5th – 6th and 19th – 20th April 2025
Having never visited Istanbul, or anywhere in Turkey for that matter, we were intrigued when we came across the possibility of having a layover in Istanbul during both legs of our trip to Malaysia. We were even more interested when we found out the deals that were offered by the airline.
If you are flying with Turkish Airlines, arriving from a different country and transiting through Istanbul to another international destination, and your layover is at least six hours, you can access several perks. This includes a variety of free city tours, ranging from a couple of hours to a full day. Different tours run on different days and at different times, so there is quite a range of attractions that you might be able to see. If your layover is at least 20 hours, you can also access the perk of getting a free night in a hotel. There are a few criteria you must meet (which can be found on the link) and this must be applied for in advance, but there are quite a few different options in various locations around the city depending on what sort of experience you are looking for.
Whilst the offers originally seemed too good to be true, we decided to give it a try and see how it would go. It turned out to be an excellent decision and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Istanbul. So much so that we want to go back and see the city properly, which I guess is the purpose of the deals! So, if you’d like to learn more about how we organised our stopovers and the attractions we were able to see in Istanbul, then please read on…
Contents
- Organising our perks
- What to see in Istanbul
- The ‘Half-Day Tour’ provided by Turkish Airlines
- The Second Layover
- Final Thoughts
Organising our perks
Despite having read through the information available, we still weren’t one hundred percent certain what we would be able to get when we booked our flights through Turkish Airlines. We were just pretty sure that we would get something. And that something turned out to be one night in a hotel and one city tour for our two stopovers in Istanbul (one whilst heading to Malaysia and one on the way back).
Whilst the tour can be sorted quite last minute, the hotel room needed to be selected and booked in advance, so our first decision was whether to choose the outbound or return journey for the night in the hotel. After studying the options, we decided to take the tour on the outbound journey and the hotel on the return. There were two main reasons for this. The first was that on the way there, we got into Istanbul quite late. Thus, we thought it would be a better idea to book a cheap hotel ourselves by the airport, rather than having to travel the hour or so from the airport to the old town of Istanbul when we were already arriving well into the evening. This arrangement also worked out quite well for the tour in the morning, as the tour starts and finishes at the airport, so we reduced the amount of unnecessary travelling back and forth from the old town.
The second reason for choosing the tour on the outward journey and the hotel on the return, was that, given we had never been to Istanbul before, having an organised tour on the first leg of the journey would help us to get our bearings and identify attractions that we wanted to see during our free time in the city on the return leg of the trip.
After making that decision, we then had to select the hotel we wished to stay at and hope it was still available for the night we wanted it. This had to be done through links on the Turkish Airlines website. We did have a couple of issues with the bookings not going through, but when we phoned the Helpdesk, they were able to assist us with the booking.
Given our limited time in Istanbul and our desire to see the city rather than spent too much time in the hotel, we opted for the Grand Yavuz Hotel. There were potentially nicer looking hotels available as part of the offer, but the Grand Yavuz Hotel seemed to have the best location in terms of being walking distance from several of the more famous attractions. In the end, we were very happy with our decision. The room itself was small and basic, but that was all we needed for a layover. The location was indeed excellent, and the breakfast included was very nice and came with a very enthusiastic staff. The breakfast area also looks down on an ‘excavation site’ showing old stone tunnels from previous versions of the city. There was also a fancy bar / restaurant on the top floor with nice panoramic views. We went there briefly when we first arrived, but only for a quick drink. The views were lovely though. The staff were also helpful in booking transport back to the airport.
For the tour, the available options very much depend on the time of the day you are available to do the tour, and how long you have in the city. There are a range of free city tours, ranging from a couple of hours to a full day. Different tours run on different days and at different times, so you would have to check your itinerary to see if any of the options fit your specific timings. They are also quite strict regarding the times you need to be there before the tour, and also the tour needs to be back at the airport at least an hour and a half before your next flight. You can supposedly book these tours in advance, but what we found was that we were unable to book them online and we had to wait until we got there to sort it at the information desk in Istanbul Airport. We made sure we arrived there nice and early, and in plenty of time to make sure there were still enough spots on the tour. If you arrive just before the tour, you would just have to hope that there would still be spaces available.
