East meets West in Istanbul
What a stunning city, absolutely loved it.
So much culture, great hotels, great shopping, excellent transportation and wonderful food.
Sightseeing here is so easy, all the main sites are within walking distance of each other and then to get anywhere else the transport system is quick and cheap. An abundance of cafes and restaurants keeps you well fed and on the move. It is clean and the people are friendly and helpful.
Cannot wait to return!
How to get there and Transportation
Since we went in 2018 the new Istanbul Airport has opened which now replaces Ataturk. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is on the asian side of the city.
Turkish Airlines connect to many countries and tend to have good prices and most major airlines fly there.
You can then connect to other airports in Turkey.
By Train - Turkish Railways has regular connections from Istanbul to Budapest, Bucarest, Kishinev (Moldova), Salonica (Greece), Sofia (Bulgaria) and to Damascus an Tehran.
By Road - Private bus companies run to Germany, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Local companies can take you to any part of Turkey.
By Sea - There is a regular ferry between Odessa and Istanbul. Also many cruise companies stop for daily excursions.
From the Airport:
Metered White Taxis - insist on the meter.
Uber and Careem - difficult pick up location for Uber, follow instructions.
London Taxis from Sixt
Limousine Services available - see Blacklane
Getting around
Metro Marmaray- connects the european and asian sides.
Metro M2 - Possible to get from Taksim to near the Spice Market (Halic). It also runs the other direction to Osmanbey (minutes from the Nisantasi district which has many bars and shops) and onto ITU Ayazaga near to Istinye Park, the chic shopping mall.
Tram - Two lines in service - T4 goes north and T1 runs from Kabatas (Dolmabahce Palace) right through Sultanahmet to the Grand Bazaar.
Funicular - two lines - F2 runs from Karakoy to Istikal Street (Tunel) and F1 runs from Taksim to Kabatas. Open from 6 am to 12 midnight.
Historical Tram - You can use the historical tram NT to go from the Tunel to Taksim Square. T3 is on the asian side from the pier Kadikoy to the Moda neighbourhoods.
Buses - 400 bus lines which run until midnight throughout the city except Sultanahmet.
Boats - to move easily from Europe to Asia, the main piers are Eminonu, Besiktas and Kabatas on the europe side and Uskudar and Kadikoy on the asian side. You can also get out to Princes Island from Kabatas and Kadikoy.
Dolmus - shared taxis operating 24 hours a day. The driver will tell you the price for your destination.
Train - The main lines for Europe are:
Besiktas – Taksim ; and Taksim – Bakirkoy , Yesilkoy
Sariyer – Besiktas and Kadikoy and Uskudar from Asia.
There are also lines connecting Europe to Asia from Besiktas and Taksim.
Where to stay
Huge amount of hotels to chose from but for a first stay I would recommend the Sultanahmet area so you can walk to the main attractions but none are really that far away.
Hotel Amira Istanbul
Romance Istanbul
Other areas
Raffles Istanbul
St Regis Istanbul
Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphoros
Park Hyatt Istanbul
TomTom Suites
Pera Palace
The Ritz Carlton
Witt Istanbul Suites - great penthouse suite
What to See
Hagia Sophia Museum
Perhaps the most well known place to see, built in 537 AD as a Christian Cathedral over the remains of the original 2 churches, the first build in 360 AD. In 1453 the building became a Ottoman imperial Mosque and is then a museum in 1935.
Opening times: every day from 9 am to 5 pm in winter and 6 pm in summer.
Cost 60 TL Children under 8 are free
Tickets available online or from the Kiosk
The Blue Mosque
Known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles inside. Built between 1609 and 1616 is housing the tomb of its builder Ahmed I, a madrasa and hospice and is still an active mosque.
Shoes have to be removed and women have to wear suitable clothing and headscarf. Men should not wear shorts.
Flash photography is not allowed
Closed to non worshippers during the 5 daily prayers
Cost: free
The Grand Bazaar
Built in 1461, this large and covered market houses over 4000 shops in 61 streets…easy to get lost!
Open every day except Sundays and public holidays 8.30 am to 7.00 pm
Basilica Cistern
There are hundreds of ancient cisterns below Istanbul and this one is the largest covering 9800 square metres and was built between 527 and 565 AD, certainly worth visiting.
