Editor’s note: Istanbul remains one of our favorite cities. We were struck by its beauty, the friendliness of the Turkish people, and the wonderful food and views.

However, the political situation in Turkey is constantly changing. Please check with your government’s travel warnings (Canada USA UK), and keep aware of recent news before you visit. Avoid military or security forces. Recently, the government blocked social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and opposition leaders have been arrested. Geraldine from The Everywhereist has a lovely article on her feelings about visiting Turkey again – it’s worth a look.

If you find yourself in Istanbul, with just an afternoon to see the sights, this itinerary should get you to the city’s main attractions with a bit of time to spare.

We usually like to travel slowly, taking the time to discover the character and hidden treasures of a city. Unfortunately, based on a hectic schedule, we found ourselves with only an afternoon to check out Istanbul’s main sights.

After the initial panic subsided, we got busy and set up an itinerary that would let us check out the must see attractions quickly. Luckily, most of Istanbul’s main sights are within easy walking distance in the old city in Sultanhamet.

Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is one of Turkey’s most famous landmarks.

Built from 1609 to 1616, and visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, the Blue Mosque’s domes billow upward into Istanbul’s sky. Know by most Westerners as the Blue Mosque, it’s also called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish). It’s outside courtyard is about the size of the interior and shares a lot of the same structural plans. The visitor entry is via a back door on the eastern side (on the opposite side of the Hagia Sofia museum).

Free of charge, the mosque is open daily from 09.00 till dusk. Since it is still a working mosque, the mosque closes for 90 minutes at each prayer time. This time changes daily depending on the earth’s position however mornings are usually the safest time to arrive. As their site says, “Avoid visiting a mosque at pray time (Especially Midday praying on Friday) or within a half hour after the ezan is chanted from the Mosque minarets.” Here’s a link to the changing prayer times.

Women are asked to wear a head covering when entering the Blue Mosque. If you don’t have a scarf, the mosque provides some free for your use. Male or female, if you’re wearing shorts or a short skirt, you’ll be asked to wrap yourself in a piece of cloth, again given by the mosque  for free. Flash photos aren’t allowed inside. Before walking into the Mosque, you’ll be asked to take of off your shoes and place them in a plastic bag (free) that you’ll carry with you as you walk through the Mosque and exit the other side.

Hagia Sofia

I’ve never seen a building as stunning as the Hagia Sofia. The architecture of the Hagia Sofia is especially awe inspiring, considering it was built in 537 with materials taken from all over the empire, including columns from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and stone from Egypt and Syria.

Originally the crowning glory of Constantinople (New Rome), the city was eventually conquered and the church was converted into a mosque for nearly 500 years before finally becoming a museum in 1935.

Admission to the Hagia Sofia museum is 25 TL for adults and kids under 12 are free. Visiting hours are from 09.00 – 19.00 (the last ticket sale 18:00), and it is closed Mondays.

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)

The Basilica Cistern, built in 542 AD, is the largest of the ancient cisterns underneath the streets of Istanbul. Descending into the cistern feels like you’re visiting a sunken palace. The cistern could hold up to 80,000 cubic metres (2,800,000 cu ft) of water, but today there are around a foot or two at the bottom, and home to some surprisingly large fish swimming among the columns. Make sure you wander all the way to the far left-hand corner of the cistern to see the two Medusa heads.

The Cistern is open from 9:00 am to 18:30 and costs 10 TL for adults, while kids are free. The entrance is across the street from the Hagia Sophia. Signs leading to the Basilica Cistern are named Yerebatan Samici, the cistern’s Turkish name.

Lunch Time!

You should be getting hungry by now. There are a bunch of good restaurants just Southwest of the Basilica on the streets of Yerebatan Caddesi and Divan Yolu Caddesi. We ate at Fuego restaurant and the food was decent. Prices were reasonable for the area, and supper came with a free appetizer of tzatziki, hummus and bread.

Tip: If you’re really in a rush, you can grab an ear of roasted corn on the cob or roasted chestnuts from a vendor when you leave the Basilica. There’s a small park just South of the Basilica where you can rest on the grass and enjoy.

