Your guide to enjoy 1 day in Istanbul

Merhaba Everyone and thank you so much for clicking the link to read this one! Today we are going to the city where all the blog posts started from, ISTANBUL. I consider Istanbul as my second home, a place where I left my heart.

Since a lot of you are going to travel this summer, this is a simple post that you can follow for anyone who have a limited time in Istanbul, going through a transit trip or just for whatever reason you have, ZEINA is here to help. Your guide to enjoy 1 day in Istanbul.

My 1st picture in Istanbul.

I am going to assume you will arrive by a plane. There is two airports in Istanbul; Ataturk and Sabiha-gokcen. From Ataturk you can either take a havatas bus or a metro to reach the center (note that you must have an Istanbul card to use the metro). From Sabiha Gokcen you have to take the havatas bus. You can take the same buses when you are going back.

Here is the link for everything related to the havatas buses ( I KNOW THANK YOU ZEINA):

havatas bus lines

From Sabiha-gokcen to Taksim – 15 TL

From Ataturk to Taksim  – 12 TL

The 1st stop is Taksim, I mean Istanbul is famous for its Taksim square and Iistiklal street, If you haven’t been there before then YOU MUST see it. Shop and eat (FOOD IS EVERYTHING GIRLS) and  walk to the very very very end of Istiklal street (with all of your shopping bags, struggle is real) to an area called Şişhane. At the end of Şişhane you will see the great Galata Tower! IT IS GREAT! I love this place, drink Chai there or whatever you want. Try for a million times to take a good selfie which will never happen, believe I tried.

 

After this, by google maps if you walked down to the main street from Galata, opposite way to Taksim square (I am struggling to describe the direction hehe). Anyways you will reach Kadikoy from there take a ferry to Üsküdar, which is the ZEINA replacement for the touristic ‘bosphorus tour’, cool right?

That place.

This place is really beautiful and calm and you will just enjoy it, you can have food (Balik ekmek) or just have a walk and of course take pictures!! (Always my recommendation, PICTURES!!).

Then what Now? If this is your 1st time in Istanbul then YOU HAVE TO SEE THE mosques!

Take a ferry back to Karaköy or Eminonu and then from there take a tramway to Sultanahmet. Wait for it, wait for it, here you go! the most beautiful mosques of all times.

In the area of sultanahmet there is also, Topkapi palace and the Basilica Cistern which is one of the places that you have to see.

Zeina tip: buy some Simit with Nutella and again THANK YOU ZEINA.

Blue Mosque, Hasan’s picture.

After finishing the tour, you should say goodbye to Istanbul in Ortaköy the place of kumpir and waffles YUMMMM! grab one and sit next to the sea and enjoy the magic of the lovely Istanbul.

Ortakoy Cami

 

 

 

Yalla (Arabic way to say lets go) go back the airport, this was a mini tiny version of activities you can do in Istanbul, You can check my pervious post 101-Guide to Istanbul personal favorite places where you can go to cool places and also check my Food Dupes- Istanbul edition for many types of food you can have in Istanbul. Also you can check my very 1st blog about 101-Guide to your 1st week in Istanbul. I got you covered people, everything you need to enjoy Istanbul are in these blogs.

Thank you again for joining, send me your pictures and have a lovely lovely trip. Make sure to follow me on facebook The Zeina Diary. Till next time.

In the streets