« My favorite places in Istanbul 🇹🇷
🗺️ 1. The Bosphorus Promenade 🌊
The classic spot – Galata Bridge. (Check it out on the right 📸) There are tons of fish restaurants, but it's not entirely clear which one is better – they all serve similar dishes. 🍴
It's better to visit in the evening, but be prepared for the staff at these places to be quite pushy, offering you all sorts of “best deals.” This is where you’ll learn about marketing. 🧐 Overall, you might feel an urge to skip it, but don’t give in, keep going. You didn’t come all the way to the bridge just to stay there. When you’ve crossed ten restaurants and their staff, you'll find a great spot to chill. It’s definitely worth it to just relax and take in the views. 🌉
By the way, while you’re walking across the bridge, check out the fishermen on the lower level. 🎣
🗺️ 2. Basilica Cistern 💧
On this visit, I realized that not everyone appreciates the beauty of the cistern. But once you're there, it's atmospheric. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time by a few centuries. During my last visit, they were still renovating it, and there was almost no water 😢. Oh man, I need to go back there again! 😄
💰 Entrance is 100 lira ($3.50).
🗺️ 3. The area between two main attractions.
Make sure to buy a simit (a type of bread) and take a picture with it! It’s iconic to Istanbul. Inside, the Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1935, after being a church for 916 years and a mosque for 418 years. 🙌
💰 Entrance there is 600 lira ($21), but it's definitely packed. Most tourists and locals alike find it far more impressive than the Blue Mosque, but you still should visit there as well; entry is free. 👌 »
I won't mention too much about it, but we couldn't get inside because the entrance is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Feeling disappointed and soaked, we headed back! But of course, no visit is complete without a few photos 📸. They have these grand gates that you'd want to snap pictures in front of!
The entrance fee to each of the two parts of the palace is paid separately. For Selamlik, it costs 30 TL, and for Harem, it’s 20 TL. Those wishing to visit both parts can enjoy a single ticket for just 40 TL. »
🗺️ 1. The Bosphorus Promenade 🌊
The classic spot – Galata Bridge. (Check it out on the right 📸) There are tons of fish restaurants, but it's not entirely clear which one is better – they all serve similar dishes. 🍴
It's better to visit in the evening, but be prepared for the staff at these places to be quite pushy, offering you all sorts of “best deals.” This is where you’ll learn about marketing. 🧐 Overall, you might feel an urge to skip it, but don’t give in, keep going. You didn’t come all the way to the bridge just to stay there. When you’ve crossed ten restaurants and their staff, you'll find a great spot to chill. It’s definitely worth it to just relax and take in the views. 🌉
By the way, while you’re walking across the bridge, check out the fishermen on the lower level. 🎣
🗺️ 2. Basilica Cistern 💧
On this visit, I realized that not everyone appreciates the beauty of the cistern. But once you're there, it's atmospheric. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time by a few centuries. During my last visit, they were still renovating it, and there was almost no water 😢. Oh man, I need to go back there again! 😄
💰 Entrance is 100 lira ($3.50).
🗺️ 3. The area between two main attractions.
Make sure to buy a simit (a type of bread) and take a picture with it! It’s iconic to Istanbul. Inside, the Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1935, after being a church for 916 years and a mosque for 418 years. 🙌
💰 Entrance there is 600 lira ($21), but it's definitely packed. Most tourists and locals alike find it far more impressive than the Blue Mosque, but you still should visit there as well; entry is free. 👌 »
Transfer 🚕. If you take a transfer offered by your hotel, it will be around $50 for two people, but if you opt for public transport, you'll save a good chunk of that money. One downside is that it’s not always convenient to take a bus after a long flight, especially if you have to make a transfer.
One alternative is taxis, but I recommend using Uber.
Accommodation 🏨. The number of hotels, hostels, and apartments in Istanbul is astounding, especially in the historic part of the city – the Sultanahmet area. When choosing your hotel, make sure to remember that the main "highlight" of all the places in Istanbul is the “view from the window.”
Thus, if you opt out of a “view from the window,” the room will definitely cost less.
You can also always rent an apartment or a separate room, which will be more budget-friendly than renting a room in a hotel.
Food 🍽. The food in Turkey is incredibly affordable, yet delicious. The main rule of Eastern cuisines is not to judge quality based on exterior appearances.
A cheap restaurant can sometimes have only overpriced dishes as they might not offer the best ingredients; while a local street vendor may serve exceptional food straight from their own vehicle that surpasses even renowned restaurants.
So be careful about the number of customers at that food stall or restaurant, and also observe if there are any locals dining there. »
Here it is, love at first sight. 💖 I couldn’t believe I would fall in love with this place. 🥰 The days spent here feel special, like when you reunite with an old friend. 🏙️ »
The Grand Bazaar is an endless labyrinth of streets where everything imaginable is sold, but mainly leather goods, bags, soaps, souvenirs, sweets, scarves, and other bits and bobs. Finding something truly worthwhile is challenging, but possible. It’s easy to get lost, as the little boutiques are like twin brothers with identical merchandise and eager salespeople beckoning you in. Haggling is a must – the price can drop by half. But don’t rejoice too soon: similar souvenirs in Sultanahmet, items in shopping malls, and bags on Istiklal Street can be cheaper :) So the main value of the Grand Bazaar lies in its cultural and historical significance! Take time to explore the architecture, admire the frescoes, and try to soak up the spirit of Turkey while bargaining with the vendors :) We went to the market with the goal of buying a coffee set for ourselves. The price for sets ranged from 5,000 to 10,000 Turkish Lira for 6 cups with holders and a small dish with a lid for sweets. We managed to haggle down to 2,600 Lira. »