Istanbul: I Recommend You Visit

The city of Istanbul in Turkey, in my humble opinion, is one of Europe's most beautiful cities. It's the perfect place to slip away to for a weekend and get a break.

Although located in Europe, Istanbul is reknowned for having a most amazing Mosque. Some say it is one of the best in the world.

The Mosque is split by huge expanses of the Bosphorus where Asia and Europe meet, and traveling to the city works for any budget making it an ideal getaway.

Pic of a nice boat in Istanbul.

There are numerous tourist spots to see so planning your trip to Istanbul is critical. Ideally you would want to arrive at the city as early as possible on Friday and thus leaving as late as you can on Monday. Most say four days are necessary to see the sights and sounds.

On day one of your weekend getaway to Istanbul should take in the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome after checking into your Istanbul accommodation, and your Istanbul hotel need not be expensive.

There is a number of sense in booking a hotel in the heart of historic old Istanbul, called the Sultanahmet, so when you are planning your weekend getaway then this is where you should look for your accommodation. The Four Seasons would be a top class Istanbul Hotel especially for a weekend break.

After you grab your first lunch, its time for you to take a walk. The tour of Sultanahmet is nice. Remember that the above mentioned stops are also worth taking in during this time as well if you could not fit them in before lunch.

And if walking is not to your liking you can take a tram ride.

Your second day of your weekend city break should include Topkapi Palace which is right on your doorstep, and the Grand Bazaar.

You have to be at the Topkapi Palace before it opens and go to the Harem to book your place on the escorted tour, before exploring the rest of the Palace. Lunch in the Konyali Restaurant overlooking the Bosphorous and the Sea of Marmara is the ideal mid day break, after which you can take the short tram trip to the Grand Bazaar for an unforgettable shopping experience. A firm no thank you does work, but be fair to the traders by not pretending interest when no interest is there.

You could take a taxi to the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, the Kariye Muzesi, where there are outstanding Byzantine mosaics.

The evening can be something special. How about walking, drinking, and dining along the La Grande Rue de Pera. If you prefer there are other bars, cafes, and tavernas to suite every fancy.

You have to see this in person!

If it is a Saturday or Sunday then a cruise on the Bosphorous is fantastic.

Whatever you choose as your last day, make sure to visit the Archaeological Museums, the Egyptian market, remember that if you take a ferry to see Bosphorous and come back you have essentially visited two continents in one day.

Istanbul is like that, being two quite different continents in one, and just a perfect choice for a romantic weekend city break getaway.