Istanbul in One Day

I would like to talk about Istanbul today. As you may know Istanbul is becoming increasingly popular among cruise ship destinations and last year more then 400 ships docked to the harbour of Istanbul which is located at the mouth of Golden Horn. With a simple math we can calculate how many visitors visit Istanbul as a cruise ship passenger. Lets assume that each ship has 1000 guests multiply with 400 ships then we have a number of 400.000 guests. How many of them do you think "Get most out of Istanbul in one day" believe me not much. Because most of the cruise ships offer only tours which are focusing the historical area which is very crowded during the peak season and what you do there is basically quee for the ticket queue for to see the relics etc .. and then the day finishes. Here is one example full day tour which is focusing on not only the old city but also the new city and make you mingle with the locals.

 Your tour starts when you are met by your local guide at the entrance of Istanbul port. After a 5 minute walk you will travel by tram to the heart of the historic district of Istanbul (most probably 15 minutes before the other cruise ship passengers buses arrive: Istanbul is notorious for traffic). You first will see the fountain of the German Kaiser, William the 2nd, the Hippodrome area, the Serpentine Column, Dikili Tas, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Underground Cistern. You will then hop on to the tram to return to Kabatas, here you will connect to the historical funicular line.
From the last stop of the funicular line, you will start to walk along the historical Istiklal Avenue, where you will see the Art Nouveau buildings of Istanbul. You will also have time to enjoy appetizers at ‘Cite de Pera’. From Taksim Square you will catch a typical Turkish ‘dolmus’ and cross to the Asiatic side of Istanbul via the Bosporus Bridge. Upon arrival in Kadikoy we then travel by ferry to return to the European shores of Istanbul. If time allows we will make a visit to the Egyptian Bazaar. After what we hope is an enjoyable tour, your journey with us will end at the port of Istanbul.

Is that sounds good ? if yes just click the link below to see more detailed information and pictures.  http://www.ephesuswalks.com/resp_full_istanbul.html