Trying to get an idea of how much time we should plan at the following. What is a good balance between being rushed and spending too much time. I know it varies by person. Looking for opinions on following:

Topki Palace
Blue Mosque
Aya Sophia
Basilica Cistern
Bosphorus Boat Trip

Also:
Ephesus
Pergamum

Thanks,
Ali

Ali- I would suggest a full day at Topkapi. Another full day could be spent at Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque, Cisterns and exploring the Hippodrome area. Take time out for lunch at both venues. Depending on driving times to visit Ephesus and Pergamum you might want to consider a full day at Ephesus. Pergamum is much smaller, but on a spectacular site and a half day should suffice. Enjoy your trip!

Topkapi Palace, half day
Blue Mosque1 hour inside,half outside
Aya Sophia, 1 & half hours
Basilica Cistern, 1 hour
Bosphorus Boat Trip as long as it takes

Also:
Ephesus, all day !(take your time)
My thoughts only !!

i have not been to ephesus or pergamum, so will stick to your istanbul places - roughly i would say you need:
topkapi palace - a full half day
blue mosque - half an hour
aya sophia - an hour
cistern - if this is the underground water chambers then allow 90 minutes, if not, sorry!
bosphorous boat trip - i'd allow a day for this to explore the different stop off points, rent bikes, stand with one foot in europe and the other in asia and have a leisurely seafood lunch. this was a fabulous way to spend the day.
enjoy!

I agree with Marko's estimates.

Also see the Süleymaniye Mosque, in addition to the Sultan Ahmet (a.k.a. "Blue&quot Mosque. If possible, also see the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum if you are interested.

You should also go to one of the major shopping bazaars: the Grand Bazaar (which I hated) and/or the Spice Bazaar, which is a lot of fun.

Isn't it a little lack of respect to call "attraction" to a religious place? May be I am too sensitive...
OTOH I love Grand Bazaar, I could spend a full day there...

<< Isn't it a little lack of respect to call "attraction" to a religious place?>>

No.

thanks cmt, it seems I have to review some concepts.

Maybe I missed something - but the cistern took us about 15 minutes - it was neat, but there's not much to do. We were only allowed in the blue mosque for 5 minutes - they were about to pray. Aya Sofia was under construction, but maybe it's done.

I agree with the previous poster - spend time at the grand bazaar and our favorite - the spice bazaar and surrounding area. I don't see how you could spend a whole day at Topkapi - interesting, but still, there's so much to see and do in Istanbul.
I would also recommend going to a Turkish bath if you're comfortable with some nudity. Also, take some time to wander around the neighborhoods (pick one on the Asian side as well) because I think that helps you to understand modern Istanbul.

Ayasofia still has half the dome obscured by scaffolding (four days ago.) I would estimate that it might be removed sometime before 2010.

Which does not diminish by any means, BTW, the impact of the building on one's senses. Holy moley.

Topkapi in half a day means you're rushing IMO. Doable I suppose, but if you're also touring the treasury and the harem (both supplemental tickets - the place is not cheap) then time might be an issue.

Well, you have an idea of what individual visitors feel is necessary for the places you plan to visit. In the end, it'll be up to you.

Though you didn't list - I'd try to find time to visit the Dolmabache Palace - quite interesting. They have both a long and short tours, but don't recall what is missing with the short tour. They have scheduled times, so check this out.

just returned from spending a full week in istanbul and visiting all the places you asked about in your post.

topkapi palace took us several hours/half a day including lunch at the restaurant on the grounds which has both a self-service cafeteria and a waiter service section. it overlooks a fabulous view of the bosphorus. one suggestion: once you're inside topkapi, head immediately for the harem section (an additional admission price) which opens at 10 am. only guided tours are permitted because of the labyrinth inside. we didn't get to the harem until 3 pm the first day we were there and all tours were sold out. we managed to convince the tourist police on the grounds to let us return the next morning without paying another admission fee and headed right to the harem. the tour there takes about 1/2 an hour.

