The Tour Itself
Day 1
As always when arriving to Europe, we were exhausted when the tour began. Thankfully, we had time for a quick power nap before exploring our first ever mosque, the Blue Mosque, followed by dinner of fresh fish (except Meg picked the chicken) under the Galata Bridge.
Day 2
Reenergized from a full night of sleep, we hit the ground running visiting the Topkapi Palace and Haram first. Our wonderful guide Mine was able to explain the function of the Harem and give us the history of Roxelana, one of the most powerful and influential women in Ottoman history.
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This was followed up a tour of Hagia Sophia's Upper Gallery and a walk through the Grand Bazaar. From there we took a little detour to the otherworldly Basilica Cistern.
Day 3
By this day we were ready for the trolley! We rode to the Suleymaniye Mosque and Suleyman and Roxelana's tombs. The afternoon was filled with a colorful tour of Balat neighborhood including lunch at a small café where the owner requested one of my Polaroid pictures to add to his gallery wall.
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For the evening we chose to watch a Dervish performance. Sleepy tourists beware, this experience can put you to sleep.
Day 4
We had explored on foot, trolley, and bus, it was time to take to the water! We cruised the Bosphorus all the way to Asia landing in Kadikoy to explore. Here Meg bought a vast assortment of olives that she kept in the mini fridge and snacked on the remainder of the trip.
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After a public ferry ride back, we visited a carpet co-op full of beautiful rugs and very dangerous for tourist wallets. Mine kindly sought out the cheapest rugs in the shop for us to take home.
Day 5
Spice market day! We took the tram to the Grand Bazaar to learn about spices from one of the tours' trusted shopkeepers. We bought plenty of saffron for ourselves and our brother, plus menthol crystals to help with my allergies!
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The afternoon was a delicious food tour down Istiklal Street ending in Taksim Square. I am grateful for this tour because I never would have tried a "wet burger" without encouragement.
Day 6
Finally, museum day. Having spent hours in museums as children, this is our natural habitat. We started at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum where Mine talked us through the various Greek, Roman, and early civilization exhibits. The Tiled Kiosk Museum was closed, so it looks like we'll have to go back.
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After all that standing, it was time for a Turkish bath. If you've never had one, I won't spoil the surprise, you just need to try it.
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Unfortunately, it was now time to say goodbye to the tour but we still had one day left on our own!
Day 7
Our last day rained, making it the perfect day for another museum. We finished off our trip exploring the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, a fast favorite.
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All good things come to and end and we finally headed home, ready to plan the next trip.
