Istanbul

Travel to Istanbul

We flew from Manchester airport on an afternoon flight with Easy Jet at a cost of £75 per person return including booked seats but this only included hand luggage that fits under the seat. However we were only there for 3 nights and so this was not an issue for us.

Executive lounge (Escape)

Prior to our flight we booked in to the Escape lounge at Terminal 1 at a cost of £32 each, booked direct with Manchester Airport. After checking in at the front desk we were shown to our table. Breakfast was being served which included cooked breakfast; bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, beans, tomatoes, eggs (scrambled and fried), as well as breads, yoghurts, fruit, pastries and cereals.

The bar in the lounge did not get busy and therefore it was easy to get served. Most drinks are included in the price of the lounge including sparkling wine either white or rose.

The food changed from breakfast to lunch whilst we were in the lounge. This included a variety of hot and cold food including sandwiches, crisps, cottage pie and a Thai chicken curry.

We arrived at the airport at 9.30pm Istanbul time. We found a man with a sign with our name on fairly easily, however we had to wait for a long time for a driver to pick us up, over 50 mins which included a walk down to the pick-up point. We had booked our journey with Booking.com at a cost of £26 each way.

Although we were not very happy about having to wait for so long our driver was very pleasant and helpful. On the plus side the vehicle was a luxury vehicle, nice and clean and with plenty of room to stretch out on the journey into the city.

Accommodation nightmare

It took about 50 mins to reach the address of our accommodation in the old town of Istanbul, a location we had chosen as it was close to many of the main sites we wanted to see. We had booked our accommodation through Booking.com at a cost of £120 for 3 nights, opting for an apartment so we had plenty of room. We tried to contact the owners the day before we travelled via Booking.com but there was no response. We also tried to make contact several times during our journey to the apartment but received no response. On arrival there was no sign of any apartment building. We then sent a message to Booking.com who advised that they would get back to us within 24 hours which was clearly not acceptable as by this time it was after midnight and we had nowhere to stay. Our driver (Muhammed Zahit Ozkilic, employed by Prime) was lovely and did his best to try and find the apartment which clearly did not exist. He asked a number of locals but nobody had heard of the apartment. This was clearly a scam, yet despite this, Booking.com have refused to refund the cost of the booking. We are not at all impressed, having been good customers of Booking.com over a number of years. Suffice to say we won’t be using them again!

New accommodation at the Glorious Hotel

We struggled to find an hotel at this late hour that could accommodate us but finally we managed to book a room at the Glorious Hotel at a cost of £150 for 3 nights. Thankfully our driver had stayed on to drive us around and had stayed with us until we found this hotel.

Rooms

Rooms are fairly basic and small but are cleaned daily to a high standard. Fresh towels were also provided on a daily basis. We did not have the space of an apartment as originally intended, however the rooms here were more than adequate.

Wellness area

In the basement there is an unexpected and fairly impressive wellness area although this does come at an additional cost. A number of packages are available offering a range of massages and beauty treatments – and use of the facilities which include a sauna, steam room and Turkish bath. Packages start at 60 euros which is a very good price given what is included. It was a pleasant area to just relax and unwind. If we had been in Istanbul for longer we would definitely have tried it out. It was a little hidden gem in the basement of the hotel.

Location

The hotel was within a 20 minute walk of the main sites in the Sultanahmet area. We were thinking of purchasing tickets for the hop on hop off bus but found that the best way to get around was by foot. We do like to walk, especially when visiting new places of interest. You get to see so much more that way. For catching sights slightly further afield we found Uber to be pretty reasonably priced compared to the UK.

Food and drink

On an evening we were able to buy drinks from the bar in the hotel restaurant. A glass of wine and a bottle of beer was £10 which isn’t too bad for an hotel.

Each evening during our stay we had a night cap with some lovely Bulgarian people who were also staying in the hotel. Google translate is a godsend in these situations where people speak different languages!

We tried the breakfast on our first morning – it was included in the price but unfortunately it was not to our liking. As most of the residents were Turkish or Bulgarian it was catered to their needs which is fair enough when you are in another country. Eating out for breakfast was very reasonable with plenty of restaurants and cafes that provided a range of options – there’s nothing like a doner kebab for breakfast!

Sightseeing by foot

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It is also regarded as one of the first shopping malls in the world. This was the first place we visited on our first day sightseeing walk. It was a Saturday and therefore it was extremely busy with people of various nationalities. If you don’t appreciate being pestered by shopkeepers trying to sell you something or big crowds then this is not the place to be. When walking through the Bazaar there were times when there was very little room to move. The list of things to buy in the Bazaar is endless and included jewellery, clothing, rugs, homeware, food, spices and footwear. You can buy practically anything here – just don’t forget to negotiate the price!

Not far from the Grand Bazaar we discovered a most amazing doughnut shop which sold very delicious doughnuts with a range of different flavours. The shop is on Tahmis Sk. not too far away from the Galata Bridge.

Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is also know as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It was built in the early 17th Century and is still a functioning mosque today. You can gain entry to the mosque and take a good look around without paying. It really is a spectacular building both inside and out. Women need to cover their hair and ensure legs and shoulders are covered before entering the mosque. Also shoes need to be removed.

Hagia Sophia

Built in around 360 AD, the Hagia Sophia was originally an orthodox Christian church until the 13th century, when it became a mosque. It was subsequently turned into a museum and now has reverted to a mosque. The Hagia Sophia is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul. You can buy tickets to go inside but the queue was extremely long and our time limited, therefore we did not go inside on this occasion.

Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is now a museum and gives it’s name to the Galata area of Istanbul. Unfortunately when we visited it was being renovated and therefore it was difficult to capture its full glory. Built in the 13th century, at the time it was the tallest building in Istanbul.

Galata Bridge

The Galata Bridge connects the new and old parts of the European side of Istanbul. It was surprising to see the amount of fisherman lining both sides of the bridge. With so many boats passing underneath the bridge it was a miracle that the fishing lines did not get caught on the boats!

Sightseeing by boat

We booked a boat trip through Viator Istanbul: Bosphorus and Golden Horn Cruise with Audio Guide 2024 (viator.com) at a cost of £18 for two people which we felt was pretty good value . We were asked to meet at a meeting point at 12.20 near to the Blue Mosque. Fortunately they sent us a photo of the meeting point which proved useful as the address provided took us 20 metres away using Google Maps.

We waited at this point for about 15 minutes or so until our guide started off on the walk to the small harbour where the boat was moored. This was the worst part of the boat trip as there were a lot of people to guide through some extremely busy streets. It felt a bit like herding cattle.

Finally we got to the boat, the seating area was crowded and the seats very close together. We had to sit on seats in the middle of the boat. There wasn’t enough room to sit down comfortably therefore we stood up for the whole of the journey, allowing us to get a better view of the sites along the way.

Bosphorus Bridge

The bridge was opened in 1973 following 3 years of construction. The bridge spans over the Bosphorus Straight – it was the longest suspension bridge in Europe until the opening of the Humber Bridge.

Maiden’s Tower

Maiden’s Tower is also known as Leander’s Tower. It lies 200m from the southern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait. You can now get a boat over to the Tower and have a meal there. We would have loved to have done this if we had have had more time.

Ortakoy Mosque

The Ortakoy Mosque is the smallest Mosque in Istanbul. It was constructed between 1854 and 1856. The Mosque is situated on Ortakoy Pier Square which is a popular tourist destination.

Dolmabahce Palace

The Palace was built between 1843 and 1856. There had been 6 different Sultans living in the palace from 1856 until 1924 when the ownership of the palace transferred to the Turkish Republic. It is one of the most spectacular buildings in Istanbul.

Summary of boat trip

The boat trip was well worth the money we paid but if we return to Istanbul and wish to do another boat trip we would pay extra to depart from the main ports as the pier to access the boat was a bit out of the way and it was the only boat in the very small port. Having said that we did get to see some wonderful sights and took some great photos. The bright and dry weather was an added bonus.

Evening cruise, meal and show

We booked this trip with Viator and paid extra for alcohol to be included at a cost of £75 for two people https://www.viator.com/tours/Istanbul/Istanbul-Bosphorus-Dinner-Cruise-Unlimited-Drinks-and-Shows/d585-448908P1

Our transport to the port arrived at our hotel at 7pm. Unfortunately due to the nature of the narrow streets and the one way system the coach had to park up a couple of streets away. There were several other pick ups before we arrived at the harbour to join the cruise. It was extremely busy on the roads at this time of the evening but we arrived in good time to join the boat.

When we arrived onboard we were quickly shown to our table which was in a prime spot for watching the show. It appeared that they had planned to put people who were drinking alcohol together and those who were only drinking soft drinks on separate tables. It was a lovely setting for a meal as you could dine while enjoying views of the city. Almost every seat was taken on the boat which made for a fun atmosphere. You were free to walk around the boat at any time and go outside on deck to admire the view and to take photos.

Food and drink

The starter was a tasty meze accompanied by fresh salad. Main course was a choice of chicken or fish with vegetables and rice, followed by a desert of Baclava. The food was better than what we expected given the number of guests and the service was very efficient.

The drinks included local spirits, beers and wine as well as the local speciality Raki. The wine was quite pleasant which was also a bit of a surprise considering what we had paid for the cruise. We had an amazing waiter, we think he was call Bozat (not 100% sure). He was always making sure we were enjoying ourselves and topped up with drinks.

The show

Female dancers

The first part of the show saw female dancers emerge onto the dance floor. They then appeared throughout the show dressed in a range of costumes. Their dancing was wonderful to watch. We had a prime spot as our table was right opposite the dance floor. It appeared that they enjoyed their dancing and they interacted with the audience well.

