'm a retired history prof so I fell into the role. Thanks for your cultural sensitivity Rick.
Dr. Maureen Slattery in Hudson, QC Canada 11/03/2011
Tram tips, my experience was that purchasing jetons with 5 lira notes (it takes 5, 10, 20 lira) was preferable, as I observed that the coin operated mechanism of several of the vending machines jammed not just for me but for the locals too.
Dave in Aurora, ON Canada 10/17/2011
We traveled around Turkey for 12 days. We enjoyed Selcuk much more than expected, and loved the Hotel Canberra. We liked the city of Ankara, and the Hotel Tunali was very nice. However, almost half of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was closed for renovation, even though the admission was not reduced. Had we known this, we would not have gone. The Ataturk Mausoleum and Museum, however, was great. We also went to Bursa to experience a city with fewer tourists; this proved to be an unnecessary precaution, as we found Istanbul to be less overrun by tourists than we had feared (even right near the main attractions). However, in Bursa we stayed at the Kitap Evi Butik Hotel, which was fabulous, with attention to every detail for guests' comfort.
Harold Chasen in Philadelphia, PA USA 10/11/2011
You can take a ferry to the Princess Islands for 5TL each way, wonderful day trip.
Joe Mackenzie in Kenmore, WA USA 08/06/2011
Please include in your lodging section for Istanbul: Hotel Han (a bed and breakfast) Yerebatan Caddesi No. 19 Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey www.hotelhan.net / info@hotelhan.net Tel: 90 212 511 03 61 Contact is Baha Kocamaz (he speaks and reads English)
Rated in the top 10 on Trip Advisor for its location and very high level of customer service and attention to detail. I would not stay anywhere else in the Sultanahmet.
Heather Daveno in Seattle, WA USA 06/18/2011
The RS Istanbul guidebook was excellent! (Far surpassed the Lonely Planet - which was full of errors and omissions in our 5 weeks of travel.) We spent our first week in Istanbul - and used the walking tours, museum tours extensively. Am also noting a few things outside of Istanbul in case others travel onward like we did. 1. Istanbul - Underground Cistern- visit first thing in the morning so that you have it to yourself before the tsunami of tour buses arrive. Magical. -Chora Church - not to be missed. We took a taxi there/back from Sultanahmet. Very easy. Cost about 20 TL. 2. Cirali/Olympos - walk up Mt Olympos (?) at dusk to see the Chimaera - spontaneous flames that burn out of fissures in the rock. These flames have burned for centuries and are incredible at night. 3. SRM Guides - worth every penny. Our guide in Istanbul was Ozgur Yigit and our guide in Cappadocia was Deniz Ozbucak. Can't recommend them enough. 4. Kas - went sea kayaking with Bougainville Travel. Great day. The SRM and Bougainville guides stayed with us for 10-11 hours each day. Information, service, friendliness.... So worth it. -also close to Kas - Saklikent Gorge - walking up the gorge (whole hike about 2-3 hrs) against the flow of the water to the falls and then back again. Water was from knee to waist level with a strong current. Had to climb over boulders etc. Great fun. 5. Driving in Turkey was fine. GPS is useless. (In 4 weeks of car travel the GPS got us to one destination - sort of.) We navigated by town signs. Our accommodations were generally in the old town/center - so followed the town center ("Sehir Merkezi") signs or the harbour ("liman") signs. 6. Turkey experience was great. People were friendly. Food excellent. Towns/cities were clean - with beautiful flowers/bushes/trees. Very little junk food - sidewalk vendors sold cucumbers, juice, rhubarb, fruit .... Highly recommend a trip to Turkey.
J. Grunau in Abbotsford, BC Canada 06/18/2011
After a recommendation by our ETBD tour guide, we ate at the Istanbul Culinary Instute Enstitu Restaurant twice over 4 nights in Istanbul. Very good food - among the best we had in Turkey, including the 13 days of our ETBD Turkey in 13 days tour. This would be a good addition to New District restaurants.
Dave Hook in San Jose, CA USA 06/12/2011
Hi, I'm an American and just opened a hostel -- Bada Bing -- in Galata / Beyo?lu in Istanbul (yesterday was the first day open to customers!).
Please look at our website and photos, and consider listing Bada Bing in a future edition. We're in a different (central and cheaper) location than the typical hostels and our building is very secure.
