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Istanbul is home to breathtaking architecture, delicious food, and some of the warmest, most genuinely hospitable peopleyou'll ever met on your travels. Its cultural heritage of the many empires that once ruled over it, its magnificent Mosques decorated by sky-high minarets and bustling markets will leave you feeling mesmerised at every turn. Located on bothsides of the Bosphorus river, it is one of a handful of cities that straddles two continents; Europe and Asia.
Entry requirements
If you're a British citizen, you can visit Turkey without a visa. US citizens need to apply for a visa online, via thefollowing link: https://turkey-e-visa.com
Best time to visit Istanbul
MAR-MAY: Spring - This is the best time to visit Istanbul. The weather is relatively mild and dry, and hotel rates areaverage.
JUNE-AUG: Summer - This is the busiest time of the year. It can get quite hot and humid — up to 28°C and prices are attheir peak.
SEP-NOV: Autumn - The weather is moderate, though it may rain. If one of the reasons of your trip is to catch somesunshine, this may not be the best time for you to go.
DEC-FEB: Winter - December till February is the wettest and coldest time of the year. If you go during this time, dressappropriately. It can get rainy and snowy with temperatures dropping down to 3°C.
Areas to stay
The Sultanahmet area (known as the old city) is where most of the tourist sites are located. The area however becomes pretty dead after sunset, with shops closing and locals returning home.
If you want a more contemporary side to Istanbul, with hustle and bustle way after midnight, whilst still having easyaccess to the Sultanahmet area, then Taksim Square may be the better choice.
DAY ONE - SULTANAHMET AREA
Sultanahmet Square
The area in and around the Sultanahmet Square is the historic part of Istanbul and leads to all of the historical sights of Istanbul.
Blue Mosque
The early 17th-century Blue Mosque is one of only a handful of mosques in the world to hold six minarets. Also knownas the Sultan Ahmet Camii or Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the breathtaking building is one of the most majestic Ottomanmosques in Turkey. The Mosque gets its name from the tens of thousands of blue Iznik tiles that adorn its interior.
COST - free
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya is another iconic structure in Istanbul. Once a Church, then Mosque, then Museum, it has latelybeen converted back into a Mosque.
COST - free
Basilica cistern
Located 150 meters southwest of the Hagia Sophia, the cistern was built in the 6th century during the reign of ByzantineEmperor Justinian I (527-565). The big underground water reservoir is called as “Basilica Cistern” because of the grand,underground marble columns.
COST - 30 Turkish Lira
Topkapi Palace Museum
If you're the sort of person that skips out Museums because you can't remember more than half ofthe things you've seen as soon as you've left, this Museum is a must-visit. Aside from Ottomanartefacts, this Museum holds artefacts of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) and Hiscompanions. An old door of the Ka'bah, a dress of the Prophet's (Peace be Upon Him) daughterFatimah, and the blessed hair of the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) are a few of the things you'll beable to see.
Gulhane park
Located right next door the path that leads out of the Topkapi Palace Museum, this park is idealfor a peaceful rest. If you visit during spring, you'll see colourful and blooming flowers.
Bosphorus cruise
Seeing the city from water is one of the must-do things in Istanbul - especially if it's your firstvisit. You can take a dinner cruise, a one-hour cruise or even a fifteen minute cruise. The cost ofthis varies by company and boat type.
DAY TWO - REST OF SULTANAHMET AREA
Sulaymaniye Mosque
The Suleymaniye Mosque sits on one of İstanbul's seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark forthe entire city. Though it's not the largest of the Ottoman mosques, it is certainly one of the grandest and most beautiful. Ittook eight years to build and was completed in 1557.
Grand bazaar
With over 4,000 shops and a total number of daily visitors between 250,000 to 400,000 people, the grand bazaar is one ofthe largest and oldest in-door markets in the world. You can find everything, from spices, gold, clothing, handbags and thelist goes on...
Being a very large place, it can get a bit difficult to navigate easily within the grand bazaar especially for first-timevisitors. You can download the grand bazaar app, to enable yourself to navigate easily. You can use the app to locateeverything you need from an ATM, restaurants, restrooms to specific shops. The advantage of this app is that it not onlyshows you the location of the place but also how to get there from your current location.
Nurosmaniye Mosque
The Nuruosmaniye Mosque is an 18th century Ottoman Mosque located near the entrance of the Grand Bazaar. It isregarded as one of the finest examples of an Ottoman Baroque style mosque.
It was named Nuruosmaniye Mosque, meaning ‘The light of Osman’, after Osman III, and also because of its manywindows which let a lot of light inside the Mosque’s hall.
