Guide to Istanbul in 5 days!

Istanbul: June 2018

I spent around 5 days in Istanbul in June 2018. After spending so long on beaches, boats, and islands it was quite the shock to be thrown back into a major city but I just knew I had to see Istanbul. Here is my guide to Istanbul in 5 days.

We stayed at a little guesthouse called Ahmet Efendi House (breakfast included!) about 5 minutes from the Blue Mosque. The area was pretty touristy but we found it perfect for a few days because everything was walking distance or easily reachable by the tram system.

We liked to hang out at Siva Cafe and Bar around the corner, the guys working there were hilarious. The food was good too and nicely priced. We also frequented Nobel Hostel, they had good food, amazing staff and a rooftop looking right over the Blue Mosque.

Day 1: Explore Sultanahmet

Sites we visited included the Hagia Sofia Mosque Museum. I guess it’s an old mosque which isn’t used as a regular mosque anymore so they have called it a museum which you have to pay to get into. Not really worth paying for to be honest but it looked very impressive on the inside.

We also visited the Blue Mosque (obviously) but there were major renovations going on inside and most of the building was covered in scaffolding so definitely didn’t see it in all it’s glory. Next time!

It was a special time to be in Istanbul as it was during the final days of Ramadan. Thousands of people come to Istanbul, particularly the Blue Mosque, for Ramadan. Every evening hundreds of people would fill the park around the mosque with their families and huge picnics waiting for the call to prayer to mark the end of fasting for the day.

Just walking and training through the city it actually blew my mind how many mosques Istanbul has and how MASSIVE they are. The sound of prayers echoing through the air will always be a strong memory for me in Turkey!

Day 2: Visit Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace and the surrounding gardens are also well worth visiting. The gardens are stunning and the palace is full of amazing rooms, doors, tiles, archways, and gardens.

I’m actually pretty terrible at traditional site seeing. I don’t dig museums, buildings, and history so much. But we put on some decent clothes and make-up and dragged ourselves there with getting good pictures being our main motivation ha! I’m so glad we did, it was one of my favourite places.

Day 3: Shop til you drop at the Grand Bazaar

We also spent a lot of time in the Grand Bazaar browsing the amazing markets full of rugs, lanterns, crystals, coffee and INSANE food. If you think you know what Turkish Delight is you have no idea.

Real Turkish delight is what dreams are made of and comes in the most epic flavours. Also, the people working there are more than happy to let you taste everything and ply you with tea.

If you’re a lover of nuts, dates, tahini and cherries go to Istanbul immediately please!! All the markets had giant dates stuffed with almonds and walnuts among many other treats. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Day 4: Go and see the suburbs of Galata & Karakoy

We spent some time wondering around the ‘hipster’ areas of Galata and Karakoy. These areas were really vibey. Full of young, creative people, cool cafes, bars and boutique shops. If I was going to live in Istanbul I could see myself living there, it gave me very East London vibes.

Day 5: Relax with coffee, food and sheesha

Istanbul is hectic so I’ve included one day of relaxation! For one whole day before I flew out I sat in Siva Cafe & Bar sipping on coffee, eating the best Turkish food and puffing on sheesha! I was also constantly entertained by the overly-friendly staff.

Tips for Istanbul

• Transport: Use the local metro to get around the city. It’s cheap and Google maps will be able to give you all the directions
• Sim Card: Get a local Sim card with data to make it easy to find your way around and research on the go. Bring your passport with you when you go to get one. I used Turkcell.
• Cash: You can withdraw cash easily in Istanbul. A number of shops also accept card but for paying for small things in shops and restaurants it’s much better to carry cash. Get a prepaid travel card before you go and save money on exchange rate and ATM fees. If you are in the UK, Europe or Australia I recommend Revolut. You get £200 of free ATM withdrawals a month (only 2% after that) and the exchange rate they give is the market rate. I have used their online account and prepaid MasterCard for over three years and I love it. I have saved a fortune on fees.

There you have my guide to Istanbul in 5 days! Overall I really loved Istanbul even though at first the big city rush sent me into a mini panic attack! I just told myself it was preparation for India. I loved the culture, the food and of course the people.

Istanbul marked the end of my time in Europe and the start of a long Indian adventure!

Check out my other posts about Turkey here!

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