Here's the website: www.badabinghostel.com
Thanks so much for reading!
Jaime Miller in Istanbul, Tu Turkey 06/04/2011
We were surprised that there was no reference to the wonderful Mosaic Museum under the Arasta Bazaar, just below the Blue Mosque. The restored/preserved floor of the Justinian Palace that once ran from the Hagia Sophia area down to the sea below the Blue Mosgue can be found here. " The marketplace behind the Sultanahmet Mosque is situated on the remains of a great palace of the Byzantine Emperors. The mosaics discovered are thought to decorate the floor of a large hall in the palace. Scenes depicted by these realistic mosaics panels show a variety of wild and domestic beasts and includes some hunting and fighting scenes. Following the discovery of these mosaics, other mosaics unearthed in other sections of the city were framed by concrete panels and brought to the museum to be displayed" from the web site http://www.arastabazaar.com/mosaic.asp
Also an alternate method of getting to the Chora is to take the tram (T2) to the Topkapi stop(not to be confused with the Topkapi Palace but in fact out by the city walls) and go upstairs and take the T4 tram 3 stops to Edirnekapi, cross back over the road and inside the city walls and it is about a 5 min walk.
Anna McHale in Kensington, Md USA 04/25/2011
Pandeli Restaurant and Ottoman Hotel Imperial were great! Also the 2 hour budget Bosporous cruise was fun.
Joe Costantino in Sofia, bulgaria 04/10/2011
We loved Istanbul and used your guide throughout our five-day visit. We checked off nearly every one of the 20 sites mentioned in the Istanbul at a Glance list.
Joan Barnes in Portland, OR USA 04/01/2011
We stayed at BEST WESTERN Premier Regency Suites & Spa and had a great room for a family (we find a hard time getting hotels for a family of 4 - kids ages 11 and 9).
Agreed lots of imitations of Sultanahmet Koftecisi; there is one on each side of Lale Restaurant. We ate at the Tahinhi Sultanahmet Koftecisi to the left of Lale as you face the restaurant - if it wasn't the one you recommended it was still great for the value!
B in Reed, Db Ireland 03/12/2011
restaurantcalled beyoglu bereket halk doner, istiklal cad. no:20, beyoglu 2436759. right ner taksim square, i noticed a long line of locals at this cafeteria style lokantasi. the food was delicious, we had six dishes plus rice and drinks for 32 turkish lire. lots of sitting room and the style of restaurant made it easy to share. i was travelling with my 3 sons in their twenties so we needed good quality, good quantity food at affordable prices. lots of variety, could have gone back a couple of times but found it our last day. for a change of pace we had well prepared chinese an t chang cheng, around the corner from doy doy. evryone raves about the turkish food but we began to tire of the kebaps and doners. loved the borek though.
barb larocque in toronto, on canada 02/27/2011
restaurantcalled beyoglu bereket halk doner, istiklal cad. no:20, beyoglu 2436759. right ner taksim square, i noticed a long line of locals at this cafeteria style lokantasi. the food was delicious, we had six dishes plus rice and drinks for 32 turkish lire. lots of sitting room and the style of restaurant made it easy to share. i was travelling with my 3 sons in their twenties so we needed good quality, good quantity food at affordable prices. lots of variety, could have gone back a couple of times but found it our last day. for a change of pace we had well prepared chinese an t chang cheng, around the corner from doy doy. evryone raves about the turkish food but we began to tire of the kebaps and doners. loved the borek though.
barb larocque in toronto, on canada 02/27/2011
I used your guidebook in my trip to Istanbul. Very helpful. Chora Church and Hagia Sophia were my highlight...Things that you need to warn people about though: 1. I got food poisoned eating seafood in one of the swanky restaurants around the Bosphorus during the cruise. Warn tourists not to eat seafood, or if they will, to make sure they have the necessary medication needed. Thankfully pharmacies there didn't require a prescription. 2. The restaurant in Topkapi palace WAS very expensive. It was not a good meal at all, I guess we paid for the view, but it was still not worth it. 3. I did the Wall Tour together with Chora Church, and although it was phenomenal, it was a sketchy area- and I for one got victimized by someone who pretended to show me around, but took me in one of the highest points and extorted cash from me. This is a must see place, but NOT safe unless in a big group. Istanbul remains ONE of the best places I've ever been too, and thank you so much for the tips....Can't wait to go back!
