We stayed at the W this spring and it was ideally located. The room rate was reasonable but the restaurant was way overpriced. But all you have to do is walk down the hill about 200 yards and there are at least two dozen restaurants to choose from. The Turkish food is great, the seafood is fresh and abundant, and the people are fantastic.

If you go to the Blue Mosque, Spice Bazaar, or other big attractions, beware of carpet salesmen. I mean this literally. You will probably be approached by someone who speaks very good English and will offer to take you on a mini tour of the site after which he will try his best to convince you to come to his families rug shop for coffee and friendship. It can get costly unless you were planning on buying that Kurdish tribal rug anyway.

The Grand Bazaar is a great place to go and you just have to negotiate prices as you best see fit. My wife stopped at a shop that had nothing but head scarves and bought about ten of them for $40, which seemed reasonable. All of here friends back in Nevada really enjoyed them as gifts. She bought a very nice leather purse for $30 that you couldn't get in the US for less than $200.

Effes beer is quite good and is very economical unless you buy it in the hotel. For the price of one bottle at the hotel, we could get six larger bottles at a liquor store two blocks away.

The streets are clean and safe and the taxis and traffic are much better than we ever expected. They will add a surcharge during rush hour so you can save some fare money by scheduling accordingly.

The tour of the Dolmabache Palace is well worth it and you can take pictures. The Topkapi Palace was one of the high lights of our visi and is extremely picturesque. You can take pictures everywhere but the crown jewel room. When you leave, you will have a real feel for the excess of the Ottoman Empire.

Cats are everywhere in Istanbul. If you want to make some points with the locals, buy a small packet of kibbles and feed the cats that seem to be lurking everywhere. The locals will give you a look of approval for so doing.

Most of all enjoy the wonderful city as I know you will. And if you didn't get your Budget Travel menu decoder, I suggest you take at look at it before diving into the local cuisine. If you are a breakfast eater, try the menemen, a mixture of eggs, tomatoes, and pepper usually served with a basket of bread and coffee. It is superb!

Have fun!

Posted By Tom B. on September 3, 2009, 2:43 PM

Must see: St. Sophia...and there's a great little hostel closeby within walking distance of the Bosphorus...look up hostels in Istanbul on the web.
Yes, the Topkapki Palace is spectacular...has a nice lunchroom with a view of the Marmara... and I think it's the Four Seasons Hotel that is the best and brightest hotel in all of Europe. Dental work is really, really reasonable in Istanbul, as is getting prescription glasses. You won't believe it. By all means take the bus to see highlights of Turkey such as Ephesus (unparalleled in history), Kusadasi along the coast, and once you get out of the touristy Grand Bazaar, prices go down. Enjoy!

Posted By Ginny Sharples on September 3, 2009, 3:46 PM

We loved the Rami Restaurant that is right by the Blue Mosque. If you've never had a Turkish Bath - get one. It was my favorite part of my short visit.

I've provided much more detail on my blog, here:
http://mouseandmarmot.typepad.com/mouse-and-marmot/turkey/

Enjoy!

Posted By Kelly on September 3, 2009, 4:30 PM

Sorry--my best experiences in Istanbul were only possible because I was a guy:

-My amazement at the Blue Mosque was so clear a local worshiper invited me to the other side of the rope and showed me around the rest of the main room as best he could. I spoke no Turkish and he spoke no English, but hopefully I made my gratitude as clear as my awet.

-I let myself get swindled into a $2,000 bar tab while a Russian prostitute tried to talk with me about our favorite colors as she rubbed my knee. I ran out on both the bill and the hooker.

Posted By Zach Everson on September 3, 2009, 5:52 PM

Hi Arianne, Apologies if this comment is lengthy - I lived in Istanbul for a year and below are some of my favorite places to eat and some shops I liked:

Shopping:

Grand Bazaar: You can wander through here for hours. It's fun to just listen to the 'lines' of the salesmen. There is a famous and old cafe in between the old part and the updated part of the Bazaar, called Fez. You can get a coffee or tea here and then look in Abdullah or Dervish They are well known for their soaps, towels etc.

Spice Bazaar (aka Egyptian Bazaar):
Here is the place for spices, Turkish delight, loose teas and other gift-type items. We have a 'ceramics guy' in the Spice Bazaar. If you went in the main entrance, the one facing the water, and went all the way to the end and took a left, he is about halfway down on your right. I can't remember his name, but the store has tea and spices on the right, turkish delight on the left and ceramics hanging up on the wall. The majority of his ceramics are on the 2nd floor, up a metal staircase in the back. The way to figure out if it's him is to see if there are signs on the wall with Japanese writing. His wife is Japanese and he speaks it fluently.

