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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It is custom to tip in Turkey. In the majority of Istanbul’s bars and restaurants, service is not included. But tipping is not only expected for table services. So, for what services are tips expected, and how much?
On the other hand, the value-added tax (VAT) is always included in the prices displayed. But as a tourist, you can benefit form Tax Free shopping in over 2.000 retail outlets.

Tipping

In places where service is not included, it is custom to tip for the table services you received. And even in the handful of places where service is included (look for the words servis dahil), just as on mainland Europe the waiters will expect you to tip on top of that.

The rule of thumb is to leave a tip worth 10% of the bill in restaurants, cafés and bars. Bills are always brought to your table on a plate, in a box or in some kind of booklet. Although you can pay the bill with your credit card in 99% of the places, adding an amount to the original bill before paying with your credit card is not (yet) possible. Be prepared to have some cash money on you for tipping.

But restaurants, cafés and bars are not the only places where tips are expected. It is also custom to tip hotel staff, porters, hairdressers and musicians. The amount is at your discretion, but the norm is TL 2 per person. Hamam attendants however expect 25% of the bill. Tipping taxi drivers is not custom, unless he helped you load the luggage.

Tax Free Shopping

On every purchase you make in Turkey, a value-added tax (KDV) of 8 or 18% is included in the price. As a tourist, you can claim that tax back and retrieve a refund of up to 12,5 % of the purchase price. There are however a few rules:

1. you must reside outside of Turkey
2. you must spend TL 100 + VAT or more in one shop in one day
3. the goods need to be exported within three months following the month of purchase
4. you must buy the goods in Tax Free affiliated stores (look for the Tax Free logo)
5. you must ask the shop owner to prepare the Global Refund Cheque when paying for your goods

How to retrieve your money?

Customs Office in the Atatürk International Airport of Istanbul.

Regardless of how you travel back home, you have to locate the Customs Officers. You need to show the custom officials your purchases, Global Refund Cheques, receipts and passport after which they will stamp your Global Refund Cheque.

If you travel by plane, you have to do this before all check-in formalities or have your goods as hand luggage. At the Atatürk International Airport, the customs office (see picture) is located across the hall on the far right side upon entering.

Once you have your stamped Global Refund Cheque, you can retrieve your money in any Cash Refund Office in the world. The one at the Atatürk International Airport is located inside the tax-free zone and is open 24 hours a day.

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After passing the border control and being let into the country, you normally go look for your luggage and head for the exit. But hold your horses, there is still a small surprise ahead. At the Atatürk International Airport of Istanbul, you can also buy duty-free goods upon arrival. Although you can experience this opportunity in more airports around the globe these days, it was a first for me in 2001. And the surprise didn’t stop there!

Not only can you buy tax-free items upon arrival, some of the goods you purchase on Turkish soil don’t count for the normal duty-free allowance. Let me give you an overview.

Normal Duty-Free Allowance

The following goods may be imported into Turkey without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars or 200g of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers or 50g of chewing tobacco or 200g of pipe tobacco or 200g of snuff tobacco.
• Five bottles (of 1 liter each) or seven bottles ( of 700 ml each) of wine and/or spirits.
• Reasonable amounts of coffee and tea.
• Five bottles (up to 120 ml each) of perfume.
• Gifts up to a value of € 255 (or equivalent).
• Electronic articles up to a value of € 255 (or equivalent)

Extra Duty-Free Allowance

If purchased upon arrival at one of the duty-free shops in the airport, an extra 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars and 500g of pipe tobacco may be imported. I don’t know whether this rule has been invented because Turks are still among the world’s heaviest smokers, but you can abuse it if you want. And in case you forgot or had no time to purchase duty-free goods when departing, you can still catch up on your shopping here.

Prohibited Items

Drugs, soft or hard! Turkey has strict laws against the use, possession or trafficking of illegal drugs. If you are convicted of any of these offences, you can expect to receive a severe fine and/or a prison sentence up to 24 years. So make sure you keep a close eye on your luggage at all times!

Furthermore, sharp implements and weapons are also prohibited, but that goes without saying. You probably won’t even make it to the airplane anyway.

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