Grand Bazaar

Jammed with literally thousands of stalls, the maze-like Grand Bazaar was originally built in 1455. You can find everything here from food to trinkets to Turkish carpets.

Unfortunately, we spent a little too much time in the Hagia Sofia (and wow, it was worth every second), so we arrived just a bit too late too see the Grand Bazaar in all its splendor, though we were prepared to bargain hard and be constantly bombarded from vendors.

It’s free to enter the Grand Bazaar, which is open 8:30 am to 17:00 (5 pm). Closed Sundays. There are five major gates. If you’re following our itinerary, you’ll want the Örücüler Kapısı gate which leads to the Spice Bazaar.

Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Market)

The Spice Bazaar is home to a few hundred stalls, mostly selling delicious food items, ranging from lokum (Turkish Delight) to spices, dried fruits, honeycomb and nuts. The smell is absolutely heavenly. Built in 1664 with a long tradition of screaming out their wares, we found that vendors were fairly laid back the day we visited, with almost no one in the stalls shouting for our attention.

Free. Open: daily from 08.00 – 19.00. Closed Sunday. Turkish Delight (lokum), nuts, spices, honeycomb, coffee, teas, candies and various wares. Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi sells good coffee beans.

Bonus: Bosphorus Cruise

If you have a bit of time to spare, and you’re traveling from May to September, consider a cruise on the Bosphorus. You can pick up tickets at Eminonu, at the IDO/Şehir Hatları Bosphorus lines sales offices at Bogaz Hatti dock (dock no.3). The short cruise starts 2:30pm (14:30) from the Eminönü pier and takes 2 hours. Check times and dates at the official ferry website here. The cruise is a steal of a deal at 10 TL for adults, 5 TL kids under 12, and electronic guides are sold for 7.5 TL.

Galata Bridge

Make your way across Ragip Gumuspala Cd while being awed at the floating  kitchens docked near the bus stops and use the underground walkways to check out Galata bridge.

Well worth a look, this iconic bridge spans the Golden Horn bay of Istanbul. Fishermen on the upper level line the edges, and cast their lines into the Bosphorus strait below. The lower level is packed with restaurants serving fresh caught fish fried up and served in a sandwich (along with other food).

Transportation

After walking across the Galata Bridge, you have a few transportation options to make your way home.

There’s an efficient tram that runs back into Sutanhamet (and further West) or along the river’s edge close to the Dolma Bahce Palace. Highly recommended, the tram is fast, cheap at 3 TL for adults, and can save you a lot of time by avoiding the ridiculous stop and go traffic of Istanbul.

You can also hail a cab off the street, but be careful of traffic conditions. We ended up sitting in our cab for half an hour, stuck in traffic, as mopeds whizzed by on one side as pedestrians rushed by on the other. There are also numerous buses running along here, but again, you may run into problems with traffic in this area.

Where to stay

We found Istanbul hotel prices to be surprisingly expensive, so we opted to rent an apartment from Airbnb instead. For less than the cost of most hotel rooms, we ended up with a great two bedroom apartment, with a dishwasher, washer and dryer in a funky, authentic Istanbul neighborhood an easy walk to the tram or ferry station. Check out the listings for Istanbul on Airbnb.

Want a discount on your next Airbnb rental? Click on our link to get a $35 USD credit if you sign up with a new email (and we get a credit, too).

Look like too much work?

If you’re looking for a tour that will help you navigate Istanbul in an afternoon, Viator offers a very highly rated and popular private one day tour. You can check out details on Viator here.

The tour includes lunch, and guides you through the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, among other attractions.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive itinerary, check out the article for a four day Istanbul Itinerary from Melissa of High Heels and a Backpack.

Have you ever been to Istanbul? What are your must see things to see and do?

I have to admit that I was a bit uncertain about what to do with my little kids (ages seven and four) in Madrid. And with a week to spend, well, honestly, I was wondering how many museums and cathedrals my two little ones could take.

While Madrid offers a lot in the way of amusement parks (even one by Warner Brothers!) and specialized children’s activities, I wanted to enjoy the finer things with my little ones in tow as well. Turns out, taking in the art, food and architecture of Madrid with the family wasn’t all that daunting after all.

