Q&A: What shouldnt I miss on a trip to Istanbul Turkey?

Question by hXcKari: What shouldnt I miss on a trip to Istanbul Turkey?
I am planning a trip to Istanbul Turkey to visit my sister who will be there on a year long mission trip.
What is the best time of year to go and what things must I see? I am interested in beautiful landscapes, shopping and eating and not so much history and architecture. Any suggestions would help. =)

Best answer:

Answer by Tara
I went to Istanbul last summer. The weather was hot and humid ( i love hot weather so this was perfect for me). Iv never been in the winter but i hear it can get a bit chilly and it rains a lot. Spring and Fall look to be the best for weather and it will be cheaper as well since its off season.

Things to do? As for beautiful landscape i highly recommond taking a boat cruise up the Bosporus strait. Its generally pretty cheap to do ( depending on the cruise boat, length of trip – anywhere between €20-€100) If you walk along the strait in the morning you will see dozens of ticket stands all along the shore trying to sell you a ticket – no need to book it advance I picked the cheapest cruise and it was fantastic. It was a half day cruise and it took an hour to cruise up the strait. I got to see the gorgeous city along the shores and it ended at the mouth of the black sea where we were let out of the boat and allowed to climb the hills to a castle.

The view was amazing:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1646784&l=74e426befa&id=504576060

Shopping? Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar! They have something like 400 shops. You’ll be amazed by its size. Make sure you brush up on your bargianing skills!!

Eating? I was backpacking so i was on a budget. I ate anywhere that looked cheap but i was never dissapointed. Everything taste amazing! This is gonna sound weird but they have these deep fried burgers that are sold in stands all over Taksim Square- try one! amazing!

Taksim Square is also great for nightlife if you are interested in partying! One more thing, you MUST get a turkish bath. MUST MUST MUST! I went to a few different ones but this was the best:

http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/

I paid for the best bath which was 90 Lira! It was worth it! Although, you do get naked and are scrubbed down by a stranger ( mine was a half naked, very overweight turkish lady) so if you feel weird about that id wear a bathing suit ( if only i had known that then)! OR you can bath yourself if you really dont like the idea of a stranger scrubing you down

Hope this helps!!

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