Istanbul
December 19, 2022, & January 2-3, 2023 (Long layover or 2D1N): Did you know that if you fly with Turkish Air and have a long layover in Istanbul, you can take advantage of the Layover Tour? And that’s precisely what we did for the RT flights from JFK to Varna. During the first leg of our trip, we had about 12 hours of layover in IST, where we took advantage of the Afternoon City Tour. We had an overnight stay on our return flight, but we didn’t think hotels would be included, so we ended up booking one on our own (and we were wrong). We also took the ferry and crossed over to the Asian side of Istanbul during our short visit.
*Highly recommended food & hotel
Day 1 (December 19)
AM arrival from JFK
Touristanbul Desk to register for the layover tour of your choice (Arrival terminal after exiting Baggage Claim)
Priority Pass Lounge (iGA Lounge; need to go through security checkpoint)
12-6 pm: Afternoon Tour
Lunch @ Semazen Etli Ekmek*
Walk up the hill through the cemetery (Look out for the adorable street cats)
Viewpoint @ Pierre Loti Tepesi
Tea @ Cafe Obscura* / Istanbul Kamera Muzesi (A cafe tucked inside a camera museum)
Evening flight to Varna
January 2
Midnight arrival from Varna
Uber to Sentire Hotels & Residences*
Sehit Muhtar:
Snacks @ City Doner
Day 2 (January 3)
10:30 am-1 pm Secrets of Grand Bazaar and Suleymaniye walking tour:
Klizia
Sisko Osman/Samet (Old Camel Stable)
Afternoon Tea on a secret rooftop with a beautiful view of Hagia Sophia
Istanbul Universitesi Rektorlugu Yemekhaneler Mudurlugu/Beyazit Kulesi (Used as the weather forecast today)
Lunch @ Doneristan
Rustem Pasha Mosque (Stunning interior)
Lunch/pizza @ Tarihi Eminonu
Sufi Baharat (Spice Market):
Shop tea @ Merve Ceyiz
Sirkeci PPT Merkezi (Beautiful post office to buy some stamps as souvenirs)
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (An iconic mosque)
Don’t forget to try some Ottoman Ice Cream (Trust me on this!)
Soguk Cesme Sokagi (A notable street with beautiful houses)
Ferry to Asia (Eminonu - Uskudar; 22.42 Turkish lira; latest price list):
Walk around Üsküdar Seaside
Uber to the hotel via the Bosphorus Bridge
IST:
Priority Pass Lounge (iGA Lounge)
Evening flight to JFK
Other points of interest & food:
Cocktail w/ a view @ Alexandra Cocktail Bar
Kebab @ Meşhur Dönerci Hacı Osman'ın Yeri, Basta! Street Food Bar
Dinner @ Çiya Sofrası, The Must Turkish Restaurant
Tips:
Enjoy Turkish Airlines’ hotel perk for those with international connecting flights departing from IST.
As of January 9, 2024, US citizens no longer need visas to visit Turkey!
For ladies - bring a scarf to wear when entering mosques.
You will need an Istanbul Kart (the transport ticket in Istanbul) to board the ferry. Get it from the yellow vending machines located in metro, Metrobus, and tram stations.
