Our journey to Istanbul from Mauritius was long. We took a 6.5-hour red-eye flight to Dubai, had a 7-hour layover, then took a 4.5-hour flight to Istanbul – 18 hours in total. We took advantage of our Priority Pass to go to two different lounges where we napped in comfy chairs and ate breakfast during our long layover. I managed to get a good amount of sleep on the first flight and also napped in the lounges so I was not too tired by the time we finally arrived in Istanbul around 2pm local time. We went through immigration, collected our bags, then hopped on the local Havaist bus that goes to Taksim Square, where our hotel is located.
We were looking forward to Istanbul because we had booked a five-night stay at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul using points – our favorite way to stay to travel. It felt so luxurious to step into a nice building and jump into a nice, soft bed after staying at budget accommodations for the past few weeks. There was also a nice pool and a gym with a steam room and sauna – which we took advantage of during our stay.
After checking in, we walked to a local kebab shop that was highly rated and supposed to be cheap. We both ordered an Adana Kebab. I took my first bite, and I was amazed! It was so tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was the best kebab I’d had in my life, blowing anything I had eaten in the US out of the water. I didn’t have high expectations for food in Turkey because although I enjoy Turkish food occasionally, I do not consider it one of my preferred cuisines. But this first kebab was so delicious that it made me so excited to try all the food in Istanbul.
We then went to Istikal Street, a popular shopping district with many western brands and stores. I needed to get new sunglasses as the cheap pair from Victoria Falls was not effective at all. And we needed to get more underwear as we both under packed. Luckily, I was able to find everything I needed while Nate was not as successful even after visiting almost ten stores. It turns out that men’s underwear style preferences are very different between the US and Turkey. Who knew? Defeated, we returned to the hotel to call it a night.
Day 1: Exploring Mosuqes and Markets in Old Town Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We woke up ready for a full day of exploring the city. First on our itinerary was one of our favorite city activities – a walking tour. It helps us get the lay of the land and learn about the city’s history and culture and gain tips and recommendation from the guide. We took a funicular and a tram to get to Sultanahmet Square, the main tourist neighborhood. This is where the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, etc. are all located. We were surprised by how packed the entire area was. There were so many people and tour groups everywhere. We found our tour group and started a 2.5-hr tour of Sultanahmet.
This was a jam-packed tour with a very knowledgeable tour guide. However, due to Turkey’s very long and colorful history, it was hard to absorb and retain everything she was saying. It made me simultaneously want to learn more about Turkey’s history and feel overwhelmed about how little I knew. By the end of the tour, we were hot and hungry. We went straight to a nearby kebab house that our tour guide recommended and ordered an Adana kebab and chicken kebab wrap. They were both really good, but the Adana kebab from the first dinner spot was better.
With bellies full, we made our way to the Grand Bazaar. We decided to wait to visit the Sultanahmet attractions another day when we could beat the crowds. The entire way to the Grand Bazaar was packed with people – locals and tourists alike. We couldn’t believe how there could be so many people endlessly. I hadn’t experienced anything like this since Seoul. I loved the energy and buzz of the city, but I would not recommend venturing into Sultanahmet for those that do not like packed and busy places.
The Grand Bazaar itself was very grand as the name suggests. It is an enormous building with hundreds of shops inside. It was fun to weave around the maze-like halls. Upon exiting the bazaar, we found ourselves walking through streets and streets of endless shops. I bought a scarf as I needed a scarf to cover my hair to enter the mosques. We continued down the busy streets until we reached the Spice (or Egyptian) Bazaar. This is an ornate building with one long row of spice and sweets stalls. Many stalls were giving out free samples of Turkish Delights so it was fun to try. They were delicious and not nearly as sweet (which is good) as the ones I had tried in the US. Again, no surprise that Turkish food in Turkey is better than in the US!
We also visited two of the less visited mosques. First, the Rustem Pasha Mosque which is small but lined with beautiful blue tiles inside.
We also visited the Suleymaniye Mosque which was much bigger than Rustem Pasha. Suleymaniye is also on a hill with great views of the city. Thus, we took obligatory tourist pics.
By then, our feet hurt from walking around all day. So we headed back to our hotel. We took the Metro back and our departing station was in the middle of a bridge – a first for us. Walking to the metro station provided beautiful views of the city over the water.
After resting at the hotel, we headed to Istikal Street area again for dinner. We went to a sit-down Turkish restaurant and got a mezze platter and a chicken dish to share. Everything was quite good (except the hummus which was strangely dry and powdery), but sadly it didn’t wow me. We got soft serve ice-cream and a milkshake from Burger King (we know, but it was so cheap!) for dessert and walked around Istikal/Taksim/Beyoglu for a little before bed.
Day 2: Cruising Down the Bosphorus Strait
On our second full day, we went on a day-long Bosphorus Cruise. We took the public ferry tour which goes up the Bosphorus for 1.5-hours and drops you off at a small town for 2.5-hrs before making the 1.5-hour journey back down. It was a beautiful, calm ride up with beautiful views on either side. We saw some picturesque towns, a palace, a fort, and beautiful waterfront villas that we presume are occupied by the rich and/or famous.
Instead of getting off at the final stop, Anadolu Kavagi, we decided to get off one stop earlier at Rumeli Kavagi because I had read online that the restaurants at Anadolu Kavagi are all tourist traps and not very good. There were only a handful of people getting off at Rumeli Kavagi and the tiny town was empty. We chose a restaurant with a nice view of the water where we were the only customers. It seemed like we’d be the only customers at most restaurants. We ordered two fish dishes at random – fried mackerel and roasted lantern. They were good, but again, nothing special.
