When in Istanbul the taksim square is definitely a place you can not miss. Filled with restaurants,…read moreshops,cafes, bakeries, ice cream shops, spas, nail salons, hair salons, barbers, you name it they have it. Also near the entrance of Taksim square you can find many historical statues buildings and sites. Also near the entrance It will remind you of San Francisco with the little red trolley that goes all around the Square not only does it kind of reminds you of San Francisco by the trolley the streets are a bit hilly so flat shoes are always considered the way to go. When I went to Taksim square I was amazed of all the many bakeries and patisserie's and shops around especially the bakery section you can see through the window many Turkish delight displays and many delicious patisserie cream cakes and even traditional Arabic sweets such as Kunefah and baklava. There are so many shops to see and everything is very cheap with very good quality. We were able to shop around and get some unique clothing fashion brands that originate from turkey such as kotton. They also have the usual American brands like Nike and of course Starbucks. The only thing about taksim square is that it gets extremely crowded. There are pick picketers around so you should always have everything in front of you. Other than that so much fun!

Enjoyed visiting so much. The vibe, the lovely people, our hotel Sofitel was great. Loved the…read morecats in the streets, the shops and restaurants are fantastic. I would visit again for sure.

This large plaza is located between the Topaki Palace and the Blue Mosque…read more It quite litterally contains many of the top attractions in the Faith / Sultanament DIstrict. There are also a few parks, plus the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cisterna, The Hippodrome of Constantinople, et al. It is usually packed with people during the day but clears out at night. The fountain near the Hagia Sofia is not exactly the fountains at Bellagio but the color changes with the Mosques in the background are fun to watch. There also is a multitude of restarants, vendors, shops, ATM's and tram station nearby

This is the Mecca of Istanbul visitors! Hard to miss if you plan to check out the Blue Mosque…read moreor/and Hagia Sophia since this plaza is right in between them. It was April when we visited, so the trees where in bloom which is nice! The end of the tulips season well. The fountain is pretty, check out the mosaic fresca-s and details that decorate it! Plenty of benches around, ideal to grab a snack near by and sit here and enjoy it. Not an easy task because the area is crowded with lots of locals, tourists, even huge groups. Lots of photo ops here, everywhere you turn is a nice sight! A few restaurants around, as well as street vendors if you want to grab a simit, roasted chestnuts, corn or fresh squeezed juices for a snack break. Prices are higher than in other areas since it's such a touristy area, but oh well... when in Sultanahmet Square... you should expect it! Our hotel wasn't far, so we would the plaza to get around town since it leads you to the tram, shops and restaurants also! Try to visit in the evening, it gets way quieter and the buildings are beautiful lit up! Hard to miss, good area to check out, stroll, take a break in the action. This is the center of historic Istanbul, expect crowds, but try to enjoy the sights as well!

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!

We came here a lot this summer for drinking on the grass with colleagues/friends. I want to like it…read moresince it features the awesome botellón culture (borrowed from Spain). People are having fun on blankets and chairs, drinking, eating, laughing, etc. It's not so friendly that you meet new people though, and I always find it just a tad too dirty to be fun. I'm not opposed to peeing in a bush or two but with so many people choosing the same four or five places to do it, the smell gets bad. There's also apparently some kind of sewer drain because it actually smells like shit around midnight, without fail. It's quite disgusting actually. For that reason, I would prefer Moda Park (for a late-night drinking spot) any day. There are also huge muddy puddles everywhere (who knows what liquid that is, actually), that I have stepped in more than once, unfortunately. Never again! The toilets close at 11 and there's no public transport (dolmus or taxi is available 24hrs but I'm a bus/metro kinda girl) after 12. That also kinda kills the vibe, in my opinion. Overall though if you want to experience drinking culture among local Turks this is the spot to be in. Not as glamorous after the first three or four times though.