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If there’s one city that makes you feel like you’re walking between centuries, it’s Istanbul. I spent four August days based in the Golden Horn — just a ten-minute walk from the mosques that dominate the skyline, and only steps from the markets that hum with life day and night.
It was a trip of contrasts: call to prayer echoing over the water, ferries gliding past as street vendors flipped fresh fish, the cool shade inside centuries-old mosques, and the warm chaos of market stalls piled high with spices, nuts, and sweets.
1. Step Inside Istanbul’s Iconic Mosques
The Blue Mosque is 100% free to enter and one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city; with its cascading domes, towering minarets, and beautifully tiled interior. Go outside prayer times for the best experience. The space feels calm and cool, even in August. If you’re on a tight budget, you can spend hours wondering this spectacle for nothing whatsoever- while also cooling yourself down. Dress modestly for this experience, as it is a functioning mosque and is expected. Expect for you to have to take your shoes off, and wear head scarfs if you’re a woman (they are supplied there for free too!)
Just a short walk away is the Hagia Sophia. Originally a Byzantine church, later an Ottoman mosque, then a museum, and now a mosque again (kinda), it’s one of the most significant religious buildings in the world. The soaring dome, mosaics, and sheer sense of scale are unforgettable. Unlike the Blue Mosque, there’s now an entry fee for tourists, but it’s worth it. You can go outside of prayer times and the upper level is still a museum. I went before it became a mosque, but the entry fee is 100% worth the experience.
Where we stayed was situated right ‘above’ the mosques and square, down the western running road right off the square and a less than 5 minute walk from it all. It had a terrace with amazing views. The price for a 3 night stay in august booking a week before is a kind of ridiculous ~£300, but even looking one minute west down the same road; there’s properties with the same views for less than £30 a night, and if you don’t mind being closer to the water but still within a 10 minute walk of the mosques, there’s plenty of hotels and hostels for £10-£20 a night booked that close in advance on Trivago.
Inside the Hagia Sophia from the second floor 
Hagia Sophia and its gardens at night 
‘Viking Grafitti’ in the Hagia Sophia, left behind from the Varangian guards to the emporor of Byzantium in the 9th century. The guards were made up of the best of the viking warriors, with some anglo saxons. There’s better examples of the runic grafitti, I just didn’t take any more at the time sadly. 
Gli, the infamous cutie that lived in the Hagia Sophia since 2004, until her unfortunate passing. 
Upper levels of the Hagia Sophia, now the museum 
The Deësis Mosaic, depicting Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and the John the Baptist.. 
The Blue Mosque, surrounded in foliage. 
The roof and great dome mosaics of the Aya Sophia. 
View of the Blue Mosque from the hotel terrace. 
The Blue Mosque from the balconies of the Aya Sophia 
Clear view of the grand dome 
Showing the right hand tower at the rear and the Apse mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Christ child from 843AD, the oldest mosaic in the Aya Sophia. 
straight forwards from above the grand gate. 
Looking down on the floor, I couldn’t quite make out the Omphalion anywhere. 
Looking up at the chandeliers and the main dome. 
Food vendors in the main plaza between the two mosques, with the Blue Mosque in the background.
2. Lose Yourself in the Markets
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is an overwhelming but fascinating maze of alleys and covered streets, where shopkeepers call you in to browse carpets, lanterns, jewelry, ceramics, souvenirs and more. Just a few streets away, you’ll find sprawling food and spice markets selling mounds of saffron, rose tea, and dried fruits; less crowded but equally photogenic.
Vendors were generous with free snacks – little bites of Turkish delight, nuts, and other treats, which kept me energized as I wandered the bustling alleys. You can 100% fuel yourself for the day on JUST freebies. Energy rich snacks and loads of fluids are a must if you’re planning to tackle the markets in the summer months! If the main bazaar feels too intense, duck into a café for strong Turkish tea and a slice of baklava. It’s also the perfect spot to rest your feet and watch the city swirl around you. The smaller side bazaars are also a good pick for a quieter experience with more reasonable prices for actual shopping.
