Round Trip of Istanbul in a Helicopter

After a small brifing held heliport which is near the Şişli wedding bureau, our flight begins on Istanbul Bosphorus where Europe meets with Asia.
Our route is a kind of visual feast flight over Maslak which is Manhattan of İstanbul, and the historical peninsula including Topkapı Palace, Sultanahmet Mosque, Hagisofia (Ayasofya), Eminönü, Golden Horn (Haliç), Pierreloti, Eyüp, Balat and others such as Haydarpaşa, Kalamış..

Istanbul Helicopter Tour Route 1

Sights in Bosphorus (Anatolia):
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü Bridge, Anatolian Fortress, Hidiv Pavilion, Kucuksu Pavilion, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School, Bosphorus Bridge, Uskudar, Maiden's Tower, Selimiye Barracks, Haydarpasa Port, Haydarpasa Train Station, Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium

Sights in Historical Peninsula:
Suleymaniye Mosque, Beyazıt Tower, Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome Sultanahmet Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Topkapı Palace

Sights in The Golden Horn:
Galata Bridge, Pantokrator Church, Valens Aqueduct, Fener Patriarchate, Fatih Mosque, Metal Church(St.Stephen of Bulgars), Eyup Sultan, Piyer Loti Café, Feshane, City Walls, Kariye Museum, Miniaturk, Rahmi Koc Museum, Old Galata Bridge

Sights in Bosphorus (Europe):
Galatia Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Inonu Stadium, Taksim Square, Ciragan Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Ortakoy Square, Ortakoy Mosque, Rumelian Fortress, Bebek Bay, Levent and Maslak Business Cneters, Turk Telekom Arena Galatasaray Stadium

Istanbul Helicopter Tour Route 2

Sights in Black Sea Entrance:
Black Sea, Rumelian Lighthouse, Anatolia Lighthouse, Poyraz, Anatolian Poplar

Sights in Bosphorus (Anatolia):
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Anatolian Fortress, Hidiv Pavilion, Kucuksu Pavilion, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School, Bosphorus Bridge, Uskudar, Maiden's Tower, Selimiye Barracks, Haydarpaşa Port, Haydarpasa Train Station, Kadıkoy, Fenerbahce S. Saracoglu Stadium, Kalamis, Fenerbahce Cape

Sights in Historical Peninsula:
Suleymaniye Mosque, Beyazıt Tower, Grand Bazzar, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Mosque, Hogia Sofia, Topkapı Palace

Sights in Golden Horn:
Galata Bridge, Pantokrator Church, Valens Aqueduct, Fener Patriarchate, Fatih Mosque, Metal Church(St.Stephen of Bulgars), Eyup Sultan, Piyer Loti Café, Feshane, City Walls, Kariye Museum, Miniaturk, Rahmi Koc Museum

Sights in Bosphorus (Europe):
Galatia Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Inonu Stadium, Taksim Square, Ciragan Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Ortakoy Square, Ortakoy Mosque, Rumelian Fortress, Bebek Bay, Levent and Maslak Business Cneters, Turk Telekom Arena Galatasaray Stadium

Istanbul Helicopter Tour Route 3

Sights in Black Sea Entrance:
Black Sea, Rumelian Lighthouse, Anatolia Lighthouse, Poyraz, Anatolian Poplar

Sights in Bosphorus (Anatolia):
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Anatolian Fortress, Hidiv Pavilion, Kucuksu Pavilion, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School, Bosphorus Bridge, Uskudar, Maiden's Tower, Selimiye Barracks, Haydarpaşa Port, Haydarpasa Train Station, Kadıkoy, Fenerbahce S. Saracoglu Stadium, Kalamis, Fenerbahce Cape

Sights in Islands:
Kinaliada, Burgazada, Heybeliada, Buyukada, Sedef Adasi

Sights in Historical Peninsula:
Suleymaniye Mosque, Beyazıt Tower, Grand Bazzar, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Mosque, Hogia Sofia, Topkapı Palace

Sights in Golden Horn:
Galata Bridge, Pantokrator Church, Valens Aqueduct, Fener Patriarchate, Fatih Mosque, Metal Church(St.Stephen of Bulgars), Eyup Sultan, Piyer Loti Café, Feshane, City Walls, Kariye Museum, Miniaturk, Rahmi Koc Museum

Sights in Bosphorus (Europe):
Galatia Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Inonu Stadium, Taksim Square, Ciragan Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Ortakoy Square, Ortakoy Mosque, Rumelian Fortress, Bebek Bay, Levent and Maslak Business Cneters, Turk Telekom Arena Galatasaray Stadium

Sultan's Boat

Once upon a time, there were boatmen under the governance of the “iskele kethüda.” All day and year-round, these boatmen rowed people back and forth between Galata and Eminönü, Hasköy and Balat. It is said that there were so many commuters that, by the late 19th century, there were 10,000 boats plying the city’s water routes.These boats were used for more than just commuting. Historians write that boat rides were among the most popular and elaborate entertainment forms of the Ottoman Empire. Boat rides on the Golden Horn stream were an inspiration to many poets, singers and artists.

