We are staying in Sultanhamet area...want to spend time at Bazaar and spice market, but also time seeing major sites. We have a guide for 6 hours 1 day....how ahould we divide up our time?

Have your guide the 1st thing and have him show you whatever it is that is most interesting to you that you would like the history and details explained. For us, it was the Mosques. After lunch see the Topkapi and the 1st evening spend dinner and walking around in Ortokoy or the area around Taksim. Sorry, it's been 8 years, and I'm not using notes here, only memory. The second morning go to the spice bazaar and spend an hour or so and then cross the street. You can get a seat on a Bosphorus cruise for a few hours. Get one that stops at Rumeli, have lunch around there and when the cruise is over, go to the Grand Bazaar. Again, a couple of hours is enough, because a month probably wouldn't be enough to see it all, so trying is useless! That evening have dinner wherever you didn't go the night before. The next day spend your morning in Sultanhamet just people watching and soakingh up the views and atmosphere. Have fun.

Wordsmith, If you don't mind me asking, who are you using as a guide and how much will they cost? We have a similar plan. People have said the Cisterns are not to be missed as well. Thanks Sabbin

Talk with you Saturday...(with some more pix)

stu t.

There is definitely a lot to cram in to 2.5 days! Luckily, all the sites in Sultanahmet are very close to eachother, so you don't need to spend alot of time traveling. Spend one day in Sultanahmet visiting Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, Topkapi Palace and if you can squeeze it in, the Archeology Museum. Hit the bazaars early the next morning and then hop on a Bosphorus cruise. Get off before last stop and take a bus to Rumeli Hisari, and then when done there another bus to the Ortokoy neighborhood for outdoor cafes and a fantastic sunset. Go to the Beyoglu neighborhood for dinner and drinks.

You will be busy, but you can see alot if you plan it right!

For more details and pics from my trip: http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot....ul-turkey.html

We were in Turkey last August..fabulous trip. We did the Topkapi palace first thing in the morning. Upon arrival we went right to the Harem box office (separate entrance fee required). This worked very well for us.
We also went to the train station to see the Whirling Dervish, which I would recommend. Very interesting. If you google 'whirling dervish, istanbul train station' you can buy tickets online (not cheap, about 35 dollars pp)Be sure and have fish sandwiches from the docked boats on the Bosphorus, outside of the Spice Market;that remains a highlight for me...and oh, that Spice Market. We bought so much there. Go to Malatya Pazari. His 3 booths had everything you would ever want. The great thing we had done was mixtures of spices, one for chicken and one for meat. Both are fantastic. They have a vacuum packing machine, so anything you buy they will seal for you. Actually, we went there two days in a row. The Bosphorus tours are very nice. With your short time, there are ones that are just a couple of hours. We did one that was most of the day, since we docked for about 3 hours, time for lunch and a major hike to a fortress. I can't say enough wonderful things about Istanbul.

[email protected] has been recommended on this board. I have contacted her and she is charging 125 euro for the day.