The Pierre Loti Café, named after the French novelist, naval officer and Turkophile, is famous for its spectacular views over the Golden Horn. Located in Eyüp, about 6 kilometers from the Galata Bridge in Eminönü, it is not exactly on the typical tourist path. So, if you’re in Istanbul for only a few days, you may want to think twice about going there for a tea. But if you’re not pressed for time, the commanding views are well worth the small ‘detour’.

Pierre Loti Café (Piyer Loti Kahvesi)
Location
Gümüşsuyu Karyağdı Sokak, Eyüp
on Map with My Favorite Cafés and Pubs in the Historical Part of Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 581 26 96
Open
Daily from 08:00 till midnight.
Credit cards are NOT accepted.

The Pierre Loti Café Itself

Terrace of the Pierre Loti Café

The Pierre Loti cafe is a rather modest teahouse that offers a variety of non-alcoholic drinks as well as basic snacks. It’s the location and the spectacular views over the Golden Horn that make this place worthwhile. Since the cafe is dedicated to Pierre Loti (see below), the furniture and the waiter’s clothes refer to the end of the 19th century.

How to Get To the Pierre Loti Café?

The cable car to the Pierre Lotti Café.

Any taxi driver will be glad to drive you all the way to the Pierre Loti cafe, but there really is no need for that. On the contrary actually. Just ask the taxi driver to take you to the Eyüp mosque, or alternatively take bus 39, 55T or 99A and get off close to the mosque.

From there you have two options to make your way to the teahouse on the hilltop. You can either climb your way up through the picturesque cemetery or take the funicular which is signposted from the mosque. I suggest taking the last option to reach the Pierre Loti cafe, and afterwards descend by taking the path between the (mostly Ottoman) tombstones.

Pierre Loti in a Nutshell

You may wonder why there is a teahouse in Istanbul in dedicated to a French naval officer and novelist. Well, the legend has it that during his stay in Istanbul in 1876, Pierre Loti gazed from this exact location over the Golden Horn in search of inspiration for his literary masterpiece Aziyadé.

Aziyadé is semi-autobiographical and tells the story of Loti’s illicit love affair with an 18 year old harem girl named Aziyadé. She was his greatest love, proof of which the golden ring holding her name that he wore for the rest of his life.

For more pictures, check out Istanbul Cafe Picture Gallery at Istanbul Trails Photos.

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Almost on a daily basis I get emails from people about to take a cruise liner to Istanbul. Trying to plan their trip, they have questions like “Where is the cruise port in Istanbul?”, “How far is it from the cruise ship pier in Istanbul to Sultanahmet?” or “What are the transportation options from the cruise ship dock to the main sightseeing spots?” In this post I’ll try to answer these very common questions, and much more.

Where Is the Istanbul Cruise Ship Dock Located?

Location of the cruise ship dock.

Cruise ships dock at the passenger terminal (Yolcu Salonu) in Karaköy. And as a passenger, you couldn’t have dreamt of a more central location to set foot on Istanbul soil. Karaköy is loacted exactly where the Golden Horn flows into the Bosphorus. It is centrally located because it takes about as much time to travel over the Galata Bridge to Eminönü and Sultanahmet (the historical part of Istanbul) as it would take you to reach Taksim (the modern part of Istanbul).

In case Istanbul is the end or start of your international cruise, a taxi between Karaköy and the Atatürk International Airport would set you back for about TL 30 during the daytime.

Do I Need a Visa to Leave the Ship?

Foreigners who arrive in Turkey by cruise liner and sleep on the ship are allowed to enter Turkey without a visa for a maximum period of 72 hours, with the permission given by the local security authorities as soon as you set foot ashore. If you stay longer or stay in Istanbul (or Turkey for that matter) before or after your cruise, you are obliged to obtain a visa.

How To Reach the Various Sightseeing Spots?

