We had planned to visit Istanbul for a long time, but we did not manage to fit everything in so that our vacation would be exactly as we imagined it. I wanted our visit to Istanbul to be realized in the summer months, so that we could enjoy the beauties of this city and walk without any obstacles in the form of winter, rain and the like. However, we always preferred the sea and so our trip to Istanbul was postponed several times. The winter months were not an option.
The time of covids has come, so 2020 and 2021 were extremely difficult for all of us who can’t do without travel. However … At the end of May 2021, we suddenly decided to head to one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Istanbul, in less than a month.
The story of Istanbul came at a time when I agreed with the Hotel Kupeli on a wonderful collaboration, which I am very proud of. Hotel Kupeli is, by the way, the most beautiful hotel I have stayed in so far. But I will write a little more about accommodation later.
We buy plane tickets at an incredible price of about 90 euros and we pack up quickly, overjoyed that we will finally fly by plane after a year. We bought plane tickets via Pegasus at an incredible price (I think the ticket to Istanbul was never as cheap as it was at the time). The Pegasus landing is on the Asian side of the city, while the Turkish landing is on the European side. We were accommodated in Sultanahmet, so we didn’t care which side of the city we would land on. I think even the airport on the Asian side is a shade closer. Through Pegasus, we were only entitled to hand luggage, but we paid about 25 euros for one large suitcase, which is really affordable. The surcharge of 25 euros is total for both directions.
From the airport to the hotel and various parts of the city, you really have a lot of options when it comes to transportation, but we still decided to agree with the hotel to pick them up, in order to save time and get to the hotel as quickly as possible.
Upon leaving the hotel we were enchanted. The accommodation is so beautiful, clean and tidy, that we were left speechless. The hotel has been relatively recently renovated and the rooms are really beautiful. Breakfast at the hotel was very tasty. The location of the hotel is what its biggest advantage is. The hotel is located in a district called Sultanahmet, just a short walk from all the biggest attractions when it comes to Istanbul. 3-4 minutes walk from the hotel are Kapali Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and just a minute walk from the hotel is the T1 station, which takes you to all parts of the city – Eminonu port, Dolmabahce Palace, to the new part of Istanbul where Galata Tower and Taksim etc. are located. The best and most beautiful when it comes to the Kupeli hotel are the people who take care of it, and those are Taner, Serdar, but also everyone else. They greeted us with so much love that I never saw or experienced it. Throughout our stay, they took care of us and that everything was in the best order. If you ever go to Istanbul, Kupeli hotel will be the best choice for your wonderful stay.






When you go to Istanbul, the most important thing is to make a plan. Yes, yes, you heard right! Istanbul is a city on two continents, a city whose streets are visited by 2 million people a day, so a tour plan is necessary. Make a plan before you go on a trip, so you don’t waste time.
Upon arrival at the accommodation, immediately inquire about the nearest exchange office and branch where you can buy a SIM card with internet. Like I said, Istanbul is a big city for which the internet will be of great help to you. We paid around 20 euros for a card with 20GB of internet in Turkcell. Quite enough internet for a longer stay, and we even have internet left after returning to Belgrade. Tip – never buy a SIM card at the airport, and also do not exchange money there.
Now, let’s go back to accommodation and tips on which part of the city is best to choose. Believe me, when it comes to Istanbul, this is perhaps even the most important item. The city is so big that if you settle on the “bad” side, it can significantly ruin your vacation. The options that people most often choose are the Sultanahmet district, Galata tower and Taksim. However, when I made the reservation, the only option for me was the Sultanahmet district. Why? The reason is simple – everything is there for you, everything is close to you, and what is not, is easy to reach from this location. The T1 tram travels to all the main attractions and it is all you need, and it just stops at two or three places in the Sultanahmet district itself.