The Ottomans classified boats according to the person using them as well as the purpose of use. There was a hierarchy that determined who could use which boat, the number of oarsmen they could have working and other such details.At the top of the rank were the Sultan’s boats that carried the ruler of the empire, the Sultan. The Sultan was the only person who could own the largest boat (30 meters x 2.5 meters) and have the greatest number of oarsmen (26). Only he was allowed to travel around the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus on this spectacular boat specifically designed and decorated to show his imperial wealth, power and prestige.

One French aristocrat mentions the Sultan’s boat in his writings about Istanbul and describes boats that cut through the water like a sword and were incredibly beautiful; he wrote the highest praise for the “craftsmanship (with) such magnificence” when describing the gold leaf work on the woodcarvings. Reportedly, visitors of that period claimed that the bird statue, a symbol of the empire, decorating the kayik’s front was made of solid gold and that the kiosk at the rear (the Sultan’s throne) was decorated throughout with precious stones.

The Sultan’s outings on this boat were a spectacular event. As the Sultan embarked, canons would be fired from the ships at the port and the maiden’s tower as a procession of smaller boats lead the way. People gathered along the seaside would bow down as the Sultan passed.

Sultan Abdülhamid came to Dolmabahçe Palace for his commencement ceremony on the imperial Boat. After two attempted assassinations, he fled to Yıldız Palace on the hills. During his 33-year reign, the Sultan’s boats were abandoned at the boathouse of Dolmabahçe Palace.

Sultan Mehmet V Reşat (1909-1918) tried to revive the imperial boat culture without success. Several factors contributed to his failure. The Ottoman Empire was declining as was his sultanate. The production of steamboats and cars were causing the residential settlements to expand toward the hills. Each passing day the Sultan’s boats faded into history.

That is, until the year 2002 when the Sultan’s boats were re-introduced onto the watery by-ways of Istanbul.

The Ottomans classified boats according to the person using them as well as the purpose of use. There was a hierarchy that determined who could use which boat, the number of oarsmen they could have working and other such details. At the top of the rank were the Sultan's boats that carried the ruler of the empire, the Sultan. The Sultan was the only person who could own the largest boat and have the greatest number of oarsmen. Only he was allowed to travel around the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus on this spectacular boat specifically designed and decorated to show his imperial wealth, power and prestige. One French aristocrat mentions the Sultan's boat in his writings about Istanbul and describes boats that cut through the water like a sword and were incredibly beautiful; he wrote the highest praise for the "craftsmanship (with) such magnificence" when describing the gold leaf work on the woodcarvings. Reportedly, visitors of that period claimed that the bird statue, a symbol of the empire, decorating the kayik's front was made of solid gold and that the kiosk at the rear (the Sultan's throne) was decorated throughout with precious stones. The Sultan's outings on this boat were a spectacular event. As the Sultan embarked, canons would be fired from the ships at the port and the maiden's tower as a procession of smaller boats lead the way. People gathered along the seaside would bow down as the Sultan passed.

For More Info Please Visit : http://www.sultankayiklari.com/yedek/?page_id=7

Bosphorus

Bosphorus

The Bosphorus (Turkish: Boğaziçi), also referred to sometimes as the Istanbul Strait (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı), is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles strait to the southwest together form the Turkish Straits. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, the Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea).

