This was first written as a guest post for Hostel Bloggers, who changed the original content. Here is the post as I wrote it and meant for it to be read.
Istanbul is my favorite city in the world for the simple reason that it is endless. The city can be overwhelming for tourists in both variety and complexity. Istanbul is many things to many people and if I had 48 hours in the city, here’s what I’d recommend to get your feet wet, jump in the pool, or become a fish in this city which spans two continents.
Get Your Feet Wet
The three places that any first trip to Istanbul can’t be without.
- Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) – Originally a church constructed around the year 550 A.D., the building was converted into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city 900 years later. Aside from the impressive 15 meter main dome, you’ll see paintings from the original churches that are currently being uncovered by researchers. The lines vary, but expect a visit to take from 1-3 hours.
- The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı) – The oldest covered market in the world is an afternoon of adventure in of itself. Every shop is unique with many hidden treasures (you can find Ottoman relics tucked away in corners being sold for nothing if you look hard enough). Brush up on your bargaining skills though, and don’t be surprised if the shopkeeper offers you a cup of tea. You can get lost in the bazaar (and to get a good deal) st aside around 3-5 hours.
- A Ferry Right Across The Bosphorus – The locals use the multitude of ferries crossing from the European and Asian sides of Istanbul to get to work and visit friends during their daily lives but it’s an essential for any traveler to Istanbul. The ferries offer a great view of the city, including the Süleymaniye Mosque (Sultanahmet) to Topkapı Palace. The entire trip will take about 15 minutes. (Do it a few times to get around, 1 hour.)
Jump In The Pool
- Mikla – Turkish cuisine is a blend of dishes that were absorbed during the Ottomans years, and Mehmet Gürs has taken his Swedish background to the Turkish menu. One of the most varied and adventurous blends you’ll find on a plate in Istanbul, the view from the restaurant overlooking the Asian side of the city is a feast for your eyes. Enjoy an evening at this pricey restaurant and spend about 2-3 hours on a 12-course meal.
İstiklal Caddesi in Beyoğlu – Istanbul is loaded with lavish bars overlooking parts of the city and you’ll be able to find one easily on Istiklal Caddesi (street). The main street is loaded with tourists but hop off the beaten path to one of the side streets and you’ll find a number of small cafes, pubs, and nightclubs. Have a night of drinks and wash away your hangover by picking up an ‘islak burger’ (pictured left) on your way back to your hotel or hostel. Likely terrible for you and lacking nutrition, these after hours snacks are delicious. The entire experience could last anywhere from 2-6 hours.
- A Boat Tour Of The Bosphorus – An extended version of the traditional ferry, hop on a designated ‘Bosphorus Tour’ all the way from Eminönü on the European side to Anadolu Kavağı on the Asian side (close to the Black Sea). Make time in the afternoon so that you can stop by one of the many restaurants on the shore serving freshly caught fish and Turkish appetizers. You can hop on and off the boat at each stop as you please, but if you take the entire trip (with lunch) plan on spending about 6 hours. (Drink Turkish Raki and add 2 hours.)
Become A Fish
- Visit A Turkish Bath (Hamam) – These bath houses were social meeting places in the days of the Ottomans and an experience that is uniquely Turkish. Don’t be intimidated by the hamams, the process is fairly straightforward (most have separate sections for men and women). Don’t be shy either, you’ll be naked for most of the time, until you get a towel to dry off. Get a scrub and massage, and move back and forth between the hot and cold sections of the bath. The easiest hamam to navigate and most popular in Istanbul is the Çemberlitas Hamami. Enjoy some tea after a steam and scrub, and relax as long as you’d like. An average of 2 hours.
- Go To A Football (Soccer) Game – Not for the faint of heart, a football match in Istanbul is surreal. Dubbing the atmosphere of the stadiums ‘hell’ by many visiting European teams, 3 of Turkey’s major football clubs call Istanbul home. Tickets may be hard to come by but hop online and try to book in advance for a Galatasaray, Besiktas, or Fenerbahce game to witness a sea of fans chanting and cheering for their home team. Take my advice on staying safe at an international football game before you go and enjoy the experience, which should run you about 5 hours total.
Istanbul is a great city to get lost in, if you let yourself. Be careful to only let the city overwhelm your senses, but not your schedule. Take your time, and rather than squeeze in a little bit of time brushing by a number of sights, set aside a few hours to enjoy what you decide to experience, whether your just getting your feet wet or jumping right in.
