Istanbul has been a destination high on my travel list for years. Unfortunately, right around the time that my international travel started to pick up, Istanbul began to go through a lot of political turmoil and terrorism scares. So, I put the city on the back burner list until the situation improved. (Interestingly, Cairo and Beirut were also on that list, and I planned to visit all three cities in 2019). While there were still many concerns about the Turkish government and its current authoritarian regime, I was reading reports that things had at least stabilized from a tourism safety perspective, so I decided to take the plunge with a two day stop in Istanbul between Cairo and Cape Town.

My plan was to take an early flight from Cairo to Istanbul so I’d still have the afternoon to explore. I had booked one night at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet based on my friend Callan’s recommendation. The property is located smack in the middle of many of the top tourist destinations (the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern were all on my list to see) and has a nice rooftop view of Hagia Sophia. Then I would switch to the Four Seasons at the Bosphorus based on my Turkish friend Emrah’s recommendation (he is from Istanbul). It would be a lot of moving around, but the logistics actually worked out well since I got to see different parts of the city while minimizing the amount of time I was spending sitting in traffic. My Qatar Airways flight to Cape Town (through Doha) didn’t depart until 7:45pm on Thursday evening, so I’d still get to enjoy all morning and early afternoon of my third day in Istanbul.

Getting to Istanbul

It was a quick, 2.5 hour flight from Cairo to Istanbul. I booked my first-ever flight on Turkish Airlines in economy. It was an early flight so I wasn’t going to drink, and it was so short, I didn’t feel the need to splurge on business. I didn’t recall choosing my seat when I booked, but I was pleased upon boarding to find that I was sitting in the window seat of the second row of economy, right behind an exit row. To make space for the exit door, there was no passenger seat in front of me (just a small flight attendant jump seat that faced me). Leg room for days!

The flight itself was fine, with average food that I just picked at. I napped for a bit and read. We were flying into the brand new Istanbul airport, which had only opened for operations a couple months prior (all flights had changed from the old Istanbul Attaturk airport). It seemed nice enough: new and clean, at least. Immigration and customs was pretty quick; just like in Egypt, they didn’t ask to see my e-Visa paperwork or any proof of a departing flight. After retrieving my bag from baggage claim (it weighed 28 kg by this point of the trip, but the airline didn’t check it, even flying in Economy), I headed to find my driver. I had read some sketchy things about scammy taxi drivers in Istanbul, and Uber was not available in Turkey at the time due to conflicts with the government. I ultimately booked my transfers to/from the airport through Safe Airport Transfers. They were very communicative through WhatsApp and their Mercedes vans were very clean and spacious. It was a bit of a cluster in Arrivals, but within ten minutes I was in a van and on my way.

It was a perfect day in Istanbul and I marveled at the green hills, sparkling water, blue skies and beautiful architecture as we drove into the city. Unfortunately, the new airport is located farther away from the center of the city, and the driver estimated it would take an hour to get to the hotel (it ended up taking nearly two – ugh). Despite the traffic, I instantly fell in love with Istanbul. I was charmed by its natural beauty, along with the sight of exotic-looking mosques dotting the skyline alongside modern buildings and bridges. I couldn’t wait to get out and explore.

We finally arrived at the Four Seasons, a charming yellow building that blended in with the traditional architecture in the old town. I had been upgraded to a suite on the ground floor, and my booking through American Express came up with a $100 F&B credit and late checkout of 4pm, both of which I planned to take advantage of. The Four Seasons also offered a free shuttle between their properties, which would make my hotel switch more convenient.

Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Tulips

The Basilica Cistern was a short walk away from the hotel, so I decided to start there first. However, there was a long line. “If you don’t want to wait in line, it should be shorter by 5 or 5:30,” a Turkish guy that must have been a tour guide told me. I decided to head to the Grand Bazaar first. The guy continued trying to talk to me, but I kept walking. I was soon approached by another guy. “Hey, where are you from? Australia?” Ha, nope. “Wait, I just want to practice my English. I work up the street and I’m on my break. You don’t have to worry about anything.” My instinct is to respond when someone says something to me, but I did my best to stay focused and keep moving. I didn’t feel like these guys were unsafe, but I really didn’t need to be talking to hustling strangers. I had places to see and things to do.

