I highly recommend that you plan well ahead for some of the most visited places like The Hagia Sophia and The Blue Mosque if you have not been there before.
The Cisterns below the city are a ticketed affair and you can purchase them before you leave home if you are one who plans well. If you want to wing it there is no problem there either. Just be prepared for long queues. As with all of the attractions, early morning is the best time to venture out.
Choosing where to stay can be very overwhelming, so I have a short list of hotels that are centrally located, ones I know will place you just where you need to be.
Don’t forget to see the Spice (Egyptian) market, which flows through to the Grand Bazaar. This was once separated from everything else, but today it is just one big market spilling out through the streets.
There is a lot of nougat all rolled into colourful logs but be aware of ‘sampling’ in the Spice Bazaar, before you know it, you will be handed a parcel that you are expected to pay for, and it isn’t cheap!
Turkish Delight is not all that delightful - and we buy cheaper at home, which is tastier in my opinion - but when in Rome (or Turkey), it will possibly take your fancy at least once.