Opening times 9 am to 6.30 pm every day except the first day of religious holidays
Cost: 20 TL
Topkapi Palace
The largest palace in Istanbul this was the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans built between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II.
Opening times everyday except Tuesday and first day of religious holidays from 9 am to 4.45 pm in winter and 6.45 pm in summer.
Cost: 60 TL children under 12 free
Cafes and restaurants on site.
Appropriate clothing required in some places and no photos inside exhibition halls.
Archeology Museum
Showcasing close to one million artifacts and divided into 3 sections, The Archeology Museum, The Ancient Oriental Artifacts Museum and the Tiled Pavilion Museum.
Open every day except Monday from 9 am to 6.45 pm in summer and 4.45 pm in winter
Cost: 30TL children under 10 free
Galata Tower
A medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karaköy quarter of Istanbul, worth a visit when visiting Istiklal Street if the queues are not too long.
Open from 9 am to 8.30 pm
Hammans
Great experience to relieve stress and give the body a deep clean!
Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamami
Cagaloglu Hamam
Cemberlitas Hamam
Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami
Cruises on the Bosphorus:
A nice way to see the city and other areas.
Numerous options are offered from day cruises, sunset cruises, dinner cruises and you can even book an airport transfer cruise.
Public and private boats are available.
Restaurants
Mihir Restaurant - 7/10 - Decent food and plenty of it in a very nice setting opposite the Hagia Sophia. Smoking allowed.
House of Medusa - 9/10 -Lovely garden setting and very good food. Wine and Beer available - smoking allowed
Shopping
Karaköy - Cafes and cobblestone alleys in this artsy area. Istanbul Modern Museum is a short walk from the Karaköy tram stop and you can catch the tünel to Beyoğlu if you don't want to walk uphill to Istiklal Street
Galata & Beyoğlu - Galip Dede Caddesi is a winding cobblestone street full of little individual shops, cafes and tourist shops selling a range of items. Either walk up from the tram stop after the bridge or take the Tünel from Karaköy to Beyoğlu, turn right as you come out of the station and make another immediate right as soon as you are out on the square in front of you. The walk down will lead you back to Karaköy tram stop at the end of this street and don't miss the Galata Tower for a great view.
French Street (Cezayir Sokaği) for cafes- Located behind the Galatasaray High School (Galatasaray Lisesi). Get off at Karaköy, take the Tünel again and then take the Nostaljik Tramvay and hop off at Galatasaray on Istiklal Caddesi. Walk towards to the back of Galatasaray Lisesi where the French Street is located.
Bebek - Another pretty area for walking by the water. Cafes and boutique clothes shops To get here, take the T1 tram to Kabataş and transfer to bus 25E from the terminal and get off at Bebek
Tahtakale, is a small area near the Egyptian Bazaar, good for household goods and great for wooden spoons, cutting boards, and honeycombs.
Tulu - for great turkish textiles from colourful bedding to beautiful kimonos and pyjamas
Abdulla Hamam Accessories in the Grand Bazaar - Haman towels (peshtemal) and natural olive oil soap
Gencay Baharat - Sabuncu Han Cad., Sabuncu Han No. 22, Eminönü - Pure Olive Oil Soaps
Nil Baharat - Asmaaltı Büyükbaş Sokak No. 1, Eminönü - Outside the Spice Bazaar along the same row as Hamdi Restaurant. for spices, herbs and tea.
What to pack and other Tips
Packing - As this was a stopover on the way to Egypt, my choices covered both countries. Some nice dresses for evening and lots of stretchy jeans, mix and match t-shirts, shirts, boots, trainers (which I never wore), flip flops and gym gear (again never wore).
You do walk a lot so comfortable shoes are a must and layers are good so you are covered for the mosques etc but can then cool off.
Public Transport - the hotel gave us one card for the tram, we just had to top it up which is fairly easy although we did require help from locals. One card works for two people.
Currency exchange - the hotel had a better rate than some of the small exchanges especially on Sunday.
Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Istanbul
I have no hesitation in recommending the the FS Sultanahmet. Location, Location, Location. Click the logo to visit their website
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