The limits of the Bosphorus are defined as the connecting line between the lighthouses Rumeli Feneri and Anadolu Feneri in the north and between the Ahırkapı Feneri and the Kadıköy İnciburnu Feneri in the south. Between the limits, the strait is 31 km (17 nmi) long, with a width of 3,329 m (1.798 nmi) at the northern entrance and 2,826 m (1.526 nmi) at the southern entrance. Its maximum width is 3,420 m (1.85 nmi) between Umuryeri and Büyükdere Limanı, and minimum width 700 m (0.38 nmi) between Kandilli Point and Aşiyan. This part of the strait is a dangerous point for maritime traffic: a 45-degree course alteration is required, and the current can reach 7 to 8 knots (3.6 to 4.1 m/s). To the south, at Yeniköy, the necessary course alteration is 80 degrees. All the dangers and obstacles characteristic of narrow waterways are present and acute in this critical sea lane. At the above mentioned turns (Kandilli and Yeniköy) where significant course alterations have to be made, the rear and forward sights are totally blocked prior to and during the course alteration. Ships approaching from the opposite direction cannot be seen round these bends. The risks posed by geography are increased dramatically by the heavy ferry traffic across the strait, linking the European and Asian sides of the city.

The depth of Bosphorus varies from 13 to 110 m (43 to 361 ft) in midstream with an average of 65 m (213 ft). The deepest location is between Kandilli and Bebek with 110 m (360 ft). The most shallow locations are off Kadıköy İnciburnu on the northward route with 18 m (59 ft) and off Aşiyan Point on the southward route with 13 m (43 ft).

The shores of the strait are heavily populated, straddled as it is by the city of Istanbul (with a metropolitan area population in excess of 12 million inhabitants) which extends inland from both coasts.

Although it has been known for a while that the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara flow into each other in an example of a density flow, findings of a study by the University of Leeds in August 2010 reveal that there is in fact an underwater channel of high-density water flowing across the floor of the Bosphorus (caused by the difference in density of the two seas), which would be the sixth largest river on Earth if it were to be on land

Sightseeing

The Bosphorus is particularly famous for the 620 historic waterfront houses (yalı) built during the Ottoman period, which stretch along the strait's European and Asian shorelines. Ottoman palaces such as the Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace, Yıldız Palace, Çırağan Palace, Feriye Palaces, Beylerbeyi Palace, Küçüksu Palace, Ihlamur Palace, Hatice Sultan Palace, Adile Sultan Palace and Khedive Palace also adorn the shores and hills of the strait; together with other landmark monuments and buildings such as the Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Yeni Mosque, Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque, Nusretiye Mosque, Dolmabahçe Mosque, Ortaköy Mosque, Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Yeni Valide Mosque, Maiden's Tower, Galata Tower, Rumelian Castle, Anatolian Castle, Yoros Castle, Selimiye Barracks, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Borusan Museum of Contemporary Art, Tophane-i Amire Museum, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Galatasaray University, Boğaziçi University, Robert College, Kabataş High School, Kuleli Military High School, among numerous others.

A cheap way to explore the Bosphorus is offered by the public ferries that traverse the strait from Eminönü (ferries dock at the Boğaz İskelesi pier) on the historic peninsula of Istanbul to Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea, zigzagging between the Rumelian and Anatolian sides of the city. It is also possible to experience the Bosphorus by taking a shorter, regular ride in one of the public ferries that travel between the European and Asian sides; or by one of the privately owned ferries that operate between Üsküdar and Beşiktaş or Kabataş.

The catamaran seabuses offer high-speed commuter services between the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus, but they stop at fewer ports and piers in comparison to the public ferries. Both the public ferries and the seabuses also provide commuter services between the Bosphorus and the Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara.

There are also tourist rides available in various places along the coasts of the Bosphorus. The prices vary according to the type of the ride, and some feature loud popular music for the duration of the trip.

More Info About Bosphorus Tours :
http://www.sehirhatlari.com.tr/en/timetable/full-bosphorus-cruise-362.html

TAXI - TAKSİ

Taking a taxi (taksi) in Istanbul is easy. But with 20.000 taxis driving around town, only a fool would believe all drivers are honest. Luckily most of them are indeed fair, but there are a rising amount of cases where tourists get hustled while taking a taxi ride in Istanbul. We recommend you simply book from private shuttle for your airport transfers which is always safe and cheap.


Day & Night Rates – Upon entering the taxi, a flat or starting rate will appear. After that, the rate will increment every 400 meters. Check out the current cab rates and taxi fares between popular Istanbul tourist destinations here. When the taxi is not moving (at traffic lights or while being stuck in traffic), the fare should remain more or less the same! During the day, the word gündüz should appear onscreen at regular intervals. At night (between midnight and 6 am), the word gece will appear. Since the night-rate is 50% higher than the day-rate, make sure the gündüz rate is applied when appropriate! This too is a popular tourist scam.

