Smack in-between the 2 continents of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a very old city with a lot of history and culture. Our first time visiting was no easy feat, as we traveled to Istanbul during the Visa Ban. Click here if you want to read about how we made it into Turkey the 1st time. Thankfully, our second time visiting there was no ban in place and all we had to do was get an e-visa.
Quick Link to:
Transportation
- Turkish Airlines: From Amman, Jordan we flew into Istanbul on this airline. It was a comfortable and fairly quick flight.
Travel Tip: When returning back to the airport, plan to arrive four hours before your flight, especially if you are flying back to America. You will have to go through 4-5 security clearances before arriving at your gate. Make sure to always have your passport in hand and to follow directions from the staff on what to do. Try to travel light and to have easy shoes to take on and off as this will help speed the process. Also, be prepared for extra screening if heading to the United States.
- Istanbul Metro: Since we are pretty good with navigating public transportation, we decided to give the metro a try. It had a stop at the airport so we were able to easily hop on after we got through customs. We were on our way to the hotel, just a few stops away, when suddenly the train stopped and then started going backwards. We learned that the Istanbul Marathon was being held inside the city due to a marathon, so public transportation was off limits.
- Taxi: After having to get off the metro, we hailed a taxi since we were still quite far from our hotel. Unfortunately for us, since the marathon was going on, most of the roads that lead to our hotel were closed off.
- Walking: Since most of the roads were closed, our taxi driver dropped us off at the nearest place he could. After a long time of wandering around and asking people, we finally found our hotel! Getting around the city to see stuff, we just walked since everything was very central.
Travel Tip: When asking for directions, be sure you go inside either a hotel or restaurant to ask where to go. Many of the locals are very nice in Istanbul but there are a few that will try and get money from you after they offer directions. Also do not let a shoeshiner try to shine your shoes without your consent. This is a scam where they will demand money from you for their unwanted services.
Accommodations
- Sunlife Oldcity: Less than a mile away from the Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmed Mosque, this hotel was in the perfect location. The rooms were clean and they offered an airport shuttle for only $15. We took advantage of this on the return to the airport but wish we would have known about it on the way there. The shuttle made two other stops at different hotels but only took about 45 minutes to get from the hotel to the airport. At only $60 for 2 nights, this hotel was a very reasonable price for what we got! It also offers breakfast with an amazing view on the top floor of the complex. The breakfast was very traditional European, so it included meat, cheeses, and breads. Very close to the hotel, is a convenience store that we were able to get some snacks and drinks.
- Hippodrome Hotel: The second time we were in Istanbul, we stayed here and we liked it a lot.
Right in the heart of the city (328 feet from , our room had spectacular views!
The room was beautiful, spacious and clean. For 2 nights, it only cost us $64.
Our stay also included breakfast at a nearby hotel, Azade Hotel. It was a buffet of fresh fruit, breads, meat, olives, etc. It was all delicious and the perfect start to our day!
Breakfast was served on the rooftop of the hotel and there were some amazing views of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
To-Do
- Sultan Ahmed Mosque: Otherwise know as “The Blue Mosque”, this was one of our favorite sights we saw on our trip. We could not stop taking pictures of the beautiful architecture of the mosque. We went to explore inside which was just as grand as the outside. Right outside the front gate we saw a stand that had head coverings for women if you do not already have one.
Once we entered the mosque, we had to remove our shoes and place them in a plastic bag that we carried with us until we left. This is to show respect when entering any mosque. After we were finished exploring the inside, we left a donation at the exit to help with funding for the mosque.
Travel Tip: Be aware of people trying to talk to you outside the gates of “The Blue Mosque” as they will offer tours of the outside. They might also try to “small talk” with you in order to lure you into their trap. A man tried to do this with us and was very pushy. We just let him know that we were doing it on our own and did not need his services. Inside the mosque we spent around forty-five minutes to an hour exploring. When we left he had been waiting for us, and tried taking us to his rug shop. Once outside the rug shop, we ran out of patience and told him we are not interested and left. When visiting please ignore anyone who tries to confront you.
- Grand Bazaar: With 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, the Grand Bazaar is one of the biggest and oldest covered markets in the world.
It is of course incredibly busy and we got yelled at a lot to come and buy their goods. But this just adds to the experience! You just have to get used to either ignoring them or saying no a lot of times. We found that responding to them only made them yell out more, so we had to be rude and just look away.
There are so many things that you have the opportunity to purchase at any of the shops in the Grand Bazaar, from rugs and diamonds to spices and Turkish delight. This is the perfect place to purchase any souvenirs that you have in mind. Something to keep in mind is that while everything has a price, there is always room for bargaining and you must be firm with them.
- Hagia Sophia: This building has quite a history! It was first built as a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, then became an Ottoman imperial mosque, then a museum (it was the last time we visited) and finally back into a mosque in 2020. Just like with any mosque, before we entered we removed our shoes and placed them in the shoe storage that they had. Sierra also made sure to wear a head-covering.
