Istanbul Logistics Help
 

Hi everyone.

We are leaving for Istanbul in just over a week and planning out our itinerary. Would love some help with a few logistical questions:

1) When is the best time to visit Topkapi palace to avoid lines/crowds? We are wondering whether to go first thing in the morning or wait until the afternoon?

2) When is the best time to visit the Dolmabahce palace? Is there any way to get tickets ahead of time, or is waiting in line a must?

3) We got tickets to this concert, which seems to be really out of the way.
http://www.biletix.com/etkinlik/P1M24/ISTANBUL/en Is there a good way to get there via public transportation? I'm also worried about getting back to our hotel in Sultanahmet after the concert -- how hard would it be to get a cab? Do we need to arrange one in advance?

Thank you!

The desk clerk at our hotel (Sari Konak) told us to get to Topkapi first thing in the morning, which we did not do. We got there around 10:30am. On a Tuesday in early May (2 weeks ago) at that hour, the line to get in was over an hour and a half. I cannot even imagine what the lines are like in the summer or on weekends. In any case, if you want to avoid the lines, I would not ignore the advice of the locals!

<<<told us to get to Topkapi first thing in the morning>>>

What's the second best time? We don't get up early in our family, even when traveling. "First thing in the morning" for us is usually around 9:30.

For 3) only

The concert is at Bebekoy, which is not out of the way at all.
However, it is not an area with public transport.

Turn right at Exit from Bebekoy. Walking straight will bring you to the Akmerkez mall where you can easily get a taxi, if there are non at the exit or on your route.

Alternatively, you can make the first right after turning right to the road which will bring you to another street leading down towards Bebek on the Bosphorus. There, you can have a good time with the upscale residents of Istanbul at a cafe, bar, restaurant or just an ice cream. Try Divan pastry shop and Brasserie, Bebek Kahve, Luca, Gloria Jeans or the tea garden within the park. The walk may take 15-20 minutes but can be interesting. The drive from Bebek towards the old city will be more congested though.

For Dolmabahce Palace, we see large crowds usually between 10-12AM when we are driving past almost everyday.

Isemida,

If you are planning to walk to Topkapi from the tram stop near Hagia Sophia, find my post on "Best Carpet Tout in Istanbul." A good friend told me he was still in operation as recently as three weeks ago.

What time is "first thing in the morning?"

sf7307, our hotel guy told us that the second best time was around 4 in the afternoon, but that's our take-it-easy time.
B-)
Anyway, I'm sure your hotel people will give you good advice -- probably better than ours, since I was less-than-overwhelmed by the staff at Sari Konak.

You can purchase tickets ahead of time here:

https://www.muze.gov.tr/buy_e_ticket

We went to Topaki last Friday about 10am and walked right in (as we had the tickets ahead of time), but it was fairly crowded inside. Manageable, but crowded.

We went to Dolmabahce Palace on Saturday at around 9:45 and waited in line for tickets about 2 minutes. Then waited at entrance for about 15 minutes. They limit the number of people allowed access, so if you are too late you might not get in. As we left around 11:30 the line was much longer, but didn't look like more than 15 mintues.