credit: Amateur Traveler
Welcome to this weekends Sunday Spotlight – Things to Do in Istanbul
Every Sunday we shine the spotlight on a different city by sharing travel tips and stories written by other bloggers around the web.
We hope these blog posts will inform and inspire you to visit Turkey.
Food, Food & More Turkish Food
Wandering Earl gets such great tips from his own readers and the locals wherever he goes, including one who said “do not miss the opportunity to eat at Ciya“. And sfter going on his own culinary tour of Istanbul he tasted some of the best food that he’s ever eaten in his life.
8 Historic Sites Not To Miss in Istanbul
If you are a history buff like Chris Christensen, he suggests Istanbul is a place to visit before you die. Here are his top 8 historic sites:
The Two Great Mosques
On one side of Sultanahmet Park sits Hagia Sophia. On the other side is the Blue Mosque. Michael Turtle experiences two buildings, two religions, hundreds of years, one history.
The Blue Mosque. Credit: Time Travel Turtle
Ottoman Architecture
Katie Aune suggests it is impossible to understand the history of Istanbul without getting a good feel for the history of the Ottoman Empire – one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history.
8 Things to Do on Istiklal Avenue
Istiklal Avenue is a busy street from morning until night and Natalie Sayin says it never fails to surprise. Here are 8 things to do.
Soaking in the Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus Strait is where east meets west, where a quick ferry ride enables people to bounce across continents, and if Dalene Heck had more time in Istanbul she would ride the waves of the Bosphorus every day.
credit: Hecktic Travels
Discovering Hidden Istanbul
Amanda Williams embarks on a hidden Istanbul walking tour with a local that at first takes her to a few familiar favorites, but then away from the crowds to discover some hidden secrets.
Süleymaniye Mosque – Credit: A Dangerous Business
Sampling Simit – a Turkish National Food
Lisa Goodmurphy discovers that simit is an extremely popular fast food in Turkey and are a great snack choice for families on the move as they are tasty, filling, and inexpensive.
Credit: Gone With The Family
Tips For Surviving The Grand Bazaar
Natalie Sayin offers her tips on surviving the Grand Bazaar, which is not your average shopping mall, including how to avoid the hassle, finding your way around, and how to bargain.
credit Turkish Travel Blog
The Other Tour of Istanbul
Dave Dean is not usually a fan of organised group trips, but on the “other tour” led by Fethi and his family discovered a side of Istanbul away from the vendors and mosques, including NOT visiting a carpet shop.
credit What’s Dave Doing?
Istanbul’s Hidden Street
Jenny Freedman visits a small cobblestoned street lined with beautiful trees and restored historic wooden houses which turns out to be a quiet gem in a city of hustle and bustle.
OMG – The Turkish Bath
Megan Singleton didn’t know what to expect, but suggests it would be wrong to leave without trying the ancient cleansing ritual of a hamam, or Turkish bath, and offers her survival tips.
Bars in Taksim – Nightlife for Females and Foreigners
Natalie Sayin recommends a few bars where she felt very comfortable both as a foreigner and as a female, plus one bar to stay away from.
5 Things You Must Do
If you only have time to do 5 things on your trip to Istanbul, Ali Garland says while there are endless possibilities, these were five of her favorite things to do.
What to Do With a 15 Hour Layover in Istanbul
Kimi Sugiyama stumbles on a FREE ‘Discover Istanbul in Hours’ pass offered by Turkish Airlines to see some of the city’s major icons instead of wasting time twiddling your thumbs in the airport.
More Posts about Turkey
- Top Five Things to do in Cappadocia
- What to Do in Antalya, Turkey
- Things to Do in Istanbul Turkey – Sunday Spotlight
More Resources for Istanbul
Check out these helpful travel guides:
OR, if you have a travel tip share that too!
IMHO, do not miss Chora Church, here is my blog post about it: http://www.pointsandtravel.com/chora-church-the-1-place-to-visit-in-istanbulturkey-imho-in-my-humble-opinion/
Thanks Cacinda!
I”m going back to Istanbul again later in the year and will be reading each of these posts for some new ideas! It’s a fabulous city…I can’t stay away! Thanks for including mine!
Lucky you Jenny. We had a few days there back in 2003 after doing ANZAC Day. Loved it then but reading these posts we obviously barely scratched the surface. Must return!
Thanks for including me! Istanbul is such a wonderful city, I really want to go back. We had 4 or 5 days there, and it just wasn’t enough.
I hear that Ali. Hope we all return soon!
Although the spice market overwhelmed me, I really did enjoy walking through it.
http://ctrl-alt-travel.com/europe/turkey/istanbul/in-the-spice-market-aromatic-chaos/
Yes, totally. The colors make for great photos!
I find this sort of compilation post very helpful, saving me a lot of time. Please keep ’em coming.
Great. Will do.
By the way, how is it that the photos of other commenters are displayed and mine doesn’t?
You need a Gravatar: https://en.gravatar.com/
One of the most interesting things about Istanbul was how contrasting things mix up together and shape the modern Istanbul. One experience one shouldn’t miss is walking all the way from Taksim Square to Istiklal Street and end at Galata Tower. You’ll get the real feel of how people live their lives. Here is a glimpse of what you would find: http://harindabama.com/2013/03/20/beyoglu-where-cultures-collide/
Thanks for sharing your post Bama!
Take me there now please! 🙂
Great post Craig. Istanbul is a superb city!
The Blue Mosque is not to be missed. For those who are unsure what to expect, a post for you:
http://www.elizabethfarrar.com/2013/04/savvy-nomad-guide-to-visiting-blue.html
One thing to note for male tourists: Don’t fall for the shoe-shine trick!