Arasta Bazaar:
This is our favorite bazaar, much much smaller than the Grand Bazaar, with the same type of items and much more mellow shop owners. It is right behind the Blue Mosque, you'll see signs for it, but don't go with touts who may try to approach you at the Mosque, they are annoying and will try to take you a mile away to 'their cousin's/uncle's/brother's carpet shop'

Our 'carpet guy' is Huseyin at Harem 49 on the close end of the Arasta Bazaar from the Blue Mosque. Even if you have no interest in buying a carpet, he is a character, and trustworthy, and you'll have a good time, a nice rest after sightseeing and some drinks while you're there.

Cocoon, in Arasta Bazaar and a couple of other locations is a really cool store: Beautiful textiles, lots of handmade felt items. Also about the only place in Turkey where you can just browse and no one will bother you

Good walking area:
Istiklal Caddesi, from Taksim to Beyoglu: These are over the Galata bridge from Sultanahmet. It is where young (and old) Turks hang out, it's more artsy, local and trendy than Sultanahmet. Taksim is a main square at the top of one of the hills of Istanbul. Istiklal Caddesi (pronounced Jaddesi and meaning Street) is a pedestrian street that goes from Taksim Square down to Beyoglu, which is my favorite part of the city) - there are many cool, but not traditionally Turkish, restaurants

Food:
Hamdi - Right near Spice Bazaar/Eminonu tram stop: A meat heavy menu, but excellent kebabs, meze (appetizers) and the best lahmacun (pronounce lah mah june - it is crispy flatbread with a yummy minced meat concoction on top. you squeeze lemon over it and put lettuce on top, roll it up and eat like a burrito - delicious!!)! If you go, make sure to get a reservation on the top floor by the window - a great view of the city.

Kafe Ara - if you are walking down Istiklal Caddesi and want lunch, this is a fabulous, fun, hip cafe/restaurant (no alcohol - try the strawberry lemonade.) It has an affiliation with a famous Turkish photographer, Ara Guler, and his photos are the placemats and line the restaurant's walls. It is halfway down Istiklal, on the left, you will see a sculpture in the middle of the road that looks like a bunch of pipes, and Galatasaray Lisesi (bit high school behind a fancy gate) will be there too, and a big Tost restaurant on your right that I think starts with an A (aksaray, maybe?). Go left around the pipes and you'll see it on your right, down a little alley by a bank
.
Nevizade Sokak (an entire restaurant of restaurants and bars) - Definitely a good place for a night out. Off of Istiklal Caddesi. Walking down from Taksim Square, take a right at MAC Cosmetics and you'll see a street on your left with a big arch sign above it with "Nevizade" on it. There are bars and restaurants lining the street. It's the big nightlife area, for both locals and tourists, and many restaurants have roofdecks.

Ciya: Take the ferry to Kadikoy either from Karakoy or Eminonu (both near-ish to the Spice Bazaar). Ask people to point you in the direction of Ciya (chee-yah) Sofrasi (Soh-frah-sah), as the streets are kind of winding. There is a map here http://www.ciya.com.tr/index_en.php?contact but you'll still need to ask for directions to arrive there. Nearby is a honey store, and they make an excellent yogurt with honey snack, which is a good finish to a delicious Ciya meal! It's really worth the trip to eat here for lunch or dinner, if you can find the time!

If you want to see live music, Babylon off of Istiklal Caddesi has an eclectic mix and it's one of the best places to see music in the city.

Enjoy your trip!!

Posted By Jenna on September 3, 2009, 6:20 PM

I love lentil soup and had it every day for the two weeks I was in Turkey. We traveled 3600 miles around the country and the soup was different in each locale. The best bowl was to be had in Istanbul at a small place behind the Blue Mosque. Go down the two flights of steps and come out to where the locals eat at tables set up in the courtyard. Istanbul...so wonderful.

Posted By M A Jones on September 3, 2009, 8:43 PM

A boat ride on the Bosporus is a must! The Crowne Plaza Hotel in the old city is lovely. We were just there in July on an Insight package and enjoyed it immensely. There's nothing quite like hearing the call to prayer at 4:45 AM. Our Muslim tour guides were very open about sharing their faith and customs and the mosques are beautiful. The Church of St. Savior in Chora is fabulous - once a Byzantine church and then a mosque, now a museum. The evil eye beads I brought back as little gifts were a huge hit!

