Istanbul is a city of contrasts.
Finally visited on January holidays 2013. City of contrasts - Istanbul. Prepared ahead of time, already since October. I submitted an application to the travel agency and a week later received a response. I compared their offer with the offer of air carriers and hotels. The flight turned out to be cheaper, and the hotel was more expensive, but the circle was the same, because the travel agency offered a transfer and insurance. Departure 3.01. 13. from Pulkovo2 by Rossiya company. There were three of us: me, my wife and a friend. We took a triple room, hotel Aziayde 4 * 5 nights 24.000 rubles. The hotel is not cheap, but the location is good. Sultanahmet area. Nearly everything is within walking distance. Excursions from the host side did not take, the prices are not real. I will not expand on the hotel, there are reviews about it on travel sites. But I will share my impressions of these days. Most importantly, we were lucky with the weather. Every day 8-10 degrees of heat, one day there was a little rain. But on the day of departure there was such a snowfall that all flights were delayed by 3 hours. During these days visited Sofia,
Basilica Cistern, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, TopKapy, Dolmabahce, New Mosque, Egyptian market, fish market, Grand Bazaar, we traveled on a boat along the Bosphorus, and traveled on a tour bus twice. We almost always walked. Only once we took a tram to Dolmabahce Palace.
All these points are required to visit, and everything else is at your own discretion. Tickets to all museums cost 30 thousand liters, except for the cistern. There are 10 t. l. Tour tickets. we took a boat along the Bosphorus on the embankment, opposite the New Mosque. There were 3 of us, we bargained for 30 tons. In general, the initial price per person 15t. l. Also tickets for the tour. bass took for 30t. l for 2 trips per person. One route with a stop in Asia for 2 hours and the second 1.5 hours around the Golden Horn. Where prices are not fixed, bargain. Lira at that time officially cost 17 rubles, although the exchange was the best in the area of the Egyptian market. They change everything, even yuan and even rubles. Do not change at the airport, they take a commission.
And in the city no problem. About food. Do not be afraid to go where there are no foreigners. It's cheaper and tastier there. Checked on myself. Under the Taksim bridge, be sure to visit the fish restaurant, there are many of them. Tried there from red mullet to salmon. Everything is just super delicious. Many restaurants have menus in English with pictures. Just don't believe the pictures. The portions are huge, but they will bring 2-3 times less. But this is usually in restaurants designed for tourists. And the price tag is like in Moscow. And one more nuance, in some restaurants bread and sauces are free, and some profit from it. You have to ask. By the way, many restaurants have a lot of waiters from our former republics. Accordingly, they speak Russian. As for tipping, if you like it and it's cheap, leave it. People will be pleased. But where the prices are inflated and you don’t like it, feel free to leave without a tip. Change is given from big money to kurush. As for sweets, this is an amateur.
A very large selection and you must first conduct a tasting in the Egyptian market. Don't be afraid to ask sellers for a taste test. By the way, sweets are not cheap, but better than ours at times. It is better to come to the markets on weekdays. And there are more sellers and, accordingly, more choice and the price can be reduced. Many for the tour. sites ask questions about boors. So we went quite by accident and do not regret it. We were walking along the streets and suddenly I see a memorial plaque and it says on it that this is a hammam from 1651. etc. We went inside and see that it works. None of the staff spoke Russian or English. They asked me to look at my fingers. And since it was late in the evening, there were no visitors, they showed us, and then offered to use their services. Just a bathhouse cost 15 thousand liters, and with a bath attendant-masseur 50 thousand liters. Well, of course we went. The girls are in the women's department, and I'm in the men's department. I went to the hammam in Egypt, Tunisia and Finland. Everywhere is different.
I think you need to go and in Istanbul. By the way, Turkish resorts have different hamams. My wife did not like it in Side, but she was delighted with Istanbul. I guarantee it is very relaxing and at the same time you will wash yourself. Bottled water and tea are included in the price. Well, 5 tons. bath attendant from you for your pleasure. By the way, women are massaged naked, and men in a towel on their hips. We really liked the city. Although there are pluses and minuses, but in general, I think its visit should be a must for true travelers. There are a lot of impressions, you can't describe everything. There will be questions, I will answer. Good luck to all!
