*Read this article on Medium and follow me if you like my work.

Being a native of Mumbai, I travel back home at least once a year from the U.S., where I currently work. For these travels, I often choose flights with a layover in Europe as they tend to be the cheapest and offer a much-needed short break. This time, I decided to fly Turkish Airlines and opted for a relatively longer layover in Istanbul. Being the only city in the world that straddles two continents — Europe and Asia, and has cultural elements of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Istanbul has always been a fascinating place for me that I have wanted to visit for years.

Pre-Arrival

Turkey has one of the most convenient visa processing facilities I have encountered. It takes about 5 minutes to obtain an e-visa online if you need one that is. E-visa can be applied for on the Turkish Government’s website here. More information on visa requirements, citizens of which countries are eligible for an e-Visa, and its conditions can be found here.

As an Indian Citizen, I required a valid U.S., Schengen, Irish, or UK visa to be eligible for an e-visa. Since I had a valid U.S. visa, all I had to do was provide my arrival and accommodation details in the application and I received my e-visa as a pdf instantly (remember to print this).

I took $100 USD in cash with me to exchange for Turkish Liras at the airport. One can also withdraw Turkish Liras at most ATMs in Istanbul with U.S. debit cards. Although most restaurants and big stores accept credit cards, you will need Liras for local food stalls, stores, and cab rides among other things.

Exploring the City

After landing in Istanbul at 10 am, I went through immigration and was on my way into the city. Immigration was quick and effortless. The ride into the city was about an hour long and cost $27 through Uber. I stayed at the Kaftan hotel in the Sultanahmet neighborhood of Old City. I booked my stay through Agoda for $58/night. It was a traditional hotel with comfortable rooms and a charming rooftop café view of the Sea of Marmara. There are several boutique hotels in Sultanahmet. Kaftan Hotel is centrally located in Old City. Hagia Sofia, The Blue Mosque, Arasta Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, and several restaurants are all within walking distance from it. Following are the places and experiences I covered in a day:

Blue Mosque

The first place I visited was The Blue Mosque. Much of the mosque was closed due to construction, making the experience relatively underwhelming. A local guide recommended Suleymaniye Mosque in lieu of the Blue Mosque. Suleymaniye Mosque supposedly has incredible architecture, a restaurant, and an accessible terrace.

Hagia Sophia

One could say that Hagia Sophia is an incarnate manifestation representing Istanbul’s history and its present. Built by the eastern Roman emperor Justinian I as a Christian cathedral, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmed the Conqueror after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum under the secular Republic of Turkey, and the building was Turkey’s most visited tourist attraction in 2015 and 2019. More recently, in July 2020, the Council of State of Turkey annulled the 1934 decision to establish the museum, and Hagia Sophia was reclassified as a mosque. A dome of spiritual architecture, historical richness, and the juxtaposition of Muslim and Orthodox Christian Scriptures, a visit to Hagia Sophia is sure to leave you in awe. Although one can spend hours here basking in the healing light from the chandeliers clashing with crisp rays of sunlight, I had to keep moving.

Arasta Bazaar

A two-minute walk from Hagia Sophia, Arasta Bazaar is a boutique bazaar in comparison with the Grand Bazaar but a preferred one by re-visiting tourists. It has the Old City charm with vendors offering a combination of traditional items such as rugs and spices and modern luxury items such as designer bags. I found it to be a peaceful place to shop or just explore the stores and would highly recommend visiting it as an alternative to Grand Bazaar if you’re on a time crunch.

Querencia Restaurant

This was one of those restaurants that immediately catches your eye while walking down the street. It has a relaxed welcoming charm to it and the food was phenomenal. It was undoubtedly the best traditional Turkish food I’ve had, and the restaurant was conveniently located in Sultanahmet, within walking distance from Arasta Bazaar and Hagia Sophia. As a vegetarian, I tend to keep a track of restaurants that have a variety of vegetarian options while traveling, and this was certainly one of them. Their Imam Bayildi is a must-try.

Yacht Ride Through the Bosphorus

This was undeniably my favorite part of the day. Instead of taking one of the ferry tours through the Bosphorus, I booked a yacht experience through Airbnb for $41. The ride started in Bebek Marina which is an hour-long drive from the Old City. I am not sure if I would’ve booked this experience if I knew how long the drive is to the dock, but it was absolutely worth it. The experience is two hours and cruises by the famous Rumeli Fortress, Ciragan Kampinski Palace, and under both Istanbul bridges. The yacht makes its way through the European and Asian coasts before returning to the dock. John, the host of the experience, was incredibly welcoming, made sure everyone had a great time and entertained us with interesting information about the sights we encountered through our short reconnoiter of the city. An example of this is that all the red-colored multi-million-dollar houses on the coast used to belong to families of doctors so that residents would find it easier to locate a doctor on a boat, particularly in cases of emergencies. Bebek and Beşiktaş are also gorgeous areas for exploring if you get the time. They are relatively affluent neighborhoods with a streak of restaurants, cafes, and shops and beautiful coastal houses to marvel at.

Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey on a Layover — A red residence on the coast of the Bosphorus.

Guests enjoying a Yacht Ride through the Bosphorus.

Moda

The last neighborhood I visited was Moda. A friend who visited Istanbul right before me highly recommended spending some time here and I am glad I did. Packed with shops, cafes, and bakeries, along with performing arts theaters, and bustling nightlife along Kadife Street, it is a younger, more hip part of Istanbul. Moda is in the Kadikoy district, Kadikoy being the neighborhood with the best nightlife in Istanbul according to a few locals. I visited the Fatcat Café, where I had some delicious Turkish coffee and bakery items I can’t recall. The café had cozy outdoor seating and reliable high-speed wi-fi. Check them out if you’re in Moda!

Ciya Sofrasi

I ended my day with a quick dinner at Ciya Sofrasi, reaching there just before its closing time. Known for Chef Musa Dagdeviren's recreation of traditional and often rural Turkish dishes with the purpose of saving them from going extinct, Ciya Sofrasi was featured in the fifth volume of Netflix’s Chef’s Table. The food met the hype and a simple no-frills setup added to the experience.

Departing Thoughts and Tips

I used Uber to get around most places that weren’t walkable throughout the day. It is an affordable and convenient option for short trips, but I recommend using the — well-connected and maintained — public transportation for longer visits.

I also recommend buying any sweets, Turkish coffee, and other local items from the city rather than from duty-free at the airport as I found there to be a tremendous price difference for most things.

After managing to get 5 hours of sleep and back-to-back wake-up calls from the diligent and thoughtful hotel receptionist, I was on my way back to the Airport to board my flight to Washington DC. Istanbul was a phenomenal experience with an astounding landscape, extremely warm and hospitable people, and an inspiring intersection of cultures. I can’t wait to go back and explore more of Turkey.

Travel

Exploring Istanbul on a Layover