• Eminönü – to reach Eminönü, home to the Spice Bazaar, just make a left once leave the passenger terminal (Yolcu Salonu), walk along the boardwalk until you reach the Galata Bridge, and cross it. It shouldn’t be more than a 10 minute stroll. Although Istanbul is among the safest world cities, after sundown and certainly when not accompanied by a man, play safe and take a taxi or the tramway (see below).
• Sultanahmet – you can still walk to Sultanahmet. I would recommend it if you’re in relatively good shape and are not pressed for time. Just cross the Galata Bridge, make a left at the end, cross the pedestrian bridge about 200 meters further and follow the tram rails up the fairly steep hill until you reach Sultanahmet.
  Alternatively, you can walk to the tram stop in Karaköy by making a left once you leave the passenger terminal (Yolcu Salonu) and walk along the boardwalk until you reach the Galata Bridge. Look for a place that says jeton gişesi to buy a TL 1,5 token, and board the tram in the direction of Zeytinburnu. The first stop is Eminönü, the second is Sirkeci Station, the third is Gülhane (Park) and the next one is Sultanahmet. This ride shouldn’t take longer than 5 to 7 minutes.
  A taxi ride, assuming the taxi driver is not hustling you, will cost around TL 7. How long it will take you to get there of course depends on traffic (jams).
• Taksim – again a few options are available. Walking is one of them, but I don’t recommend it. Climbing the steep hill is not only time consuming, it will definately make you sweat in summertime. You can take a taxi, which will set you back for about TL 5. Alternatively you can walk to the Galata Bridge and take either the tramway to Kabataş (the final stop) and connect to Taksim Square via the funicular. Another option is to take Tünel, and find yourself at the end of İstiklal Caddesi, ideal if you want to visit the Galata Tower.
• Princes’ Islands or Asia – if you can’t get enough of sailing and are in for a trip to either the Princes’ Islands or the Asian shore of Istanbul, then take the tramway to Kabataş and use the (quick) ferries or sea buses to reach your destination.

Any Other Questions You May Have

Upon docking in Istanbul, there will be some kind of official welcoming party waiting for you. These people are there to facilitate your stay in Istanbul. You can address them with any questions that may spring to your mind. For example, if you plan to buy some valuables (leather, electronic goods, etc.) you can get a VAT refund. They will tell you what paper to obtain while purchasing your goods, and how to get the tax paid back to you prior to your departure.

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Istanbul is surrounded and divided by water. Because of this you’ll see a bustling activity of floating devices on the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and in the Golden Horn. A whole array of water-borne craft, ranging from privately owned (fishing) boats, over regular ferries (vapur) to a fleet of high-speed catamaran sea buses (deniz otobüsü).

İDO, Istanbul’s Fast Ferry and Sea Bus Company, is the market leader and offers visitors and locals alike probably the most relaxing and quickest way of transportation available in Istanbul. Whether you want to go up and/or down the Bosphorus, travel between the European and Asian shores, or make a short trip to the Princes’ Islands, they have a suitable and cheap solution for all of this.

Destination, Schedule and Ticketing Differences

İDO operates on inner-city and inter-city lines. Inter-city lines head for places such as the Marmara Islands, Bursa or Bandırma, which are all located outside of Istanbul. For these destinations you need to make (online) reservations, preferably a few hours or a day ahead.

But in this article we’ll focus on the inner-city lines, since that is what 99,9% of the tourists need during their stay in Istanbul. To avoid any confusion, the Marmara Islands mentioned earlier are NOT the same at the Princes’ Islands. If you want to visit Büyükada, you are heading for the Princes’ Islands, and they luckily are inner-city.

For inner-city lines you don’t need to make reservations. To get on board, you can either buy a token (jeton) or ticket (bilet) from the booth (gişe) at the pier, or use your akbil. The only exception is the Scenic Bosphorus Tour (by Night), for which you can’t use your akbil and need to pay cash to obtain a ticket.

High-speed ferry or sea bus.

Each destination and every type of boat has its own schedule and dock (see below). Moreover, in wintertime (mid September to mid June) and summertime (mid June to mid September) different timetables apply. Timetable booklets are freely available in Turkish and English at all ferry terminals or online on the excellent İDO website.

Most of the typical tourist destinations are reachable by both type of boats. It’s up to you to decide which craft to use, based on your personal preference. Let me list the pros and consof the two ferry types.

Conventional Ferries

Conventional ferry at sea.

The principal ferry dock on the European side is undoubtedly Eminönü. There are four piers with the destinations clearly written outside, above the boarding hall: Bosphorus (Boğaz), Golden Horn (Haliç), Kadıköy and Üsküdar. Another important dock is located in Kabataş, where you can take a ferry to the Princes’ Islands.