Spice bazaar
The Spice Bazaar is considerably smaller than the Grand Bazaar. It is
home to about a hundred shops selling colorful and aromatic assortments of spices, teas, nuts, dried fruit, and Turkishdelight.
Tomb of Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him)
Any Ayyub Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be uponHim). He had the privilege of housing the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) when he migrated to Madinah. His tomb islocated in the Eyup Sultan Mosque.
AFTERNOON:
Camlica Mosque
Currently the largest mosque in Turkey, the Camilla Mosque was completed on 7 March 2019.The Mosque stands on theÇamlıca Hill and is visible from much of the centre of the city. The Mosque complex incorporates an art gallery, library,Museum (free entrance) and conference hall.It can hold up to 63,000 worshippers at a time.
Camlica tower
Completed in September 2020, this 369 metre tower is the tallest structure inIstanbul. It offers spectacular views of the Bosphorus. The tower's 39th and 40thfloors house a cafe and a restaurant. If you cannot visit this tower, you can visitthe Galata tower (under day three).
Cost - 200 Turkish Lira
DAY THREE - TAKSIM AREA
Taksim Square
This city square is the heart of the modern section of Istanbul. Many hotels and restaurants can be found here. The square is more lively during the night.
Taksim Mosque
The new mosque, opened in May 2021 combines Ottoman features with contemporary design and overlooks Taksim square. It offers a peaceful break from the noise of Taksim.
Istiklal Street
Istikalal street runs from Taksim square to Galata Tower. The 1.5km street has shops with every product imaginable, cafes and restaurants, clothes shops and even chocolate shops.
Galata tower
Galata Tower is an iconic landmark and the focal point of many photographs featuring the Bosphorus Strait and Taksim. Built in 1348, it served as a watchtower, a prison, and a naval depot, and stood for centuries as the tallest structure in Istanbul.
Cost - 130 Turkish Lira
Galata Bridge
From Galata tower, you can take a walk on Galata bridge. Amidst the constant stream of road and tram traffic, you’ll see fisherman stake out a spot along the bridge hanging their multi-hooked lines over the edge, competing for the fish below. On the bottom level, you’ll find restaurants and cafes offering a view of the Bosphorus river.
Afternoon:
Ortaköy:
Dolmabahce palace
Dolmabahce Palace was built in 19th century. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of Ottoman Sultans was residing there.
COST: 300 Turkish Lira
Ortaköy Market
Ortakoy market offers a wide selection clothing at highly inexpensive costs, as well as home textiles, cosmetics and other items.
Ortaköy Mosque
Located just before the Bosphorus Bridge, the Ortaköy Camii, Turkey (Ortaköy Mosque Turkey) has to have one of the most picturesque settings of all of the Istanbul mosques.
DAY FOUR
Venezia mega outlet
Located at a distance of 15 km from the heart of Istanbul, this shopping outlethas been designed to bring the feel of ‘Venice’ to Istanbul, featuring man-madecanals, wooden footbridges and gondola rides, as well as Venetian-inspiredarchitecture. The outlet is ideal for ladies looking for modest fashion.
Pierre loti hill and cable cars
Pierre Loti has one of the best views of İstanbul. In 1876, the French naval and author Louis Marie-Juilen Viaud, also known as Pierre Loti, came to İstanbul. Unlike most Europeans who lived in Pera district, he settled in Eyüp Sultan. He loved the atmosphere of the area and often visited the hill for inspiration. He mentioned his love for the city and the view in his works. Today the hill is named after him.
Overlooking the Golden Horn, the scenery from Pierre Loti is a lot different to the Bosphorus. Instead of climbing up the hill, you can use the cable car that operates between Eyüp and Pierre Loti. Athough there can be a long line and the ride is short, it doesn’t dissappoint with its mesmerizing view of Golden Horn and the city.
At the top of the hill you will find cafes and restaurants where you can sip your Turkish tea or coffee while enjoying the tranquil atmosphere. On your way back to Eyüp Sultan you can use the cable car again, or you can walk down through the paths of Eyüp Sultan Cemetery, which is one of the oldest and biggest cemeteries of the city.
LATE AFTERNOON:
Explore Uskudaar
Istanbul is a very pedestrian friendly city, I don’t think I would have lived here for 3 months if it wasn’t, sometimes you still need to dodge the traffic but in Uskudar there is a lovely walking and bicycle lane on the edge of the Bosphorus which starts from the Uskudar ferry terminal, right up to Maidens Tower and beyond.
