massagediva

Sorry,couldn't resist the taste of Turkey joke.Next month I'll be travelling to India with a 32 hour layover in Istanbul.My flight arrives (from JFK) at 10a.m. on a Friday and leaves at 6p.m. on Saturday. I have a room reserved at the Hotel Ambassador(which includes free airport pickup)and am trying to make the most of my short time there.

I'm thinking of seeing the Topkapi Palace on Friday and taking a half- day city tour on Saturday.How much time should I allow for T. Palace? There is a separate admission required for the Harem and Treasury,I believe.Am I right in assuming these are not to be missed?Have you taken a city tour that you could recommend?

I'll be (a woman) by myself,so I'd like to have a lowkey dinner.Any recommendations in Sultamhamet?

Thanks for your help.(Keep in mind,I travel with the expectation that if I like a place,I'll be able to return to see more of it.I know 32 hours will offer a mere glimpse of a city as multi-faceted as Istanbul.)

mrtwtraveler

We were in Istanbul for the first time this summer. Spent four days, and our favorite restaurant was Changa near Taksim Square. You can see their web site at www.changa-istanbul.com It is 2-3 floors, and you can see into the lower level kitchen thru a plexi-glass window in the floor. Food was outstanding. Need reservations.

In Sultanhamet we had lunch at the Four Seasons (formerly an infamous prison). Their courtyard is a stunning place to dine on a nice day.

Other than the shills for the carpet shops, we thoroughly enjoyed Istanbul and hope to go back some day.

Gardyloo

Topkapi is one of those places that will be rewarding with two hours or two days. We chose not to pay the extra fee for the treasury or harem (going back in the spring so figured they would still be there) but when we saw the queues for admission to those areas we felt our choice was a good one. The grounds are lovely, the outdoor cafe surprisingly good, so you can make a full day of it, or you can wander around, see some of the sights (we wanted to see the pottery collection, worthwhile), have a bite, and carry on to the other sights of the Sultanahmet. Everything is very close together, including the Grand Bazaar. I would also suggest taking the trolley down to the Egyptian Bazaar (or, better, back up) as part of the wandering around.

Most of the restaurants in the Sultanahmet are geared to tourists; we ate in a couple of places that were good, not great; the best was Havuzlu, a cafe (not sure if open at night, but you could have a big lunch and then snack later) within the bowels of the Grand Bazaar. Highly recommended.

massagediva

anyone take a city tour?

SusanInToronto

We just got back from Istanbul on Saturday. It's a wonderful place to visit!

I don't know if I'd bother seeing Topkapi if I only had 32 hours. We did see the harem and the treasury, and it took us 5 or 6 hours - we were exhausted at the end of it. Plus the floors are all tile, etc., so it was hard on my back. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it - I did - but it takes a lot of time.

You're coming from India - it's funny, one restaurant we really enjoyed in Sultanahmet was Dubb, an East Indian restaurant. They have a lovely terrace with a view of the Aya Sofia - but I guess if you're coming from India, that wouldn't be a good choice!

lobo_mau

Whatever you do, don't miss Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar.

Barb_in_Ga

We took a city tour recommended by our hotel and were glad we did. The company is called International Travel Services, Daily City Tours:

www.dailycitytours.com

They have a variety of options, but we chose the all-day combination of Tour 1 The Imperial Tour, and Tour 2, Ottoman Splendours, with lunch included for those taking both. Price is 30 euro per 1/2 day section.

The morning tour started at Aya Sofya, then Blue Mosque, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Hippodrome with the Egyptian Obelisk, and then a brief, very informative visit to a carpet shop where they explained the types and qualities of carpets made in Turkey. This worked for us, as we were glad to know a little about the carpets, but weren't willing to listen to a high-pressure sales pitch as we really had no plans to buy carpets. At this point, we were given 45 minutes to an hour to check out the Grand Bazaar, before going to lunch at a waterfront restaurant near the Galata Bridge.
After lunch, we visited the Suleymaniye Mosque, then on to Topkapi Palace, where we visited the Main building, and the Treasury.

You could visit Topkapi Palace on Friday, renting the audio guide, or go to the newer, more European Dolmabahce Palace, which offers guided tours in English about every hour or so. We did see the treasury at Topkapi, but not the Harem, but when we went to Dolmabahce Palace we bought the combined ticket for the main palace and the harem. I particularly enjoyed Dolmabahce Palace, and if I had to choose only 1, would see it. Others may prefer the Ottoman history of Topkapi.

If you want to see a lot in a minimum amount of time I highly recommend this tour, even though you would only have time for the morning part, you could end by spending a little more time at the Grand Bazaar.

For either palace tour, I would allow at least 2-3 hours, at minimum.

Our favorite place for dinner was Rami House, right near Blue Mosque.