Given that our flight was later in the afternoon, our timings fit nicely for the ‘Half-day Tour’. Despite the name, the tour left the airport at 8:30am and didn’t return until 3pm, which seems more than half a day to me. Whilst the bus journey back and forth to the old town was quite long, it still provided interesting views and we still had plenty of time in the old town of Istanbul itself. I’ll discuss the attractions we saw in more detail later on, but here’s a brief overview just for now. The time in the old town started with a nice breakfast at a local restaurant, before going to the Blue Mosque (which we ended up preferring to the Ayasofya Mosque), walking through the Hippodrome to see its monuments, passing around the outside of the impressive Ayasofya Mosque (formerly known as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque), and exploring the Topkapi Palace. We then ended with another tasty, substantial meal at another local restaurant before heading back to the airport. Everything was very punctual and the guide spoke very good English, although it was sometimes a bit hard to hear him. The attractions on the tour depends on the day, but we really enjoyed our particular itinerary. One thing to note is that the priority of the guide and bus driver is to get back in time so that people do not miss their flights. During the times when you are not being specifically guided, such as in the Topkapi Palace, they will not wait for you if you are late. I think this is reasonable, so you need to make sure you keep an eye on the time!
The tour both starts and finishes at the airport and you leave luggage in the bus at your own risk. Given that we only had layovers in Istanbul, for each time we passed through we chose to send our main luggage straight through from our initial to our final destination and carry only our hand luggage. This made it much easier to get ourselves sorted and be able to enjoy the tour on our outwards journey, and then explore Istanbul independently during our return trip.
Just a couple of last points to note about organising your layovers in Istanbul. The first is that Istanbul airport is ridiculously expensive. I don’t understand how it can cost so much to purchase anything at the airport when Istanbul in general seemed quite reasonable. So try and make sure that you purchase meals and snacks outside of the airport, especially if you end up having to wait for quite a while in the airport itself during your layover.
The second point is that for when you are given the free night in the hotel, this does not include the transport to the hotel and back again, which you have to organise yourself. We decided to take the bus to the centre and then get the tram to arrive at the hotel. Whilst the coach itself was nice, getting on it was another matter. Firstly the signage is pretty poor, so we had to ask more than one person to make sure we got to the correct spot. Then, after waiting for ages and trying to queue when queuing doesn’t seem to be the custom, they mis-counted the number of people they’d let on the bus. Thus we ended up having to get off again and wait the best part of an hour for the next one. Luckily it wasn’t particularly late in the day and we had nothing specific planned for that evening, but it was still pretty frustrating.
What to see in Istanbul
There are many blog posts out there that give a much more detailed overview of the vast number of attractions in Istanbul. But I’ll still give you a rundown of what we were able to see during our brief stay in the city to give you an idea of what is possible, even with just a layover. I’ll start with the attractions we saw during our free tour, before writing about what we visited during our independent exploration on our return leg.
The ‘Half-Day Tour’ provided by Turkish Airlines
We arrived back at the airport to access the tour desk as soon as it opened in the morning to make sure that we would get a spot on the half-day tour. In the end, it wasn’t necessary as there were still spaces available during the tour, but we weren’t taking any chances. We hung around the airport from about an hour before the tour started promptly at 8:30. Please be aware that Istanbul Airport is one of the most expensive airports I’ve ever been to, which seemed to be in total contrast to prices in the city, so maybe don’t go there needing to buy anything. If you wish to learn about our itinerary for the half-day tour, then please read on.
The Blue Mosque
Our first stop was to get a nice and filling breakfast at one of the local restaurants. Afterwards, we started walking towards the Hippodrome. This refers to the ancient part of the city that was used for events such as chariot racing and other forms of entertainment during the peak of Constantinople. What occupies this space now, however, is Sultanahmet Square.
As we wound our way through the streets, we suddenly saw the spires of the Blue Mosque poking up over the rooftops and not long after we were stood at the gate looking upon the impressive structure. I’m rather partial to the colour blue, but even without the pretty hue of the rooftops, the architecture itself would have made the Blue Mosque very special.