Posted By Jan on September 4, 2009, 2:55 AM

For true value for money combined with atmosphere in a lively part of town go to Helvetia Lokanta near Tunel in Beyoglu at 8 Gen. Yazgan Sk
Asmalımescit. It's across the alley from House Cafe, and serves great Turkish home-cooked fare for a very reasonable price. You can get a plate full of fresh, well-prepared and healthy food for $5-7. Awesome location on a lively side street corner too.

Also, Dubb in Sultanahmet is great for Indian food, as unlikely as that might seem. The intimate terrace on the top floor offers unmatched, unobstructed views of Hagia Sophia along with very good food. Besides Hamdi and Dubb, avoid Sultanahmet for eating out. Really.

Explore the streets of Cihangir, down Sirasalvelier Cad. from Taksim, and Cukurcuma to get off the well-worn tourist track. Great places like Cafe Smyrna and Komsufirin bakery are easy on the budget too.

Finally, go to the former fishing village of Ortakoy and have a coffee at House Cafe, avoiding the slightly seedy overpriced tourist traps along the water. Phenomenal views of the Bosphorous await, and a more relaxing scene than Sultanahmet.

Posted By Istanbul Guy on September 4, 2009, 4:39 AM

Additional thoughts. For a real Istanbul experience, check out "tost" places, like Bambi in Taksim. There's a clump of them right at the top of Istiklal. They are open until the wee hours, and offer basic, inexpensive and tasty fare like grilled cheese sandwiches in many combinations, and fresh squeezed juices which are terrific. Bambi has multiple outlets, and three near Taksim Square.

There's also Falafel House near Taksim which is a good budget option, and is popular with Arab and Israeli visitors as well as Istanbulus.

Cuppa in Cihangir is good for exotic juice combinations. Meyvemix near Galatasaray High School and Cafe Ara, mentioned by Jenna above, has great fresh juices as well.

As far as caveats, watch out for the shoeshine scam, where a guy will pretend to drop his shoeshine brush accidentally. He'll try to get a tip with a hard luck story, and may grab money from your wallet. Unknowing tourists fall for this with alarming frequency. Watch out for pickpockets too on city transport. Otherwise, Istanbul is very safe.

Posted By Istanbul Guy on September 4, 2009, 5:14 AM

Istanbul is a great walking city. I would suggest to have tea and hors d'oeuvres at the new Four Seasons on the Bosphorous. You have a delightful view of the water from a comfy divan and can linger for a while. From there, you can walk to Ortakoy which has a nice outdoor bazaar on Sundays. The Istanbul Modern is also nice and has a great restaurant/bar with views of old Istanbul. A walk through Cukurcuma/Cihangir area is fun if you are interested in antiques. A day trip to the islands near Istanbul is cheap and a nice diversion. Boats leave from Eminonu. I am sure you will have no trouble keeping busy - Istanbul is a fantastic city.

Posted By Ahmet Can on September 4, 2009, 11:39 AM

Maybe you could have first told us what research you had done prior to landing in Istanbul, and your results. Yes, there is a lot of information available on the internet, but accurate and current information may be hard to get - and when you do find it, or think you have, it will have taken you hours upon hours of time. "No pain, no gain."

Guidebooks can be valuable and save a traveler much time and frustration. They're what their titles indicate, though . . . "guides." I spent time in my local independent bookstore travel section and walked away with "Rick Steves' Istanbul" book - and it's proven more than worth the price I paid . . . particularly so for the guided tour information for major museums/sites.

I actively participate in an online community the topics of which are, almost all, food and restaurants and have been making daily postings, with photographs, about my experiences while in Istanbul (I'll be here a couple of more days). You can see what I've been doing and where I've been eating when you follow this link: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=25808

Please take the time to report back on your trip and provide information other travelers may find useful . . . when they search the internet.

Thanks.

Posted By Bill Masterson on September 5, 2009, 3:39 AM

Please if you go there....watch you wallet!

Posted By Fanny on September 7, 2009, 7:58 AM

Food: For breakfast or dinner, try Tamara at the end of the Arasta Bazaar. Go to the top floor for nice views of the Blue Mosque. the food is very good and cheap.
Try also the fish sandwich that are served by the Galata bridge.
For baklava go to Nadir Gullouglo at the norh side of the Galata Bridge.
Taxis: Buyer beware! Never hope into a cab that's waiting for passengers near tourist attractions. And even if you get one recommended by the hotel they sometimes won't know how (or will pretend) to get to some places. I have this experiences goind to St. Savior in Chora. The guy even had a GPS on the car that he refused to turn on. I gave him 10YTL after the ride (the meter was showing 25...). Stick with the trams!
Bosphorus Cruise: If you have time constraints, don't botter. It takes almos a whole day and it doesn't add a lot for the Istanbul experience. The stops are uninteresting and the last one is a tourist trap.

