It was way back in early April in 2009 when I went with my wife to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. The best time to travel to Turkey is end of April or early May as the season usually starts at this time period and the hotel costs will rise in summers.
I have tried to list some useful tips below with few recommendations.
Hotel Stay
In terms of ideal locations for hotel stay in Istanbul, the ideal locations are either Sultanahmet Area or City Centre as its in the heart of the city and most of the attractions in Istanbul are literally at a walking distance including the famous Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi palace and Kapala Chachi (The Grand Bazaar) and the restaurants and train stations as well.
For hotel reservations you can visit Agoda as it offers the best rates.
I personally recommend Orient Express hotel in City Centre at the Sirkeci tram station.
During my stay in Istanbul I met a local Turk Mr. Aydin who was a Manager at Blue Hills Hotel in Istanbul who now runs his own tour operator company Turkey Online Tours. He can recommend a very nice guided tour.
However, I personally prefer doing my own hotel reservation and airline booking and do not want to opt for a package / guided tour as then you are bound by timings and there is no flexibility. It all depends on preferences though. I strongly suggest the same to you as you can discover the country on your own. In a package deal you have paid in advance and you cannot opt out and have to follow the activity list and it becomes annoying if you are not in mood for it. So just do hotel reservation and airline bookings and discover on your own as it is much more fun.
Airline Travel
I was traveling from Islamabad to Istanbul and the best connection in terms of airlines is offered by Emirates Airlines. I suggest Emirates and you can have a stopover at Dubai on your way to Istanbul. The other relatively cheaper option for airline was Qatar Airways from Islamabad which operates via Doha. However, if you are traveling from any other part of the world, then you should opt for Turkish Airways as it has a very good foot print in terms of international destinations in the portfolio. From Asian countries, Emirates offer good flight route and is very comfortable.
For visitors from Pakistan, I have few tips for visa and tickets:
The personal appearance at the embassy for the visa is important
The Turkish embassy in Islamabad entertains only first 15 applicants in the morning. Therefore, be on time as early as 7o’ clock in the morning at the visa section
The visa fee for single and multiple entries varies. It’s around PKR 3,600 per single entry
It is safe to apply 2 weeks before actual departure
Apart from standard requirements in terms of documents including tickets, hotel booking, ID card, passport, a company letter and health certificate from a doctor are essential
When you land at Istanbul International Airport…..How to get to the hotel?
When you will land at Istanbul airport, you can go to the hotel via taxi or tram / metro. I suggest that you take a tram / metro as it is convenient and cheaper and you will have fair idea about the city and tram / metro stations as well. The taxi will cost around Turkish Lira 50 from Airport to Sultanahmet area / city centre. I recommend tram / metro as it will not cost more than Turkish Lira 10 and it is very comfortable as well.
For the sake of reference, see the below route and hops for tram / metro stations:
From Istanbul Airport when you come out of the arrival area, you will see the metro station across the road.
Get off at the Zeiytanburnu metro station
Now you have to take a tram and get off at Sultan Ahmet station (you will most likely be staying there).
You will pass by lots of tram stations in between like Eminonu, Sirkeci, Gulhane etc
Places to Visit
The world renowned landmark of Istanbul ‘Blue Mosque’ or ‘Sultanahmet Mosque’ is near Sultan Ahmet tram station. Another attraction in the Sultan Ahmet area is Hagia Sophia. It was a mosque, then got converted to Church and then back to a mosque and now it’s a museum.
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| President Obama entering Blue Mosque (April 7, 2009) - We landed in Istanbul the same day and all roads were blocked from Airport towards Sultanahmet area so we had to take a metro to reach our hotel |
And yet another attraction in the vicinity is Topkapi Palace. Here you will find amazing possessions; Prophet Muhammad's hair and foot impression, Caliphs (Hazrat Abu Bakar, Hazrat Usman, Hazrat Ali) swords with which they fought different wars. You must request for an audio guide (costs around Turkish Lira 20 per equipment), all places are coded with different three digit / four digit codes and by pressing those codes on your audio device you will be hearing history and details in English with multiple language options as well.
Taksim Square / Istiklal Street as it is normally called is like a fashion street for youngsters and travelers as they all gather in the evenings. It remains open till mid night. You will see the young crowd in this street as this is a very happening and lively place with shopping and other food attractions. To get to Taksim square, take a tram from City Centre / Sultan Ahmet wherever you are staying and get off at Kabatas tram station and then take underground metro for Taksim, get off at Taksim and you will come out at a square and you may then ask for directions for Istiklal Street which is literally 5 minutes walk from the Taksim square.
The ferry ride on Bosphorous is a must. You can get the bookings for the ferry done from your hotel reception. The ferry takes you to various islands (the most popular ones being Princess Islands). You will pass by the hanging bridge which divides Asia and Europe (Istanbul is called as a ‘gateway to Europe). The two ends of the bridge welcome the visitors with ‘Welcome to Asia’ and ‘Welcome to Europe’ at the two ends.
A few minutes taxi or tram ride are the Galata Towers, it’s a huge tower with a very interesting history and there is a restaurant at the top for dining. A dinner at the top at night is a great experience.
Dolmabache palace is another very interesting attraction at the bank of Bosphorus River.
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| Dolmabache Palace in the background on the banks of Bosphorus |
You can also go to Princess Islands across Bosphorus river and rent out an apartment as its very exclusive and scenic, away from hustle bustle of city life.
