Mga bagay na dapat gawin sa Topkapi Palace

Since it was peak season and I was traveling with my mother, I booked a fast-track ticket for convenience. I usually explore museums and palaces thoroughly with audio guides even when traveling alone, so I booked the fast-track option (including an audio guide). However, I later found out it didn't include the Harem section. To add the Harem, it would cost an additional 1040 lira, which is about 35,000 won, purchased at the internal ticket office. In hindsight, it would have been better to buy a ticket that included a guided tour from the start. The palace is so vast and has so much to see that it took us three hours just to look around on our own, and we visited on a Sunday, so there were long lines at each section. I thought it would have been more efficient if a guide had pointed out the key locations and must-see items. Also, the audio guide included with this ticket is not the official palace commentary but a much more concise version. While the official version might be better for those with a strong academic interest exploring alone, on a day like ours, when we were simply enjoying the beautiful and rare artifacts, we didn't really listen to the commentary anyway. So, it wasn't an issue. The tickets are exchanged inside the meeting point (Bistro), and at the designated time, a host personally escorts you into the palace. It was nice to arrive a little early, have a drink, and wait comfortably. The host spoke English clearly and distinctly, which made me think it would have been even better to have an English guided tour. In conclusion, even a simple guided tour is better than none, and I recommend a tour that includes the Harem section if you're going anyway. However, I have no regrets about exploring freely, and I was truly happy because Topkapi Palace was so magnificent. With its panoramic views, architecture, and the artifacts and jewels inside, it's a must-visit attraction that I highly recommend, despite the expensive admission fee!

We first met at a pub and then headed to Topkapi Palace together, which was a fun and unique way to start the tour! 😆 It was raining, so walking around and exploring the palace was a little difficult, but somehow that made the experience even more memorable and fun. ☔️🇹🇷 We joined the 3 PM tour, but it felt a little rushed toward the end. If you want to explore Topkapi Palace more comfortably and have enough time to see everything, I’d definitely recommend choosing an earlier tour!

Nasiyahan kami sa magandang tanawin ng Bosphorus Strait sa isang magandang lokasyon hanggang sa paglubog ng araw. Kitang-kita mula sa dagat ang Dolmabahçe Palace, Rumeli Hisarı, at Maiden's Tower habang dumadaan sa tulay. Si Chef Ahmet ay naghanda ng mainit na tsaa at nagbigay ng kumot. Napakasarap din ng fruit at cookie platter, pati na rin ang idinagdag naming french fries at toast. May kasama ring inumin, kaya't ito ay isang tour na may magandang halaga at lubos kong irerekomenda. Mangyaring mag-order ng inumin o karagdagang pagkain! Maraming salamat din sa magandang magnet na regalo! Ito na ang ikatlong beses ko sa Turkey, ngunit ang cruise na ito ay ang pinakamahusay dahil nakapag-relax ako at nakinig sa musika. Salamat sa mahusay na serbisyo, Chef Ahmet!

Talagang kahanga-hanga ang Palasyo ng Dolmabahçe, karapat-dapat itong tawaging bagong palasyo. Nakatayo ang buong palasyo sa tabi ng tubig, ang puting marmol na gusali ay nakaharap sa Bosphorus Strait, na may maringal at engrandeng panlabas na hitsura, at kahit anong kuha ay maganda. Ang binili naming skip-the-line ticket ay nakatipid sa amin ng mahabang pila, kaya naging maayos ang pagpasok. Sa tulong ng audio guide, naintindihan namin ang kasaysayan sa likod nito. Ang loob ng palasyo ay marangya, ang malalaking chandelier na kristal ay nakasisilaw, at ang maraming palamuting ginto ay napakagara, na nagbibigay ng matinding visual impact. Habang naglalakad sa pasilyo, mararamdaman mo ang karangyaan ng European court sa huling bahagi ng Ottoman Empire, at matatanaw mo rin ang tanawin ng kipot. Ang pangkalahatang karanasan ay napakaganda, komportable ang bilis ng paglilibot, at ang arkitektural na kagandahan ay talagang kahanga-hanga. Sulit na sulit bisitahin ito kapag nasa Istanbul.

Ang pass na ito ay napakakumportable at nakatipid sa akin ng maraming oras. Hindi ko na kailangang pumila para sa tiket, i-scan lang ang QR code at pumasok. Ang tanging atraksyon na nangailangan ng pakikipagkita sa isang gabay ay ang Topkapi Palace. Ang pangunahing pila ay para sa security check at sa seksyon ng museo sa loob ng palasyo. Sa pangkalahatan, mas pinadali nito ang pamamasyal.

Excellent overall, our tour guide Ali was very courteous and friendly, explained everything very well and locations were all covered, good value for money.

it was a very informative tour and the guide was. very open to questions. it was great

A Bosphorus cruise is a must-do activity when visiting Istanbul, Turkey, as the scenery along the Istanbul coastline is incredibly beautiful. Due to time constraints, I only opted for the short tour, but if I ever have the chance, I definitely want to experience a dinner cruise.

Great experience and worth every peny. We were only the ones who participated in the tour and it seemed like we had our private guide. Our tour guide, Elaida, was very knowledgeable about the different tourist spots. So much to see in just a span of 12 hours. Great lunch as well.