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Mid of May we spent four wonderful days in Istanbul. As soon as you arrive in this pulsating city at the Bosporus you can feel the thirst for action and change of the residents. New shops and restaurants are popping up everywhere. But with becoming an international metropolis the diverse history is never forgotten. This city is the perfect combination of modernity and tradition and every single trip worthwhile… And you need more than one trip to discover this amazing place.

I probably could write books about discovering Istanbul but here I am going to give you just the essence of our experiences.

THE day

Istanbul is not an insider tip and the city attractions are (especially on the weekends) absolutely crowded. So best advises is to book an online ticket in advance and to start your day early. Nevertheless take your time for a good coffee and some Turkish breakfast specialties. If you like hearty food in the morning “Menemen” is your meal to order. It’s a kind of crumbled eggs with tomatoes, pepper and herbs, served in a hot pan. Otherwise most of cafes and hotels offer you a wide range of jams. And one is better than the other.

10:00 am: Topkapi palace
I love this place for many reasons but I think mainly for the variety of things to do and to see. First of all the architecture of the palace and the interior is stunning. I was busy for hours taking pictures of all the beautiful tiles and decorated window frames. The museum of the palace gives you an impression of the cultural and material richness of these times and you can have a glance on the “beard of the prophet”. Before I was spotting it, I always thought this is just a silly German saying like “oh my gosh”. But it does exist. And last but not least the view. I could have sat forever on the walls of the palace watching the ships crossing on the Bosporus.

1:00 pm: Shopping at Arasta Bazaar
If you walk from the palace to the blue mosque, walk past it on the left and when you walk down a few stairs you will find a tiny bazaar, perfect for buying some beautiful scarf, towels and bags. The market is not crowded at all and the quality of the products is mostly very high.

2:00 pm: Lunch
If you walk further down to the waterside you will find a lot of hotels and restaurant. Even though this area is quite touristic you will find some more nice shops and art galleries and even more important: plenty restaurants which are not offering the absolute best food of Istanbul but with their roof tops directly at the seaside, a perfect view at the blue mosque and a light breeze the restaurants are perfect for a relaxing stop over. Just have some salad and fish as the next station will be the spice bazaar.

3:30 pm: Spice Bazaar
There is not much to say about this place. Open your eyes and nose to enjoy this outstanding place. At many stalls you can taste known and unknown delicacies.

4:30 pm: Bosporus Tour
We found it very relaxing to escape the hectic of the city from time to time. Doing a boat trip on the Bosporus is one way which also gives you a good impression on the surrounding.

When you walk from the spice bazaar further to the Galata Bridge, on the left side many companies offer Bosporus tours. Prices and routes are very similar; just decide for the one that is leaving soonest.

Late afternoon: Galata Tower for sunset
After the Bosporus tour it is already time to prepare for the evening. In May sunset in Istanbul is around 8:00 pm but there is always a waiting queue for the Galata tower, especially short before sunset. Make sure you have enough time to get up and to save one of the good places (it is very small up there). Enjoy the view, the wonderful light and the skyline of Istanbul. This is for sure (one of) the highlight(s) of your Istanbul visit.

Evening / night: Dinner and drinks in Galata
There are two restaurants in Galata which convinced me that much that I would like to suggest both. Especially as they both are hard to compare. So the decision is up to you.

The first restaurant is called aheste (www.ahestegalata.com) It`s a small restaurant with tasteful decoration that offers a wide range of traditional food, modern interpreted. Make sure you are hungry and go for the tasting menu. We had difficulties to manage all that food that was coming in five or six courses but every bit was worthwhile. Also good wine and drinks are offered here.
The other restaurant I would like to recommend is PEYMANE (www.peymane.com). This is a traditional kepab house situated in a beautiful backyard. Situated in the center of the backyard is a huge grill and around it many wooden tables and millions of candles. That view blew me away as it was so beautiful. Order some Meze and then the mixed grill plate. The drink to order here is Raki. They will bring it by the liter together with plain water and an ice bucket. Enjoy!
For both restaurants you should make a reservation as they are very popular.

Following a list of things we would further recommend when being in Istanbul:

• For eating Kumpir (filled potatoes) and also for a tiny jewelry market visit Ortaköy on a Sunday.
• Not very stylish/comfy but very good food you get in the restaurant directly above the entrance of the spice bazaar.
• Leaving the boat after the Bosporus tour you will find a tiny boat next to the pier where they are selling bread rolls with freshly grilled fish. Yummy…
• and and and…