Enjoy your trip.

massagediva

Great information(as always,) Fodorites! Thanks

Elainee

Do not eat at the Four Seasons...way overpriced, and NOT good. Very surprised by the poor food when we stayed there. Great breakfast at the small hotel caddy-corner across the street (to the right with your back to the 4S)..eat outside on the roof. Our best experience was the Hamanun (sp?) bath. Perfect for a woman traveling alone. Take a very late afternoon bath, massage and good scrubbing all over (like a baby) after your have run around touring, then a late-ish dinner, a good sleep and off to India! If you do go to the bath...take your own shampoo and conditioner.

Seamus

Ok, you are excused for the turkey joke - just this once.

With a 10 AM arrival you should be in town around noon, maybe even a bit sooner. Have a refreshing tea on the Ambassador rooftop from which you will have great views. Topkapi on Friday afternoon is a good idea, as the mosques will be closed to visitors during the extra long Friday afternoon prayers.

What worked well for me at Topkapi was hiring a guide - make sure it is a licensed on; they hang out near the admission tickets line outside the main entrance. In addition to a great commentary, you don't have to wait in line for tickets, including the additional line for Harem tickets, as the guide gets special access. Do take the harem tour, it is the best part of it. You can see the highlights of Topkapi with such a guide in a bit over two hours, though it may be tempting to wander around on your own for longer, too.

If not too pooped, Friday evening you could take a cab to the Taksim area, maybe walk along Istiklal caddesi(cadessi = street, more or less) and marvel at the great number of people on the pedestrian street lined with stores and restaurants. If you start out at Taksim Square and walk downhill, you can savor a meal with locals at one of the restaurants located just off Istiklal caddesi on Nevizade sokak (sokak - side street, sort of); to reach it just enter the Çiçek Pasaji (on your right walking downhill, across from Galatsaray Lycee) take the first right onto Sahne sokak then left onto Nevizade sokak. It is lined with places; one I can recommend is Lipsos, about half way down on the left. Another option for a great seafood meal would be a place like Balakçi Sabahattin in the Cankurtaran area, closer to Sultanahmet.
Can't comment about a half day city tour as I did not do one of these. Do keep in mind that if it is a bus tour you may waste a lot of time stucj in traffic. You can easily visit Haga Sophia and Blue Mosque, plus the Basilica Cistern on your own all within a couple hours on Saturday as they are in the same area and close enough to your hotel to walk. I found the DK Eyewitness guide great for this, if you have room for a travel guide. Since you will be in transit and may not want to pick up additional stuff the bazaar may not have a lot of appeal, though a walk through the Spice market might be fun - do sample the Turkish Delight candy if you have any sort of a sweet tooth.

At the Ambassador, ask at the front desk for Nuri. When I visited Istanbul he was - even though I was not staying at the Ambassdor because they had no vacancy for my dates - of great help with local arrangements and not at all like the smarmy "hey mister wanna buy a nice rug" types. His cell is (or at least was) 05 33 769 9302.
Enjoy, and let us hear from you on your return!

tower

Say, am I the only one who ever mentions the outstanding Pierre Loti Cafe?? Truly one of the highlights of Istanbul. I've suggested a visit to this gem four or five times in the last few weeks. At any rate, Massgediva, all the other sights you mention are well worth crowding into the 32 hours...but after Topkapi (pronounced "Topkapu&quot, at around 4:30, take one of the waiting taxis and have them take you to the cafe...overlooking the Golden Horn..and sit at one of the outside tables...at precisely 5, the call to prayer from all of the Mosques in the city will be sounded. They'll be a bit out of sync..but a most dramatic sound. Have a nice cup of tea, or something stronger (this place is perectly safe for a woman alone) ...and have them call you a taxi to return to your hotel...then go have your message, or whatever...
Enjoy!
Stu
(Oh, yes...Loti was a French journalist who fell in love with Istanbul and decided to live and write there..about 100 years back)

massagediva

Terrific information! Seamus,how much did you spend for a guide at Topkapi(thanks for the pronounciation?)

Tower-I will follow your advice to take a cab to Pierre Loti Cafe. That sounds like a great plan.

wally34949

Do the Turkish Bath. Very interesting experience. They keep you covered. The place was either 300 or 400 years old.

Seamus

Don't recall the exact price paid, but do recall that it also covered the price of the tickets for general and harem admissions and worked out to little more than the ticket price alone. There was a minimum of 5 or 6 English speakers to get a group going, but there was no problem getting a sufficient number interested.

Elainee

When we (all 6 of us)got to Istanbul airport we had to buy tourist visas. We did not know this. I think it was $65. Even the 3 year old had to get one and we were only there for a long weekend. Fortunately, there was an ATM right there. It was a surprise for us, but I bet you knew this already.

propertravel

Tourist visa for U.S citizens are 20 usd. per person and payable cash only at the airport at designated visa booths.
Do not miss Topkapi and Blue Mosque.
Enjoy istanbul even for 32 ;-) hours. Dine at Taxim area if you can.
Happy travelling,

Murat