Weekend in Istanbul

One last trip before the end of the year! We took a trip to the border of Europe and Asia, the bustling cosmopolitan of Istanbul.

With only a weekend on hand, we had to make sure to cram in as much as we could take in. We stayed at the wonderful Aparthotel Galata M84, which provided us a spacious apartment based pretty much in the center of the action. A close walk from the hotel was the vibrant neighbourhood around the iconic Galata Tower. The array of streets are packed full of cafes, desserts and souvenirs, and with the stores open well into the night, the streets feel busy and safe all the time.

We checked out the modern development of Galataport, here you will find brand new boutiques, cafes and the wonderful promenade giving a panoramic view across the Bosphorus. From the old town across the bridge with its majestic mosques to the south, to the idyllic Asian half to the west.

Speaking of the Mosques, we spent a good chunk of the trip exploring the area to the south of the city, which is dominated by the two breathtaking mosques, The Blue Mosque, and the Sophia Hagia Mosque. Both are worth visiting, with the Blue Mosque free for visitors, while the other does have a fee. Both are free for worshippers to use though. Sadly the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, so we didn’t have the opportunity to explore the vivid market stalls, but the nearby Spice Bazaar is a great alternative.

We managed to cram in a lot, with a strategic location, with swift access to the Metro system. Luckily we had a good ruin of sunny weather, only a bit of rain on the last day caused some inconvenience. The risk of travelling in Winter….. if you want some pictures to this blog, check out my VLOG on Youtube, which is linked above.

Until next time!