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Travel - Istanbul

  • samplanme
  • Dec 17, 2024
  • 4 min read

first of all - ISTANBUL IS AWESOME. Of course, food heavily dictates that opinion so lets dig into the best bites of my trip and foods you simply cannot skip while visiting one of my new favorite parts of the world!


*and a sample 3 day itinerary (the best way to spend 3-days..in my opinion!


Best & MUST Bites:

Turkish food: trying the local delicacies is KEY to loving Turkey.

  • Turkish Breakfast: plates on plates of different dips, jams, eggs, olives, and cheeses and breads - not to be missed! Truly one of my favorite parts of vititing Turkey. BEST: Cafe Privato Restaurant

  • Turkish Coffee: to me - I prefer this to espresso (gasp!). comes in similarly sized cups and is super rich in flavor. Takes a little getting used to (grounds collect at the bottom of your cup) and you can ask for it to be sweetened or not. BEST: Kurukahveci Nuri Toplar

  • Borek: similar to the greek spanikopita - my favorite was the potato and cheese options! Start your day here and you won't be sorry!

  • Balik Ekmet: grilled fish sandwiches/wraps. one of my favorite bites of the trip!!! BEST: Fish Sandwich Cash only!

  • Kebab: grilled meat in a wrap - i would make visiting Durumzade a priority (Anthony Bourdain went there) - the Adana Durum is OUT OF THIS WORLD. We went twice on our trip and regret not going more! Cash only!

  • Baklava: this Ottoman era treat is layers of pastry, nuts, honey, and syrup. wasnt my favorite bite of the trip but you simply cannot come to Turkey and not indulge. You'll see a lot of people walking around with bright red boxes/bags full of baklava from Hafiz Mustafa - kind of has a chokehold over istanbul with storefronts scattered around the city.

  • Helva: sesame paste over ice cream (if you get the full treatment) that is shockingly good!

  • Simit: circular bread topped with sesame seeds - gives bagel vibes and you can get nutella or cheese inside - or plain. Found all over the city ( street food vendors) and is literally a dollar.

  • Manti: tiny turkish dumplings topped with yogurt and butter. Low expectations once again left me speechless. top bites of the entire trip! BEST: Sayla Manti

  • Turkish Delight: I was skeptical - but fell in love with turkish delight! The pistacio and hazelnut were my favorites (loved the added texture). Gave thick marshmallow vibes, but better. Found all over the city, buy by the lb!


Coffee: even the cappucinos were amazing here. Favorites:


Where to stay? personally loved where we stayed - I want to share it here especially because I do think where you stay dictates so much of your overall experience and impression of Istanbul. Just up from the hill from Karakoy (where you can take the ferry to the asia side of istanbul) is the Galata Tower. This area is full of cute cafes, food, thrift stores/shopping, and just overall good vibes. 10/10 recommend a hotel or airbnb in this area.





3-DAY ITINERARY:


DAY 1:

walk over to my favorite turkish breakfast & coffee (Cafe Privato), passing the Galata tower on the way (and all of the tourists taking photos). Next walk down to Karakoy for some coffee and chill vibes (Karabatak) before walking to Cukurcuma Hamami for the best hamam/massage you have ever experienced. Book ahead and keep an open mind (and bring a swimsuit!).


Next, grab a drink at Anemon Koleksiyon Galata Otel for sunset - take in the views and bask in your post scrub/massage glow. For dinner head up to Durumzade for a kebab!


DAY 2:

start early with a walk across the bridge to have some incredible borek (Tarihi Cemberlitas Borekcisi) for breakfast (go crazy, we got one of each flavor!). Then spend the day exploring the great bazar, egyptian bazar, and mosques (blue mosque - my favorite- and hagia sophia grand mosque). Food rec near mosques: Divella Bistro Restaurant


DAY 3:

take the ferry to the asia side of Istanbul (Karakoy -> Kadikoy) for both the views on the water as well as the more "chill" atmosphere in Kadikoy. You'll find more shopping, food, cafes, coffee to enjoy/explore! Favorite bites: helva (helvaci Ail), manti (sayla manti), and coffee (malavita coffee shop)


**IF YOU HAVE TIME - take advantage of health/beauty services (Turkey is known for it's medical tourism)! Stock up on skin care products or botox (I got my masseters done for $270USD - which easily would have been 2-3x that in the US). It might feel sketchy at a lower cost, but Turkey is miles ahead of the US in some ways and procedures (from hair transplants to dental care) are significantly more affordable and more high-end in some ways.


How to get around? Honestly...everything felt pretty walkable! We used uber to get to/from the airport and a ferry from the European side to Asia side of Istanbul. Bring your walking shoes and an appetite for hills!

 
 
 

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