When we talk about transportation, what you need and what you can’t do without in Istanbul is Istanbulkart. It is a transport card that will open the doors of trams, buses, ferries, and even the nostalgic tram that runs on Taksim Square. Now, as far as this card is concerned, my experience was different than usual, considering that I traveled in the time of covid. Previously, this card was used by up to 5 people, while at the time of the pandemic, one person was allowed to pass on one card. We had to associate the card with our HES code that we received before leaving for Istanbul. The card is purchased at the slot machine and you can top it up at the same slot machine. The card itself, as well as the rides, are very cheap. Transportation in Istanbul is even, I can freely say, too cheap. Within an hour and a half, each ride you complete will be cheaper than the previous one. I would not talk about the prices of the ride now, because the lira fell extremely when we traveled to Istanbul, so the prices were significantly different than usual. But, what I can say is some approximate price of the ride, which has never been more expensive than, say, our 40 dinars per direction. We paid the same amount for ferry cruises, but not standard cruises, but crossing the ferry from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian side and the like. So, for 30-40 dinars, you will enjoy a ferry ride that lasts about 20 minutes and which is really beautiful. Yes, the price of the ride DOES NOT DEPEND on the duration or the number of stations. So, you cancel the ticket before entering the tram and the ticket price is the same regardless of whether you are riding one station or going to the last station. Every next time, within an hour and a half, when you cancel that same ticket, the price will be slightly lower. So I’m not kidding when I say that transportation is too cheap in Istanbul.
Another great option when it comes to transportation is a taxi, which is very cheap in Istanbul. However, a problem can arise if there is a traffic jam, which is a common occurrence in Istanbul, so my recommendation is to use a T1 tram, because it has its own rails that are never crowded, so you will be less at risk of getting stuck in traffic. Another good thing about trams is that they go very often, so you will never wait longer than a few minutes.
When it comes to food and drink tips, the main one is to try everything! Street food is the best, you can buy roasted chestnuts and simit at every corner, and ice creams are so delicious that I have no words. We tried baklava with the famous Hafiz Mustafa, as well as a sutlijaš who is excellent. You can try and buy ratluk and lokum on every corner. Indeed, no one will stay hungry in Istanbul. Pide is something similar to our pizza and can have different flavors. Delicious. For those who like to drink, the advice is to find out before entering the restaurant whether alcohol is served. Somewhere you can’t even drink beer, and somewhere alcohol is served in normal variants. Also, you cannot buy alcohol in every store, but only in certain stores, as well as cigarettes. Raki is a well-known Turkish drink, which is similar to our brandy, for example, and be sure to try it if you can.





When it comes to shopping, we weren’t a bit thrilled. We bought beautiful and cheap pieces only in De Fact, a shop that I adore in Serbia anyway, only in Istanbul this shop is 2-3 times cheaper. We found almost nothing in other shops, although we are not authoritative considering that we are not fans of shopping. Ištiklal street, which is otherwise best known for shopping, left absolutely no impression on us. As for the Kapali Bazaar, we stayed there for only 2-3 minutes and ran away with our heads regardless. But, as I said, we are not authoritative to talk about shopping. What I noticed, and what really surprised me, was that almost no one was in the mood for that bargaining, which is quite strange for Istanbul, but also for Turkey in general. Who knows, maybe this situation with the covid influenced that, and maybe we just weren’t in the right places.
Food is too cheap, as is transportation, and Istanbul is a city that is definitely worth a visit. Therefore, do not spare hours, but suitcases in your hands and head for Istanbul!
I would not give advice now regarding travel in the time of covid because I sincerely hope that this situation will be resolved soon and that we will all return to normal. Also, I would not write about the conditions of my stay in Turkey at the time of covid because those conditions change from day to day, and one rule was valid during my stay, while the following weeks the rules change completely. Of course, if you need any advice, write to me on your instagram profile, and we will explore the details together.
I will write about what to visit and see in one of the next posts. This article was just an introduction and an attempt to help with basic and technical things when it comes to traveling to Istanbul.
I hope you found my advice useful. Expect many more beautiful travelogues from this magical city. For all questions and additional advice you can contact me via my instagram profile.
Thank you for reading and supporting me every day.
UPDATE ❗️You can make a hotel reservation on this link ⤵️
https://www.istanbulhotels.com/en/kupeli-hotel
And you can make a reservation for your transport on this link ⤵️













































































































