Vibe
Blends a metropolitan area with rich culture; it outscored expectations.
Istanbul
Overview
Grand Bazaar
Keep lira on hand for local things like Grand Bazaar.
Most other places should take card.
Airports
Both airports are about equidistant to the main city from what
I remember, but IST is the better one.
Airport transfer
It takes about an hour and costs less than $10.
There is a bus between the airports for transfer flights.
Things to do
Hagia Sophia
Must-see cultural site.
I was underwhelmed compared with neighboring cultural sites.
Museum inside was around $25/person last I checked.
Topkapi Palace Museum
Did not get to go because our schedules had us sleeping too late, but heard it was very worth it.
Blue Mosque
Beautiful exterior and interior.
Whole area has a lot of cultural sites to wander around.
Grand Bazaar
Unreal: huge, diverse, affordable.
Come ready to buy and negotiate.
Galata Bridge
Nice bridge to walk through.
Dolmabache Palace
Beautiful, especially at night.
Camilla Tower
Did not go, but friends went after I left and said it was worth the trip and view from the top.
Where to stay
Airbnb
Spacious and affordable options in the city.
Hotel options
Also seem solid.
I feel like $40/night/person is the most you should comfortably pay.
Above the river
I stayed both above and below the river on the west; above felt slightly better for accommodations.
Below the river
More sightseeing is lower, but residential spaces seemed better above.
Tarlabasi
Do not stay here; super unsafe.
Food
Faros Karakoy
Italian spot with outstanding service and high-quality food near the coastal area.
Turkish staples
Baklava, Turkish delights, and Turkish coffee are musts, but I do not know specific spots.
Transport
Uber / taxi
Cheap and affordable option.
Transit
Public transport was good as far as we were aware and not costly.
Ticket scam watch-out
Someone tried to scam us while buying tickets by offering a reloaded version.
Do not fall for it.
Archive