During the day the mosque is generally open to visitors, apart from during times of prayer. It is therefore important to check these times during your stay if you’re wanting to visit. And whilst entry is free, you do need to pass through a security check, which can take a long time during peak hours. So, we made our way round to the entrance and joined the queue. Luckily for us, it didn’t take too long to get inside – I’m guessing because we were visiting during shoulder season and in the morning. And yet, despite the reasonably short queue, there were still plenty of people inside admiring the amazing architecture. As you enter, you are required to take off your shoes, which can be left in the nooks along the walls or kept in a bag. There is also a dress code for entering the mosque. The lengths of trousers and sleeves was not an issue for us given the season in which we visited, but Radka did need to remember to bring a shawl to act as a headscarf. If you’ve forgotten one, they can be rented or bought at the entrance.
The entrance leads directly into the main hall of the building, where we would probably have found the sight of dozens of people looking upwards slightly amusing, if it wasn’t for the fact that we were doing exactly the same thing! The towering domes with their beautiful, intricate decorations were a sight to behold. The dappled light provided by the multitude of stained glass windows over many tiers added to the ambiance. The area for prayers was cordoned off, and when we visited there was only a single devotee knelt in the vast space. It was quite the contrast having this isolated man set in peaceful contemplation not far from the bustling crowd of tourists trying to take in the views.
It really was a stunning place to visit. Once we were able to drag our eyes away from the dazzling colours and patterns, we collected our shoes and made our way to the courtyard, where we were able to put on our shoes again and people were removing their headscarves (I’m not sure if this second part is the official rule or not, but there didn’t seem to be any problems with it). The views from the courtyard were also amazing, as you could see all of the vast minarets and we were lucky enough to have clear blue skies as the backdrop. One of the minarets was covered in scaffolding, but we could still appreciate the others.
As you leave through the gate, make sure to have one more look back at the inscriptions above the door. I have no idea what it says but it looked pretty with the domes also visible through the archway.
Sultanahmet Square
After leaving the Blue Mosque, we had a very pleasant walk along the length of the Sultanahmet Square, as we headed towards the Topkapi Palace. We passed by the famous monuments that line the central section of the square. The first of which was the 3,500 year old Obelisk of Theodosius, which was brought over from Luxor in Egypt in the 4th Century AD. It must have been quite the feat to transport such a massive block of granite that distance at that time!
We also passed by the Serpent Column, whose Bronze pieces were formed from the melted shields of defeated foes in a pivotal battle in ancient Greece; and the Germain Fountain, a present from the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II during his state visit in 1898. It was impressive to have so much varied history in a relatively small area.
The route also took us by the vast Ayasofya Mosque, which was formerly known as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Whilst we only walked around the outside of the complex, it whetted our appetite for visiting properly when we returned for our second stopover.
Topkapi Palace
The next attraction on the tour was a visit to Topkapi Palace. For about 400 years this complex served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire, and was the main residence of its Sultans. Now, it acts as a museum and houses an impressive range of exhibits in a beautiful setting. We had about an hour and a half to explore the site as we thought best, but we could easily have spent double that visiting the interesting exhibits and enjoying the sun in the well-kept gardens.
There was of course a queue to get in, but being part of an organised tour meant that we did not have to wait that long before being allowed to enter. After getting through the checkpoint and entering the 1st Courtyard, we were given a time to be back and were then left to our own devices for about an hour and a half.
We started by exploring some of the exhibits, that were dotted about in various buildings throughout the complex. We first headed to the Palace Kitchens, which were off the 2nd Courtyard, with the high domed rooms being just as impressive as the collection of vases and kitchen ware.
We then made our way through to the 3rd Courtyard and the Treasury. This was probably the most interesting of the exhibits we visited, with it showing a host of different types of items from the Sultan’s collection, ranging from military ware and armour to delicate jewellery. Famous items, such as the Spoonmaker’s Diamond and the Topkapi Dagger, are also housed there.
We then proceeded to the 4th Courtyard, where a couple of terraces gave stunning views out over the Golden Horn and Bosphorus and over to the Asian section of Istanbul. This seemed to be the most popular part of the Palace, with crowds congregating to try and take in the views and get a few photos.
