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City Guide - Istanbul - Tours of the City | ||
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Tours of the City Walking Tours While Istanbul is a driver's nightmare, it is a walker's paradise - as long as sufficient attention is paid to the drivers who cannot be trusted to stop at pedestrian walkways or even red lights. One recommended route is from the Kariye Museum along the city walls to the Golden Horn, where you can see the little visited remains of the last Byzantine Palace, Blachernae, including its grim dungeons. Jewish visitors may enjoy the backstreets of the Galata Tower area, which contain numerous synagogues and other religious buildings. Bus Tours There are a number of bus tour operators with English-language guides in Istanbul, and there are details available at every hotel. Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 2272) arranges city sightseeing tours, including Jewish Heritage tours, while Fez Travel (tel: (212) 516 9024; e-mail: feztravel@feztravel.com; web site: www.feztravel.com), which is geared to backpackers, can organise sightseeing trips to 'off the beaten track' parts of town for small groups. Boat Tours In summer, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus (tel: (212) 522 0045) leave Eminönü pier 3 at 1030, 1245 and 1415, stopping 15 minutes' later at Be?ikta?. The ferry makes its way up the Bosphorus, passing the city's lovely wooden 'yal?s' or seaside mansions, up to the old sea gates at Anadolu Kava??. The trip takes two hours in each direction, with the option of stopping for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kava??. Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 8118) also offers private dinner cruises. |