the blue mosque: about half an hour although we had to wait until services ended at roughly 2 pm before we, and all other visitors, could be admitted.

aya sofia: about an hour admiring not only the architecture but the wonderful photo exhibit upstairs in the gallery.

the basilica cistern: about 1/2 hour to an hour. felt very much like phantom of the opera. not recommended for claustrophobics as it's completely underground, dark and only lit by floating candles but it's fascinating to see how wonderfully it was built and what atmosphere it has.

bosphorous boat trip: take the public ferry and don't be misled by helpful strangers coming up to you near the galata bridge trying to convince you to pay 10 times what you'll be paying on the ferry. when we were there the first week in april, there was only ONE ferry leaving at, i think, 10:30 in the morning. the trip took us several hours including about a 2 hour stop at the farthestmost town on the bosphorous where most people disembarked to walk around and eat lunch. the return ferry, one return only, left at (again, i think) about 2:30 or 3 pm and got us back to istanbul at around 4:30 pm.

the grand bazaar was fun if you're not blinded by row after row of jewelry shops and are prepared to haggle seriously. liked the egyptian spice market much better as i found the array of colorful spices, herbs, olives, nuts, etc. a photographer's delight and totally different from what i'm used to at home.

happy travels!!

The Dolmabace Palace is worth seeing - but the long tour is not necessary. Just visit the main palace. Wonderful chandeliers!

Aya Sophia has a terrific atmosphere.

Hi alialami
Right off the track here but I noticed from the Africa branch that you were going to use ATR for your Tanzanian trip last year. DId you use them in the end and if so how did you find them? We are just about to book - our safari starts on New Year's Day.

Blue Mosque -- 1-2 hours
Hagia Sofia -- 2 hours
Topkapi -- at least 1/2 day

Ephasus (which is like 10 hours by bus from Istnabul, so I assume that's a separate trip) -- one full day. I highly recommend you get a guide or do a tour...Ephasus is incredible and requires plenty of story telling to make it come alive.

I didn't think much of the Aya Sofia -- it was filled with scaffolding when I was there in 2003. Had I known what I know now I woulda saved my $15 Euro and just gone back to Topkapi or the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is worth it to just sit and watch and listen...what a beautiful place.

Happy travels.

Jules

You've already gotten some good advice about timing your visits and right-on enthusiasm for the delightful Spice Bazaar, but I want to suggest you include a couple of smaller mosques for an even more intimate and aesthetic appreciation of their impact. We visited, almost alone, the Rustem Pasha mosque right behind the Spice Market and another "blue heaven" down the hill behind the mosaic museum.
Ephesus was a high point of our recent trip. You can fly inexpensively to Izmir and stay overnight in the delightful town of Selcuk; I recommend the Kale Han hotel there...very reasonable price and airport pickup. Spend the remainder of your flying in day in Selcuk as it has a great museum, a fabulous ancient basilica and an old mosque of its own. Then arrive early at the top entrance to Ephesus and walk down the hill. Not only will that save you energy, but when you reach Celsus' Library at the bottom the impact will be all the greater.
You can then get a quick cab to Kusadasi, a resort town with ferries to the Greek islands.

We are going to IST in a couple weeks. I had a couple addittional questions about other attractions:

We were interested in the archeology museum. Any opinions?

Also the mosaic museum.

Was visiting the Harem in Topkapi worth the money and time?

Thanks!

I'm with Efurdell; I agree that ou should try to visit some of the smaller mosques, like the Rustem Pasa. That was a gem of a place. Another prize is the Sulimaniye, larger but not as crowded as the Aya Sofya or the Blue Mosque.
To Markr37-- I loved the Mosaic Museum! Another small gem, but definitely worth a visit. It won't be more than an hour (if that long), but try to see it. The Archeology Museum is excellent, but I'll be honest-- it was too "museumy" for my taste. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but if it's convenient, worth a stop.

And I'd say definitely a half-day at Topkapi; a full day is too much, IMO. I'd rather be out at the markets (Spice Market is my favorite) or walking the streets of a neighborhood.