A friend once described Istanbul as a “storied city,” and that phrase stuck with me. Istanbul is a city of diverging stories that defies classification. It’s impossible to cover everything within the space of two or three days, and although I spent about a week there, I barely scratched the surface.

I was lucky enough to stay with the best host family ever, my friend Alperen, who I met in Spain, and his amazing mom Asuman and his sister Aybeniz. They made sure I was looked after and had the best time.

I stayed on the Anatolia, or Asian side, which I preferred because there were less tourists and more Turkish people going about their daily lives. Also, my friend Sinem lives on this side, too, so we were able to meet for a coffee.

Here’s an overview of things to do in Istanbul, which Alperen, my friend Victoria and I did while exploring the city.

We saw the famous sites:

• Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya)

• Blue Mosque // Sultanmehet Camii

• Basilica Cistern

• Galata Tower

• Dolmabahçe Palace

• Takism Square

We did some Turkish touristic things:

• Watched a Whirling Dervishes show

• Tried Baklava, Turkish Delight, Kunefe

• Drank lots of Turkish tea and coffee (I ended up buying five bags of Turkish coffee and a special coffee maker called a cezve)

• Ate a fish sandwich along the Bosphorus

• Rode the ferries to get around

We also checked out some awesome neighborhoods and areas:

I especially loved hanging out as Çamlıca Hill, at night.

Balat

Kadıköy 

Beykoz

Ortakoy

Finally, we got to beat the heat and go swimming on Istanbul’s nearby islands including the one where Alperen’s family used to have a bakery!

My favorite part of Istanbul was getting to spend time with my friends, try amazing Turkish dishes, and explore cool neighborhoods that I probably would never go to on my own. We learned a few Turkish phrases and were treated with such warmth and hospitality by Alperen and his family.

Turkey has so much to see and explore and I hope to plan a trip back there one day.