Europe Travel Diaries: Our First Day in Istanbul
Our fascination with Europe, its rich history, timeless architecture, and stories of ancient civilizations, once again pulled us into an unforgettable journey. This time, it was sixteen days across Turkey and Greece.
We began our journey on May 7th, flying out of Charlotte for Istanbul. With no direct flights available, our route took us through Toronto and Frankfurt before finally reaching Turkey. We left Charlotte in the morning and reached Istanbul around noon the next day.
Before visiting Istanbul, it helps to understand the city’s deep historical roots, most importantly its connection to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential empires in history, lasting from the late 13th century until the early 20th century (1299–1922). At its height, it stretched across three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—and played a major role in shaping trade, culture, architecture, and governance across a vast region.
At the heart of this empire was Istanbul, then known as Constantinople. Following the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453, it became the empire's capital and remained its political, cultural, and economic center for centuries. As the seat of Ottoman power, Istanbul developed into one of the world's most important cities, attracting merchants, scholars, and travelers from across continents. Many of the city's most recognizable landmarks today date back to this period, with grand mosques, palaces, bustling markets, and intricate tile work still defining its skyline and reflecting this enduring legacy.
With this history in mind, we finally arrived in Istanbul. At the airport, our pre-arranged driver was already waiting for us, ready to take us to Sultanahmet, the historic heart of the city where we would be staying.
The drive, about an hour and a half, felt like a gradual introduction to the city itself. As we moved away from the airport, Istanbul began to unfold in layers—busy roads, constant traffic, and a striking mix of modern buildings and older, historic structures. In many ways, the chaos of the city felt familiar, reminding us of large metropolitan cities back in India, but with its own distinct character shaped by centuries of history.
As soon as we arrived at the White House Hotel Istanbul, one of the staff members came out to greet us and helped us with our luggage. Inside, the manager welcomed us personally and offered traditional Turkish sherbet, which was a nice touch after a long journey.
The hotel has a boutique feel with Ottoman-inspired décor and a rooftop restaurant that offers views of the city. The room and bathroom were on the smaller side, but the service was very good, and the location made up for it. Being in the heart of Sultanahmet meant we could easily walk to many of Istanbul’s main attractions, which made it a convenient base for exploring the city.
Initially, we purchased an Istanbul transit card but later realized it wasn’t really necessary for our short stay. We found that we could simply tap our credit cards at the tram gates, making public transportation even more convenient. It was a useful lesson for future visits and something worth knowing for other travelers as well.
Our first day in Istanbul ended with us feeling tired after a long walk but happy with everything we had seen and experienced. It felt like the beginning of our trip, and the city had already made a strong impression on us, with much more still to explore.
The journey continues in the next post. You can read those memories here.
We began our journey on May 7th, flying out of Charlotte for Istanbul. With no direct flights available, our route took us through Toronto and Frankfurt before finally reaching Turkey. We left Charlotte in the morning and reached Istanbul around noon the next day.
Before visiting Istanbul, it helps to understand the city’s deep historical roots, most importantly its connection to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful and influential empires in history, lasting from the late 13th century until the early 20th century (1299–1922). At its height, it stretched across three continents—Europe, Asia, and Africa—and played a major role in shaping trade, culture, architecture, and governance across a vast region.
At the heart of this empire was Istanbul, then known as Constantinople. Following the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453, it became the empire's capital and remained its political, cultural, and economic center for centuries. As the seat of Ottoman power, Istanbul developed into one of the world's most important cities, attracting merchants, scholars, and travelers from across continents. Many of the city's most recognizable landmarks today date back to this period, with grand mosques, palaces, bustling markets, and intricate tile work still defining its skyline and reflecting this enduring legacy.
With this history in mind, we finally arrived in Istanbul. At the airport, our pre-arranged driver was already waiting for us, ready to take us to Sultanahmet, the historic heart of the city where we would be staying.
The drive, about an hour and a half, felt like a gradual introduction to the city itself. As we moved away from the airport, Istanbul began to unfold in layers—busy roads, constant traffic, and a striking mix of modern buildings and older, historic structures. In many ways, the chaos of the city felt familiar, reminding us of large metropolitan cities back in India, but with its own distinct character shaped by centuries of history.