Kris Abad in Fremont, CA USA 02/04/2011
Ciya restaurant on the Asian side (Kadikoy) is very good! I also enjoyed taking the circular tram and walking in the Moda section there. Shopping here is much cheaper - should be highlighted in the shopping section. And almost no one hassled me there (asking where I'm from, urging me to come in their store, etc). When visiting Eyup Sultan mosque, take the cable car to the top of the hill - Pier Loti. Have tea there with a nice view. Uzun Carsi Cad. (Between spice market and grand bazaar) is a much better place to shop souvenir than the Grand Bazaar. Much better prices and less haggling. Akbil is very useful even just for a few days. You should mention where we can get it (pg 31). I got mine at Eminou. Even though I had some money left over, he allowed me to return it, but I only get the 6TL deposit back. Prices with Akbil is 1.65TL, 0.85TL transfers.
Dian in Portland, OR USA 12/05/2010
Taxis called from the hotel were always cheaper than ones hailed on the street. Be aware of the traffic and time of day- late day traffic and all day Sat. will mean much longer rides and higher fares due to the incredible traffic jams. On couple left Sultanahmet at 6:15pm for a wedding across the Galata Bridge. They arrived at 7:45 pm just in time for the 7:50 wedding! Riding in a taxi is an experience in itself!
Pamela Welham in ANNANDALE, VA USA 09/29/2010
I think the Princes' islands merit a mention- this is a favorite getaway for Turks and may be worth a day trip if one is staying more than a few days in Istanbul.
Ryan McCarthy in Glenmoore, PA USA 08/20/2010
I just wanted to let you know that we used the Istanbul book for three days prior to beginning Village Turkey this summer. It was ideal. We were able to see a lot more in an efficient way because we studied the guide. Several times we met people in the shops who said, "the book!". We also appreciated the tips on bargaining, which served us well. We did not pay for a single guide in those three days, just used the book and had a ton of information about each site we visited. This is a thank you.
c armstrong in hilliard, OH USA 07/20/2010
Your book on Istanbul was excellent, However I would caution your readers about a scam practiced by some crooked taxi drivers. If you give the driver a 50 TKL note expecting change, the driver is so slick that he shows you a 5 TKL note and claims this is what you gave him instead of the 50 Tkl note that you know you gave him. This not only happened to me but to others whom I have met. To prevent this , I was advised to actually declare the amount of the note being given to the driver
Dr. Melvin Platt in Boca Raton, FL USA 06/05/2010
In visiting one of the mosques you made a comment we found quite amusing. You said the men and women were segregated when praying because you could look up the women's dresses when kneeling, or something to that effect.
bill moorehead in littleton, CO USA 05/25/2010
We went to a great restaurant called Dubb Ethnic. Address is Cankurtaran Mahallesi Mimar Mehmet Aga Caddesi Amiral Taftil Sokak No:25 Sultanahmet, Istanbul. Asian/Indian Fusion Cuisine (Husband is Indian, Wife is Japanese); very friendly service on a quaint and quiet street.
Clara in Cincinnati, OH USA 05/17/2010
Java Studio is now closed (in reference to another readers' comments) However, the former owner, Jennifer Gaudet, has a lovely textile shop "Jennifer's Hamam," located in the Arasta Bazaar. Another reader mentions this shop - it is fantastic! But the coffee shop is closed.
Catherine in Byron, MN USA 01/11/2010
What do Rick and his friends have against belly dancers, anyway? I'm a Middle Eastern (aka belly) dancer and I travel to Turkey largely to see other belly dancers perform and to shop for shiney things to enhance my costumes. Instead of dismissing belly dance shows as "touristy trash", how about searching out some legit venues for belly dancing. Belly dance is a legitimate art form and there are thousands of women in the world who would love to see belly dance treated more respectfully in guide books.
Rhonda Higgins in Spokane, WA USA 12/31/2009
why isnt there any mention in your guidebook that Istanbul is the world headquarters of the Eastern Orthodox Church which has 300 million members worldwide and that the Patriarch resides in the city and presides at the Patriarchal Cathedral Church of St. George. We just visited Istanbul this past August, but I had to see a story on 60 minutes to realize the above facts. Apparently the Church is persecuted by the government and there are only 4,000 openly Christian people in all of Turkey. Should this not have merited some mention in your guidebook?
