Trip-Istanbul

And so the adventure begins!! Arrived early in the morning in Istanbul bus station and made our way to the centre using uber!

Our hostel had a nice central location and the room had great views!! The only downside was that there was no elevator and to go down to the bathroom we needed to climb 3 floors😅

We then made our way to this central/market street! First thing we did after leaving our luggage at the hostel was get local SIM cards! It can be pretty pricey but we bought one and shared between us 3 to make it more on a budget! We then explored a bit the area and also bought the metro pass from the station there, for the whole stay!

Later after scrolling around we discovered this very nice place for dinner!! It was pretty cheap for what you got and it had a buffet selection of “homecooked” meals!

We finished the day by visiting Taksim square and all the shops around! We sat in a traditional pastry shop where we tried Kunefe! A traditional dessert of Turkey✨

Our second day started at the other side of Istanbul having breakfast at Balat neighbourhood!

We then explored Balat and its colorful buildings and streets! (Perfect photo spots!)

We finished the day by taking a bus to this stunning park, that was quite far from the center but definitely worth it! And also watched the sunset on the way back from the boat!!

Day 3 started with a location close to our hostel, visiting Galata tower! The views are just stunning from above!

We stopped then for a quick hot chocolate and breakfast at a cafe on the streets that leads to the tower, so we could enjoy its view while sitting!

We then headed to the port and took the boat to the Asian side of Istanbul! Kadiköy neighbourhood was super buzzy and full of life and greattt markets that made our money disappear in no time🥲 It is a great place to spend half a day of your trip!

On day 4 we decided to visit the most famous landmark of Istanbul Hagia Sophia🙌 Inside it was just stunning and it was super impressive how no shoes were allowed and how so many people were praying there in the middle of the day!

Just across Hagia Sophia the blue Mosque is located! Sadly we only enjoyed it from outside because it was under renovation when we were there!

Looking a bit through google maps we found this little gem and got superrr cheap and delicious falafel and hummus to go!

We watched the sunset strolling through Karaköy which is a promenade with great views across the city! Insider tip: its a great place to try the local fish sandwiches!!

Just before heading back to our hostel we stopped at this really famous store to buy Baklava!! The photo speaks from itself that it was so delicious that we couldn’t resist eating it😄

Day 5 and another mouth watering turkish breakfast🥹

Main attraction of the day was Dolmabahçe Palace! My recommendation is to spare at least 3 hours to visit this palace since it’s its soo big and stunning and it is really worth it to pay attention to its details!

We then made our way to this neighbourhood following a local’s recommendation and we explored around!

Part of the recommendation was also a great restaurant that serves this stuffed potato with as many fillings as you desire that was perfect for dinner!!

Last day started at this underground monument that had a very unique vibe to it! Really interesting reading through the plates and learning about its history!

Of course before leaving we headed for souvenirs😇Sadly inside the Bazaar everything is very overpriced but around it there are plenty of options to buy anything you like really cheap!! P.S. make sure you bargain the price!!

This brought our trip to an end!! Istanbul is really such a huge and full city, that also 10 days there would be still full of activities to do, but for us we felt like after 6 days we got the best and more important parts of it!!