Ever since I found out about touristanbul I was eagerly waiting for the opportunity fly Turkish Airlines and visit Istanbul in transit. My red-eye from London to Istanbul on Saturday night landed early morning and I had a 15-hour layover before my flight to Mumbai. There were kiosks at the airport where people could apply for a visa.The Republic of Turkey issues e-Visas for Indian passport holders who have a valid visa for the USA, the UK, or the Schengen countries. I had applied for the e-Visa in advance to avoid any last-minute complications. I headed to immigration, where the officer checked my e-Visa and also my visa for the USA, and stamped my passport. My bag was checked through to Mumbai so I walked past baggage claim and customs and proceeded to the Hotel Desk in the International Arrival Hall (next to Starbucks). I submitted my boarding pass to them, and they asked me to wait around until they called for the tour. There was still lots of time so I found an empty bench and took a nap since I hadn’t really slept well on the overnight flight.
About half an hour before the tour departure time, they asked us to assemble in one place. After calling our names, they returned our boarding passes and gave us each a badge for the day. This badge would help identify us for the waived entrance fees and the complimentary meals. We were introduced to our guide and led to the bus which would take us from the airport to the city.
Turkish Airlines and touristanbul not only provided complimentary breakfast and lunch during the day but also covered all the entrance fees to the various sites we visited. After driving from the airport in our bus, we first stopped at Çatladikapi Sosyal Tesisleri for breakfast.
Then we walked to the Sultan Ahmet Square to see the Walled Obelisk, the Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column.
Next, we visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque for the blue handmade İznik-style ceramic tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It is considered to be the last example of Ottoman classical architecture and continues to function as a mosque even today.
Our next stop was the Topkapi Palace Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The palace complex has many rooms, chambers and gardens.
We took a break for lunch at the Tamara Restaurant where they served some local cuisine. After that we had some spare time for souvenir shopping.
Our afternoon was spent at Hagia Sophia, which was a former basilica, later a mosque and is now a museum. The central dome appears to be hovering above the nave and it is richly decorated with mosaics.
The last stop of the evening was the Basilica Cistern, the largest of several ancient cisterns beneath the city.
We saw the German Fountain in Sultan Ahmet Square on our way back to the bus before heading back to the airport.
We returned our badges and thanked our guide for a wonderful day. There was a security check right at the entrance of the airport even before the airlines counters. The line at passport control was long, but the process didn’t take too long and then I was airside and making my way to the gate for my flight back to Mumbai. This was a fantastic way to spend a long layover in a new city and new country, all thanks to touristanbul and Turkish Airlines. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has chance to fly Turkish Airlines and transit Istanbul. I would love to visit again, with more time to explore Istanbul and Turkey.
👣 touristanbul
🍽️ Çatladikapi Sosyal Tesisleri
🍽️ Tamara Restaurant and Cafe