I eventually made it to the Grand Bazaar. It was definitely grand, and overwhelming. I felt like I was in the souks of Marrakech again with all of the pushy salespeople trying to get my attention and convince me to go into their store. I didn’t have the patience for dealing with their aggressiveness at the moment, and I really didn’t need to buy anything else, so after wandering around for a few minutes, I decided to just head back to the Basilica Cistern and wait in line.

The line really wasn’t too bad, and it was nice to just stand outside in the pleasant weather and people watch while I waited. Once inside, it was pretty crowded, and people were everywhere trying to take pictures and selfies. I managed to snap a couple, and otherwise just tried to soak in the beauty of the place.

Finally, I decided to just wander around Sultanahmet Square for a while before returning to my hotel. The square really is stunning, with its manicured gardens and impressive views of the Blue Mosque (which is officially named Sultanahmet Mosque), directly across from Hagia Sophia. I planned to go inside both sights the following day, so I just viewed them from the outside. There was also a tulip display of sorts, which I was curious to see. Who doesn’t love tulips? They are such a classic symbol of spring.

By then it was after 5pm, so I headed to my hotel room to get settled (I had basically dropped off my bags and went out upon arrival), then take advantage of my F&B credit at the hotel restaurant. Set in a garden courtyard, the restaurant was gorgeous with beautiful al fresco tables. The only problem was the aggressive birds that hopped onto my table to attempt to get nibbles of food. Thankfully, they were small and cute. I spent most of the meal trying to continuously shooing them away.

The food was good (I had salad, risotto and some decent Turkish wine) and the server was very cute and nice. He ended up taking my cocktail off of the check because I told him it was sweeter than I would have liked.

I was wary about going out in Istanbul alone at night, so I had another boring evening. But at least I got a good night’s sleep and was able to wake up early to hit the hotel gym before my tour in the morning.

Walking Tour of Square, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia

I decided to book a half day walking tour for two reasons: 1) I wanted to get as much history as possible, and I hoped that a guide could give me more than what I would get out of a self-guided tour, and 2) I had heard that both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia had very long lines and wanted to take advantage of a “skip the line” tour. After my experience the first day, I also appreciated the benefit of being with a small group – I could avoid the hustlers trying to get my attention and talk to me.

I woke up early, got the gym all to myself and enjoyed a delicious garden-side breakfast. A cute Turkish server offered to make me a local specialty, which basically seemed like Turkish quesadillas to me. It was sunny and forecasted to reach 70 degrees. The day was off to a good start.

Well, the tour ended up being a bit of a disappointment. The guide ended up being pretty dry. No jokes, no witty banter, no funny anecdotes – he really just stuck to the script. I’ve had such knowledgeable, charismatic, passionate tour guides throughout my travels (fit, nature-loving hiking guides in Patagonia, a self-deprecating Australian Ashton Kutcher lookalike in Kyoto, a very French wine expert in Provence) that I’ve developed a high bar for guides. It has been a blessing and a curse because I sometimes end up disappointed despite my best efforts to research and plan in advance. 

We also ended up having to wait quite a bit – so much for that skip the line perk. The waiting began when the four of us within walking distance of Sultanahmet Square arrived at the starting point for the tour much earlier than the rest of the group that was being picked up in a van. Apparently it was Labor Day in Turkey, so a bunch of streets were closed and traffic was awful (somehow I was doing a great job of hitting up these countries during national holidays, although the effect on traffic can be hit or miss).

We ended up grabbing coffee at a cafe with our guide while waiting for the others to arrive. I chatted with the three other travelers – a Peruvian family of two adult siblings traveling with their mother. I told them I was planning to visit Peru later in the year, so we spent most of the time discussing tips for my upcoming trip. That was a nice unexpected part of the tour.

