Istanbul Cruise Port
- Address:Rıhtım Cd 2 Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh., Istanbul
- Admission:Free
1:21 AM Sunday, May 27
Passing clouds. Cool.
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The legendary city of Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia, washed by the Bosphorus on the Sea of Marmara. Sail past the minarets and domes to dock near the medieval Galata Tower, then make a date to bargain hunt in the markets, soak up Ottoman history in the palaces and mosques, or visit the Turkish islands for the day.
How to Get to Istanbul
Cruise liners dock at the Yolcu Salonu passenger terminal, on the Bosphorus waterfront at Karakoy. Trams run from Karakoy across the Galata Bridge to the Spice Bazaar, Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi. It’s a 10-minute stroll if you’d like to walk to the Galata Bridge. Or you can catch a taxi to Taksim Square and pedestrianized Istiklal Caddesi to stroll past bustling shops and restaurants.
One Day in Istanbul
There’s so much history crammed into Istanbul, historically known as Constantinople. Visit Byzantine churches turned Ottoman mosques, the most famous being Hagia Sophia, and tour the sultans’ exotic Topkapi Palace. Get ready to haggle at the Great Bazaar, or sail off for a car-free day on the idyllic Princes Islands.
For the best overview of this seductive city, an Istanbul in One Day sightseeing tour includes all the highlights, plus a visit to the tiled Blue Mosque. And if your visit extends into evening, dine on Turkish cuisine accompanied by the glitter and glamour of belly dancers with an Istanbul by Night dinner and show.
Port Information
Istanbul is one of Turkey’s most important cruise ports, visited by liners operated by Princess, Celebrity, Oceania, Costa, Cunard, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC Italian. The currency is Turkish Lira, best sourced from banks and ATMs. Turkish is the official language while Arabic and Kurdish are also spoken. But English is widely understood at the major tourist sites, shops and bazaars so you should not encounter many problems when communicating with the locals.
Latest Reviews All Istanbul Cruise Port Reviews »
wonderful...Driver picked us up at the ship and returned us as well in a clean van on time
The food was good, as was the show.
Same tour as the ships at a better price
Our guide was excellent. He was very knowledgable about the history of the country. Very friendly and kept a close eye to make sure no one got left behind all day.
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This was a FANTASTIC Tour. Talga was a great guide and so concerned about the welfare of his clients. Instead of taking us to Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque in the morning, he asked if we could reverse the schedule and showed us the l-o-n-g lines to those sites when we were nearby. When we went to those sites in the afternoon, we just walked in rather than waiting in the blazing sun. We didn't wait in any lines for any of our stops. His directional hint in the Bazaar helped all of us from getting lost. He knew his stuff, was fun and we had a great time. Would recommend this tour and especially our great guide!!!!
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