Posted By Jacques on September 8, 2009, 1:47 PM

We stayed in the Hotel Sari Konak, http://www.istanbulhotelsarikonak.com, which we adored. Great location in Sultanahmet, beautiful rooms, rooftop tea and views, lovely people, and all for a very reasonable price.

Best meal? A few blocks south of our hotel, a man and his 8-year old son were cooking kabobs over a brazier on the street corner. We sat in tiny wooden chairs and ate kabobs, salad and rice on a rickety little table, and chatted with the little boy, whose English was flawless, about school and soccer. Probably our favorite meal during our entire two-week visit to Turkey, Oman, and Crete.

Best experiences: Cemberlitas Hamam, tea overlooking the Bosphorous at Topkaki Palace, the Grand and Spice Bazaars, apple tobacco nargiles and socializing in one of the many tea gardens, the Archaeological Museum, wandering the winding backstreets, a personal tour of the Blue Mosque by a cleric who caught me (a woman) peeking through the windows, the haunting call to prayer, drinking yet more tea and watching the light show over Sultanahmet from our hotel's rooftop cafe.

Posted By JM Hilde on September 8, 2009, 3:04 PM

My husband and I spent 3 wonderful weeks in Turkey several years ago. The only guide book available, at that time, was the Lonely Planet.
We found the people very warm and friendly and they loved Americans.

Istanbul is a fabulous city. As far as the pickpockets go, it is probably less so than other European cities. We never had that problem but we were always aware of what was going on around us especially when we were getting money from an atm.
We had one shopkeeper run after us when we left his shop because we had given him too much money.
We took an overnight train from Istanbul to Ankara. There were no locks on the doors
and we never felt unsafe.
The advice you have been given is very good
Enjoy your trip!!
Jule

Posted By jule on September 8, 2009, 3:36 PM

I would very much recommend the Best Western President Hotel. It is located 2 small blocks from a tram stop, which is the tram stop for the Grand Bazaar. The tram goes close to the Blue Mosque and all of the other tourist spots. It has a great seventh floor open air restaurant with a great view of the city and ocean.
I also recommend the Spice or Egyptian Bazaar and the restaurants located on the lower level of the bridge nearby.
We aware that the Palace is closed on Tuesdays so all the tourists go to the Blue Mosque on Tuesdays and the Palace on Wednesdays.
We only spent three nights in Istanbul and then we were on to Izmir, a city I highly recommend visiting. The exchange rate was much better in Izmir than Istanbul. The change agents will give you a better rate than the banks or ATMs in either city.
Turkey is a great country to visit but we saw very few Americans.

Posted By John Hervey on September 8, 2009, 3:44 PM

We just got back from Turkey about 3 weeks ago, and I'm already planning a return trip. We didn't have any experiences with carpet sellers or any of the scams that people have already mentioned, but we didn't look like Americans either, so that might be the difference (everyone I met in Turkey assumed I was Italian or Spanish but most Turks don't speak those languages as well as they can speak English). We didn't have any problems with taxis. Just be sure to always tell the taxi driver where you want to go before you get in the car. And for the tourist destinations, he should be able to give you a general estimate of what the cost will be.
If you want to do a Bosphorus trip, there's a nice hour and a half sunset ferry that leaves from the Sultanahmet side of Galata bridge.
If you're looking for a good midrange hotel, I like the Emine Sultan which is just a couple blocks from Aya Sofia. Be aware that you can bargain for hotel rooms in lots of places. We got many of our rooms in hostels and hotels for half the price first quoted to us.
Aya Sofia was probably our favorite site, but be sure to get there early as it gets really crowded. Save the mosques for night time since they are open 24 hrs.
We also really liked the Basillica Cistern, just across the street from Aya Sofia.
I heartily second the person who mentioned St. Saviour in Chora. It is not easy to get to without a cab, but if you are at all interested in art or Byzantine history it is well worth your time.
On a final note, I want to add that the people we met all across Turkey were some of the most friendly, over-the-top helpful people I have ever known. People in Turkey don't just give you directions, they usually walk you to your destination. One guy even got on the bus with us and paid for our bus tickets. Whatever sites you visit, the key to having a fantastic trip is to take time to get to know the locals. They love to talk about their country and are very curious about ours. And they all wanted to know why we didn't look like their stereotype of Americans!

