Walking
Tours
While Istanbul is a driver’s nightmare, it is a walker’s
paradise. One suggested self-guided walking route
is from the Kariye Museum, along the city walls,
to the Golden Horn, where visitors can see the
little visited remains of the last Byzantine Palace,
Blachernae, including its grim dungeons. Jewish visitors may enjoy
the back streets of the Galata Tower area, which
contain many synagogues and other religious
buildings.
Istanbul
Walks, Eski Bagdat Caddesi 50 (tel: (0216) 489 6031/32) offers
a choice of walks lasting around two-and-a-half-hours, including
classic sights around Sultanahmed, around the Bazaar,
and Galata and Pera. Most tours
depart from the Tourist Information Office on Sultanahmet Square.
Reservations recommended.
Bus
Tours
Information of bus tour operators with English speaking
guides is available at most hotels. In addition to a hop-on
hop-off bus service, Plan
Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777) arranges city sightseeing
tours, including Jewish Heritage tours. Sites
visited include the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome
and Grand Bazaar. Transfers to and from hotels (European
side only) is provided.
Fez
Travel (tel: (0212) 516 9024 or (0870) 742 4173 in the UK),
which is geared to backpackers, organises longer
sightseeing trips for small groups to ‘off the beaten track’
locations. A three-night Istanbul City Break includes
two full days of sightseeing, the services of an English-speaking
guide, all entrance fees and bed and breakfast accommodation.
Boat Tours
A full-day Bosphorus river cruise with lunch, including
a visit to Dolmabahce Palace and other sites along
the way, is offered by Plan
Tours (tel: (0212) 230 2272 or 234 7777). During the summer,
they also run private boat tours of the Bosphorus, as well as dinner
cruises. Transfers to and from hotels (European-side hotels only)
are available.
In summer, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus, operated by the Turkish
Maritime Organisation, Türkiye
Denizcilik Ýþletmeleri (tel: (0212) 522 0045),
leave Eminönü pier three at 1030, 1245 and 1415, stopping
at Besiktas 15 minutes later. The ferry makes its way up the Bosphorus,
passing the city’s beautiful wooden ‘yalis’ or
seaside mansions, up to the old sea gates at Anadolu Kavagi. The
trip takes 2 hours in each direction, with the choice of stopping
for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kavagi. Both single
and return tickets are available.
Excursions
Prince’s
Islands
These nine small islands in the Sea of Marmara,
12km (7 miles) southeast of Istanbul, were once used to
keep unwanted heirs to the Ottoman throne in secluded luxury,
as well as the exile Leon Trotsky after he was
expelled from the Soviet Union in 1929. Today, however, they offer
a taste of the past with horse-drawn carriage tours and a ban on
cars. Commuter ferries run to four of the islands and the rest are
privately owned, uninhabited or military bases. Büyükada
is the largest and has beautiful wooden
mansions and hotels, and a cool pine forest for picnics.
A cobblestone path from Karacabey Bay leads to the ancient
Ayios Nikolaos monastery; Heybeliada
was the centre of an old Greek community, with
six churches and monasteries, one dating to 1431; while Bürgazada
has a Greek monastery on a cliff overlooking the
sea.
Ferries run to the islands from Sirkeci and Bostanci,
taking about 50 minutes to reach the first island and 15 minutes
between the other three. Faster sea-buses, operated by IDO
(Tel: (0212) 444 4436), also run about three times a day from Kabatas,
near Dolmabahçe Palace.
Termal
Located 38km (24 miles) southeast of Istanbul, Termal is
a natural hot (thermal) spring, well-known as a
spa since Roman times. After a 20-minute sea-bus journey
from Kabatas to Yalova, operated by IDO
(Tel: (0212) 444 4436) and running five times per day, it is a short
bus (Tasköprü-Termal no 4), dolmus or taxi ride to the
main complex, which has a historic Turkish bath (hamam),
open and covered pools, private rooms and several hotels and restaurants.
The spa is open daily 0900-1700. The Yalova
Provincial Department of Tourism, Yali Caddesi 33, Yalova
(tel: (0226) 813 8507) provides further information. |
