Hello everyone! Every time we travel to a new country, we are all the time wondering
what are those special things that we can visit as a first timer in that place,
so this is why in this video we would love to show you what every first timer in Istanbul
should do, so if you want to discover these places, then watch this video with us!
When in Turkey, I highly recommend you visiting some mosques because you will blow away with the
beautiful architecture that each one of them holds and of course they are very historical just as the
one behind me which is the Blue Mosque and even though it's currently under restoration you can
visit many others such as the Suleymaniye mosque, right now since the Hagia Sofia already changed into into
a mosque, you can also visit it for free, and there are many around the city and the whole country.
Another thing that you should do and should be included in your bucket list
is experiencing the Turkish bath, in Turkish known as "hamam" and this is a beautiful way how
you can pamper yourself and also experience something very important of Turkish culture.
Of course you can find from many ranges and prices, everything depends if the hammam is
in a touristic area or not. So the more touristic, obviously the more expensive it will be.
Istanbul also has many palaces that we can visit and we can have from the oldest ones just as the
one behind me which is the Topkapi palace where we can see beautiful architecture especially with
many tiles from Iznik tiles adorning the place as well we can find other palaces like
Dolmabahce or Beylerbeyi and those ones are a bit more modern and also we can see the transition
between the architectures in the city which is a fascinating thing to do here as well.
Don't forget to also visit one of the many cisterns that Istanbul has and one of the most famous ones
and touristic is the one called Yerebatan Sarnici or in English is the Basilica Cistern. Unfortunately,
right now is closed due to some restorations but you can also see many others. For example you
can also visit the Serefiye or Bimbirdirek cisterns, these are quite stunning as well.
Don't miss visiting any of the local markets or bazaars in Istanbul. Istanbul is famous because
here also you will be able to bargain, its part of their culture, so get ready to use your best
techniques for bargaining. Remember that here in Istanbul we also have the Grand Bazaar which is
one of the largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world, the famous Spice Bazaar are where we can find
the most exotic flavors in the city and also there are many local shops around the Spice Bazaar where
you can find many products from souvenirs, foods, and also things for home decor, so don't
forget coming to any of these areas, also there are many markets within the city that are famous among
the locals, for example, every day of the week they have designated one market in one of the
local neighborhoods, for example on Wednesdays, you can visit the famous and the largest local market
which is called Fatih also on Tuesdays and Fridays you can cross to the Asian side and visit the
Kadikoy market, and there are many more. Explore the Bosphorus strait through any of the Bosphorus
tours that you can find here in the city. There are many ports where you can take them
from and the closest ones to the touristic areas such as Sultanahmet or Taksim is here in Eminonu
port, from here you can also take any ferry which is public transportation going to the Princes'
Islands and also those ferries crossing from Eminonu to Kadikoy or Uskudar on the Asian side.
So from this point, you will be able to find any ferry or tour that you will be looking for.
One of the best things to do here in Istanbul is of course enjoying some of the best views of
the city from above, and one of the best places for that is of course the Galata tower .Let's remember
that Galata Tower is one of the oldest ones in the world, and nowadays you can go all the way
up to enjoy some of the best 360 degrees views of Istanbul. There are many other places where you can
enjoy beautiful views of the city but one of my favorite ones is of course the Galata Tower.
As in any other country in the world, also in Turkey we need to give us the opportunity to
try as many Turkish dishes as we can, because also, Turkish cuisine is very delicious and tasty
and you will not regret tasting any of these specialtaies. Also, you can try a lot of variety
of Turkish street foods as Kokorec or midiye, these two are some of my two favorite street
foods but there are tons of kebabs, seafood dishes and meats and so on. Also Turkish desserts
are so delicious from baklava, kunefe, Turkish delight so don't miss the opportunity
because remember that also it's a great way of getting into the culture of this country.
Chase some of the most beautiful sunsets. My favorite sunset points are from the Maiden's Tower,
Kadikoy sahil or even on a ferry, for sure you'll be able to capture wonderful photos.
Enjoy the views in the most beautiful and emblematic points. Ortakoy is famous for its beautiful mosque
and the Bosphprus bridge, also here you can find a lively environment with lots of restaurants
and cafes, I recommend you visiting the area especially at night when the bridge is illuminated.
Apart from the major tourist attractions there are also many interesting local neighborhoods that
you can get to visit,t this way, you'll be able to immerse in the daily life of Turkish people.
Some of my favorite neighborhoods are Kizguncuk, Cengelkoy, Kadikoy
all on the Asian side of the city, or Balat, Arnavutkoy and Bebek, in the European side.
Take a ferry ride to any of the Princes' Islands where you'll have the opportunity to renting a
bike if you want to explore the island in a more exciting way, or just take a walk and enjoy the
stunning views of the sea of Marmara. The main and largest island is Buyukada but you can also visit
Heybeliada, Burgazada, or Kinaliada. A must when visiting Turkey is having a famous and
delicious Turkish breakfast there are plenty of good places in Istanbul to choose from.
Although this is a seasonal activity, if you're planning on visiting Istanbul during
Apri,l then this is a great option to admire one of the most beautiful flowers.
During this month, Istanbul is fully adorned with colorful tulips, but the best place to see them
in Emirgan park where we'll be able to see thousands of them in just one place. So these are
some of the recommendations that we want to give to every first timer in Istanbul. If you liked the
video and found it helpful, please don't forget to give it a thumbs up, that way we can also reach
more people like you who are looking for information about this wonderful city. For more informative
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