Here are my top takes on fun family activities in Madrid that won’t leave you stuck in amusement parks and toddler playgrounds:

Visit the Reina Sofia

Smack dab in central Madrid, the Reina Sofia museum is a great choice of parents with little ones. It’s a lot livelier than most stuffy museums. Our kids loved the surrealist paintings of artists like Picasso and Dali, and really enjoyed getting close to many of the sculptures.

The Reina Sofia museum is set up as a series of small exhibits in rooms off a large central hallway. The hallways are wide and make great spaces for the kids to burn off a little steam in between checking out the exhibits.

Important Tip! There are no ropes at the Reina Sofia to keep little hands away from the priceless artwork. After I stopped asking myself “what the hell were they thinking?“, I made sure I had a tight grip on my kids. The staff will also remind you if you forget.

I’d recommend no more than an hour or two at the Reina museum with little ones, depending on your patience and your kids’ need to run free. Check the Reina Sofia’s website for a generous selection of days and times with free admission. Regular prices are 6 Euro for adults and free for kids under 18.

Go for a walk in Centro

Cars aren’t allowed in a good chunk of Madrid’s centro, making the city center the perfect place to go for a walk. There are, quite literally, at least a dozen squares in central Madrid, all connected by pedestrian only streets, or at the very least, streets with wide sidewalks, which are fantastic for traversing with children. Start with Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace (Palacio Real de Madrid), lively and contentious Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de España.

Don’t miss the playground beside Plaza Oriente, which is complete with swings, slides and climbing apparatus for slightly older kids (perfect for our seven year old Cole, who’s half boy, half mountain climber).

If your little ones aren’t walking yet (or can’t walk long stretches) a stroller is an absolute must in Madrid. You may struggle a little bit with the stroller on the metro escalators, but Madrid is a walking city. Even our four year old, Jordan, who walks untold kilometers without needing to be carried, folded under the pressure of all of the walking we did in Madrid, leaving Charles and I toting a tired preschooler around the streets.

Enjoy a glass of wine (or a cervesa) and a tapa

Decidedly unlike pubs or bars in North America, where children are never allowed, Spain’s tapas bars are often quite comfortable with having your children accompany you for a glass of wine or a beer.

Traditionally, you’ll get a small tapa (snack or appetizer, in North American terms) with each wine or beer. Tapas can vary from a simple dish of olives or bread, to hot dishes like paella, seafood or serrano ham (if you’re lucky).

One of our favorites places we ate was at the kid friendly Casa Mingo. Casa Mingo specializes in traditional cider (sidra) brewed in Northern Spain. Charles swears their succulent roasted chicken was some of the best he’s had in a very long time. There are plenty of tables and other families in the generously sized restaurant area. The con? It’s a long 20 minute walk from Plaza Oriente so a bus or taxi might not be a bad idea.

Churros Con Chocolate

One of our favorite traditions in Madrid was enjoying churros con chocolate.

Melted chocolate is served in small coffee cups, with long strips of lightly fried dough called churros. You eat the churros by dipping them in the thick hot chocolate. It’s every bit as decadent and delicious as you imagine. For a change of pace, try the porros, which are larger than churros and have slightly different texture.

Spaniards traditionally eat churros con chocolate for breakfast (have I mentioned how much I love Spain for this?), but we found them a bit to heavy and sweet for so early in the morning.

We loved Madrid’s famous San Ginés (in business since 1894) but found the chocolate a bit too dark for us. If you’re milk chocolate lovers like us, check out the Maestro Churrero Chocolateria.

Looking for a great place to stay in Madrid? Check out the very best of Madrid’s hostels!

Does all this seem like too much work?

If you’re looking for a little help getting around, Viator offers some fantastic tours in and around Madrid.

There’s a Madrid City Hop-on Hop-off Tour, a scooter tour, a Madrid Tapas and Wine-Tasting Tour.

If you find yourselves in Madrid and are trying to cater to everyone’s cultural needs, check out the map below, which lists the places I’ve mentioned: