In March of 2024, my partner Yanny ventured off to Turkey to explore one of the world’s most exciting metropoles on Earth and spent a weekend in Istanbul.
How we got to Istanbul
Cologne airport offers many flights per day to Turkey. We snatched cheap tickets with Pegasus and flew from CGN to SAW (Sabiha Gokcen Airport) on a Friday morning. We touched down at around 4 pm. This airport is located on the Asian side of the Bosporus and – depending on traffic – it takes about somewhere between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours to get to Sultanahmet, where our hotel was located.
Since this was a short trip, we only traveled with our carry-on bag. In case you haven’t read my tipps about traveling with little luggage, check out this link and learn all about the essentials.
Why we came to Istanbul
We came to Istanbul for three different reasons:
- We met up with our friends from California who happened to be there for business.
- My partner had a business meeting.
- I had never been to Istanbul.
Where we stayed: Amiral Palace Hotel
Our hotel Amiral Palace is located at Sultanahmet on the European side of the Bosporus, near the blue mosque and the Hagia Sofia. I booked through the booking.com loyalty program where I hold a level 3 status. This grants me discounts of 15 % and room upgrades free of charge. Click the link to sign up for the loyalty program or to complete your booking.
Full disclosure: I use affiliate links to finance this blog and my very costly travel addiction.
Weekend in Istanbul: Itinerary
Friday
Once we settled into our beautiful accommodation and freshened up, Yanny and went to explore the area of Sultanahmet. It was quite cold on Friday, but the temperatures were amazing for the rest of the weekend.
After getting a sense of direction in the area and walking for a while, we visited the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. During Ramadan, things seemed to be a bit different and it was noticeable that mostly Westerners were at the restaurants. We had a fantastic dinner at the Ethnic Restaurant and enjoyed wonderful service and amazing food. We opted for the Mixed Mezze Plate as a starter and the Double Mixed Kebab plate for two as a main course.
One thing I love about traveling so much is the people you meet. We were seated next to an elderly couple from Norway who shared their interesting life stories with us.
Saturday
The first full day of our weekend in Istanbul was commenced with a marvellous breakfast on the top floor of the hotel building. The sun graced us with a spectacular view over the water.
After getting ready for the day, we met our friends Kris and James from California. Meeting like-minded travellers from the other side of the world is so special. We had met them in Antarctica and instantly connected with them. They are seasoned travellers who happened to be in Europe / Turkey for business themselves. That’s how our weekend in Istanbul came to be in the first place.
After we met up, we walked to the ferry port. Kris and James have been to Istanbul many times before and know their way around this vibrant city. The public transport is inexpensive in Istanbul and you can get around easily.
Istanbul’s public transport is cost effective, reliable and comfortable.
After exploring Beşiktaş, we got back on the boat and headed to the markets. The Egyptian Bazaar was a fun experience, although the narrow path was very crowded. One thing I really liked about Istanbul is the fact that salesmen don’t hassle anybody if they decline an offer. In my opinion, that contributes to a relaxed atmosphere. Very refreshing!
Since we only brought our carry-on luggage, we didn’t do any shopping. Souvenirs aren’t really my thing unless they are practical and / or add to my life. My partner was happy about it, too. The less we shop, the more we can spend on plane tickets.
Sunday
My partner’s itinerary was a bit different from mine, but it included a visit to Topkapı Palace, the former Sultans’ residency during the Ottoman Empire.
Topkapı Palace was very interesting and you get to see a lot inside. However, the entrance fee comes at a hefty 1500 Turkish Lira ( ~ 43 Euro / 47 USD) for foreigners. Considering the price, I advise you take all the time you need to see everything and to get some beautiful photographs, so bring your photo gear!
After visiting Topkapı Palace, it was time to attend the business dinner. Due to the nature of this event, I did not take any pictures but I was pleased to learn that the restaurant was near the one we had gone to the day before. That is a good sign because the business partner is a local!
Going home
Anticipating a potential traffic jam, we headed to the airport a bit earlier in order to try out the airport lounges at SAW. Pegasus is a low-cost airline but we each are members of the Priority Pass programme. This means we are eligible enter as many airport lounges as we please in a day (provided you have a valid ticket for that day and there are any to begin with).
We tried two of three available airport lounges at SAW: Kepler Club and the Plaza Premium Lounge – Marmara. The Kepler Club is marketed as an experience, I’d say a rather sub par experience at best. The Plaza Premium Lounge was located at a better spot and offered more than coffee from a paper cup and some water.
SAW is a very busy airport. The Kepler lounge is located at the very end near security and has no sound barrier to the hectic area, meaning there is no relaxing atmosphere inside. We didn’t stay long because we wanted to have some space to be able to focus and decided to go to another lounge. Plaza Premium Lounge was crowded, but the noise level was very low and the product itself was much more satisfying.
Boarding startet at 10 pm and the machine was packed. Our flight was 3.5 hours long and uneventful. However, the Airbus Neo 320 is not very leg-friendly. As a very tall couple, this is a point of concern every time we take longer flights in Economy.
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