We briefly looked round the remaining gardens and the outsides of the intricately decorated buildings before heading back, briefly stopping off at the small exhibit on clocks. We really enjoyed visiting the Palace, and could easily have spent double the time exploring the interesting exhibits and relaxing in the gardens, which seemed to be a place of calm in amongst the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.
Lunch and the end of the tour
Upon rejoining our guide and the rest of our tour group, we then headed back the way we had come, again passing around the edge of the Ayasofya Mosque. As we walked along the street, the guide made sure to point out Hafız Mustafa, which is a shop famous for its Baklava – more on there later. We then went down some side streets and ended up at the restaurant of the Sura Hotel for lunch. An interesting buffet was provided, with plenty of local options to try. It was very filling and a nice way to end the tour. We then headed back to where the coach could pick us up, before proceeding back to the airport. But even the journey back was interesting, as first we passed under the Aqueduct of Valens, before enjoying watching the fisherman on the Atatürk Bridge. The coach got us back to the airport in plenty of time for our onwards flight. It had been a really nice day and a brilliant introduction to Istanbul!
The Second Layover
Less than two weeks later, we were back in Istanbul for another layover. This time, the hotel was included in the price of the flight and we had the following morning and early afternoon to do some exploring of our own. We had chosen the Grand Yavuz Hotel because it is walking distance to some of the major tourist attractions in Istanbul, which allowed us to have a nice early start and to make the very most of the limited time we had in the city. We decided to focus on two of the main attractions that had not been included in half-day city tour that we had done during the first stop-over.
The Ayasofya Mosque
The Ayasofya Mosque, formally known as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, is probably one of the first things that you think about when someone mentions Istanbul, and it was somewhere that we definitely wanted to see.
We decided to pre-book with a guide so that they could sort the tickets and provide us with the history and keys bits of information that we would probably have missed. We found our tour on ‘Get Your Guide’ and went for the one entitled ‘Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Guided Tour with Expert Guide’. The price for the two of us was less than 15 EUR, although that does not include the mandatory 25 EUR entry ticket per person for foreign tourists.
We walked from our hotel and met the guide at the tram stop nearest to the Mosque. Whilst we did have to queue to get in, it didn’t take too long and we were glad to have someone to sort the entrance tickets. Like the Blue Mosque, there is the same strict dress code, including women needing to cover their heads. Since the conversion of the building from a museum back into a mosque in 2020, tourists are only allowed to visit parts of the mosque on the upper floor, which is separate from the areas used by the worshipers.
Our guide first took us on a tour around of the designated areas, talking about the history and highlighting interesting aspects of the building. This included pointing out the Christian designs and mosaics that could still be found in certain spots. The building was built as a Christian Church and remained so for hundreds of years, and some of the iconography from that period still remains. There has led to an interesting conflict for the modern building. As a mosque, there should be no depictions of animate beings, but as a UNESCO listed heritage site, they are not allowed to remove the mosaics or alter the facade due to its historical significance. As such, there are temporary attempts to cover them with sheets and screens.
One of the other interesting things that was pointed out was graffiti that had been carved into the walls. This included religious depictions but also more mundane graffiti. What made it especially interesting was that some of it is believed to have been left by traders from the viking era. It always seems crazy to me that Norsemen would have been able to sail as far as Constantinople. And that they had been standing in the exact spot we were in but hundreds of years prior. As well as potential pictures of Norse ships, there was an inscription in Norse ruins. And without the guide pointing them out, we would never have noticed them.
Having completed his duties with a loop of the allowed space, our guide left us to finish meandering ourselves before heading out. We did another loop to appreciate the sights and take some photos before heading for the exit. Whilst the Ayasofya Mosque is undoubtedly an impressive structure, we weren’t really enamoured or left wanting to come back. It was a shame that we had not been able to visit prior to 2020, when the complex was still a museum. As it is now, we much preferred the experience of visiting the Blue Mosque. It is (in our opinion) a more attractive building and we much preferred our time there.