• Bridge or Highway Toll – In case you take a taxi to cross either of the Bosphorus bridges or drive on the TEM highway, toll (not more than TL 4) has to be paid. The taxi driver will pay that for you, but will add this to the fare.

• No Tipping – Unless the taxi driver helped you load and unload your luggage, he won’t expect a tip. If you’re happy with his performance, you can roundup the fare to the nearest convenient figure. Some taxi drivers may claim to be out of small money, hence try to make a few extra liras. Just stand your ground and make him go change the money somewhere if you feel he’s deceitful.

• Say What? – Most taxi drivers speak very little to no English at all. Having said that, chances are that your knowledge of Turkish is similar to his English skills. It’s therefore not a bad idea to have the exact name and street of your destination written down on a piece of paper.

• Seemingly Lost – Taxi drivers are not too streetwise. And in their defense, Istanbul is a giant city and expecting taxi drivers to know every single street by heart is unfair. It is therefore not unusual that taxi drivers are unfamiliar with the exact location of lesser known places. You may find him ask you, other drivers or pedestrians along the way. If you have a phone number on your destination, he’ll be glad to call them for precise directions.

• Unsafe Driving – Time is money. It’s a cliché, but it’s still very true for Istanbul’s taxi drivers. They may take alternative (and a tad longer and more expensive) roads when the main roads are congested. That’s perfectly fine and will benefit both parties. What they shouldn’t do though is race through the narrow streets. If at any time you feel unsafe, you tell the driver yavaş gidin (’yavash gidin’ pronounced) or just daha yavaş lütfen. Both mean more or less the same and order him to slow down. If he doesn’t obey your wishes, just get out at the first occasion that arises.

Here are the most popular Istanbul taxi scams, and how you can prevent them from happening to you.

Making the Taxi Ride Longer

Scam — This a very common trick pulled on tourist by taxi drivers all over the world, and Istanbul is no exception to the rule. As a tourist you don’t know the shortest way to your destination, so the taxi driver can easily make an extra tour around the block and spice up the bill. In case the tourist does know the way, he’ll come up with the excuse that there is a massive traffic jam on the usual route.
Solution — If you are indeed unfamiliar with the roads and/or don’t speak Turkish, there is unfortunately very little you can do to tell him what route to take. That’s why we came up with giving you an overview of Istanbul taxi fares to the most common tourist destinations. This will give you a nice indication on when to start arguing with the taxi driver and cut the bill he presents you.
The Turkish Lira Note Switch

Scam — For arguments sake, let’s assume the fare is 15 TL and you hand him a 50 TL note. Out of sight he switches the note with a 5 TL note he has ready, shows it to you and waits for you to hand him the ‘remaining’ 10 TL note. Where you expected to get change, you’re confused (since you’re not familiar with the money) and end up paying 60 TL for a 15 TL drive.
Solution — Always make sure you have plenty of small bank notes and even coins on you for taxi rides so you can hand the taxi driver the exact amount due. In case you do have to hand a bigger note and expect change, double check the value of the note before you hand it to the driver. Also, tipping a taxi driver is not a Turkish custom unless he helped you with (un)loading your luggage.
I Have No Change

Scam — Again, let’s assume the fair is 16 TL and you hand him a 20 TL bill. The driver seemingly looks a bit around in his cab. After a minute he comes up with only 1 TL in change, claiming he ran out of coins. This way he tries to ‘earn’ another 3 TL.
Solution — You have two options. If it’s only a few Turkish Liras, you can just let it go. Or, what I mostly do, just sit in the car and tell him to go change the note in a shop. You’d be surprised how quickly they all of a sudden come up with the exact change.
A Fixed Price Instead of Using The Meter

Scam — The driver suggests to agree on a price for the ride to your destination instead of using the taxi meter. He’ll argue you’re better off this way, because there is a lot of traffic, he’ll take a short cut and you’ll pay less. Why would he want to be so kind to you? He isn’t!
Solution — Always insist to use the meter! If he doesn’t want to use the meter, or even worse doesn’t have one, refuse the ride, get out and flag down another taxi. The same goes in case he claims half way the ride the meter breaks down. Just make him stop next to a police car, and get out. He won’t argue with you, trust me.
Taxi, Taxi? Follow Me!

