A bookcident between Europe and Asia

The best trips happen when you accidentally spot a cheap flight just two weeks in advance and book it without a second thought. The consequences, like shifting originally planned business meetings or private events, are a problem for later. I would call this a “bookcident” 😀

But Istanbul was one of my best bookcidents!

The city itself

First of all, whatever you do, try to avoid taking cabs. The traffic is insane, and you’ll get around so much faster on foot. Between the airport and the city, you can take the metro, which is convenient and fast. Within the city itself, walking is the best choice. It’s the only way to see all the narrow streets, little shops, and small cafes, and the best way to soak in the spirit of Istanbul. Sure, it’s a pretty loud city, packed with people, and not every corner is beautiful, but that’s exactly how I like to travel. All in all, four days and more than 60 km of walking in Istanbul led to some truly nice pictures:

Recommendation for your first evening: head to a rooftop bar, grab one of the (most likely) overpriced cocktails, and enjoy an amazing view of the city 🙂

The Mosques

Istanbul has more than 3,000 mosques. The biggest one, with space for 63,000 worshippers, is the Çamlıca Mosque. But by far the most prominent ones are the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. They are much smaller but steeped in history—and come with a huge line of tourists waiting to get in. In my honest opinion, mosques are beautiful, but if you have seen larger ones like the one in Casablanca, you might be a bit disappointed. The most fascinating part of the Hagia Sophia is that it used to be a church before being converted into a mosque in 1453. You can still see remnants of that history inside if a good guide points them out.

The Blue Mosque:

The Hagia Sophia:

In general, guides aren’t really needed for the mosques, especially since they can’t help you skip the tourist lines. Skipping those lines would have been pretty helpful, though!

The Cistern

The cistern was a different story. A booked guide can skip the line with you, saving you about two hours of your life. The cistern itself (famous from the Bond movie “From Russia with Love” and the Tom Hanks movie “Inferno”) is a remarkable underground water reservoir. Beyond the incredible atmosphere, what impressed me the most was the fact that it was built in 532 AD. Just imagining that history is fascinating!

The Grand Bazaar

When it comes to shopping in Istanbul, the first thing that pops up is the Grand Bazaar. It is a massive, labyrinthine market that completely overwhelms your senses with colors, smells, and sounds. You can find literally everything here, from spices and Turkish delight to beautiful lanterns and rugs. Just be prepared to bargain hard—it’s part of the experience and actually quite fun once you get the hang of it! The only pity, as with most places like this, is that the items tend to repeat—the same handbags, the same sweets, the same shirts… It’s a waste of time to try to see every single one of the roughly 4,000 shops. That said, the architecture of the bazaar is beautiful, so it’s well worth a stroll!

Just a short walk away is the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, which is much smaller but has unfortunately become quite touristy. Instead of exotic spices, you’ll find a lot of Turkish delight and souvenirs, but it’s still worth a quick stroll if you’re already nearby!

A little boat cruise

One thing I’d highly recommend is a Bosphorus boat cruise. In two to three hours, you’ll cruise along the Istanbul skyline while a tour guide shares stories about the historic houses, palaces, and hotels along the way, all while you relax in the sun on the deck. I wouldn’t skip other activities for it, but if you have a few hours to spare, go for it!

Food

And last but not least, the most important thing: FOOD!

I already knew I loved Turkish food, but this trip took it to the next level. Some people might try to scam you or be a bit unfriendly, but one thing is guaranteed: you will never be served bad food.

Along with the many local restaurants, street food stalls, and snacks, I highly recommend two things:

Turkish Breakfast

Imagine a table completely covered in small plates of olives, various cheeses, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and warm, freshly baked bread. You get to dip your bread into delicious ‘menemen’ (Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers) while sipping on endless cups of strong black tea. It’s a beautiful, slow feast that feels more like a social event, and it will easily keep you full until dinnertime!

Food Tour

I joined a food tour with people from all around Europe that started on the European side and finished on the Asian side. There were a lot of dishes I would have never tried on my own (like lamb soup or mussels stuffed with rice), but I didn’t regret any of them—except maybe the fish taco! 😉

Just like every other country where I’ve done a food tour, it was totally worth it; it’s truly the best way to get a real taste of the local cuisine.