Nikki’s Top-Ten-Can’t-Be-Missed-Don’t-Even-Think-About-Leaving-Istanbul-Without-Doing-These-Things List

10. Take a stroll in the early morning (about 8am). Watch the shops opening and the markets coming to life. You’ll feel it too.

9. Say hello to Starbucks. Sometimes we all need just a touch of the familiar, and for those of us accustomed to drinking copious quantities of drip-style coffee, the good ole SB is your best bet. Istanbul just wouldn’t have been the same without my morning lattes.

8. Pick a place and park it. For at least 15 minutes find a bench somewhere (there are literally hundreds to choose from) and watch the city around you. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much you can learn when you are quiet and still.
7. Tackle Taksim. Go during the day if you like, especially if shopping is your goal, but the true experience is at night. Prepare to eat and drink your way through what is uniquely and singularly Istanbul.
6. The Bosphorus Cruise. Spring for the extra 10 TYL and take the all-day excursion up to Anadolu Kavagi on the Black Sea. Walk up the hill to Gendese Castle, ogle and marvel at the beauty of the view, and cough up the slight extra percentage to eat at one of the many cafés just below the crest. You won’t be disappointed.
5. Get to know the Galata Bridge. Walk from Karakoy to Eminonu (or the other way around) and treat yourself to the sight of all of the fishermen casting into the Golden Horn from the top deck. (FYI: this is also one of the best locations to take photographs of the New Mosque.) For your return trip, run the gauntlet of restaurants, cafés and pubs down below and allow yourself to be “had” once or twice. Settle in for coffee, tea, dessert or even a meal and enjoy the comings and goings on the Golden Horn and the fabulous view of the Bosphorus.

4. Have a meal at the very best fish restaurant in Kadikoy located in the open market just below Via Lingua. Wander in, say hello and have a bowl of the best fish soup in Istanbul.

3. See the major sites: Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Archaeological Museum, the Galata Tower, the list goes on and on. Touristy or not, you simply cannot leave Istanbul without making them a part of your stay. The Grande and Egyptian Bazaars (and their numerous smaller cousins) also cannot be missed. Square your shoulders, take a deep breath, wear dark glasses if you have them (it makes subtly looking into various shops so much easier) and see how well your wallet fares at the end of the day.

2. Eat on the street. Roasted chestnuts, boiled or roasted sweetcorn, midye dolma, fish sandwiches, sweets of every possible variety, take your pick. They are all absolutely affordable and purely and simply delicious.

And the number one thing in Istanbul that simply cannot be missed is………

1. Riding the ferry on the outside rail. It’s free, it’s fun and you get that great “wind-swept” look as a souvenir. Order tea or juice or Nescafe and watch the famous coastline of Sultanahmet come into view. Catch a sunset (or for the truly intrepid a sunrise) and toss tidbits to the birds. Purchase an akbil and all of this can be yours anytime.