Istanbul is like no other city in the world. LITERALLY. It is the only city in the world that straddles two continents. The Bosphorus Strait divides the city into a European and Asian side. This unique blend makes Istanbul a place where you could spend countless days, and still feel like it’s not enough!
Helpful Apps
Use Uber to get around because many taxi drivers will try to scam tourists!
Google Maps is the best and most common app to use to get around.
Yemeksepeti is a great app for when you’re feeling tired or lazy to go out because you can just order food right to your door!
Getir is a similar app to Yemeksepeti except it’s for ordering grocery items!
Food
As you explore Istanbul, it’s very common to find people selling various types of food and snacks on carts. Almost at every corner, there’s a cart selling Simit (i.e., a bagel-like bread with various seeds), Durums (i.e., Turkish wraps), or Islak Burgers (e.g., a greasy, wet burger). However, I do not recommend eating from these carts! If it’s late at night and you’re drunk, then maybe; but for me, they were either too salty or stale or unappetizing. Istanbul has so many good restaurants around that I’d recommend going there instead of a cart for a quick bite! Some dishes that I still dream about include…
- Gozleme
This dish is similar to the Mexican “quesadilla.” On a thin flatbread, meat, spices, and veggies are stuffed and sealed. It bursts with some much flavor; it’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It can work as a snack or meal. It’s a dish that can’t go wrong for any foreigners.
- Iskender
Iskender is thinly sliced meat over a bed of bread with tomatoes and yogurt. If you want, you can ask for rice on the side as well. This was a dish I unexpectedly loved. It seems basic and some may argue, does not look too appetizing. However, all the components of the dish work so well together. The meat is savory; the yogurt is tarty; the tomato is sweet; and other sides like jalapenos or pickles can add an extra sharpness to the overall taste that I extremely enjoyed.
- Midye Dolmas
I saved the BEST FOR LAST. Midye Dolmas were my absolute favorite throughout the whole trip. I loved it so much that while I was there, I researched if California had restaurants that sell a similar dish. There wasn’t. So I ate AS MUCH OF IT AS I POSSIBLY COULD. These are stuffed mussels with herbed rice, pine nuts, currants, and spices. It comes in a variety of flavors, and I was eating it all in BUCKETS FULLS. One caveat is to be careful not to eat this from a cart vendor because there’s a risk of food poisoning! This is one dish that I heavily emphasize eating at a sit-down restaurant!
Activities
- Bazaars
Bazaars are everywhere in Istanbul, and they are of all different sizes. These indoor marketplaces can be enormous and take hours to walk through while others can be smaller and quick. Most of them are fairly similar in the overall vibe and items that are sold (although some may focus more on spices and food while others are material goods).
However, these bazaars are mostly known for selling knock-off designer goods. They have everything from luxury shoes, clothes, bags, and accessories. An insider tip is to never purchase a luxury good that’s inside the bazaar! Apparently that’s where the “lower quality” dupes are. Instead, tell the seller that you want something that is higher quality. They will have someone take you to a showroom outside of the bazaar where where the walls are completely plastered with “the best” designer fakes (which day call “clones”). I was able to witness this place, but as someone who owns authentic luxury goods, I spotted some major discrepancies with certain brands. I would say that about half of the items did an incredible job at cloning while the other half were inconsistent in either color, logo, or details.
Going through these bazaars can be quite overwhelming given the number of people and how much the sellers try to persuade you. At certain points, I did feel very overstimulated and needed to get away to preserve my peace. It can be a fun experience, but it can feel very mentally draining given the number of people who try to upsell! Another insider tip is to NEVER buy from the first place you enter because that’s usually where it’s the most expensive, and HAGGLE like your life depends on it because all prices here can be adjusted.
- Reserve a Tour to See Mosques/Palaces/Historical Monuments
Istanbul also has insanely bewildering mosques, museums, and more. There is so much to see that I recommend reserving a tour! This is helpful for several reasons. First, since there’s so much to explore, it’s best to go with someone who knows the area and take you from place to place. Second, many of these places will have stupidly long lines. However, if you go with a tour, you can skip all of that! Lastly, the tour guide is super informative and provides much more detailed information that makes touring these places more fun. We booked our tour from GetYourGuide and visited Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Basilica Cistern. We had a fantastic time and loved our guide!
- Take a Ferry to Prince’s Island
The city can be loud and even a bit overbearing, so take a ferry one day to Prince’s Island to escape all the chatter! The ferry ride takes about an hour and a half; it’s not anything particularly special, but it’s nice to enjoy the view of the waters. However, once you get to the island, make sure to rent a bike! The vendor will usually also provide a map of how to get around, and there is so much to see and do! You’ll come across all different types of animals like horses, tortoises, and hell of a lot of cats. There’s also interesting buildings like the dilapidated Principe Greek Orthodox Orphanage which was the largest wooden building in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world as well as the Yorgi Church. If you’re hungry, you can stop by Buyukade Borek & Pasta Firini which is a 70 year old bakery on the island that has friendly staff and delicious Borek!
Scenery
Due to the influence of European and Asian cultures, there is such a unique blend of architecture and decor throughout the city. From the European influence, there are grand buildings and churches with large windows and ornate facades. From the Asian influence, there are mosques with large, massive domes and mosaics throughout. It’s interesting and wonderful to see the juxtaposition of these two cultures throughout the city.
Unfortunately, there is also a lot of pollution. So much so that you can visibly see a dark cloud surrounding the city. Even while on the ferry, I noticed a layer of oil spread throughout the water. Due to the pollution, my eyes would get dry and I would regularly cough. This is something to keep in mind for anyone traveling here if you’re sensitive to air quality!
Lifestyle
The first sight I saw when I landed in Istanbul was a boy who looked to be 10-years-old smoking a cigarette. I was stunned because no one around him seemed to mind. I then realized that everyone and their mother had a cigarette at hand. Smoking is as common as drinking water here, so be prepared to reek of smoke!
Nevertheless, the Turkish people are overall very chill. They remind me of a “cool aunt” who lets their little nephew do whatever they want. The people seem easygoing and fun. The nightlife here is huge with streets sprawling with people blasting music and laughing on the weekends.
My only warning though is to be careful in very touristy areas because they will upsell like CRAZY. I had an incident where I was approached by someone who was trying to help me with directions, but ended up having me go to several different stores that were his “family’s” to sell me all kinds of goods like jewelry, art, and clothes… This incident lasted HOURS, and I felt more and more deceived as the hours passed. To tourists, I feel like they can take advantage, so be watchful!
On a similar note, it’s common for taxis to scam people, so try not to use them if you can! Instead, book a ride through Uber since the price will be accurate through the app!