I love the culture and was dying to see the famous Turkish Sufi dance and Sufism (Sufism or taṣawwuf (Arabic: تصوّف) is, according to its adherents, the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ). Another name for a Sufi is Dervish). Sufism also originated from this part of the world and you can do reservation for a Sufi Dance show at Hoja pasha cultural theatre. You can reserve from your hotel and to get there you have to get off at the Sirkeci tram station.
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| Musicians playing Sufi poetry at Hoja Pasha Cultural Centre |
Malls
Istanbul has number of very good bazaars and malls. I visited a lot of these.
Cevahir - From Sultanahmet tram station, get off at Kabatas station and then take an underground train and get off at Levent metro station and when you come out then across the road you will see the mall. It’s one of the newly built malls in Istanbul. It’s very modern and apart from shops, there is a wonderful food court at the top floor.
Akmerkez - From Sultanahmet tram station, get off at Kabatas station and then take an underground train and get off at Levent train station. You should Exit the Metro at the ‘Sisli – Mecidiyekoy’ stop. If you brand cautious then you should certainly visit this mall as it offers most of the upscale branded shops.
Grand Bazaar / Kapalachachi - It is close to Sultan Ahmet area and offers a lot of traditional hawkers selling Turkish Delights, Turkish tiles with calligraphy, clothing, jewellery and Turkish Eye (A nazar or evil eye stone -Turkish: nazar boncuğu, Greek: ματόχαντρο) is an amulet that is meant to protect against the evil eye. It is most common in Turkey and Greece. In Turkey, it is ubiquitous in offices and homes, in jewellery, including for babies, on vehicles, doors, horses and even cell phones).
Spice Bazaar - It is another interesting place which was built way back in the 17th century. It offers more or less the same stuff as you find in Grand Bazaar.
Istiklal street near Taksim square - It offers good shopping opportunity with low price range for clothing. One of the best Turkish brands to look for are ‘Collezione’
Izmir / Anatolia / Konia - You may also fly to Izmir and Konia, cities close to Istanbul. You can visit Mevlana Rumi's tomb in Konia
Food
Sultan Ahmet area across the road infront of Blue Mosque offers all sorts of cuisines and Turkish delights
All food is Hilal in Turkey so no worries
Taksim offer very nice traditional restaurants
There is McDonald's at Sultan Ahmet close to tram station
There is a Pizza Hut across the Taksim Square
You can also find Pizza Hut and McDonald's in Istiklal street at Taksim square
Important Notes
Jeton is a coin that you need to insert at the entry gates when using tram or metro
In Istanbul, you can use Euros or Turkish Lira
The currency exchange in Sultan Ahmet area, Istiklal street and inside the malls are usually open till 8:30 PM
Wherever you see the word 'Indirum' it means SALE or Discount
In Istanbul, you must remember that you should not miss any opportunity for haggling. You can good bargain if you negortiate with shop keepers in Istanbul as prices are not fixed.
Its a MUST
Ferry ride at Bosphorus offering a package deal with belle dance, tea and dinner at night
The Turks are know for very special calligraphy. You can visit Sutlan Ahmet area and order something for yourself or for your frienfs and family in Latin, Urdu, English, Arabic etc. It could be a saying, your name or verse from the holy book
Sufi dance at Hoja Pasha cultual centre- Istanbul is known for its Turkish bath -- also known as 'hammams'. A Turkish bath (Turkish: Hamam) is the Turkish variant of a sauna. There are many historic Turkish Baths in Istanbul from the Ottoman period.
- Walk at Istiklal street across Taksim square
Turkey is also popular for gems and jewelery. There are many shops infront of Sultanahmet tram station but for the best bargain, do visit Grand Bazaar
You must buy Turkish eye (all over Turkey you wills see blue coloured round glass with a dot inside and its called Turkish Eyes or Nazr. You will get the best bargain from Spice bazaar or from grand bazaar.
You must buy the delicious Turkish delights from Istiklal street or Sultanahmet
Wish you a wonderful trip to Istanbul, Turkey.
Very informative and comprehensive post. Definitely great and useful tips for anyone who is fond of visiting Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI must compliment you on a well thought out piece, which surely will help any visitor to Istanbul, not to forget step by step guide for sightseeing, visiting markets and food. Just a couple of suggestion; some guidance is required on weather: what will be the temperatures in summer, spring etc. as well as room rates around Sultanahmet/city centre area for a 2/3 star hotel would be appreciated. Lastly for budgeting purposes some information on the total cost of a (one) week trip per person will also be beneficial.
ReplyDeleteVery informative post, can you please tell me the total cost of the trip (2 persons)
ReplyDeleteDear all, thanks for the compliments.
ReplyDeleteDear Eddy,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure where are you based as the air fare varies. Moreover, with regards to hotel stay, the rates vary at different times of the year. Nevertheless, with regards to hotel stay at Istanbul, you should keep a budget of approx. 120 Euros per night for a 3 star hotel in Sultanahmet area. You may check out hotel rates at www.agoda.com as it offers reasonable rates with lots of flexibility in terms of locations. For food, you should budget approx. Turkish Lira 10 per head per meal. The McDonalds is the cheapest food as the local Turkish delights are relatively expensive. For travel, it won’t cost much as you should always take metro and tram and you should budget approx. Turkish Lira 15 per person per day. The taxi is expensive. For sightseeing, the entry pass / tickets for Hajia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, ferry ride at Bosphorus, Sufi dance performance at Hoja Pasha will approx. cost Turkish Lira 200 per head. If you intend to travel to other places other than Istanbul than travel costs would go up and you can the best buy from local travel agents in Istanbul. You can travel to Konia, Izmir and Antalia. For shopping, there is no limit, it depends look for the word Indirum as it means ‘Discount’ in Turkish.