Here’s all the things to do in Istanbul worth doing. Most of the important landmarks and sights are in the Sultan Ahmed district and you could easily spend 3-4 days here before even considering something else to do.
Blue Mosque – The Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Camii is free and the opening hours depend on what you’re going for. If you’re going to pray, you don’t need to be a Muslim, but you’re not supposed to take photos during praying times. You can go at 5:30 and then regular intervals after that. If you think praying is only for Mantis’s, then head down there at 8:30 which is generally the opening time for the average punter. Avoid the dudes outside who will try and sell you a “fast track ticket”, which is complete bollocks, because it’s free to enter. I was a bit underwhelmed. I mean it’s one of the things to do in Istanbul you have to do, but it’s not as impressive as something like St Peters Basilica in Rome. Being the uncultured twat I am, I spent about 10 minutes in there before heading to Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sopia – This is slightly more impressive. When I went on a weekday around 9a.m, there was absolutely no lines to get in. However when I passed it on a Saturday late morning, the lines were rather line, so as usual, unless you want to wait in line for half an hour or more, go early. About a 1/4 of the inside was being renovated and even if it wasn’t, there’s actually not a lot you can see in there. I mean you could spend hours in there learning about the history and background behind it, but if you’re just going to have a look, you can probably spend about half an hour in there at the most. Once you’re done with Hagia Sophia, turn right out of the exit, across the road, and about 40meters you’ll see Basilica Cistern.
Of all the things to do in Istanbul the Basilica Cistern was probably the most interesting for me. I was probably in here the longest, and again, there was absolutely no queues and I was one of about 5 people inside. From here, I headed to the Grand Bazaar, which is about a 10-15 minute walk depending what way you go.
The Grand Bazaar is one everyones list of things to do in Istanbul but I didn’t think much of it. It’s quite modern, indoors, and is full of crap. There’s not a single thing that I would have wanted, even if it was for free. There’s different sections to it and to be fair I probably covered a fraction of it, but I basically walked through it (on two different days) and didn’t come away thinking I have to recommend this. I guess if you’re going to Istanbul you have to go to the Grand Bazaar, but don’t get too excited, it wouldn’t be my favourite market I’ve been to.
From here you can head to the Spice Market, which is essentially the same thing but only spices. As with a lot of cities, if you get away from the touristy things and get into the local scene, it’s much more interesting. There’s hundreds of little streets and alleyways full of life all around the Grand Bazaar and I’d recommend walking up the hill and just getting a bit lost because there you will see a more local side of the city and much more interesting things happening.
If by this time you haven’t grazed out on a Donor Kebab, head to the harbour, to the left side of the Galata Bride, and grab yourself a fish sandwich. They’re 10 lira, basically it’s a whole fish in a baguette bun with some lettuce. Not the most delicious thing in the entire world, but definitely worth a try. When the weather is good, you could spend a few hours down there hanging out with the locals. Once you’re done, walk across the bridge which is literally lined with fisherman, all kinds, types and sizes.
Taksim Square – This is a modern area with one main street filled with shopping, restaurants and bars. There’s a bunch of side streets which are more interesting, but basically you get a tram thing up to the top, walk down the main street that takes you to the Galata Tower. In the afternoon this is packed, and trust me, you don’t want to go up here when it’s packed. I went in there early mornings, waited just a minute to get in, but up the top is very narrow, so if you come across a 250 pound heifer, you won’t be able to get passed. Basically you’re at the mercy of whoever happens to be in front of you. It wasn’t too bad when I went in, but it’d be a total nightmare when it’s full of people. The views are pretty good, and if you like city scapes, put Galata Tower near the top of things to do in Istanbul. Around this area, walk down the little streets and there’s some trendy little local shops and nice street scenes. I could have spent a few hours walking around here.
Bosporus Boat Tour – Most likely you’ll get on at Karats or Besiktas. If you’re staying in Besiktas, as we did, it’s about a 5 minute walk from the W Hotel Istanbul. you can check out exactly where to get on here:
We did Option 1. If you’re taking photos you’ll need to go upstairs which is completely uncovered and not very sheltered. Dress up warm if you go in winter because it’s absolutely freezing with the wind outside. The boat heads up the Bosphurus towards the Black Sea, you get a good view of different parts of the city and you can get on and off wherever you want, except there’s only 3 stops. One thing to note, they serve you up some tea or drinks, which you think is free, but then after you’re done, they come around and ask for money for the drink.
This was the only time in Istanbul that I felt like I was ripped off and it’s bloody cheeky of them to do that, in fact down right cheating. The amount is inconsequential but it’s really a bit of a con. We got off at Kucuksu, walk left when you get off and head to a restaurant that serves up some rather nice food. The boat comes every hour so you’ve either got to eat quickly or stay a few hours. There’s not much to around that area so we did the former and headed back. Overall not bad. You won’t be blown away or anything close, but this is really one of the things to do in Istanbul that you have to do and a good way to see different parts of the city.
Bebek – Take a bus up to Bebek, you can go further, and we were supposed to, but the bus turned around. Word of warning, we did this on a Sunday and the traffic going up was a shambles. Coming back was diabolical, and literally faster to walk back the 5-6 km. Bebek is a wealthy area and full of trendy bars, cafes and restaurants. You can walk along the Bosphorous which is nice with some great views of the Asian side of Istanbul and you’ll see loads of locals and tourists just hanging out fishing, relaxing and spending time with their families. This was one of the few fines days we had and it was lovely and well worth doing. The bus was jam packed on the way back, so much so that I couldn’t fit on, and decided to walk back, which when getting closer to Besiktas, is equally packed. There’s one little village area nearer Besiktas you should check out although that was like being in Central rush hour.
Dolmabahçe Palace – This about 10-15 minutes walk from the W Hotel in Besiktas and a short tram ride from Sultan Ahmed. The Palace is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. You have to wear shoe covers and no photos are permitted. Line up for the audio tour or just go right in if you’re not into that.
Lastly, Topkapı Palace is worth a visit. My uncultered mate told me it wasn’t much and not really worth going to but I ended up here and wished I’d gone in. There was a massive tour group about to go in and I didn’t have my camera so I stupidly gave it a miss, but it looks good from the outside.
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