Our first day in Istanbul began mid-afternoon, stepping off a long Turkish Airlines flight into the buzz of Istanbul Airport (IST) and the city nine hours ahead. Forty minutes later we reached Galata, a maze of cobblestones and café aromas where seagulls circled the Galata Tower glowing in the late sun. After checking into the Meroddi Barnathan Hotel, we wandered narrow streets for our first taste of Turkish street food—doner wrapped in warm lavash, and later creamy kaymak with honey at Karaköy Özsüt. As the call to prayer rippled across the rooftops, we climbed to the Barnathan Rooftop for Turkish wine, grilled calamari, and the most spectacular sunset over Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, and the Golden Horn. Istanbul revealed itself instantly—vivid, layered, alive—its light turning every dome to gold.

Day two in Istanbul unfolded like a journey through time — from the morning calm of Galata to the gilded courtyards of Topkapı Palace. We wandered the Sultan’s Harem, where history whispered through tiled corridors, before savoring döner kebabs at a beloved local eatery. Meeting the bean-to-bar artisans at Peraru Chocolate in Beşiktaş added a sweet twist to our afternoon, though a missed Bosphorus sunset cruise reminded us that Istanbul moves on its own schedule. We made up for it with an evening stroll through the Spice Bazaar and along Galata Bridge, where the city’s lights reflected like melted gold. The night closed with baklava at Faruk Güllüoğlu and a chance encounter at NT Rugs, where we found our perfect Anatolian carpet and a gleaming Iznik tile to take home — tangible reminders of a city that wraps history, flavor, and art into every moment.

Day 3 in Istanbul blended grandeur with everyday rhythm. We began with breakfast on our rooftop terrace overlooking Galata Tower before climbing its ancient spiral to panoramic views of the city and Bosphorus. A short Uber ride took us to Dolmabahçe Palace — chandeliers, crystal staircases, and the quiet reverence of Atatürk’s Room — then to the nearby National Palaces Painting Museum, where Aivazovsky’s seascapes and Osman Hamdi Bey’s portraits whispered of empires in transition.

By afternoon, we were at Ortaköy Mosque, its white marble reflected in turquoise water. Lunch brought kebab platters, laughter, and Turkish ice cream served with the usual showmanship. The evening carried us to Sultanahmet and the Seven Hills Hotel, where Hagia Sophia filled our window and the Basilica Cistern glowed beneath the streets in shifting light. As night fell, we watched sunset prayers from the rooftop, tasted grilled octopus and rakı, and ended with Şehzade Kebab and baklava from Hafız Mustafa. It was Istanbul distilled — old and new, sweet and salty, sacred and everyday — in one luminous day.

Our last day in Istanbul began early, with simit and tea in Sultanahmet Square as the sun lit up the domes of Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Camii). We climbed the gallery, tracing mosaics that told centuries of devotion, before crossing to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), where Iznik tiles shimmered in blue and gold light. From there, we slipped into the smoky charm of Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi, sipping coffee beneath centuries-old arches, then wandered through the maze of the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) — carpets, copper, and chaos in perfect harmony. Outside, the calm elegance of Nuruosmaniye Mosque (Nuruosmaniye Camii) offered quiet relief before a Konya-style feast at Güvenç Konyalı. Afternoon brought the ferry to Üsküdar, a sprint to the Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi), and a myth told in sunlight and sea spray. As dusk fell, we shared grilled sole and rakı in Kadıköy, then watched the sunset glow behind Hagia Sophia and the Galata Tower. Our final baklava at Faruk Güllüoğlu felt like a sweet goodbye — Istanbul whispering its last call through sea breeze and song.