Male dancers

The male dancers appeared to be even more energetic than the female dancers. Part of their performance involved a knife throwing act which included inviting some nervous looking members of the audience to take part – thankfully there were no injuries! They also changed costumes throughout the show. On occasions both the female and the male dancers performed together.

Belly dancer

A highlight of the show was the belly dancer. She went from table to table dancing in front of mainly men, encouraging them to put money in her top. The belly dancer also did a short show on the dance floor. She could really move her hips and stomach. It was interesting to watch for all but it did seem that the men were enjoying it the most!

Gangnam Style Lookalike?

One of the funniest moments was the appearance onto the stage of a many in his late 40’s/early 50’s who danced energetically on the dance floor and then proceeded to go from table to table dancing with the guests. He really got the audience going with his lively dancing and choice of music. He danced to the song Gangnam Style which was very entertaining. I think every one was in good spirits by then, even those who had chosen the non-alcohol package!

Sightseeing on cruise

Although Istanbul looked wonderful all lit up at night especially with the lights reflecting on the water it was quite difficult to get any decent photographs using only our iPhones. I am sure with a better camera than ours you would be able to take some amazing photos.

Summary of evening cruise

The whole experience was really enjoyable and represented very good value for money. It ticked so many boxes for us. The food, the drinks, the entertainment, the setting and seeing the sights. We would definitely recommend this evening cruise.

Bars and Restaurants in Istanbul

Restaurants

There are so many restaurants to choose from and so it is hard to guide anyone as to where the best places to eat are. Some of the popular choices of restaurants overlook the Bosphorus and these obviously have an amazing view to accompany your meal. As you might imagine there are hundreds of Turkish kebab eating places to choose from, ranging from cheap and cheerful to a very up market. We had a lovely meal in the old town in a little family run restaurant in the district of Fatih called Erciyes Kiraathanesi just off of Kadirga Limani Cd. The food was tasty and very reasonably priced.

Bars

Most of the bars in Istanbul are located in the Beyoglu area of the city. Not only does this area host a number of bars but it also has many coffee shops, restaurants and shops. It is a very busy area throughout the day well into the evening. It is very difficult to find a bar in any other area of Istanbul. Alcohol is served in most restaurants and hotels but we struggled to find an actual bar away from Beyoglu.

Prices in the bars vary but are typically similar to UK prices. However you need to be aware that certain imported drinks can cost a lot more. For example in the Celtic Irish Bar we were charged £9.50 for a small bottle of cider compared to a pint of local lager for only £4.70.

We also visited the Fred bar where cocktails were around £4 each and certain lagers were only £3 a pint.

We also visited the Tower Pub which is just around the corner from the Galata Tower. It is a typical English Pub which stocked a number of craft beers and was showing Premier League football.

Summary of Istanbul

Although we managed to cram in a lot of activities during our visit, the short time we were there meant that we were not able to do everything we would have liked to. Istanbul is such a vibrant, interesting city and we fully intend to return for a long weekend sometime in the future. The only down side to our visit was the incompetence of Booking.com through taking money for a stay at an apartment that could not be found as it didn’t appear to exist. A few days later it was no surprise to watch an episode of the Tonight Show on ITV which covered the story of another family who had booked a villa through Booking.com that did not exist. We live in hope that Booking.com will do the right thing and refund us the money that we paid to them in good faith. For now we will make use of alternative travel websites.

Things to do in Istanbul

• Visit the Blue Mosque
• Visit Hagia Sophia
• Visit Grand Bazar
• Visit the Dolmabahce Palace
• Sample the local cuisine
• Visit Galata Tower
• Take a boat trip by day
• Enjoy the evening cruise with a show, food and drink
• If bars are your thing visit the Beyoglu area of Istanbul
• Visit the old town
• Visit Princess Islands especially in the Summer months.

Top Tips

• Check out the area you are wanting to stay in before booking as areas in Istanbul vary a lot.
• Ensure you book your accommodation with a reputable company.
• Check reviews of accommodation before booking – if there are no reviews we suggest don’t book.
• Check your travel company out on Trust Pilot before booking.
• If booking a daytime boat trip, book from the main ports as they are more convenient to get to.
• Book all excursions/experiences though know companies with good reviews.
• In busy areas keep your valuables safe as there are a fair few pickpockets in Istanbul.
• In the Grand Bazaar be aware of hassle from store owners. Be polite and keep walking if you don’t want to buy anything.
• The Grand Bazaar is very busy especially on a Saturday and extremely congested. Ladies keep your handbags close to you at all times.
• Uber works here and a relatively safe way to travel – and cheap!
• Walking is the best way to see the Old Town if you are able.
• Check out government advice when visiting Istanbul https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey
• Check out weather below for best time to visit Istanbul

Weather

Temp – Celsius Rain – mm	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp	8	8	11	16	20	26	28	28	25	19	14	10
Low Temp	4	4	5	8	12	17	19	19	16	13	9	6
Rainfall	100	70	50	60	40	30	30	20	50	60	100	100
Number of days	14	12	13	11	9	5	3	4	8	10	13	17