Turkey Travel: 7 Nights, 8 Days Girls' Trip (Part 2)

🗓️ Day 4

✈️ From Cappadocia to Istanbul

Airport Bus Havaist to the Hotel
→ Havaist is a bus service connecting Istanbul's airport to the city center. Tickets can be purchased at the bus stop.
💰 Price per person: Around ¥1,000 one-way

🏨 Catch Sultanahmet-Special Class
📍 Sultanahmet Mah, Kennedy Cad. No:38 D:1A, 34122 Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey
※ The location was a bit tricky to find, but locals were kind enough to guide us!

🏖️ Atmosphere/Facilities: Upon arrival, the hotel staff greeted us warmly. The hotel is divided into several buildings, and some do not have elevators, which might make carrying large suitcases up the stairs challenging. However, the staff is happy to assist if needed! The hotel is located by the sea, making it a great spot to relax on a bench by the shore in the morning.

💞 Recommended Reason: The hotel is within walking distance of various tourist attractions like Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar! The accessibility to sightseeing spots was excellent.

💰 Price per person: Around ¥20,000 per night

Sightseeing 🧳
📍 Grand Bazaar
→ Sells authentic tea leaves and scarves. You can sample tea leaves you're interested in ☕️

📍 Hagia Sophia
📍 Basilica Cistern (💰 Around ¥3,000 per person)

↑ Access:
All locations are within a 15-minute walk from the hotel!

📍 Supermarket
→ Try the snack "damak," a famous pistachio-filled chocolate in Turkey 🍫

Dinner
🍽️ Olive Garden Cafe & Restaurant
📍 Küçük Ayasofya, Kadırga Limanı Cd. No:102, 34400 Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey

💞 Recommended Reason: Half of the restaurant is terrace seating surrounded by greenery, creating a stylish ambiance. The staff was friendly and explained the menu in detail.

💰 Price per person: Around ¥3,000-4,000

🗓️ Day 5

Sightseeing 🧳
📍 Strolling around neighborhoods by the Bosphorus Strait
→ The Bosphorus Strait serves as the boundary between Europe and Asia! You can explore various towns via ferry ⛴️. Although there was a cruise ship traveling from Istanbul to the Bosphorus Bridge near the Black Sea, we couldn't take it due to time constraints.

Ferries depart from the pier near Galata Bridge! While there are many guides available online, I personally found it easier to plan my route using Google Maps 😅. Ferry terminals are marked with ship icons on the map, allowing you to check which destinations are available.

🗓️ Day 6

Sightseeing 🧳
📍 Exploring the area around Galata Tower
→ The area has many slopes, so comfortable shoes are recommended! The surroundings of Galata Tower are lined with trendy shops 🥺.

Dinner
🍽️ MASSA BISTRO
📍 Hacıtahsibey sk alemdar mh no 11 a, Sultanahmet near tramway station Istanbul, 34110 Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey

💞 Recommended Reason: You can watch the pottery kebab performance 🏺. The Turkish-style pizza called "pide" was delicious!

💰 Price per person: Around ¥3,000

🗓️ Day 7

Return ✈️

⭐️ Additional Notes
Pottery kebabs are famous, and you might spot pottery drying on the streets 😂.

Most restaurants we visited in Turkey offered complimentary Turkish tea from before the meal to after. Turkish tea is typically strong and diluted with hot water, so the strength varies by restaurant 😳. In some places, you can adjust the amount of hot water yourself, so try finding your preferred balance! Adding sugar cubes makes the tea smoother.

Turkish Airlines is recommended for flights to Istanbul and Cappadocia! They offer direct flights from Tokyo to Istanbul, and the in-flight meals are delicious. Since it was a route from Japan, they even served rice balls as snacks 🫨.

When booking tours like hot air balloon rides locally, note that some places only accept cash. It's better to carry extra cash! I brought more Euros than Turkish Lira, as Euros seemed to be more commonly used 💶.

Turkey has a unique atmosphere, neither fully European nor Asian 🇹🇷.