On the Asian side, the main piers are located in Kadıköy (to Beşiktaş, Eminönü, Karaköy and the Princes’ Islands) and in Üsküdar (towards Beşiktaş, Eminönü and Kabataş).

• Pro:
  - boats come and go frequently, on average every 20 minutes
  - you can sit inside or outside on the deck and enjoy a tea & snacks
  - fares are cheap, between TL 1,5 and TL 3 p.p. (Bosphorus tour TL 20)
• Con:
  - they are much slower than the sea buses

Fast Ferries or Sea Buses

Interior of a high-speed sea bus.

The interior of the high-speed catamaran ferries or sea buses resemble aircraft cabins, with long rows of comfortable seats and air-conditioning. The main docks are Bostancı and Kadıköy on the Asian side, and Kabataş, Yenikapı and Bakırköy on the European side. As a tourist, chances are you’ll only use this ferry type to reach the Princes’ Islands from the Kabataş pier.

• Pro:
  - much quicker than the conventional ferries
  - more comfortable than the conventional ferries
• Con:
  - they are more expensive: TL 4 to 6
  - there are only a few departures per day, mostly during commuter hours
  - you can’t sit outside on the deck
  - they are more sensitive to bad weather conditions

One last but important note: smoking is prohibited on all inner-city ferries, even outside on the deck!

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With most Istanbul sightseeing spots only open from 09:00 till 17:00, you of course want to make most of the day and not waste any time by having a timely lunch. Luckily, eating on the street is very much a part of local life. You can’t walk from corner to corner on a street, cross a bridge, enter a square or park without coming across one or more snack shops, street stalls (büfe) or street vendors. Most of the snacks on display are delicious, cheap and innocent. But there are a few you may want to stay clear of to avoid the Sultan’s revenge (diarrhea).

Street Vendors

Street vendors are omnipresent on Istanbul’s street. They display their goods in a variety of ways, going from a plain upside down box used as a table to a more professional glass-fronted push-car. Here’s a sample of what they have to offer.

• 

  Street vendor selling simit and açma.

  Simit – A crisp, ring-shaped, savory roll covered with sesame seeds. Delicious when fresh and preferably washed down with ayran (salty liquid yoghurt).

• Açma – This doughnut lookalike is ring-shaped just like the simit, but doesn’t have a crust. It’s soft and oilier, hence less dry.
• Poğaça – A flaky, savory pastry. They come in different versions: plain (sade) or stuffed with pieces of cheese (peynirli), mince (kıymalı) or olives (zeytinli).
• Mısır – During the summer, you can find street sellers offering freshly boiled or grilled corn (mısır) on the cob. Unless you want it generously sprinkled with salt, make sure to tell the seller in time to go easy on it.
• Kestane – Street vendors selling corn in the summer, mostly shift to roasted chestnuts in winter time.
• Su – Water. With temperatures well above 30 C all summer long, you can’t go long without it. It’s perfectly safe to drink the bottles they offer, as long as you make sure the cap has never been opened before.

Street Stalls (Büfe)

Near busy public transportation hubs or in popular (tourist) areas, you’ll find plenty of small kiosks on street corners. These büfes typically sell cigarettes, phone-cards and non-alcoholic cold drinks in cans or small bottles, but most of them also sell inexpensive, tasteful thin roasted sandwiches (tost) and hot dogs (sosili sandviç). Do try out the kaşarlı tost, a sandwich with melted cheese.

Pastry Shops (Börekçi)

Plate of börek

These too are excellent places for a quick breakfast or lunch, although you normally don’t enjoy it while standing in the street. A börekçi is usually a tiny shop, with only a handful of chairs and tables, offering tea, coffee or a small selection of cold drinks and börek.

Börek is a flaky pastry existing of several thin layers. There are different kinds, based on their shape, filling and cooking method. You may want to try out the juicy su böreği (something in between a pastry and a lasagna), peynirli börek (with cheese filling), patatesli börek (with potato filling), ıspanaklı börek (with spinach filling) or kıymalı börek (filled with minced meat).

Most of these shops also sell pide which is a pita like baked dough with the same filling options as börek.

