Getting to Büyük Mecidiye Cami
 

What are the options to get to Ulus29 in Istanbul from the Sultan Ahmet square weekday around 18:00? I looks like doing this trip during the rush hour means practically solid red traffic jam on Bing map traffic view. I am interested to see if the boat option 3 is possible.

1. Taxi - looks like traffic jam until past the Bosphorus bridge.
2. Metro to Gayrettepe then taxi to Ulus29. This looks like a super crowded metro around 6pm.
3. Boat to Ortaköy, spend some time at a small square near Büyük Mecidiye Cami I have seen in several movies, then take a taxi.

Looking at the boat schedule, there seems to be boats from Eminönü-->Ortaköy during the evening rush hour.
http://en.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en/tim...horus-365.html

And the line is BOĞAZ HATTI at 2.15TL using an Istanbulkart.
http://en.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en/tim...lines-346.html

When look at the google map, BOĞAZ HATTI seems to dock at iskele on the east side of the Galata Bridge instead on the west side. Is this correct?

Is 17:50 BOĞAZ HATTI boat just as crowded a metro?

Is there place to catch a taxi near the Ortaköy ferry boat dock?

Hi there,
Ferry is the best option on that time of the day, you are totally correct. Ortakoy that you can ask to anyone there and they will show you where the Ortakoy ferry leaves. You never feel packed in a ferry since you can walk around it unlike a subway and yes there will be many people taking that ferry with you but no worries...

To get a taxi in Ortakoy, you need to walk a few meters to the main street. You will find a street going up across the ferry dock and a narrow street going in between small shops very close to the Buyuk Mecidiye CAmii. both will bring you to the main street that you can easily take a taxi to Ulus 29.

I hope this will help,
happy travels,
turkeytourorganizer

Definitely option 3.

Boat should leave from Eminonu, on the old city side. You should see
"Bogaz Iskelesi" sign.

Ortakoy has a small & fun square at ferry landing.
It is just a couple of minutes to the main coastal route, where you should easily be able to pick a taxi.

It may be easier to get a free cab and walk to your right up towards the Black Sea side until you get to the traffic lights at the intersection with the route up to Ulus, and try for a taxi coming from the Bosphorus or already deciding to go up to Ulus.

Thanks for the useful info on the commuter ferry schedule.
The passengers can buy individual tokens at the pier for 3TL if they do not have an Istanbul card. (Mind you, this price may actually go up in the near future)

It just occurred to me that you can get off a commuter ferry at Arnavutkoy or bebek and take a taxi back.

It will be easier to find taxis at these locations and without as much traffic.

The taxi will not have to get to Ortakoy to climb up the hill to Ulus 29 but may take any number of side streets from past Arnavutkoy to Kurucesme.

I just did this trip using the Eminönü to Ortaköy ferry method. This was probably the most predictable way to get to the Ulus29 from the Sultanahmed square area. Took tram to Eminönü, then walked over to the ferry pier that serves Ortaköy, which was the closest pier to the Galata bridge on Bosphorus side. To get on 17:50 ferry, if you want a good seat, you need to be outside waiting at the loading area by 17:40 when the previous ferry leaves. This is not a mobility friendly option. There are 5 big steps to the boad deck level, then if you want to sit outside on upper deck, it is several steps more on very steep stairs. The ferry was crowded but everyone had a seat. Also, there are no departure board or announcement inside the waiting area. At the ferry loading point, there was a PA, but only in Turkish. This was definitely targetted for Turkish speaking commuters who know how it works. On the otherhand, I saw no other tourists on this ferry.

The ferry takes 25 min to Ortaköy. I can see cars moving at walking speed along the road next to the Bosphorus as well as slow moving vehicles over the Bosphorus bridge. The mosque at Ortaköy picturesque with Bosphorus bridge in the background. Once I walked up to the road, there was a taxi practically waiting for me to take me up to Ulus29. It was 8TL on meter.