Duration: 3 days
Where did we stay: Taxim Square
When? Summer 2013
Flight: 60K points on United Airlines IAH to Croatia and return from IST.
Absolutely loved Istanbul. Really easy to see the top attractions since most places are walking distance. We did have to take a funicular from Taxim Square to the city but the rest was easily walkable. The city is very lively at all times. It’s not unusual to see families going to the park late at night. Also, make sure you drink like 10+ cups of tea a day 🙂
See the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Both are Gorgeous and right next to each other. Bring a scarf & long pants so you can enter.
Do brunch. Not the first thing that comes to mind, right? Brunch is a big thing here and they do it right. Check out Van Kavalti Evi. The honeycomb butter & menemen (Turkish style scrambled eggs are a must)
Try sweets at Hafiz Mustafa. Amazing bakery. We stopped by this place 4 times. Drink all the tea and try the Turkish coffee. Our favorites were the different types of baklava (walnut, hazelnut, almond and condensed milk). We weren’t a huge fan of the Kenefee, but the dondorma (stretchy Turkish ice cream) was pretty good.
Go to the Spice Bazaar. Prepare to bargain! There’s more than just spices here. I bought a really cute tea cup set.
Take a boat ride on the Bosphorus. There are a bunch of boats lined right outside the Fish Market that offer cheap 2 hour rides along the river.
Have dinner with a view. We went to Hum Di which had a beautiful view of Blue Mosque from the balcony.
Go to the Fish market. We heard this was popular but didn’t go. Try the fish sandwiches if you can!
