Hi, I’m Tanya (@bedareva_life) and as part of the “Kudablin” project, my readers sent me to Istanbul – a city that amazes with the abundance of colors, fruits, cheerful ice cream vendors and attractions.
Catch the instructions for use!
How to get there
The plane from St. Petersburg to Istanbul flies only four hours, you will have to pay about 10,000 rubles* per person round trip. The travel time from Moscow is approximately the same, the cost is from 7,000 rubles* per person round trip. It’s easier to get from the airport by taxi, the trip will cost about 1300 rubles*.
Where to stay
It is best to stay in the tourist area of Sultanahmet – all the attractions are nearby, we walked everywhere. I stayed at the Katelya Hotel – it was just a delight, look at the hotels nearby.
Where is
From shawarma for 20 liras* (about 135 rubles) and all sorts of popular fast foods to good restaurants. The famous ice cream, the preparation of which is a whole show, will cost 140 rubles*.
Souvenirs
By haggling with the seller, you can easily reduce the price to 40%, I even removed 60%, if not a fixed price. I recommend going to the Grand Bazaar, but not to the central alley, but to take a walk along the roofless market streets.
Please note that museums and the Grand Bazaar are closed on Sundays. But you can walk around, souvenir shops in tourist places and cafes are always open.
What to see
Even in a day you can visit dozens of places! Just by walking around the Sultanahmet area, you will see:
Topkapi Palace (admission inside is paid), Church of St. Irene, Hagia Sophia (nowadays a mosque), The Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square, where ancient columns and obelisks erected in the Byzantine period have been preserved to this day. And also the German Fountain, donated to the city and Sultan Abdul-Hamid II by Kaiser Wilhelm II, Gulhane Park, in which there is an interesting fountain, the drops of which make different patterns in the air, a nice market, streets where they organize shows with ice cream and much, much more Total. Be sure to check out the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Market – the brightness of the colors will amaze you!
On the second day, I recommend walking along the Galata Bridge, and then climb to the tower of the same name and walk to Taksim Square.
In general, in Istanbul there are so many mosques and museums, as well as colorful houses, districts, streets and cats, that there is enough for more than one trip!
And I even managed to be an ice cream seller – my readers gave me the task of learning a couple of tricks.
*Prices valid at time of publication
