Bustling Istanbul
Istanbul is a very busy and large city, there is endless traffic and short journeys can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the time of day. The least busy day is a Sunday as not many people drive so if you are getting a taxi back to the airport I would advise travelling back on a Sunday so as not to incur any delays getting your flights. We stayed in The Gulsoy Hotel which was approximately 20 minutes walking distance from the Blue Mosque or there is a bus/tram stop right outside the hotel so you can hop on this if you prefer. The hotel itself was opposite another mosque and the call to prayer happened at 06:20 each morning, so prepare yourself for an early morning wake-up call (although I slept through it for two mornings which is unheard of for me).
The hotel was clean and the beds were really comfortable, it had an indoor spa with swimming pool, Turkish bath and Sauna. There are also great views from the outdoor swimming pool on the roof top and had it not been raining the entire time we were there I am sure we would have taken some time to enjoy the roof terrace.
We did have time to use the indoor spa facilities and I would highly recommend the Turkish Bath, it was extremely relaxing.
The only thing that let the hotel down was the restaurant, it was down in the basement and was a different style to the rest of the hotel, and we all agreed the food was not to the English palate. I would advise sticking to B&B or room only and eat out in the local restaurants.
As part of our sightseeing trip we visited the Spice Market, which was colourful and vibrant. It not only sells spices but all sorts of electrical goods, clothes, food and is a quite a large but narrow market which sits alongside the Bosphorus.
From there we took a cruise along the Bosphorus River taking in the fantastic architecture along the way, I do enjoy a bit of a jaunt on a river and there are some stunning buildings along here and you get to learn the history behind them.
The next day we visited the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia plus we spent some time in the Grand Bazaar. There is much to learn about Topkapi Palace and the interesting way that the Harems and the Concubines lived together in the palace.
Unfortunately due to the wet weather the group decided not to enter The Blue Mosque as it meant a queue in more rain and it was a very long wait to enter, so hopefully I can re-visit one day to see inside. I did enter another Mosque (called Nuruosmaniye) which was free to get in and the architecture and the size of it was amazing, this Mosque was just outside the entrance to the Grand Bazaar but just remember to remove your shoes before entering and women must wear a head scarf to cover their head and shoulders.
Hagia Sophia is an amazing building and was constructed in the year 537, it has since changed from a church to a mosque and is now a museum.
These buildings are situated in one area called Sultanahmet so it is easy to walk from one to another and in the area there are many shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Sultanahmet would be the ideal place to stay to have everything on your doorstep.
You can catch a hop on/hop off bus here which will take you around the sites and even over the Bosphorus River to the Asian side of the river. This would be a great way to get your bearings on the first day of your trip and they give you some great maps to use around the city.
Our next stop was the Grand Bazaar, which is well worth a visit, this is a place where you can haggle for everything. They sell delicious Turkish Delight, not the normal style you see in the UK but endless amounts of flavours and shapes and sizes.
This is a bustling indoor Bazaar selling jewellery, handbags, leather, sports clothing, food, electronics, lighting, ceramics and much more. It was raining and it was packed with people but you could spend hours in here picking up some bargains or just enjoying the hustle and bustle by walking around the many corridors.
With a flight time from the UK of just under four hours, I would highly recommend Istanbul for a city break and I think three nights would allow you enough time to see everything the city has to offer.