While walking along the bridge from the Grand Bazaar to Taksim, many shoe shiners will walk past male tourists and “accidentally” knock their brush off, counting on your kindness to pick it up.
After offering to shine your shoes to (seemingly) repay your kindness, they try to charge you up to 20 TL.
I’m not sure if this is common in other parts of the world, but it certainly happens in Istanbul often.
Now if there was only a list of great but reasonably priced & central hotels. I’m forwarding this to a friend who’s off in a month.
Istanbul is one of my favourite all time cities and one of the few I’d really like to see again. I’m loving your series.
We visited in March, the weather was pleasant if you wrap up well and you get out of season hotel prices and plenty of room at the main sights. Don’t miss a whirling dervish ceremony it is a real spiritual experience.
I love Istanbul but on our first acquaintance with the city I nearly broke up the long term relationship between a Taxim hostess bar worker and her policeman boyfriend: http://www.the-working-traveller.com/istanbul-a-tale-of-two-city-experiences/
Thanks for sharing!
I loveee it! http://www.worldcelebrationblog.com/pool-music-festival-hosts-50000-turkey/
http://www.magiccityistanbul.blogspot.com every about Istanbul for tourists.
It’s a beautiful place… And great for eating, munching, brunching 🙂
Lots of unique sweets-selling shops there in the Golden Horn area…
Istanbul is my favourite city in the whole wide world! It is the culture and the hospitality that attracts me – everyone wants to make you feel welcome.
It is amongst the few cities in the world where you can be a vegetarian and still be well fed. Food is high on my list, and this city boasts of excellent eateries and fresh produce!
http://tickingthebucketlist.blogspot.in/2014/06/istanbul-my-favourite-city-in-world.html
Istanbul is my favorite place for a holiday. I took this offer last time so I thought why not share with other people as well.
http://www.nasa-travel.ae/package/istanbul-turkey/
Istanbul is one of best place to spend holiday. Take a look on all things to do and enjoy your time Istanbul.
Yes, definitely. And, the best place to stay, eat and wander around is none other than the Golden Horn area:
http://www.escapehunter.com/escapes/turkey/golden-horn-010611.php
Really amazing Istanbul, thanks for sharing!!
Thank you very much for this advice. I absolutely love Istanbul. Something that you may want to include in this blog is the culinary walks provided by http://www.spooninmypocket.com. I took one of them and it really shows the Turkish culture. The people in Istanbul absolutely love food and that really shows in the food we tasted during the tour. It is a nice change to the crowded, busy tourist spots in Istanbul
Awesome post! Do check out our post about Istanbul Attractions covering Camlica Hill, the Grand Bazaar, Istiklal Shopping Street, Taksim Square and Kumkapi!
Happy Travels Everyone!
Tom,
2bearbear.com
What a wonderful compilation of tips on experiencing Istanbul. One of my best memories is the day I took my Istanbulkart for a workout. I was amazed at how many transportation options were covered by the card from ferries across the Bosphorus to a train under the Bosphorus and a cable car to Pierre Loti cafe (among others). It’s a great way to craft a unique itinerary to explore Istanbul.
http://packinglighttravel.com/destinations/get-istanbulkart/
Thanks for the blog. It helped.
I happen to look for a place to unwind. And Istanbul is on the list.
Great is a blog . Thanks ….
Great post! Check out our post of the 17 Top Things to do and Attractions in Turkey!
Happy Travels Everyone!
Tom,
2bearbear.com
You can find a great list about mosques in Istanbul here:
http://www.taksimultravipapartments.com/most-beautiful-mosques-in-istanbul/
As a guy who lives in Istanbul, I can recommend that to go “Sariyer” in Istanbul. There are 3 restourant which serves great Turkish Breakfasts and also i can recommend the Sapphire plaza in “Levent”(Istanbul”.
Great travel tips. You may also check these posts if you like to know more about Roman, Byzantine backround of Istanbul City.
Make sure you do not miss the Hippodrome of Constantinople: http://www.istanbulclues.com/hippodrome-of-constantinople-or-istanbul/
Also make sure you get to Asian Side – Kadikoy Fish Market http://www.istanbulclues.com/how-to-go-to-kadikoy-what-to-do-in-kadikoy/
Great selection of blog posts about Istanbul City. I loved it. I will forward this page to some of my friends who will come to Istanbul. Thank you for sharing.
Great list…..
I think Süleymaniye Mosque and Rustem Pasha Mosque should have made this list….
Still I loved reading the post…
These are surely some never-miss attractions in Turkey..
Perfect selection of best blog posts related to Istanbul City. I have been working as a guide in Turkey for long years. I find these pages very useful for visitors as a local. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing a very nice, post including great tips about Istanbul. Additional to this great post, I just wanted to tell there are many things to share for highend traveller of Istanbul. As being luxury travel advisor, ready to help all.
This is good article, I would like to add one more thing that taking Bosporus Tour with ferry, It is possible to see Asia and Europe at the same time. There are wonderful city spots near sea and also passing under bridges is excellent experience. I live in Istanbul and I love to make photos of Istanbul. Here are some samples from my Bosporus Tour: http://www.istanbulphotographer.com/transportation/
There is a lot of fun stuff to do in Instanbul and also Istanbul hides a huge history inside Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi palace are must see in Istanbul. Take a boat cruise on the Bosphorous is the best way to see both sights of Istanbul from the boat. http://www.turkeytravelconsultant.com/#!bosphorus-cruise-two-hours-tour/c1i78