Upon entering, we marveled at the breathtaking inside of the mosque. It is tough to say whether this one or the Blue Mosque is more beautiful.
- Sultanahmet Arkeolojik Park (Blue Archaeological Park): Next to the Hagia Sophia, there is this park that was great for cat watching. Yes, cat watching instead of people watching! Istanbul is home to so many cats and they help control any mice that are in the city. The locals adore the cats and we saw them leave water outside their apartment doors or feed them leftover food. These cats are very smart and healthy and of course, adorable! We were able to get pictures of some small kittens cuddling with each other. This seemed to be very popular since we saw a lot of locals and tourists watching the cats. We saw some brave cats jump and climb on trees to try and catch birds. This was very entertaining for everyone except the birds!
- Galata Tower: The tower was built in mid 14th century (during the Byzantine Era) as a part of the Galata Walls. It was then used as a dungeon and and next, a fire lookout tower. It fell into ruin throughout the years but was restored in 2020 and reopened as a museum.
Tickets to get into the tower were 30 Turkish lira (about $4) per person. Once entering, there was an elevator that brought us to the top, for some incredible views!
Inside the tower, they had some artifacts to admire. Once we were done looking at everything, we walked back down to the bottom, since the elevator was only for getting to the top.
Food
- Cozy Pub & Restaurant: So it is sad for us to admit it, but we were at the end of our trip and hungry for food that we could get back home. Normally, we are adventurous with trying new things but we went with this same restaurant both nights we were there. The name doesn’t ring Istanbul, but actually has a Turkish twist that made us feel at home. Many of the locals come to this restaurant as it offers a European cafe vibe. The servers are very kind, and we enjoyed small talk with them. We also had some good conversations with the tourists and locals next to us.
We were not in Italy but enjoyed some yummy pizza in Turkey. We got a Pizza Pepperoni and a Pizza Funghi (mushrooms). These definitely filled our stomachs!
The second day we ordered Cheese Tortellini and the famous Turkish Burger served on a wooden cutting board. Both items were mouth watering and the pasta was so good Sierra had to keep the cats away from stealing it (see travel tip below)!
Other than the main course meals we also ate a Mixed Cheese Plate and of course Baklava. The cheese plate was one of the best starter dishes we have ever had, as it had different cheeses and bread from around Turkey. When in Turkey we felt like we should have some Baklava and it did not disappoint! We enjoyed the yummy dessert with some tea to finish off our meal!
Travel Tip: Something we can warn you about is absolutely not to give in to the stray cats and give them any food. They may be cute but they are very bold and chances are, will jump on your lap! There was one sweet cat that was hanging around us one evening and against advice, Sierra gave one of the cats a small morsel. Soon before we knew it, it had jumped up into her lap and started eating right from the plate! Thankfully, she was almost finished but it was an unexpected thing for sure.
- Rainbow Cafe & Restaurant: On our second trip to Istanbul, we ate here on our first night and it was one of our favorites.
For our drinks, Sierra had a glass of white wine and Jonah had some Raki, a drink made of twice-distilled grapes which happens to be the national drink of Turkey.
For dinner, we both shared this massive plate of kebabs. It had a variety of different kinds of meat, some veggies, rice and fries. Everything was very well seasoned and came out hot. It was very filling and it was a good thing we split it!
After our main course, they offered us some complimentary tea. This seems to be a common thing in their culture to do since we have been given free tea many times. It was a really nice gesture and the tea was delicious.
For dessert, we had some Baklava, which was served with chocolate ice cream. It was super tasty! All together, our meal was 641 lira after tip (about $75).
- Park Büfe Cafe: We stopped at this small cafe for lunch after visiting the Galata Tower.
For our drinks, we got freshly made pomegranate juice. It was very refreshing!
Sierra got a sosisli (hotdog). It was delicious and filling, with pickles, mayo and some other kind of condiment (possibly ketchup).
Jonah got kumru, which was a Turkish sandwich made up of sausage and fries. The name translates to collared dove, due to the shape of the sandwich. It was very tasty! Lunch cost us 60 lira after tip (about $7).
- Magnaura Cafe & Restaurant: We ate here for our last night and we were quite impressed with the quality and value of the food.
For a starter, we just had some simple pita bread and olives, which was really good.
Jonah had the bogazici steak, which was served in a teracotta pot and came with veggies and rice. It was flavorful and plenty filling.
Sierra had manti pasta, which was homemade ravioli filled with lamb and topped with a yoghurt and melted butter sauce. It was delicious! The total for our dinner was 205 lira after tip (about $24).
Turkey was full of culture with influences from both Europe and Asia, with beautiful architecture and people. Istanbul might be one of the largest cities in the World but inside, we found a place we could relax and find peace.