Alan Legum in Annapolis, MD USA 12/20/2009
Notwithstanding my comments [below] - my wife and I enjoyed our second visit to Istanbul. [Our first was 10 years ago, at the start of a Rick Steves Turkey Tour.]
Edward Pouchet in Fairfax, VA USA 11/14/2009
A new shop in the Arasta bazaar; run by a Canadian woman. She's selling handloomed towels, Turkish bath towels, scarves and a variety of other bath and body products. GREAT quality! Fair prices! Super service!! Can't say enough ... you really need to add this shop to your shopping info! Jennifer's Hamam Arasta Bazaar, No. 135 Sultanahmet, Fatih Istanbul, 34400
Valerie James in Istanbul, Turkey 11/08/2009
The Galata Tower has a restaurant at the top with great views - this is not mentioned anywhere in the book that I can find. It is touristy with a dinner and show with music and belly dancing, runs about 40-50 TL. You should at least mention it when discussing the tower.
Dale in Fairfield, OH USA 07/19/2009
There is a separate ticket line for non-Turks(which were much shorter than for the Turkish visitors)at least for the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Archaeological Museum.
Darleen Beals in Sonoma, CA USA 06/28/2009
Hotel Valide Sultan -- Should include the fact that it is located by a very noisy street due to buses and taxis gearing down to go up the hill. Otherwise the information is correct.
Darleen Beals in Sonoma, CA USA 06/28/2009
Princes Island/horse-drawn carriage trip
Jane Wolfarth in Salt Lake City, ut USA 06/21/2009
I stayed at the Hotel Poem at 12 Terbiyik Sokak off Akbiyik Caddesi. A lovely, affordable small hotel. Akbiyik Cad has lots of restaurants, a laundry and a small market.
Jackie Farbeann in Columbus, OH USA 06/19/2009
Amedros restaurant in Sultanahmet was GREAT! Here is the contact information: Divanyolu Cad. Hoca Rüstem Sok. No: 7 Sultanahmet / ISTANBUL TURKEY TEL :+90 212 522 83 56 e-mail : info@amedroscafe.com
We also loved Zencefil in the Taksim Square area: Kurabiye Sok. 3, Istanbul, 0212/244-4082 (when I looked up the restaurant, the NY Times had reviewed it as well).
Lastly, Rumeli in the Sultanhamet neighborhood was excellent: Divanyolu Caddesi Ticarethane Sokak 8, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey? - 0212 512 0008?
So many of the recommendations in your book were fantastic - thanks for a great experience!
Sara Patterson in Atlanta, GA USA 06/15/2009
The area outside the Istanbul Modern museum is fun to walk through at night. It's full of tent like structures with what looks like bean bag chairs full of people smoking nargiles and watching soccer.
Matti in Chicago, IL USA 04/12/2009
Resources: I-Tunes University is an excellent FREE source of pre-travel information. It offers programs/lectures/videos from the Metropolitan Art Museum, Oxford, Cambridge, Duke,Yale, Open University. I found an interesting video lecture on Rumi and Sufi Traditions in Islamic Art.
There is a wealth of information on all sorts of subjects:Language, Humanities, Fine Arts, Science, History,. It takes a "little digging" , but well worth the exploration! You can download these programs onto your I-Pod or simply watch them on your computer.
in Islamic Art.
Karen in Schaumburg, IL USA 04/11/2009
My favorite discovery was how useful the Akbil transportation pass was. Rick's book is completely incorrect in stating you need a passport photo to obtain an Akbil. They are available without need for any photo at several kiosks around town. If you have trouble getting one, ask your hotel to obtain one for you. The Akibil is a rechargeable transportation pass accepted on 90 percent of the transportation options in Istanbul. It is also cheaper than purchasing a jeton for each trip and much less cumbersome. Trying to keep track of jetons is a pain. Again, I'm not sure why the guidebook doesn't recommend them wholeheartedly since they are easy to obtain and use and cheaper than the alternative.
Also, there is a tiny closet-sized shop in the Grand Bazaar that has amazing deals on South Sea uncultured pearls. The name is Nazende and it is in the Old Bazaar area at 86-87 erifag a Sokak. It is directly across from a nautical instruments shop.
Shelby in Columbia, SC USA 04/08/2009