3. Eat by the Bosphorus
No trip to Istanbul is complete without a meal by the water. The Bosphorus offers endless restaurants and casual eateries serving pide, a Turkish flatbread topped with melted cheese, meat, or vegetables (Basically a sauceless flatbread turkish spiced pizza, but do NOT call it that!) I had mine right on the Bosphorus, sitting by the water as ferries glided past and the call to prayer echoed over the waves. It’s an experience that felt truly unforgettable.
Away from the crowds, we also found a quiet Korean-style place in the Golden Horn with a peaceful terrace and a stunning view of the Asian half of the city. It was a calm, refreshing contrast to the bustle and a very tasty surprise in a city famed for its own culinary heritage.
If you can, order a mix of mezes to share: smoky eggplant dips, stuffed vine leaves, fresh bread, and olives. Pair it with a cold drink and settle in to watch the sunset over the strait. Just as a general warning for whenever eating; look out for stray cats and dogs, they might be after your meal!
As a budget guide, check the quieter streets near touristy areas first for food. If you don’t mind a mild language barrier, you can find local hotspots with far cheaper prices, arguably tastier food and equally as quaint seating and stunning views.
4. Take to the Water
A Bosphorus cruise is one of the easiest ways to see the city from a new perspective. From the deck, you’ll watch Istanbul transform- from ancient domes and minarets to sleek modern buildings. The contrast is striking, and the breeze is a welcome break from the summer heat.
From this view you can see it all: Both grand mosques, the Topkapi Palace Museum, the Galata Tower, Maiden’s Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace, the Bosphorus Bridge and a sea of mosques, domes and skyscrapers.
For a more local feel, you can also walk parts of the Golden Horn’s waterfront. Parks, fishing spots, and neighborhoods with faded Ottoman houses give you a slower, more everyday glimpse of the city. As expensive as some of these may be, they can also be cheaper than a tenner. You can book these in person with plenty of availability, or online at trip.com if you like to plan. This way you save money, but can get the gist of things. It wouldn’t hurt to walk across the Bosphorus bridge too!
Practical & budget Tips for Visiting the Golden Horn Area
- Stay central for easy walking to major sights- Sultanahmet or just across the Galata Bridge are ideal.
- Use trams to get around quickly and avoid summer heat.
- Dress respectfully for mosque visits (shoulders and knees covered).
- Visit early or late to avoid the heaviest crowds at markets and attractions.
- Istanbul is VERY walkable, it’s good exercise and lets you see the niche corners of the city. If you need to go further, the trams are the cheapest bet and can get you to most touristy places!
- Haggling is just the norm. It’s a part of the culture and entirely expected of you.
- Multiple companies offer completely free city walking guides. Freetour, SANDEMAN’s, and GuruWalk are just some of the few; they’re a ‘donate what you’d like’ model.
top regrets and would I go back?
Istanbul left a massive impression on me. I’ll never forget the contrast between the Hagia Sophia’s cool, calm interior and the chaotic square right outside. I could probably spend a while nitpicking the trip; we mostly stayed in the Golden Horn, I would’ve liked to go to Çamlica Hill for a panorama, maybe go in more active mosques for free. But I think my overall main takeaway is that I need to do it over. If not purely to refresh the frankly poor array of photos I had to pick from for this blog, then to just relive many of the memories that have escaped me. I was fairly young when I went, and as a result I didn’t get the whole hands-on experience I’d get now. I’m sure you can wager a guess as to if I’d go back or not, but I’ll save the details for the full blog here!
The trip was originally a four-day tag on to the end of a summer holiday in Fethiye, a place in Turkey I’ve visited a lot. So much so that I’ve made a blog discussing the whole area and the different tiers of holidays you can achieve on 3 days and 3 budgets. You can find it and the rest of my Turkey blogs here.
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