Some cities are so huge that it can feel almost impossible to wrap your arms—and your mind—around them. Istanbul is definitely like that. As you come in from the airport, descending toward the Bosporus, the sight lines grow vast, and a seemingly unending city spreads out before you: a megalopolis, splashed across two continents.
Arrival
Opened just five years ago, Istanbul Airport (IST) is a wonder in itself. In Europe, only London’s Heathrow is busier, and flights from more than 120 countries land on IST’s five runways. It has just a single, impossibly huge terminal, with soaring, domed ceilings and a control tower shaped like a tulip, Turkey’s national flower.A drawback: It is not close to the city, sitting 22 miles away. You can ride in by Metro or public bus. Taxis are available 24 hours per day and are generally cost-effective, although always ask the driver to run the meter (or agree on a flat rate) before leaving. By road, the middle of Istanbul is about an hour away (and 40 to 50 minutes by Metro), so factor this longish transfer into your plans.
Morning
Lace up a good pair of walking shoes and see as much as you can around Sultanahmet, the historical heart of the city. Here, you only need to walk a few blocks in any direction to sense Istanbul’s deeply layered history. Roman meets Byzantine meets Ottoman, with markets, mosques, churches, and so much more, all side by side.
With so little time, you’ll probably need to pick and choose, but here’s a brief synopsis of the main attractions to help you decide. (And a general tip: Get there as early as possible to avoid the heat and crowds.)
Topkapi Palace: A rambling and beautiful series of pavilions and courtyards, Topkapi was the center of the Ottoman Empire and residence to the sultans for some four centuries. Guided tours here tend to be both detailed and fascinating.
Blue Mosque: With its soaring minarets and huge dome over a series of half-domes, this is one of Istanbul’s most iconic attractions. It is still a functioning mosque, so be prepared to take off your shoes and wear appropriate clothing when you go inside. (For men and women, knees and shoulders should be covered, with women’s heads covered as well.)
Hagia Sophia: Serving as a church in the Eastern Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans added minarets and made it a mosque. A place of worship since the year 537, it is perhaps the best place, anywhere, to see how so many faiths have left their marks on this ancient city.
Grand Bazaar: This is a place where it’s easy to get lost, in all the best ways. Enter to find a labyrinth of laneways (61 in total) lined with about 4,000 stores. You’ll find everything from souvenirs to silver to leatherwork to pretty much anything else your heart could desire. Be prepared to chat with vendors who are rather eager to sell you their wares.
Lunch
Head nearby to the Egyptian Bazaar. When you enter, the scents will hit you first, all of them pleasant, a mixture of hundreds of spices, plus sweets such as baklava and Turkish delight. These golden archways have looked down upon the spice trade since 1660.You can enjoy an appetizer by just walking around—like Costco with its sampling, Egyptian Bazaar vendors are happy to give you a taste of all of the above, plus homemade coffees and teas. On my last visit, an ebullient vendor invited me in, giving me a brief history of the market and then a whirlwind tour of his tiny shop.
“That’s for kebab, this is for fish, that’s for chicken,” he said, pulling out little drawers and having me taste little pinches of spice mixes he composed himself.
Then find a little staircase near the main entrance and sit down to a meal at Pandeli. Recommended as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, the food there is both excellent and affordable, with Turkish favorites such as eggplant salad and roast lamb on the menu.
Waiters in starched white shirts and black bow ties bring out the food. The manager told me that they first opened in 1901, pointing at the menu.
“Same, for more than 100 years,” he noted.
It’s also a calm, quiet place. While tourists teem downstairs and you watch out the window at traffic grinding across the Galata Bridge, dally over your meal while you rest a little. You’ll need to reset for a busy afternoon and evening.
Afternoon
Take the ferry across the Bosporus. It’s a short voyage, but one that is, in every way, remarkable. The Bosporus slices right through the middle of Istanbul. It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Importantly, this busy waterway also separates Europe and Asia.There are many tourist boats plying these waters, but the ferry is my favorite. The fare is generally less than a dollar, and I always grab a little cup of sugary Turkish tea on board, for just a few cents, to sip as we sail.
Both sides of the city spread out, climbing up the banks on either side. It’s really only from the water that you get a true sense of this city’s immensity. And it is worth looking around you, too—many commuters use these hardworking vessels to get to work (or home afterward), and a ride on one is a chance to experience a slice of everyday life.
Alight at Kadikoy, and set your feet on Asian soil. Let yourself get swept up in the rush of locals and carried into the maze of little side streets that ascend away from the water. They’re chock-a-block with market stalls and shops selling just about every fresh and delicious thing you can imagine.
Tourists make up just a small percentage of the people you’ll encounter here, and so the shopkeepers and vendors remain rather unjaded and quite surprised and happy to have North Americans visit them. More than once, I’ve been invited inside one place or another and offered friendly conversation. Plus, an impromptu, complimentary tasting menu made up of whatever they’re selling: cheeses, olives, pickled peppers; spicy, salty, sweet—just a swirl of flavors.
And when you’re able, again, to consume another meal, there’s no place like Ciya Sofrasi. Chef Musa Dagdeviren spent years in homes and kitchens across Turkey gathering up the country’s best recipes. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants called him a “culinary anthropologist,” and he has since been featured on Netflix and in the pages of major print publications.
But the man himself is rather unassuming. He opened several restaurants on the same block so he could visit each of them every day. I chatted with him several times as he sat at an outdoor table with friends in his rumpled T-shirt.
Even if the chef’s not there, a meal there is more than worth it. Order simple, honest, beautiful dishes such as a shepherd’s salad, red lentil soup, local cheeses with pita, kebabs, kofte, falafel, and so much more, with aubergine, lamb, chicken, and other local ingredients.
Evening
After such a busy day, all you’ll probably desire in the evening is an opportunity to walk off a few calories before heading to bed. Stretching almost a mile, Istiklal (Independence) Avenue is the perfect place to do that.Ride the ferry back to the European side at sunset. Then stroll along this, the city’s main pedestrianized shopping street, which comes alive at night. Listen to street musicians and watch the trolly go by. Grab a gelato. And if you have any energy left, pop into one of the side streets lined with bars. Pull up a stool, order a frosty pint of Efes, and chat with the local next to you until the wee hours of the morning.
