WE WILL BE IN ISTANBUL FOR 21/2 DAYS AND THEN CUISING TO GREECE. ANY HELP FOR MUST SEE'S IN TWO DAYS AND PLACES WITH GREAT REAL TURKISH FOOD! THANKS SO MUCH.

DO YOU THING A TOUR GUIDE IS NECESSARY?

Hello Hartlyn,
I think it's better to find a tour guide. S/he organises everything for you. So you can visit all places. Otherwise you waste your time by finding places.Istanbul is big city. An if you want I recommend you a tour guide, Her Name is Ozelm (something like that). she has a good knowledge. I joined to her tour. That was wonderful. She interested with everything. If you give me your personal e-mail address, ý send her phone etc..

No, a guide is not necessary. I don´t really know where s/he would be necessary? But get a good guide book, and read it also beforehand so you get to know the background and details. I liked Eyewitness for Istanbul.

In two days you just have time to see the obvious places:

- Hagia Sofia
- Blue mosque
- Topkapi (including the harem)
- Yerebatan Saray
- Grand Bazar (+ spice bazaar)

Topkapi alone (with archeological museum) can take a whole day. You don´t have time for these, but there are also Kariye Musezi (byzantine Chora church) and Suleiman mosque. And after a busy day go to Cemberlitas hamam, a Turkish bath that has been operating since 1500s.

Hello Elina,
You can have information from your guide books. But you cannot have correct information without any explanation. Istanbul is complicated city, and it has lots of places to visit. If you want to see more places in less time, you need a guide.

If you go to London you can go places with a guide book. ýf you are in ýstanbul where 3 emporium has been passed through to around places with a guidebook would be a nice day out only.

When you have limited time the best way to have a guide also allows you to have more interaction with the culture and you get good tips about how, what, why etc.....

If you stay long than take a guide for the first couple of days and continue on your own is a better way to explore istanbul. I am in the travel business myself and there are times I take a guide myself when in istanbul, which gives me better insight views and makes things easier....

Happy travelling

Murat

We hired one of the English speaking guides at the ticket office of the Topkapi and thought it was our best investment in Istanbul. We spent 3 hours with him and thought we had seen everything.

There are many sights where you don't need interpretation but we felt we got so much more out of the Topkapi because Mahmet was there to interpret and explain the history to us.

Also we were there on a Saturday . . . along with every other Turk in Istanbul. Our guide was able to help us navigate the large park and avoid the huge crowds. He took us through the Harem and thus we avoided being part of a large tour group of 40 or so. Those in the manatory Harem tour group complained that they didn't have enough time to see everything and it was hard to hear all the guide said. We had a wonderful tour.

Selective use a guide can be very helpful!

thank you all for the great advice!