After lunch, we had an hour and a half before the ferry pick up time. We decided to walk the 2-km to the next town over, Sariyer, and take the ferry from there. It was a pretty walk along the water. It was an interesting experience because we did not see any other tourists in Rumeli Kavagi or Sariyer. It felt like we were getting a glimpse of the local Istanbul. Sariyer was a much bigger and bustling town. Walking through, we felt like we should have stopped at Sariyer instead of Rumeli Kavagi for lunch, but oh well. We hopped back on the boat and made our way back down the Bosphorus.
For dinner, we had lachuman and pide at a small local restaurant. It was an adventure to find a restaurant because Taksim and Istikal, the area by our hotel, was closed down by what seemed like thousands of police on the streets. Apparently, a pride event was planned in the area and the government decided to close the streets to prevent it. So we had to walk around whatever streets were open to find a restaurant. The lachuman and pide were again, both good, but not great in my opinion. It was a light meal, so after we sought out borek (a cheese and meat filled pastry) and baklava. We took it back to the hotel so that Nate could watch the England-Slovakia Euro Cup game. Our hotel was showing it at the pool bar which was a nice way to wind down for the night.
Day 3: Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Turkish Breakfast
We woke up early to beat the crowds at the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern. We decided to forego visiting the Hagia Sophia due to the recent changes. Hagia Sophia was recently turned into a mosque and now has an entry fee of 25 euro for tourists; but tourists can only enter on the second level. Furthermore, we read online that there are extensive renovations occurring that limit what you can see. Considering the price and limitations, we decided it wouldn’t be worth it for the price. We decided to visit Basilica Cistern (also 25 euro) instead.
We arrived at the Blue Mosque at 8:30am sharp when it opened. As hoped, there was no line and we were able to enter right away. It was beautiful and much bigger than the mosques we had visited.
After the Blue Mosque, we went to visit a supposed free cistern nearby that I had found on Google Maps. It took us a couple minutes to find how to access it. There is no public sign for the cistern. We had to go into a rug store and there was an entrance to a small underground cistern with an exhibition about the hippodrome. In Istanbul where there are high fees for almost all attractions, this was a true hidden gem. We were the only ones there for the entirety of our visit.
Then we were off to visit the Basilica Cistern. The Basilica Cistern and all the cisterns in Istanbul were built about two thousand years ago by the Romans to store water for the city. Basilica Cistern is the largest cistern in Istanbul. Being early, there was no line and we entered right away. It was completely worth it. Basilica Cistern is massive – probably fifty times bigger than the free cistern we had just visited. There are lights that change colors that add a mystical ambience as you walk around. It was amazing to imagine this massive cistern being built two-thousand years ago to store water conveyed via aqueducts from hundreds of kilometers away. I’m always in awe of human ingenuity.
Before heading to our late breakfast, we wandered Sultanahmet Square to admire the sights at a more leisurely pace than we were able to on our walking tour.
Then we headed to Olden 1772 where we would be having a Turkish breakfast. It is a beautiful restaurant in an old, restored inn. I was a little worried that this would be a restaurant that is all Instagram flash with no substance. But the food was delicious! The Turkish breakfast for two was a huge spread with enough food to feed probably four people. We had an assortment of bread with jams/spreads, cheeses, olives, veggies, charcuterie meats, and Menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs) with tea and orange juice. We both ate so much – probably the most we ate in a single meal since the start of our world trip. We were waddling out of the restaurant.
Uncomfortably full, we decided to head back to the hotel. On the way, we did some quick shopping. Nate broke his sunglasses in the morning, bringing our broken sunglasses count up to two on this trip (fingers crossed we don’t hit three). So we went sunglass shopping for Nate. He was also finally able to find boxers – hurrah!
By dinnertime, we were still full from breakfast and did not want to go out. So I went out to get kebab wraps to go for both of us for a simple meal.
Day 4: More Street Foods in Ortakoy and Galata
The next day, Nate was still not feeling good. It was a full rest day for him. I was also tired from our packed days, so I spent the morning catching up on blogging and then ventured out to get Kumpir, a Turkish loaded baked potato, for lunch. I was intrigued by the eclectic toppings and had wanted to try it for days. Ortakoy, a neighborhood on the Bosphorus is the place for Kumpir. So I took a bus up to Ortakoy and walked around a bit before buying Kumpir. It was overwhelming because there is an entire street with just Kumpir stands where all the vendors are trying to get you to buy from them. I found a vendor around the corner tucked away from the street to eat in peace and quiet. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The potato was wonderfully cheesy and buttery, but the toppings were not for me. They had a very strong dill flavor which I did not like. But I was still glad to have tried it.
We spent the afternoon lounging by the pool and then ventured out to try the other food item still on my “must eat” list – Balik Emek, or fish bread, for dinner. This fish sandwich or wrap is a popular street food and there are many balik emek shops in the nearby Galata neighborhood. Nate wanted to get outside for a little bit so we went to Galata for dinner. We got both a fish wrap and a fish sandwich with fries. This was also not as good as I had built up in my mind, but it was still very good. I liked the fish sandwich better than the bread. If we had more time in Istanbul, I would have liked to try it again.
We walked around for a while after dinner as the neighborhood was very cute. I got tricked into buying a ridiculously overpriced Turkish ice cream (at least it was very good). As much as we love Istanbul, it is true that it seems everyone is trying to squeeze or scam out of tourists.
That wrapped up our last day in Istanbul. We sadly packed up, knowing we would greatly miss our wonderful Hyatt hotel, and went to bed early since we would have to catch a 5:20am bus to the airport for Cappadocia.
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