Istanbul is one of those iconic, incredible cities which will leave you fascinated on each and every visit. It is the magical melting pot of East and West, full of enchanting cultural experiences everywhere you look. Istanbul will charm you with its Ottoman mosques, energetic bazaars, and beautiful tea house and coffee shops.
You could spend a week in Istanbul and still not get to experience all the city has to offer, but 3 days is just enough time to get a feel for the city.
Facing the Hagia Sofia is the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 – 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. The Sultan’s goal was to build a mosque that would rival the Hagia Sophia, which at the time was the most respected mosque.
From the outside, the Blue Mosque is exquisite, but the interior of Hagia Sophia is far superior. The Blue Mosque is also currently under construction, which distracts a little from the beauty, but it is still a sight to behold.
In the spirit of just doing something quirky and random in town, we discovered the Museum of Selfies pop up exhibit and had to check it out. It was full of various playful vignettes, from an emoji ball pit to an upside-down room. After that we did a leisurely walk, popped in and out of some cafes and souvenir shops, then went back to the hotel to unwind and get ready for our last dinner in town.
For a glamourous (but pricey) night out, don’t miss Sunset Bar & Grill. Sunset is one of the leading fine dining restaurants in Istanbul with drop dead views of the Bosphorus Bridge and Asian shoreline. Reservations are a must, and it’s worth it for celebrating a special occasion, or just dropping in for drinks and appetizers if you just want to check out the view.
Perfect Cappadocia Trip!
Cappadocia has an inland location and high altitude, so the weather varies a lot seasonally. Summers are hot and dry and winters cold and snowy. I went the first week of April and while it was chilly in the mornings and evenings, the afternoons were pretty perfect
If you go in Summer, just be prepared for extreme temperatures and loads of tourists.
Ride a hot air balloon in Cappadocia:
Cappadocia and hot air balloons are kind of synonymous, so it would be a shame to miss out on a balloon ride. And we unfortunately did! Balloon tours are scheduled every day, but depending on the weather and wind conditions the flight may be cancelled. That is decided by the Turkish Civil Aviation and they would make the call the evening before flight. If that happens all the balloon companies would have to cancel their balloon rides.
We only had 2 sunrise opportunities, so the plan was balloon ride one day and photo shoot the next day. But when the balloon ride got cancelled, I had to choose between rescheduling for the next day and canceling the photo shoot, and as a content creator I decided to go for the photos! Which brings me to my next point!