İstanbul, Turkey

Brenden Mulligan

We spent 10 straight days living in Istanbul. We didn't leave the city, and instead just tried to soak in the local scene. As always, we slowly meandered our way through the city, eating and drinking along the way.

Tips

Must Do Sultanahmet Camii , This is the Blue Mosque. It's incredible. Right down the street from the Hagia Sophia, it's one of the most impressive pieces of architecture in town. It's a must see.
Must Do Kapalıçarşı , This is the Grand Bazaar. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. There are thousands of merchants inside. Block out 2-3 hours and just get lost wandering.
Must Do Galata Kulesi , We never made it up into the Galata Tower because the line was always long, but we spent a lot of time in the area. Our next tip to Istanbul will definitely include a trip to the tower.
Must Do Cooking Alaturka , We took this cooking class on the recommendation of a friend and it was amazing. You cook for 3 hours and eat for 1-2 hours. Was one of our favorite experiences in Istanbul.
Must Do Ayasofya , You're in Istanbul. You have to see the Hagia Sophia. Get tickets in advance if you can, because there's a line.
Must Do Nevizade , This is a very touristy, but very fun street. Tables spilling out into the street and hundreds of people meandering around drinking, eating and generally enjoying the night. Definitely go here one night.
Do Sunset Restaurant Grill & Bar , This is an expensive dinner, but the view can't be beat. You overlook the Bosporus and the bridge connecting europe and asia. I took Elle here for her 30th birthday and we had an amazing meal.
Do Galata Köprüsü , This was how we got to and from downtown. The bridge is full of people fishing and hanging out. Very cool to walk.
Do Arnavutkoy Peynircisi , I took Elle over to this little cheese shop after discovering it through a blog. It's in a really cute area and we would have loved to spend more time walking around, but it was a holiday and nothing was ...
Do Galatalife , Really cool little coffee shop. A quiet respite from the busy area.
Do Konyalı , We had lunch at this restaurant inside the Topiki Palace. Although it requires a ticket to the Palace, it's well worth it. You can get a reservation and be served or eat at more of a cafe atmosphere. It was ...
Do İstanbul Modern , The Istanbul modern was beautiful. We saw one of their special exhibits so didn't wander the permanent collection, but the whole place is beautiful.