Everyone else eventually showed up and we started at Sultanahmet Square. Originally a site for horse races (called the Hippodrome of Constantinople), the square now features three different obelisks:

Next we headed to the Blue Mosque, where we had to wait in a long line to get inside. I had somehow completely forgotten that I would need to cover my head to enter the mosque, so I hadn’t brought my own headscarf (even though I had a couple of them back at the hotel). Similar to the temples in Bali that offer sarongs for visitors to cover their legs, the Blue Mosque loans head scarves and skirts to women that aren’t properly covered on arrival. Fortunately, my jeans were deemed appropriate. We also all needed to remove our shoes; I was wearing sandals and hadn’t brought socks. Double fail.

The Blue Mosque (officially named Sultanahmet Mosque but known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles lining the interior walls), dates back to the 17th century. It was undergoing renovations while I was in town; I asked the guide when they were supposed to be complete and he said that they should’ve been finished already. Hmm. It was still very impressive inside and I loved looking at all of the different prints on the walls and ceiling.

Next up was Hagia Sophia (way older – dates back to the 6th century). Hagia Sophia was originally a church, then was converted to a mosque, but is now a museum. That meant I didn’t have to wear a headscarf or take off my shoes. Yippee. We waited in another long line. None of the other travelers in our group seemed interested in talking, so I people-watched. 

The museum was also undergoing renovations, but we were still able to see a lot. We started on the ground floor, then walked up a winding ramp to the top. I found the history of Hagia Sophia fascinating, despite the guide’s lack of personality.

We had one last stop after Hagia Sophia: a spice bazaar, which was basically a shopping stop. I don’t think I had put two and two together that a visit to a spice bazaar would actually be a hard-sell to buy stuff when I booked the tour. The guide told us that we needed to take the van to the shop since it was “a long walk.” A young Eastern European woman asked how long the walk was. “Ten minutes,” he told her. We both looked at each other. “Ten minutes isn’t long!” But, we had to stick to the script and take the van, even though it was stuck in traffic and running late. I sat in the sun and contemplated ending the tour early. My hotel was only a few minutes away. But then the van arrived, so I decided to give the bazaar a chance.

Well, I clearly had a target on my back. Young woman by herself: easy prey for the hustling salesmen. At least five of them approached me and offered to take me to a separate area where they could show me the tea. I wandered around the shop a little bit, but I got sick of being hassled to look at tea, so I decided to peace out early. Sorry, aggressive Turkish sales guys. This trip was really killing my love for shopping. The guide pushed me to stay with the group (I’m sure he wanted me to buy something so he would get his cut), but I stood my ground and he finally escorted me out. I handed him a small tip as I left (sucker, I know). He wasn’t great, but my traumatic past working in the service industry got the best of me once again.

It was about an eight minute walk uphill back to my hotel, but I was now on the waterfront for the first time. There was a nice path that ran along the river, so I decided to take a stroll. I rounded the corner and was treated to a gorgeous view of the Bosphorus Bridge in the distance, connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul across the Bosphorus. Not so gorgeous: the view of the old Turkish men sunbathing on the large rocks along the water. I found it funny that this was such a common thing.

I could’ve kept walking for a while, but I was getting hungry, so I headed back to the hotel. Lunch was an amazing falafel wrap paired with a crisp Turkish rosé. They also offered me a bread basket with muhamarra dip. So good. It was a good thing I was leaving tomorrow, because I would get fat staying in Turkey. I wanted to eat everything.

There was one more item to check off my to-do list: Topkapi Palace. However, my patience for waiting in lines and dealing with crowds was wearing thin. I just couldn’t muster the energy. Instead I grabbed a book and headed for the roof to sit in the sun. One of the things that I’m learning about my new life of full-time travel: I need to make time to relax and chill or I’ll burn out. It can be difficult to let myself sit still in a new place when there is so much to explore, but when I find myself getting anxious after go-go-going for so long, I know that it’s time to stop and recharge.

My plan was to take the 4pm shuttle to the other Four Seasons, where I could check in and get settled before my 6:30pm dinner reservations at Mikla. Except I had read the schedule incorrectly. The shuttle departs from the Bosphorus at 4pm. It departs from Sultanahmet at 3pm and 5pm. Shit. Well, I guess it was time for my first Istanbul taxi experience.

