Istanbul, Turkey is an amazing city that sits across the European and Asian continents along the Bosporus Strait that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It was the eastern-most stop on the famous Orient Express (being reimagined using original cars in 2026).
Our travels began with a flight into a gorgeous airport, on to a sleek metro, and delivered us to the hills of Istanbul. We then used the historic Tünel, an underground funicular with rubber tires that opened in 1875 (and is the second oldest unground railway to London’s metro) to get us within a short walk of our hotel. Our hotel was near the beautiful Galata Tower and on our first night we dove into the food of Istanbul by dining at Bilice Kebap (a type of kabab!).
Wandering is one of our favorite activities in any city. Our first day, we walked across the Galata Bridge to Istanbul’s Old City and discovered the Sarayburnu Park filled with archeological discoveries from expanding the Istanbul Metro, cruise ships, statues, and a beautiful view of the Bosporus! We turned and walked up the hill and found the Column of the Goths in Gülhane Park and also found some wild park animals. While we didn’t feed the wildlife… we did give a few pets and ear scratches. 🙂
We wanted to visit a mosque and headed back to the Old City another day with a plan. We enjoyed a selfie outside the Hagia Sophia (built as a church, became a mosque, then a UNESCO site and museum until 2020 when it controversially was turned back into a mosque). Then we headed to Sultanahmet Square to discover remnants of the massive Hippodrome of Constantinople when it was the capital of the Roman Empire. The Obelisk of Theodosius from ancient Egypt was particularly stunning. We then headed inside the Sultan Ahmet Camii (The Blue Mosque). I brought a scarf as they require women to cover their hair and everyone needed shoulders and knees covered. We marveled at the interior with beautiful domed architecture, stunning tiles, and intricate mosaics. After that, we headed to the Grand Bazaar through the Swordsman Gate! It was amazing inside with so many shops, streets, and people!
In the evening, we headed to Super Mario Emin Usta for dinner to try fish wraps! We also enjoyed the gorgeous and delicious Turkish delight! Another highlight continued to be the cats of Istanbul, we found the sweetest lap kitty needing snuggles and the perfect Instagram cat (look at that posing and background)!?!!!!
Our next adventure, was a day at Topkapi Palace. It is a glorious Ottoman Imperial Palace and we began by walking through the Imperial Gate, First Courtyard, and through stately Gate of Salutation into the Second Courtyard. The Palace Kitchens and porcelain collection are stunning. The gardens are beautiful with a view across the Golden Horn (river) to the Galata Tower. There are fountains and Kiosks with places for the Sultan to rest. The Treasury showcases palace gorgeous jeweled treasures from daggers to jewelry to boxes. Finally, we visited the Harem, home to the sultan, his mother, concubines, wives, children, and servants. The sultan’s bath and Imperial Hall in the harem are particularly stunning! The palace, however, was only possible using slaves and harem eunuchs in various roles. And while women in the Ottoman Empire were able to purchase and sell property, they lived a very secluded existence.
Another day, we visited the Rahmi M. Koç Museum on technology and transportation. We initially got on the wrong ferry, but allowed us to briefly visit the Asian side of Istanbul! The museum includes many treasures, but some of the best collections include classic cars, boats, trains. Some favorites include the flying car from Harry Potter and the Kismet Yacht that circumnavigated the planet!! The trains were particularly amazing given the Orient Express with an amazing collection of functional train reproductions!
Another evening we went in search of dessert and discovered the deliciousness of künefe (kunefe) which is a sweet cheese pastry consisting of kadafi/phyllo dough wrapped mozzarella with pistachios. We enjoyed it with fruit, seeds, and Turkish tea. Over the next few days we also enjoyed photographing the Kamondo Stairs empty (prime wedding photo spot), a Turkish bath at the Ağa Turkish Bath (look at how glowy we are in our selfie afterward!!!), I got a glam tram photo on İstiklal Avenue (famous for shopping), and we discovered the delightful Galata Tower light show.
Our last adventure in Istanbul was to take the ferry to the Princes’ Islands. We took it to Büyükada, the “Big Island” and the city of Adalar. It was a moody, windy day and we had the best trip. We hiked up to the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage (built as a casino). It is the largest wooden building in Europe and second in the world (after Tōdai-ji temple in Japan). From there, we enjoyed the walking route up to the Aya Yorgi Church and around the south end of the island. On our way back to the ferry, we walked along the stately Çankaya Caddesi to view the mansions including the gorgeous Mizzi Mansion and Con Pasha’s Mansion.
It was a wonderful visit! We headed to the airport (gorgeous, right?) and were so very grateful to snuggle into business class for a long flight to Thailand.
We had a great time experiencing Istanbul and thanks for making it this far! Here’s a few fun videos… the first is the Turkish flag at the Sarayburnu Parkı and the second is part of the Galata Tower light show. Enjoy!!!