Posted By Brooke on September 8, 2009, 5:26 PM

I think that the Grand Bazaar is a waste of time. No bargains; lots of junk. (I never knew that women in Nevada wore head scarves. I guess Moslem women do). The Istanbul Modern´s exhibits of con-
temporary art is recommended. The Nisantasi district, not too far from Taksim Square is an upscale shopping area. An Italian guy, Gianfranco Ferre´s store had a men´s shirt in the window for US$1,500. Mr F and Ben and Jerry both have their stores in the same shopping center. There is a Mc Donald´s that you wouldn´t believe. Istanbul probably has more malls than any other and many of them put most of those in the U.S. to shame. Kanyon and Akmerkez are two really good ones.

Posted By Jerry on September 8, 2009, 7:10 PM

Sarnic Restaurant, right beside Saint Sofia, is a great experience. Located in a former cistern, you enter to an iron bell being tolled for each diner, descend ancient stairs to a restaurant which is almost medieval, with open fireplaces, heavy wood furniture, candle chandeliers, etc. What a memory of the Ottoman Empire!
Be sure to have a Turkish bath in an ancient hammam. The full bath of course. It's almost like a narcotic. Knees might be weak or you might feel lightheaded.
Drink some saleph, a milky custardy hot drink which is sprinkled with nutmeg. Kind of like drinking vanilla pudding. Delish!
Finally, try to rent 007 DVD "From Russia with Love" and have a local 007 fan take you to some of the Istanbul film sites. You'll feel like Tatiana Romanova, but watch out for Rosa Klebb and Red Grant.
Along that line, there's an old prison outside of town which harkens "Midnight Express" jail conditions.
Admire the minarets and men getting daily shaves at barber shop... but don't stare.
Have a great visit!

Posted By Douglas Dockey on September 8, 2009, 7:29 PM

Apricot Hotel, inexpensive, helpful, clean. Blue Mosque, Museum a must.
Tram is excellent way to get around, go to Thaksin,walk down, tram back.
Bazaar ok, Turkish bath ok, not amazing.Long Ferry ride very cool, all in all, a very nice place for 3-4 days.

Posted By Kirk on September 8, 2009, 9:22 PM

Save a half day and take the ferry to Princes Island. Once there, hire a horse drawn carriage arroung the island. Houses are from another era.

Posted By Steve solomon on September 9, 2009, 8:02 AM

We love the Sultanhamet area of Istanbul and our favorite restaurant is called Sultan Hamet. Great Kebabs! There are dozens of "botique" hotels in the area and we found the staff at the Ambassador Hotel to be excellent! Location is absolutely perfect. Virtually everything is within walking distance. I still get Thanksgiving and Christmas greetings from them every year. We would rather stay there than at any of the big American hotels.

Posted By lanfarm on September 10, 2009, 3:36 PM

Hey Jerry wake up! Scarves aren't just for heads or Muslims any more. Can you say fashion accessory? And if you are in the market for a $1,500 shirt, I guess you wouldn't be interested in the Grand Bazaar with its hundreds of stalls, restaurants, antiques, clothes, shoes, jewelry, gold, purses, arts and crafts, some admitted junk, and oh yes, scarves. The Grand Bazaar was so bad that we had to share it with thousands and thousands of other people. Finally, don't spill any of your McDonald's ketchup on your Gianfranco Ferre shirt.

Posted By Tom B. on September 13, 2009, 2:39 PM

I am off to Istanbul this weekend for a short break ( sadly it is eid break) but after reading comments to Arianne I am looking forward to the experience.
THanks for all for the travel and local tips on what to see and do.

Posted By Micheal on September 17, 2009, 6:57 AM

Hi i m planning to visit istanbul on 26 November 2009. Is any body visiting thre (any gendre)so we can get company of each other nd can explore Instanbul beter.

Posted By janak on October 13, 2009, 6:45 AM

Hi Folks,
Am heading to Istanbul first week of Nov. 09, first-time visit. Have lived in the Middle East so have most of what I want from the bizaars. Only have a few days and really appreciate all of the information above. If anyone wants a travelling partner, it'd be great to go exploring with another traveler. Definitely want to hit the high points and a ride on the Bosphorus.

Posted By Ken Johnson on October 31, 2009, 2:33 AM

i will also be in istanbul for november 26th until the 29th. I love istanbul, so many places to see and do. Its the Eid holiday, Kubran Bayrami, so i think the entire city will be pretty much closed on friday the 27th. Including all the tourist sites. Tea at topkapi , overlooking the bosphurus, and the outside tea garden not the over priced restaurant on the grounds,, is wonderful.

Posted By alicia on November 21, 2009, 2:47 PM