The Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi) is on a tiny islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus…read morestrait. it's over 2000 years old and has been used as a tax collection booth, defense tower, lighthouse, and quarantine station. I really wanted to see it because it has been in two James Bond films. It appeared in the background of the classic 007 "From Russia With Love" and it was featured as a secret hide out in "The World is Not Enough". There is a tour here which you can via boat which leaves from the Galata Port. You can reach the islet by short boat rides from Salacak or Kabataş piers. Inside the tower is a history museum and a cafe with views of both Europe and Asia. With the Istanbul Museum Pass you can access the Maiden's Tower Monument Museum, but you have to pay a 5 Euro boat transportation fee at the piers. Entrance fee otherwise is 27 Euro for the ticket plus 5 the for the boat transportation. Boat trips from Karaköy Pier are daily between 9:30 and 5:00pm Boats to the Maiden's Tower leave from Üsküdar-Salacak pier every day of the week between 10am and 4 pm. You can buy tickets at the office in front of the pier.

I was a tad obsessed with the Maiden Tower before our Istanbul visit. I didn't think I'd have time…read moreto check it out, but I managed to do so and it didn't dissappoint. Just a ferry boat small trip on the Asian side of Istanbul in Uskudar. I am sure it looks nice during sunset, but I loved it on a cloudy windy day as well. Leander's Tower dates from the Byzantine period, it has a long history, it burnt, it was rebuild a few times. For the film geeks, you can see it in a Bond movie, "The World Is Not Enough" with Sophie Marceau. The legend says that a sultan built it for his daughter to avoid a prophecy of dying from a snake bite. It happened anyway. Off the beaten path, but worth checking it out if you have the time while visiting Istanbul!

Istiklal Caddesi is a great/must see area of Istanbul. Basically, what this location presents is a…read morestreet full of all kinds of shops, cafes, galleries, restaurants, and a bunch of other businesses. It truly shows off the unique culture of Istanbul. My suggestion is that you come here early in the day on a weekday. During this time frame the street is not too crowded and you can really take time checking things out. On the weekends and later in the day, this area can get pretty hectic and very crowed with people. If you want to avoid that, come during the off-hours. I suggest the way to visit this street is to walk over the Galata Bridge. This bridge, of course, provides you with a great view of Istanbul. From there, just follow the main street up. If you have any location concerns, GPS will easily take you here. This is a long street with an uphill trek. Of course, that also means, on the way down, it is a downhill trek. Nothing too steep or anything like that, but it can provide you with a bit of a cardio workout if you are a fast paced walker like myself. Overall, this is one of the must see areas of Istanbul. This street provides you with an excellent view into the modern shopping and culinary culture of Istanbul.

İstiklal Avenue means Independence and is the longest pedestrian street in the historic Beyoğlu…read moredistrict of Istanbul, one of the most famous avenues in the city, known for the cute red trams, lots of shopping - malls, US stores, restaurants, some street food, elegant buildings, fun to walk it. We found our way from Galata Tower and once we reached it, we explored it and stopped along the way to check out stores (cute bookstores), coffee shops, a cool passage, an Italian church -of St. Anthony of Padua(the biggest catholic one in Istanbul) and so on. Lots of American chains, clothes, food (fast-food) which we avoided. But we tried a cheese borek (salty cheese pastry) from the gentleman with the cart. It is fun to see the vintage trams passing by. We continued to the end, till we reach the end of it marked by the French Institute and Taksim Square. It is worth checking it out while visiting Istanbul, not super crowded, but very lively!

Personal Favorites: Hookah​ Style: Turkish…read moreAmbiance: It is a half-open​ half close historical place Service: Pretty awesome​ A lot of people sit very close to each other smoke hookah, drink tea and chill. There is not much place in the world that you can find this kind of place. Nobody judges you the way you look or speak or dress. You can find a lot of different​ type of people in this place. Traditional Turkish Coffee, tea, ​and hookah those are all you need to chill. If you want a souvenir​ that you can find a gift shop​ as well. The restroom​m​ is a little problem but you will survive. If you are visiting Istanbul this is a perfect spot to rest between Cemberli Tas and Blue Mosque. This place definitely​ something you need to experience it.

Besides being a historical spot it is a popular hookah spot. It is a authentic place and the prices…read moreare really good. Food? No. But soft drinks are served. The waiters can be annoying as they walk around all the time asking whether you would like something and the place can be a little overcrowded but overall it is worth visiting and enjoying a hookah/shisha/water pipe with some Turkish Tea/Coffee or Gazoz (Turkish Sprite). Best hookah in Istanbul? Definitely not. As a daily hookah smoker I would give them a 5/10.

You can't miss this passageway! There is a nice stained glass design above the entrance on…read moreIstaklal Street. Cool little arcade full of restaurants (a few shops too). I heard from a tour guide that Russian Emigres got permission to sell flowers in this arcade a hundred years ago or so. The word Çiçek means flower in Turkish. The restaurants are traditional meyhane, which is a Persian word which means something like 'wine house'. In short, there are pubs there. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.