A weekend in Istanbul

By Anita Choudhary

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Istanbul is in many ways the ultimate weekend break destination. Its location means that visitors from Europe can fly only a few hours from home and yet reach the first fringe of the exotic and mysterious East. Budget airlines have made getting here easy and the history and culture of the city mean that there is more than enough to pack a weekend’s schedule full to bursting.

One factor to take into account when planning a weekend in Istanbul is that, at four hours flight time from many major Western European cities, visitors will need to budget for considerably more travel time than for other destinations. This may involve booking an extra few hours or day off work where possible, as it makes little sense to travel that far for a very short trip. For this reason it may be best to save the weekend break in Istanbul for a long weekend over a Bank Holiday or other public rest day.

First time visitors to Istanbul can spend an entire day wandering the streets of Sultanahmet, the historic heart of the city on the European side. Major sights here include the twin glories of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. The former is a working mosque so visitors should show the appropriate respect while the latter has been both a church and then a mosque and is now a museum.

Throughout Sultanahmet are various parks and gardens which can be peaceful places to rest before moving on. Finally in the area, visitors to Istanbul shouldn’t leave without visiting the Grand Bazaar. There are few experiences in the western world to match it and visitors are sure to be charmed into purchasing something by the highly skilled salesmen and their offers of bargains. Just be aware that any designer labels you see are fake, no matter how many claims of their providence you hear, and they should be priced accordingly.

It would be a shame to visit the only city in the world that straddles two continents and not take advantage of the fact, so visitors should take a boat trip across the Bosporus to the Asian side, which has a much more relaxed atmosphere than the bustling and manic European side. Stick to the bank of Bosporus as much of this side of the city is suburban housing which is practical but ugly.

The food in Istanbul is fantastic and visitors will be able to banish disturbing memories of late night kebabs back home. The variety of food on offer does include western standards although visitors are strongly advised to try the local dishes wherever possible. Check the web, press, expats or locals for suggestions on the best places to eat at the time of your visit.

via A weekend in Istanbul | Venere Travel Blog.