Kebap, Köfte and Döner

These typical Turkish cheap but delicious eateries couldn’t be left out of this list. Here you’ll find an overview of the different kinds of kebap and 14 types of köfte. In the Sultanahmet area, you simply must check out Sultanahmet Köftecisi.
If you’re wandering around in Taksim, try out Çılgın Dürüm – my favorite döner eatery at the beginning of Istiklal Caddesi. Try out their excellent dürüm, a thin roasted sheet of bread, stuffed with döner, salad, a (hot) tomato sauce and french fries. You can have it spicy (acı) or not too spicy (orta).

Fish Sandwiches (Balık ekmek)

Fish sandwiches being prepared on a boat

Balık ekmek is another typical Istanbul snack, and pretty tasteful and safe when prepared fresh. It’s pretty straightforward – a grilled or fried fresh fish inside a large piece of bread. The best way to explore this snack is in Eminönü, left from the Galata Bridge.
You’ll see them prepare the sandwiches on the nicely lined up boats, after which they hand them to customers on the shore.

Street Food to Stay Clear Of

Unless you want to have an army of bacteria for lunch, pass for the following major offenders:

• 

  Street vendor selling midye dolma

  Midye dolma – These are stuffed muscles. Nothing wrong with them and even delicious, but a huge risk when bought on the (sunny) streets. If you really want to try them, order them as a starter for dinner in a respected restaurant.

• Çiğ köfte – This is raw meat, kneaded by hand for hours, seasoned with plenty of spices. A delicacy, but not when sold on the streets. No matter how long you kneed it, it still stays raw meat exposed to high summer temperatures.
• Kokoreç – Lamb intestines cooked with herbs and spices, roasted horizontally on a skewer. Maybe not so much a bacteria heaven, but still… intestines?

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The akbil electronic travel pass is definitely the best feature of the constantly improving Istanbul public transportation network. Akbil is short for ‘akıllı bilet‘, which means intelligent ticket. And that’s exactly what it is. It’s a basically a small stainless steel button in a plastic holder, together not bigger in size than any key on your keychain. Akbil serves as computerized fare tag which you can use for all public transportation except on a dolmuş or minibus. Although the akbil is slowly being phased out in favor of the new Istanbul Kart, it will remain popular for a long time and will save you both money and time.

The Benefits of Akbil

For starters it’s very convenient and easy to carry around since it fits on your keychain. It will save you time while getting on buses, trams, metros or ferries since you won’t have to look for a token or ticket sales office and stand in line to buy a jeton or bilet prior to hopping on the public transportation vehicle.

Secondly, it will also save you money. Not only do you get a 10% discount by using your akbil, the next five transits you make within a 120 minute period you get a 50% discount.

If you’re traveling with a party of two or more, there is technically no need to get more than one akbil. However, keep in mind that while everybody will still benefit from the basic 10% fare discount, only one will get the 50% transit fare discount. If you want to take the full advantage of akbil, it’s better to get one for every person.

Where and How to Get Akbil

Akbil sales point on Taksim Square

With the new Istanbul Kart surfacing, the amount of Akbil Sales Points (Akbil Satış Noktası) has unfortunately been dramatically reduced. The easiest way to obtain an electronic travel pass is to buy it at the busy bus stop on Taksim Square. Look for the blue and white kiosk that has the İETT logo and the text Akbil Satış Gişesi on top of it. You can’t miss really.

Once it’s your turn, hand the clerk TL 6 as the deposit and say akbil almak istiyorum (I would like to buy an akbil). He will hand you the travel pass and a receipt. Keep the receipt if you intend to return the akbil at the end of your stay in order to reclaim your deposit. That’s it, no forms or paperwork to be filled in. You of course still have to load it before you can use it.

How to Load and Recharge Your Akbil

Akbil Recharger

There are two ways to load or recharge your electronic travel pass: either at a akbil/ticket sales point, or by using one of the many akbil recharge machines located at most of the transit points. They come in different shapes and sizes.

The ones that recharge akbil or Istanbul Kart are most of the time built-in into a wall, while the rechargers that serve both travel passes and also provide tokens (jeton) are stand-alone rectangular machines.