Scam — There are about 19.000 official and licensed taxi drivers in Istanbul. Unfortunately, there are at least a similar amount of illegal, unlicensed or private taxi drivers. Some may offer better rates, the majority doesn’t!
Solution — Only take official taxis. Istanbul taxis are yellow, have a taksi sign on the roof, have a meter built in (newer ones have them integrated in the mirror) and show their affiliation with a taxi stand, airport, hotel, etc. painted on their doors. You can have the hotel call one for you, look for them at taxi stands or just flag them down on the street.
Night Versus Daytime

Scam — The taxi driver puts the taxi meter on night time (gece) during the day, or during the night. Either way, it’s not correct because the night time/daytime difference has been abolished!
Solution — Make sure the meter is always set to daytime (gündüz). These words should appear on the meter display at regular intervals. For the new, mirror integrated meters, the daytime code to look for is ’1′.

Unsafe Driving

This is not a scam, but some Istanbul taxi drivers think the city is one giant race track. Sure, they are very experienced drivers and want to serve as much customers in a day as possible. If you ever start feeling unsafe, just tell the driver yavaş (yavash), which means as much as ‘slow down’. Just repeat the word until the driver reaches a speed you feel comfortable with. If he doesn’t comply, just get out at the first opportunity you have.


Just like everywhere else in the world, some Istanbul taxi drivers have several tricks up their sleeve to hustle unaware tourists. The most common practice is to extend the travel duration by making (huge) unnecessary detours. And since you’re not an Istanbulite, they’re pretty confident that you wouldn’t notice — and you won’t! But with this list of Istanbul taxi fares from Taksim and Sultanahmet to the most common tourist destinations, you are sure to pay the correct cab fare!

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Istanbul Taxi Flat Rate and Increments

• When you enter the taxi, the driver will activate the meter. The display should read 2.95 TL — the current flat rate.
• This fare is incremented with approximately 1,83 TL every kilometer.
• If a taxi gets caught up in traffic and doesn’t move or has to wait on your behalf for over 1 minutes, 0.30 TL will be added.
• There used to be a night and day rate, but that has been abolished. Don’t let him tell you different!

Taxi Fares from the Atatürk International Airport (and vice versa)

• to Sultanahmet — 40 TL
• to Taksim — 49 TL

Taxi Fares from the Sahiba Gökçen Airport (and vice versa)

• to Sultanahmet — 90 TL
• to Taksim — 78 TL
• Shocking fares, right? Here are better options on how to get from the Sabiha Gökçen Airport to your hotel!

Taxi Fares from Sultanahmet (and vice versa)

• to Akmerkez Shopping Mall — 25 TL
• to Bebek — 30 TL
• to Beşiktaş — 19 TL
• to BuzAda — 27 TL
• to Cehavir Shopping Mall — 16 TL
• to Dolmabahçe Palace — 14 TL
• to Fatih — 11 TL
• to Galata Tower — 14 TL
• to İstiniye Park Shopping Mall — 32 TL
• to Kadıköy — 42 TL
• to Kanyon Shopping Mall — 23 TL
• to Metrocity Shopping Mall — 23 TL
• to Nişantaşı – 18 TL
• to Ortaköy — 23 TL
• to Pierre Loti Cafe – 18 TL
• to Reina — 25 TL
• to Rumeli Hisarı — 34 TL
• to Taksim — 12 TL
• to Yıldız Park — 21 TL

Taxi Fares from Taksim (and vice versa)

• to Akmerkez Shopping Mall — 19 TL
• to Bebek — 23 TL
• to Beşiktaş — 8 TL
• to BuzAda — 18 TL
• to Cehavir Shopping Mall — 10 TL
• to Dolmabahçe Palace — 7 TL
• to Fatih — 13 TL
• to Galata Tower — 11 TL
• to İstiniye Park Shopping Mall — 29 TL
• to Kadıköy — 36 TL
• to Kanyon Shopping Mall — 20 TL
• to Metrocity Shopping Mall — 20 TL
• to Nişantaşı – 8 TL
• to Ortaköy — 16 TL
• to Pierre Loti — 36 TL
• to Reina — 16 TL
• to Rumeli Hisarı — 21 TL
• to Sultanahmet — 12 TL
• to Yıldız Park — 12 TL

Please Use Common Sense

• Print or copy this list prior to your departure for Istanbul. You may not be able to browse this site while you’re in the taxi.
• These fares are indications based on rides I took myself. They are correct and up-to-date, but Istanbul road conditions change every day. Don’t argue with your driver or call for the police unless the meter shows a significant deviation from the fare mentioned here. 

          by Erlend Geerts
          in Practical Information