I am going alone to Istanbul this Saturday for 3 days. I found a website (booking.com) with discounts on activities. For example, "Tour Haga Sofia with a guide" for $15. Or a tour in a city bus and a boat sightseeing tour with discount about 30% (the total around $20).
I wonder if I can get better offers and options when I arrive. If I do the activities I want, I'll be payimg total 100 in advance. I am on a tight budget but at the same time I want to explore Istanbul.
My Experience:
In general it was a good 3 days experience, lot of things to do, lot of places to be visited , its place where the old and modern city are merged.I wish if there is a question that say most of things to be aware when someone travel to a city, or the things that should be done when travel to a touristic city, I met lot of people who guided me and explained many places. Things to be aware are 3 main things: EXCHANGE RATE and People Who makes Tours trips, and TAXI AT THE AIRPORT.
I exchanged my 300$ with a really bad rate(5.2 which at that time was 5.7 lira turkey per 1$). I lost about 25$.
As for the trips , I met a guy said they do daily trips to BURSA city, which they visit Factories( yes its the precise word they used it, Factories), and only for 25$ which I though its a great deal. But they do not send you to factories, they send you to specific shops where they take commissions from them every time you buy something. In general it was a good experience, I met a new city but honestly I wouldn't prefer to go there, because most of the time I was on the road, and just visiting shops no touristic places or factories.
This airport is new and bit far from the main city of Istanbul, so to go there you can use the bus. Dont go with a taxi, unless if you dont have a problem paying 50$-100$. in the bus it cost me less then 5$. and its somehow the same, though you have to buy an Istanbul cart which its is a savior to travel from one place to another in instabull , also you can use it to travel to island.
In summary, in Istanbul you can do activities by your self and ask lot, there a lot of liars there just to convince you to buy their services.