Istanbul Guidebook
Favorite discoveries or tips:
Best hotel in Sultanhamet: Basileys Hotel, Kadirga Liman Cad.Sehit Mehment Pasa Sok.No +902125177878 Paid Euro 90 for a double Spotless and quiet, huge breakfast buffet, free wifi, internet, coffee, tea, Turkish sweets and minibar (yes, its all free); laundry TL 5 a kilo (back same day), staff immensely helpful, they bought tickets for Haga Sophia, Topkapi palace and Chora Church for us on line and printed them out for us to take so we never had to stand in line anywhere -- we walked right on in. You can do this at www.muze.gov.tr. Gave us all the same good do-it-yourself advice that the guidebook has. Directed us to a good local hammam 200mt down the street where the locals go for a fraction of the price that other places charge (TL 50) for bath, scrub and massage. Please consider including this hotel in your next guidebook.
Erika Malitzky in Spokane, Wa USA 05/06/2013
1. The tombs! Not emphasized in your book, but they are glorious. 2. Princess Islands. No cars, no motorbikes, nice eateries.
Wil Robinson in Ocean Shores, WA USA 04/28/2013
Re shopping: Enthusiastically second your recommendation of Jennifer's Hamam for tabecloths, towels and other hand-woven items. Gave me confidence to know I was supporting a group of traditional weavers in rural Turkey. Fixed prices. No sales hustle from helpful staff. Three separate stalls in the Arasta Bazaar behind the Blue Mosque.
Eugene Carlson in Vashon, WA USA 04/27/2013
It's a stretch for an Istanbul city guide, but perhaps mention that Ephesus can be done as a day trip. You have to fly but it's not too expensive if booked in advance (about $90 RT in Nov 2012 on Turkish Airlines, and there are some cheaper carriers). It's about an hour drive away from Izmir Airport (there's a train, but for a day trip hire a car and driver in advance or haggle a taxi). Not much more ambitious than the Pompeii/Naples day trip you have in the Rome book. Yes, it's better to spend more time in that region during a longer trip to Turkey but if (like me) you have only a week in Istanbul, it's great to take a day to see Turkey's other biggest sight without even having to change hotels. Early morning flight down, evening flight back gives plenty of time to see the ruins at length, have a good lunch in Selcuk town, see the local museum with statues, etc. from the site, and check out the local market (if there on Saturday). Istanbul is one of Europe's great cities! Taxi tip: meter may be down near gear shift and small. Keep a close eye on it. Driver may turn it on as he should, but then turn it off near destination and ask for more money, thinking you haven't been monitoring it. This happened to me from Chora Church to Sulamaniye mosque. I suppose he ran the meter for his company but then tried to double the fare on me to pocket the difference with a "no, fixed price, 20 euro" shtick when I handed him the 10 TL the meter had read. God knows what he would have tried to charge if I hadn't started by giving him the right fare in exact change. I told him off by saying I knew exactly what the meter said and he backed down and took the 10 TL. I should say that this was the only attempted scam I encountered all week -- was not otherwise overcharged by taxis, restaurants, or others -- an improvement from a previous brief trip to a very different, poorer Istanbul in 1983 when the petty ripoffs were really persistent. Turkey has really developed amazingly since then -- or maybe I have since I was a poor college student -- or both!
Philip in Arlington, va USA 12/12/2012
Grand Bazaar Tour.
We completely loved the Grand Bazaar tour. We felt like we were on a scavenger hunt through the Grand Bazaar. Visiting the little workshops was awesome and they were all so nice. Wish I had the money to buy all the diamonds we saw in the jewelry shop!
Mary D in Wauwatosa, WI USA 12/07/2012
small but wonderful reasonably priced restaurant w/excellent local food called Eon Dreamer's Kitchen on Ebusuud Caddesi 10 in Sirkeci. Also Aloran cafe and restaurant on Akbiyik Cad. Adliye Sk. 11 had excellent food, great staff and had a fun meal 'testy' cooked in a clay pot the bottom of which the waiter popped off.
Gail B in Ammerthal, Ba Germany 11/30/2012
We flew Atlas airlines back from Izmir to Istanbul after our trip to Troy and Ephesus. Service was impeccable-as usual, any European airline beats the United States airlines!
Lynda Lamb in Birmingham, AL USA 07/11/2012
We stayed at the Empress Zoe hotel and it was great and quiet.
Cheryl Foote in Albuquerque, NM USA 06/14/2012
Yes, a low-cost bed and breakfast / Hostel option: House of Turap Number 2, located in Üsküdar on the Asian side. You get a room in an apartment - sparkling clean - with 3 bedrooms and a shared bath and many amenities (Free Wi-Fi, toiletries, TV in room and living room, ability to wash clothes). Breakfast is included and is fabulous: Eggs, Toast, fresh cheese, turkish specialties, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and more with fresh orange juice, coffee, tea - as much as you like. Everything is fresh! Turap also cooks dinner for an extra charge. The location on the asian side is excellent for those wanting to see the real Turkey, yet be close to the sights. There are no tourists here at all - just Turkish families leading their life. Yet it takes only 15 minutes on the ferry to get to the Old City or anywhere along the European side. The cost of a ferry Boat ride is minimal - 2 Turkish lira cash and 1.5 with transit card (Akbil). This is a true find!
Elisabeth Muhlenberg in Oak Park, IL USA 05/10/2012
The Imperial Treasury at Topkapi Palace is crazy and over the top. Hard to believe that some of those antiquities are real. But regardless, a very impressive collection!
Mark DeLoura in Santa Monica, CA USA 04/11/2012
Really...Dolmabahce Palace should get more than 1 triangle! I guess if you are only in Istanbul a day or two, it might not be a top sight, but I found it more breathtaking than chintzy. True, it isn't as Turkish/Asian in design as the mosques, but it is still built in a grand style that is really grand. The price, however, is a bit steep. The Harem perhaps could be passed over if you were short on cash.
The fish market at the New Town side of the Galeta bridge was a great place for a 4 TL fish sandwich (roasted mackerel).
I disagree about waiting till later to visit some of the sites to beat the crowds...even in March, the 'big' sites were very crowded. If you want photos without 10,000 of your closest friends in them (which I was attempting!), you want to get there first! Be the first one in line when they open!
Joan Carroll in Fort Worth, TX USA 03/15/2012
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