There was so much to explore in beautiful Istanbul that I am sure I haven’t covered it all. However, following my last post, and during my 5 days in Istanbul, I have gathered my top 6 things to do. Furthermore this blog is also an excuse to post more photos as I have sooo many!
Be amazed inside Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, built in 537 AD, that became an Ottoman imperial mosque and is now a museum. It is a magnificent building on the inside as well as outside and should be on your top list to see. I love all the mosaics and the size of the dome is breathtaking!
Once inside make sure you look outside the window as well to get a glimpse of the Blue Mosque. Stunning view!
Walk through the Blue Mosque
Unfortunately the Blue Mosque is currently under restoration so I didn‘t get to see the beauty of the big dome inside. I will have to put it on my list to do for next time. Given that it is for free however you should still walk through. It will take only a few minutes of your day.
Explore the Topkapi Palace
Keep the Topkapi Palace for the early morning as well (same as Hagia Sophia) as it can get busy later on. I spent almost two hours exploring all the different buildings and exhibits. I would highly recommend to buy the entry ticket to the Harem Apartments as well. It is quite fascinating to see!
Walk to the other side
From the old town you can easily walk across the bridge to the other side of Istanbul. Walking up the steep hill to the Galata Tower you will find many funky shops and coffee spots. Once on the top follow the tram line through the shopping street towards the Taksim Square. Great way to spend a leisure day. From there you can catch the tram back to the old town or hop on a ferry near the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Galata Tower 
Taksim Square 
Dolmabahçe Palace
Hop on and off with a boat
If you need a break from the walking take a ride on the boat. I took a round trip ‚Hop on and off‘ from the Besiktas Terminal. The ferry goes every hour, takes 1.5 hours for the loop and costs only a few Euros. Much easier than booking it through a Travel Agency and being charged 4 times more. Perfect way to explore beautiful Istanbul from the water.
Go underground
There are several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city of Istanbul that provided a water storage system for the buildings nearby. I went to see two cisterns and liked them both. Both different in sizes, the Basilica Cistern is the largest one with 336 stunning columns and the ability to hold 80,000 cubic meters of water. Amazing! The entry fee is only minor (the smaller cistern was free) so make sure you go underground.
Basilica Cistern 
So that’s my trip summary. Do you have your top 6 things to do in Istanbul? Final tip: Make sure you check the opening days on all attractions before you plan your trip. You don‘t want to miss out on anything!