As soon as we arrived at the White House Hotel Istanbul, one of the staff members came out to greet us and helped us with our luggage. Inside, the manager welcomed us personally and offered traditional Turkish sherbet, which was a nice touch after a long journey.
The hotel has a boutique feel with Ottoman-inspired décor and a rooftop restaurant that offers views of the city. The room and bathroom were on the smaller side, but the service was very good, and the location made up for it. Being in the heart of Sultanahmet meant we could easily walk to many of Istanbul’s main attractions, which made it a convenient base for exploring the city.
After a quick refresh, we stepped out for our first evening in Istanbul. Around 6 PM, we had a relaxed dinner at Massa Bistro, which was recommended by the hotel.
As the evening went on, we headed toward one of Istanbul’s most well-known landmarks—Galata Tower. Built in the 14th century by the Genoese as part of the Galata walls, the tower has served different purposes over time, including as a watchtower, fire lookout, and even a prison during the Ottoman period. Today, it is a popular landmark known for its views of the Bosphorus and the city.
As the evening went on, we headed toward one of Istanbul’s most well-known landmarks—Galata Tower. Built in the 14th century by the Genoese as part of the Galata walls, the tower has served different purposes over time, including as a watchtower, fire lookout, and even a prison during the Ottoman period. Today, it is a popular landmark known for its views of the Bosphorus and the city.
To reach it, we crossed the Galata Bridge, where fishermen lined both sides, patiently casting their lines into the water. The air carried a strong smell of fish, and the bridge was bustling with people moving between the two sides of the city.
Once we reached Karaköy, the atmosphere felt noticeably more modern, with cafés, small shops, colorful street art, and people enjoying the evening. From there, we walked uphill through narrow cobblestone streets toward Galata Tower. Along the way, we saw many cats lounging around, as well as workers pulling heavily loaded handcarts up the steep streets. Watching them struggle on the uneven cobblestones made us feel sorry for the effort such work must require.
Once we reached Karaköy, the atmosphere felt noticeably more modern, with cafés, small shops, colorful street art, and people enjoying the evening. From there, we walked uphill through narrow cobblestone streets toward Galata Tower. Along the way, we saw many cats lounging around, as well as workers pulling heavily loaded handcarts up the steep streets. Watching them struggle on the uneven cobblestones made us feel sorry for the effort such work must require.
After visiting Galata Tower, we had originally planned to return to the hotel since we had arrived in Istanbul that same day and were already tired from climbing the steep streets. However, since we were so close, we decided to continue a little further to İstiklal Street—and it turned out to be a great decision.
We continued our walk onto İstiklal Street, a busy pedestrian road that runs between Taksim Square and Karaköy. It was crowded with locals and tourists, with shops, cafés, and restaurants along both sides. A historic-style red tram also runs along the street, which was brought back in the 1990s as a reminder of Istanbul’s older tram system from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even though the area is very modern and lively today, it still reflects some of its older character alongside the current city life.
We continued our walk onto İstiklal Street, a busy pedestrian road that runs between Taksim Square and Karaköy. It was crowded with locals and tourists, with shops, cafés, and restaurants along both sides. A historic-style red tram also runs along the street, which was brought back in the 1990s as a reminder of Istanbul’s older tram system from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even though the area is very modern and lively today, it still reflects some of its older character alongside the current city life.
We stopped at Türk Alman Kitabevi & Cafe, a charming bookstore café on İstiklal Street. The bookstore carries books in Turkish, German, and English, while the café serves coffee, tea, cakes, and light snacks. We enjoyed our first Turkish coffee there, surrounded by shelves of books and a relaxed atmosphere, making it a peaceful break from the busy street outside.
By the time we stepped back outside, night had fully settled over Istanbul, but the city was still buzzing with energy. The streets were illuminated with lights, cafés were busy, and people were out enjoying the evening. We made our way to the tram station, took a tram back to Sultanahmet, and returned to our hotel.
Initially, we purchased an Istanbul transit card but later realized it wasn’t really necessary for our short stay. We found that we could simply tap our credit cards at the tram gates, making public transportation even more convenient. It was a useful lesson for future visits and something worth knowing for other travelers as well.
Our first day in Istanbul ended with us feeling tired after a long walk but happy with everything we had seen and experienced. It felt like the beginning of our trip, and the city had already made a strong impression on us, with much more still to explore.
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