Fortunately, the procedure to load your electronic travel pass is the same:

1. press your akbil firmly on the socket
2. insert a TL 10 or TL 20 banknote in the machine
3. once the money has been accepted, press your akbil again firmly on the socket to add the respective credits

How to Use Akbil

Typical turnstile

Prior to boarding a tram, metro, funicular, ferry or sea-bus you have to pass turnstiles. At the right-hand side of every turnstile, you’ll find a socket just underneath a small display. Press your akbil firmly on the socket until you hear a double beep sound and the screen shows your destination and the fare that has been deducted. At this point the turnstile will allow you to pass through. Repeat this process for as many people travel with you on the same travel pass.

If you’re using a bus or the nostalgic tram, then look for an orange machine with a socket and display. It is mostly located next to the driver seat and press your akbil firmly on the socket for every passenger in your party.

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The brand new Istanbul Card (İstanbul Kart) was proudly introduced in the spring of 2009 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality as a card with which you will be able to pay for all your Istanbul transportation, cultural and entertainment activities. In a first phase, the İstanbul Kart will replace the currently used akbil as a pre-paid public transportation pass. However, don’t rush to go get such a card, since the implementation doesn’t go as smooth as expected.

What Is the Istanbul Card?

The İstanbul Kart is a RFID (Radio-frequency identification) card which fits perfectly in your wallet since it has the dimensions of a regular credit card. It is a pre-paid and rechargeable card, which can be used to cover fares and entrance fees. At first it will enable you to cover any kind of transportation fees, including bus, tram, metro, funicular, ferry and sea-bus fares – yes, even your taxi and parking expenses.

You can also look at the İstanbul Kart as an electronic ticket. In the future the card will also pay for the entrance fees of movie theaters, cultural venues and/or museums. The latter is of course unnecessary is you have a Müzekart.

How Does the Istanbul Card Work?

Istanbul Kart with the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

You obtain an Istanbul Card (see below) and make sure there is enough money on it. Remember, it’s a pre-paid card, not a credit card. When you have to pay a fee of some kind for your transportation or leisure activities, you place it in the proximity of a fare point, and the amount due is automatically deducted from your card. In ideal circumstances you don’t even have to take the card out of your wallet. And for transportation purposes you will pay the same reduced rate as you currently do with your akbil.

Where Can I Get an Istanbul Card?

Currently you can only obtain an Istanbul Card at the IETT Akbil/Ticket sales point in Mecidiyeköy. No clue where that is? No need to worry! Just keep on reading and I’ll explain why.

Why You Should Keep Your Akbil!

Although not new, the idea to have one card to pay for the majority of your Istanbul transportation, cultural or leisure expenses is brilliant. However, the wide-spread implementation of the technology to deduct the fees due automatically has proven to be a painfully slow process. The municpality implements it route by route. With hundreds of public transportation lines throughout the city of Istanbul, this may take a while.

So for the time being, I strongly suggest you to stick or obtain an akbil to cover your public transportation fares and leave the Istanbul Card for what it is until all transportation means and lines are equipped to handle it.

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5.Kat (Beşinci Kat) was Istanbul’s first rooftop cafe, bar and restaurant, hence trendsetter of the genre. Kat is Turkish for floor, and beş means five.
You guessed it correct; this popular venue is located on the fifth floor of a building in the backstreets of Cihangir, offering excellent food and beverages in an elegant setting with breathtaking views of both the Bosphorus and Sultanahmet alike.

5.Kat Cafe Bar Restaurant (Beşinci Kat)
Location
Soğancı Sokak 3, Kat.5, Cihangir – Beyoğlu
on Map with My Favorite Cafés and Pubs in the Modern Part of Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 293 37 74
Open
Daily from 10:00 till 02:00. Fri-Sat until 03:00
Credit cards are accepted.
Make reservations if you want good seating arrangements.

Interior and Location

5.Kat was founded by the famous red-haired actress Yasemin Alkaya, who still keeps a close eye on things and is often spotted on the premises. The easiest way to get to 5.kat is to walk down Sıraselviler Caddesi from Taksim Square. After about 10 minutes you’ll pass the German hospital (Alman Hastanesi), after which you take the first street left. After 50 meters you should spot the 5.Kat angel logo at street level (see picture). Locate the small elevator inside the building and press five.

This excellent bar and restaurant actually consists of two floors: a covered fifth floor with full-length windows on one side, and one up the actual rooftop which is used during summer. Both interiors are strikingly decorated with deep red walls and velvet furnishing as well as plenty of candles. The breathtaking views (see 5.Kat picture gallery) are the same on both floors, but having the sea breeze bring some cool on hot summer nights offers that nice extra touch.

On the Menu

5.Kat rooftop terrace and bar.

Every day 5.Kat starts out as a cozy cafe where you can enjoy brunch or snacks and light drinks. Around the time the sun starts setting, tables are set and candles lit for dinner while the bartender serves aperitifs. Starting 22:00 the DJ, playing anything from Abba to Zappa, cranks up the music and the venue transforms into a bar and nightclub.

Beşinci Kat offers samples of the world’s kitchen with tasteful pasta, meat, chicken and seafood dishes. Prices range from TL 20 to 40. Accompanying drinks range from TL 8 (beers & local spirits) to TL 15 and above for cocktails, imported wines and spirits.

Special Events

5.Kat rooftop terrace.

On Saturday and Sunday you can enjoy a buffet brunch (TL 30) between 11:00 and 15:00 including fresh fruit juices, daily prepared home-made rolls, cookies and pies as well as delicious meals in olive oil.

Every month 5.Kat also organizes some special nights. Among the most popular events are ‘What they eat, drink and listen to’ where famous guests elaborates on his or her habits, and ‘Singles nights’ when no couples are allowed.

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As of today, 19 July 2009, smoking in Turkey is banned in all enclosed public places. This is an extension of the existing anti-smoking legislation introduced in May last year which prohibited smoking in workplaces and public spaces. From now on cafes, restaurants and bars, who had 18 months to adjust, are also subject to the nation-wide smoking ban. But with 22 million daily smokers, of course the biggest challenge will be enforcing the law!

Where Is Smoking Banned?

1. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed spaces. An area is considered enclosed from the moment not all four sides of it are open or if the sky cannot be seen.
2. The following facilities are considered enclosed areas: cafes, coffee houses, water pipe (nargile) houses, restaurants, bars, open-air discotheques, all entertainment centers, public-transportation vehicles (including taxis), airports, bus stops, stations, terminals, harbors and of course all government buildings.
3. Smoking is prohibited in education facilities and at all facilities that host artistic or sporting events, regardless whether they take place in enclosed or open areas. However, special enclosed spaces can be assigned within these facilities for smoking purposes, but cannot exceed 50 percent of the total space.
4. Old people nursing homes, mental asylums and prisons are excluded from the smoking ban as they must install smoking areas. Gardens of hospitals and mosques also escape the ban. On the decks of inter-city or international ships or ferries, smoking is allowed to people no younger than 18 years old. The Bosphorus Scenic Tour Ferries or the regular ferries going back and forth between both shores of the Bosphorus or the Princes’ Islands are not inter-city!
5. Even in gardens smoking is banned from the moment the smoke disturbs non-smokers. Smoking under a sunshade in a garden is prohibited by default. Remember, when the sky is no longer visible, it is considered an enclosed area. According to me this is by far the most dubious rule.
6. Hotels are allowed to have designated floors for smokers, but children cannot stay in hotel rooms located on those floors.

How Will The Smoking Ban Be Enforced?

No less than 1.571 teams, aided by voluntary anti-smokers, will go out and regularly check all the establishments subject to the new smoking law.

If you do smoke in a smoke-free area, the establishment owner or one of the waiters is supposed to tell you to put out your cigarette or smoke outside of the building. If you ignore this warning, by law the waiters must stop serving you. Does this mean that you can start smoking the moment you no longer need to be served? No! If you continue to smoke, they may call the police by dialing 184, a newly created hot-line number to report smoking law violations.

What Fine Apply For Smoking In Prohibited Areas?

As a smoker, you will be fined TL 69 for violating the law. Smoking outside is allowed, but throwing your stub on the street may result in a TL 20 fine. For establishment owners, non-compliance with the ban will result in a fine of TL 560 for a first-time offence and up to 5,600 liras for repeat offences.

Bottom Line

Turkey is getting ready to join the European Union. Non-smokers will of course be very happy with these new regulations, while smokers coming from Europe or the US are probably already acquainted with such restrictions since similar (but maybe a tad lighter) laws have been implemented a long time ago in those countries.

However, if you want to try out the century old culture of smoking nargile (water pipe), I suggest you plan a visit to Istanbul in summertime.

