Start your morning off with a visit to the Spice Market where you can explore the vibrant colours, smells and flavours of Istanbul. From there, join a Street Food Tour to taste the best of Istanbul's local cuisine. The tour includes stops at famous vendors of simit (a delicious sesame-covered bread), kokoreç (grilled lamb's intestines) and balık-ekmek (fish sandwich). Wrap up the tour with a refreshing glass of Ayran, a yogurt drink that locals love.
Dive deeper into Istanbul's culinary delights with a visit to a traditional Turkish Delight shop. Observe the process of making these authentic wonders and taste some of the unique flavours such as pomegranate, rose, and mint. Head to the Istanbul Modern Art Museum's Restaurant for lunch, where you can enjoy delicious local dishes and a breathtaking view of the Bosphorus Strait. Cap off your day with a visit to Karaköy Güllüoğlu, one of the best places in town for baklava, a Turkish pastry.
Embark on a new culinary adventure today by exploring the world of fermented food. Visit Mücver, a restaurant that specializes in meze, small dishes that pair perfectly with drinks. Try dishes like mücver (zucchini fritters), cacık (a refreshing yogurt and cucumber dip) and acılı ezme (spicy tomato dip). Next stop of the day is the Turkish Cheese Shop, where you can sample different types of cheese and learn about their origins. End your day at Balıkçı Sabahattin, a fish restaurant known for its super fresh ingredients.
Start your day with a cup of Turkish coffee, one of the world's most loved coffee styles. Get a taste for local teas at the Rize Tea Gardens, featuring a huge selection of traditional teas. Sample the unique flavours of Turkish sweets at Hafız Mustafa, a dessert shop in the heart of Istanbul. For your last dinner of the trip, head to Mikla, a trendy restaurant with Turkish-inspired cuisine, featuring magnificent views of the city skyline from the terrace.
Istanbul is a bustling city, so it's recommended to use public transportation. The İstanbul Kart is a smart card that provides access to all public transportation systems, including ferries, buses, subways and trams. It saves you a lot of hassle, as you don't need to worry about buying different tickets for each individual transportation system. The average cost of a taxi in Istanbul ranges from 10 to 50 Turkish Lira, depending on the distance traveled and traffic conditions.
If you have more time, consider taking a ferry trip to the Princess Islands, where you can relax and take in the scenic views. Taxis and Ubers are available as alternative modes of transportation, although they can be more expensive. If you're interested in the seafood scene, head out to the coast and try Tokatlıyan Rakı Balık for a unique dining experience. If you have less time, skip the Turkish cheese shop and visit the Dolmabahçe Palace, one of Istanbul's most beautiful landmarks.
Istanbul has two airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). Istanbul Airport is located 24km (15miles) northwest of Istanbul's city centre, and it takes approximately 45 minutes to get there by taxi. Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is located 46km (29miles) southeast of Istanbul's city centre and it takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to get there by taxi.