It’s a lovely place to walk no matter what the time of day is, but sunset is the best time, so keep this in mind when planning your Uskudar things to do.
Uskudar is the perfect sunset spot in Istanbul because the sun sets right across the Bosporus and behind the European side of Istanbul.
DAY FIVE
On your fifth day in Istanbul, feel free to explore wherever your heart desires!
Below are a suggestions of a few things you could do:
Princes Islands
The Princes’ Islands are a cluster of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara. They are a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature. The four main islands are Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada. They are accessible by ferry from Beşiktaş, Eminönü, and Kabataş from the European side, and Kadıköy and Bostancı from the Asian side.
The ferry will only take you to the main islands. You can hop between islands for free by boat. On the islands themselves vehicles are prohibited. To get around, the islands use horse and carriage or bikes.
During summer, get there on weekdays rather than weekends because they are invaded by tourists.
Food tour
If you still want a taste of authentic Turkish food, try out a food tour. From tasty kebabs and mint tea, to honey, fish sandwiches and pickles, a food tour of Istanbul is a perfect way to get to know Istanbul.
Turkish Hammam
There are several baths in Istanbul but the oldest and the most popular ones are Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Bath, Cagaloglu, Cemberlitas, Suleymaniye, and Galatasaray Baths.
Female and male sections are separate.
Museums
Below is a list of museums in Istanbul:
- Attaturk museum (in Taksim)
- Archeololgy Museum (in Sultanahmet)
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (in Sultanahmet)
- Fine Arts Museum (in Emigran)
- Miniature Turkey Museum (in Sutluce)
- Transport Museum (in Haskoy)
- Pera Museum (in Taksim)
- Naval Museum (in Besiktas)
More shopping!!!
Here's a list of places you can go to:
Kale mega outlet
Olivium outlet centre
Zorlu shopping centre
Vialand mall
Istinye Park mall
Marmara forum mall
Zeruj port
Outlet shops in Bahriye area of Kadikoy
Istanbul Watergarden Mall
Recommendations of food places in Istanbul
Below are some good food places in Istanbul -
BREAKFAST:
- The house cafe Oratkoy
- A bit of echo
- Kruvasan
- B Block Bakery
- Factory Karakoy
DESSERT:
- Hafiz Mustafa
- Factory Karakoy
- Mendels
- Mado
- Suflor
- Viyana kahesvi (cheesecakes)
- Cigdem (milk cakes)
- Inci Pastanesi (profiteroles)
- Damla Dondurma (ice cream)
- Ustun Palmiye Pastanesiyle (chocolate)
- Suray Muhallebicis (baklava)
- Kempsiki (afternoon tea)
LUNCH / DINNER:
- Grilled fish sandwich near Bosphorus
- Loaded jacket potato- you can get this in many places
- Bombay Masala in SultanAhment - Indian food
- Karachi Darbar in Taksim - Indian food
- Paper moon - Italian food
- Safran Restaurant
- Baltazar
- Hamdi restaurant
- Safran restaurant
- Adana yuzavler Kebab
- Lades menemen
- Zuma
- Ercan burger
- Al Madina
- Donerci
- Pierre Loti hilltop restaurant
- Hamzade
TRAVEL TIPS FOR ISTANBUL
1. There are countless hotels in Istanbul. If you’ll be taking a taxi, then it’s best that you have a printout or screenshot ofyour hotel’s complete address and telephone number to show the driver.
2. Turkish people are not proficient at English. In fact, most of them cannot speak it at all. Use your Google Translate as ameans of communication when you need to.
3. Some of Istanbul’s museums and attractions are closed one day of the week. Take note of these, so you can plan yourtrip accordingly.
Dolmabahce Palace — Monday
Topkapi Palace — Tuesday
Grand Bazaar — Sunday
4. Public transport in Istanbul is quite easy to use and includes train, tram and boat. You can get an Istanbulkart - similarto the London Oyster card, from a machine near a tram, bus or train station costing 10TL (around 50 pence).
With an Istanbulkart, you’ll pay just 7.67TL per ride (less than 40 pence). The card is transferrable as well so you can usethe same card for up to five people.
If you prefer taking taxis, download the bitaksi app. This is the Uber version in Istanbul. You’ll be able to see how much the journey costs from the fare calculator that is incorporated within the app. The normal yellow taxis tend to charge tourists four times more the normal cost of getting from A to B.
5. Wear comfortable shoes. To be able to see most of the things in Istanbul, you’ll need to walk.
With endless attractions, museums and quirky cafes and restaurants, Istanbul is a city you'd feel like visiting again and again.