[photos by: georginchen, Boudreaux and Andrea]
Anil, last year I almost booked a Turkish airline ticket Toronto > Istanbul > Mumbai, but then Aeroflot was cheaper so I went to Russia instead. LOL. But in Sochi I saw a ship going across to Turkey and I felt awful for missing it. Some day I’d like to go from Turkey to Vladivostok on land. Inshaallah. I’ve heard so many nice things about it.
I love this post, Anil. Istanbul is my favorite city in the world too! Very well written, bravo. 🙂
@ Final:
I may be a bit biased, but can honestly say that Turkey has a lot of variety to offer a traveler. I’d like to make that trip (Vladivostok-Turkey) on land on day too – provided it’s on a motorcycle. Check out the book ‘Long Way Round’ if you haven’t, think you’d enjoy it.
@ Deniz:
Thanks!
I’ve heard so much of Istanbul lately! Could it be that someone’s telling me to go? Thanks for the the tips! I found them useful!
Very useful tips for those who want to squeeze in some time to visit this exotic city. I want to be there for at least 7 days.
Oh my !! More I read about this place, more I get envied who have visited it.
@ Cuckoo:
I agree that 48 hours wouldn’t really do it justice, but it would just be another reason to visit a second time!
It sounds like you’ve got all the good stuff covered in 2 days. Is there more:) Just kidding, I know you can spend a year in Istanbul and not do all that is there.
First of all, thanks for this awesome post on Turkey. I was there last year around September and I had a great time. Although, Istanbul is not one of my favorite cities, I do recommend it for those who want to experience the mixing of cultures and religions.
@ marina:
The variety is almost as endless as the city itself.
@ Tony:
Appreciate the comment – great blog btw, I’m guessing one or more of your favorite cities is in Japan? 😉
Great post and really does sum up the most important sites to see.
I love Istanbul it’s a vibrant city and you can do all kinds of activity it caters to every one.
Thank you for passing by my humble blog. I will take you up on that offer to help when I am fumbling with more and more Turkish phrases.
I look forward to reading your posts and reading each phrase as you learn it. I’ll drop some of my favorite ones from time to time as well.
Btw, let me know if you’d like a link on page set aside for other travel blogs (foxnomad.com/links). I’d be happy to add you.
I visited Istanbul a few years ago to see one of my Turkish friends. it was one of the best trips of my whole life…5 days with no sleep, but so fun and exciting! One suggestion I have about Istanbul, though I know it’s very typical tourist thing to do is go to a Belly dance dinner show. My friend and I did that and had so much fun!
I’m glad to hear it, there’s so much to do and plenty of opportunities to party!
Nothing wrong with typical touristy things either 😉
I found this information very useful, I am glad I found your site. My husband, son, and I are
travelling for a year and are currently in Italy for the summer. We are planning on Turkey next and are working out the details. How long do you recommend in Istanbul? We were thinking a couple of weeks. We would like to stay in Turkey for ~6 weeks. Do you have some other recommendations for places that are a must see?
Hi Lisa,
Nice to meet you as well! So many things to do, where to begin…
There is such a variety of places to see in Turkey and it can be overwhelming. Depending on how much you want to be on the go and your budget, I do highly recommend making your way to see the west and eastern parts of the country.
Are you looking for Istanbul specific, or general places to see around Turkey? Let me know and I’ll do my best to help you and point you to some great resources.
As for your other question, I think 4-6 days in Istanbul is a good amount of time depending on how much of Turkey you want to explore.
Let me know a bit more about your plans and I’ll be able to give you more specific advice.
Btw, your trip (and those like it) are really inspirational and are fun to read!
This is a very informative and well-written post, Anil. Well-done! I just compared it to the one posted on Hostel Bloggers, and I must say, I’m shocked that they would change your original content after asking you to be a guest blogger. I can understand if they make a few changes, but it looks like a significant amount of original text was removed and replaced with something else. How disappointing. Hostel Bloggers has been hounding me to write for them for months now, but I’ve been putting them off in order to complete my paid freelancing work. After seeing what they did to your article, I can safely scratch them off my list of people to get back to. Personally, I like the version you wrote much better and I’m really glad you posted it as you originally intended it.
I’m glad to hear you say that Carrie, I wasn’t sure if I was being too particular. I just felt the changes were too much and really didn’t capture the gist of the original post. Plus, as you mention, blocks of text were removed. It put me off a bit to writing for company blogs like Hostel Bloggers.
Hey great post, we’re going to Istanbul in 3 weeks and this post certainly helps us!
Just wondering about the football, there’s a couple of games on the weekend we’ll be there. Just wondering how / where you buy the tickets?!
Thanks!
Thanks Conor – the best way to find tickets online is to go to the website of one of the particular teams playing. If it’s any of the big 3 teams tickets may be hard to come by. Let me know if that helps!