Hafız Mustafa for Baklava
Given my sweet tooth, I was unwilling to visit Turkey without trying some of its famous Baklava dessert! It is believed that the modern version of Baklava was devised in the kitchens of the Topkapi Palace. And during the half-day tour during our previous stop-over, we had been recommended Hafız Mustafa as the best place to sample it. It would be quite easy to miss the shop as, despite its prominent position near the Ayasofya Mosque, you need to go down some stairs off the Main Street to actually access the shop. Once inside, we were overwhelmed with the different options and varieties that you could purchase. And they all looked so good! If you can’t decide which pre-prepared box to buy, as was the case with us, you can put together a box yourself and choose which varieties you want to include. The boxes come in different sizes and are certainly not cheap, but are definitely worth it. We tried the more traditional varieties with pistachios, but also with walnuts, and with chocolate. They were all fantastic but the more traditional ones were probably the best. If you are in Istanbul, this place is definitely worth a stop.
The Basilica Cistern
Radka is quite a big fan of the Dan Brown novels and films, and as such, when we decided to stop in Istanbul a visit to the Basilica Cistern was quickly identified as a major attraction. For those of you who are also familiar, the Basilica Cistern is the location for the climax of the novel Inferno, and its later film adaptation.
The Basilica Cistern is walking distance from the Ayasofya Mosque, even with a detour to Hafız Mustafa, and thus we thought we’d easily be able to link the two attractions together. When we arrived, however, there was a queue going down the street and around the corner. Given we had to leave by a certain time to get to the airport, we were worried that we wouldn’t have time to get inside. The worry must have been etched onto our faces, as from no-where a guide appeared wondering if we wanted to hire him. We are normally loathe to hire someone without having done some prior research or at least going through a company, but we thought it might be worth it. My inner-Britishness may have been squirming as we cut the line in front of the queueing masses, but we would not have made it if we hadn’t done so. And our fears about our guide being a scam artist were quickly dispelled as the guards knew him and he was quickly able to sort our tickets and get us inside.
Our guide took us down the stairs and give us a five minute talk about the history of the location before leaving us to wander the boardwalk as he left to pick up his next paying customers. We didn’t pay him that much more than the price of the ticket, but given that it only took 10 – 15 minutes of his time, I think it was a good deal all around given our situation.
With the subdued lighting of different colours, the Basilica Cistern has a really cool setting. Despite sometimes being incorrectly referred to as the ‘catacombs’ the structure was only ever built to store water, and is one of many cisterns underneath Istanbul. And now, this water provides beautiful reflections of the towering rows of columns. What adds interest to the visit, is that the columns were recycled from other buildings so there are a range of different styles and patterns originating from different ages of the city.
Two of the more famous columns have sculptures of Medusa carved into their bases and you are alerted to their location by the presence of a more modern statue of the Gorgon from ancient Greek mythology.
The interesting ancient surroundings were also supplemented with more modern works of art, some of which really seemed to have been designed with the location in mind.
All in all, it did not take that long to walk around the boardwalks, even though we kept stopping to take photos. And at one point some tourists from Asia actually wanted to take a photo with Radka. She wasn’t too sure what to make of that, but still obliged.
We really enjoyed our visit to the Basilica Cistern. It was a beautiful place and very different to anywhere else you would visit in the city. So we would definitely recommend giving it a look if you’re ever in Istanbul.
Final Thoughts
Having left the Basilica Cistern, we made our way back to our hotel and got the pre-arranged taxi back to the airport for our flight home. Our two trips to Istanbul had a total time of less than two full days, and yet we felt like we’d been able to see quite a bit. And it was certainly worth it! We had a great time. The city had a really vibrant and exciting feel to it. And there was so much history and sights to see. We can’t quite decide whether the Blue Mosque or the Basilica Cistern was our favourite attraction, but we thoroughly enjoyed everything we got to visit.
But, despite trying our hardest, there is no way you can see even a fraction of the attractions in only two days. The offer from Turkish Airlines did its job, however, and has made us want to go back and explore the city properly. We’d like to visit the Grand Bazaar and see the Dolmabahce Palace; climb the Galata Tower and take a ferry up the Golden Horn and Bosphorus. Not to mention sample a lot more of the delicious food on offer.
So, if you’re flying with Turkish Airlines and you have the chance to have an extended layover, firstly, it’s not a scam, and secondly, we’d highly recommend doing it. It breaks up your long flight and gives you the chance to sample an amazing city at the same time.
Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for what we should do and see when we go back to Istanbul.
Brit and Czech Abroad 