I had read some pretty sketchy things about the local taxi drivers (they actually spell it taksi), so I was trying to avoid the taxis as much as possible, but I actually never experienced any scammy behavior. The drivers always turned on the meter and took the most efficient route. I made sure to have small bills so I didn’t need to ask for change, and would just round up the fare as a tip. The taxis would take credit cards, but only cards with pin codes, and they’d charge an additional fee for using a a card. 

We encountered a little traffic getting out of the old town, but it fortunately wasn’t too bad. As we neared the Four Seasons at the Bosphorus, we drove down a beautiful, tree-lined street with lots of people out walking. Pulling into the impressive driveway of the hotel, I could tell that this property would feel very different that the Four Seasons at Sultanahmet. It was hard to believe that they were the same brand. While the Sultanahmet hotel had felt very classic and charming, the Bosphorus hotel felt more modern and swanky. People pulled up in their Italian sports cars or Mercedes or Land Rover SUVs. I could see why my friend Emrah had recommended the place; it seemed to be a destination for well-heeled locals to enjoy as much as a high-end place for foreigners to stay.

I was upgraded to a room in the North building with a partial view of the Bosphorus. I could also look out over the insane traffic jam occurring in the driveway (the place was constantly packed with luxury vehicles that spilled out into the street).

After four days in a row of eating in a hotel or a plane, I was looking forward to having dinner in a restaurant (I’d be back to eating on a plane the next night). I had made reservations at Mikla, a fine dining restaurant known for its panoramic views of Istanbul. I took another taxi that ended up stopping at a closed road. “Closed,” the driver said in heavily accented English. Yes, I said. I understood that there were road closures due to the holiday. “You go,” he said, making a not-unfriendly shooing motion and a gesture of two legs walking with his fingers. Ohhhh. He was dropping me off here so I could walk the rest of the way. Well, I definitely wasn’t in Japan anymore. I pulled up Google Maps and went on my way. Fortunately, the walk was only about ten minutes. 

I reached the hotel where the restaurant is located and headed to the top floor. There were only a couple tables seated at such an early time, and I was given a table in the middle of the dining room that had stunning views to both the left (the Bosphorus) and the right (sunset). It was arguably the best seat in the house. Woohoo!

The meal was good, but not great. The restaurant filled up over the next couple hours, and I was the only solo diner in the place. Well, I was used to it at this point. Service was good, but I would’ve appreciated some warmer hospitality and conversation, especially since I was alone. Oh well. The restaurant does have an adjoining bar that boasts similar views, so if I were to return I’d probably just visit the bar.

It was another early night back at the hotel (sorry I’m so boring). I had actually been looking at some Airbnb Experiences in Istanbul; there were a couple “nightlife” experiences where visitors would basically pay a local to show them different bars in town. That seemed pretty odd to me, but I could see how it would appeal to a solo traveler that didn’t want to go out alone. I felt most comfortable returning to my hotel room. I’d have plenty of time to go out with my brother once I got to Cape Town in a couple days.

The weather was supposed to be cooler on my last day, with a chance of rain. I was thinking about either doing a short Bosphorus cruise or lying by the pool, but the weather unfortunately was not cooperating. It was cold and windy – definitely not ideal weather to be on the water or by a pool. 

After working out (pretty spacious hotel gym) and eating breakfast (okay), I took a bath and relaxed while I waited for my spa appointment. This was my time to find my zen before the long flight ahead – and it was successful. As I drove back to the airport in my Safe Airport Transfers van, I found myself sad to be leaving Istanbul. The last time I felt that way on this extended trip was when I left Patagonia (I literally cried). So, I think it’s safe to say that Istanbul was one of my favorite destinations of the year so far.

Two days is nowhere near enough time to experience all that Istanbul has to offer, and there are many places in Turkey that I would like to visit on a more extensive visit in the future (a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia is high up there). I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return, but I hope that when I do, the people of Turkey will have more freedoms, and the country will be a secure place to return.