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Dolmuş is the Turkish word for filled, stuffed or full, and refers to the yellow shared taxis or minibuses that operate in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey. They are an easy, quick and useful means of transportation for small rides to and from destinations just outside the city center. But, what destinations do they cover, how do you take such a shared taxi, how and where can you get off, and how do you pay for it? And where can you find the dolmuş stops?

What is a dolmuş?

A dolmuş is actually a shared taxi that seats maximum 8 passengers. They drive day and night on pre-determined routes, but without set stops. The idea is that each passenger only pays one eight of the fee a normal Istanbul taxi would charge for the same destination. Therefore, the minibus normally only sets off when all the seats are taken.

How and where can you take a dolmuş?

How to get on a dolmuş in Istanbul?

You can either go to the dolmuş departure point for a certain route, or flag them down on the street. I suggest getting on the dolmuş at its point of origin, because on popular routes it’s very difficult to find a shared taxi with seats available once it’s on the road.
Before you get into the minibus, make sure you’re about to hop on the correct one. Their point of origin and final destination are displayed on the front window, usually on the passenger’s side. Once you’re sure it’s going in the right direction, just hop in and take a seat. No need to take a ticket or token, you’ll pay when once it starts driving (see below).

Here are some of the most popular or useful dolmuş routes, with their place mark on the map:

• Taksim – Kadıköy
• Taksim – Bostancı
• Taksim – Teşvikiye
• Taksim – Beşiktaş
• Taksim – Aksaray
• Taksim – Topkapı
• Taksim – Bakırköy
• Taksim – Yeşilköy
• Taksim – Şirineveler

View Popular Dolmus (Dolmuş) Starting Points in a larger map

How and how much do you pay for a dolmuş?

I can’t give you a pricelist. The prices vary from route to route, and you can even bargain if you intend to get of halfway the final destination. But to give you an idea, rates vary between TL 3 to 5. You can of course ask the driver, but it’s easier to watch what everybody else is paying.

Make sure to have small notes (maximum TL 5 or 10) or exact change. Paying starts after the dolmuş leaves its stand. In case you can’t reach the driver to hand him your money, just give it to a fellow passenger in front of you. He’ll forward it to the driver and give you back your change. You may be asked to do the same for locals seated behind you.

How and where can you get off the dolmuş?

If you want to get off before the shared taxi reaches its final destination, just shout inecek var – somebody wants to get out (you can check the correct Turkish pronunciation rules here). The driver will stop at the first convenient spot available and probably open the door beforehand. By all means, don’t jump out before the minibus comes to a complete standstill.

Is taking a dolmuş safe?

Yes. You may have the impression they drive a bit wild, but these drivers know their routs and minibus inside out. Accidents are rare.

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As of today you can enjoy the state-of-the-art Istanbul Trails picture gallery. In my quest to provide my readers with the best Istanbul experience on the web, I decided that simply embedding a handful of pictures in an additional post was under par. Instead I created Istanbul Trails Photos, a place dedicated to photographs of Istanbul and an integral part of Istanbul Trails.

Aesthetic Intervention Required

It goes without saying that I take a lot of pictures while wandering around Istanbul and conducting research for my posts. But ever since I started this blog, I struggled to find an adequate way to present you these photographs. During the first year I embedded six to ten of them in a post, and used the Lightbox script to present you the bigger version of the thumbnails. But this little workaround started to generate errors. So since the New Year, bigger versions just showed up in a blank page. Not aesthetic, and annoying for my readers.

All Istanbul Pictures In One Place

There had to be a better way, so I searched, and searched … and found. I decided to give my pictures their own spot, embedded in a nice and easy to navigate design thanks to the Reflection theme. And you my dear reader, will benefit from it most! You no longer have to select a certain topic, you can see all the pictures at once by using the gallery page of Istanbul Trails Photos. Of course you can still browse by topic, by year or at random – it’s up to you. I suggest you read the Istanbul Trails Photos about page first, so you know how to make most out of this gallery.

But whichever option you chose, you will get even better informed than before. Every image comes with shot notes, exif information and a possibility to leave a comment. And last but not least, bookmark Istanbul Trails Photo, because I will add a new picture on a daily basis.

I hope you appreciate the effort and look forward to read your comments, here on in the photo gallery!

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