Ataturk airport is about 20km west of the city centre. British passport holders must pay £10 for a visa on arrival. Once through, the Havas bus shuttles every half-hour between the international arrivals and the city centre. Traffic permitting, the journey takes about 20 minutes to reach Aksaray , where you change for the tram into the old city, or 10 minutes longer to reach Taksim Square - the hub of the new city. The fare to either stop is 8 New Turkish Lira (YTL) (£3.50). The taxi fare to the city centre is around YTL25 (£11). Whichever way you travel, look out for the remains of the old city walls along the way.
GET YOUR BEARINGS
Istanbul resembles three jigsaw puzzle pieces that don't quite match. Most of your time will be spent in Sultanahmet , the area where the city grew up. This is the thumb of Europe that points east across the Bosphorus (the drain from the Black Sea into the Med). To the north of this, across the estuary known as the Golden Horn, is Beyoglu - the more modern part of the city. The historic link between them is the Galata Bridge. The Asian part of the city, on the eastern side of the Bosphorus, is of limited interest - but the ferry trip there is magical (see Take a ride). Public transport is good, with dozens of bus routes and ferries, but you will probably walk most of the time - with the clean, air-conditioned trams helping out when you get weary for a flat fare of YTL1.10 (£0.50).
CHECK IN
White House Hotel on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Marmara on Tripadvisor and hotels own web site has good offers on non-changable
Sirkeci Konak Hotel on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Ada Boutique Hotel on TripAdvisor and Hotels own web site
5Oda on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site over the bridge
Istanbul Suite Home on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Sultan Ottoman Boutique on TripAdvisor or hotels own web site
Agora Life Hotel on Booking.com and hotels own web site
Berce Hotel on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Hotel Tulip House on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Dersaadet Hotel on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Tom Tom Suites on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site over the bridge
W Istanbul on TripAdvisor and hotels own web site
Sumahan on the Water on TripAdvisor and Booking.com and hotels own web site - on Asian side (free private ferry to old city)
TAKE A VIEW
For a while, the Genoese were in control of Beyoglu, and in 1348 they built the Galata Tower - the most visible monument north of the Golden Horn. Between 9am and 5pm daily (admission YTL5/£2) you can ascend this 62m-high round tower, either by lift or the spiral staircase.
TAKE A HIKE
Start at the Karakoy tram stop on the north side of Galata Bridge. Walk south on either side of the bridge - the views from both across the Golden Horn are splendid, in between the row of fishermen. On the south bank, pause to look back over the water at the city then cross the tangle of roads using the subway. You should emerge beside the Spice Bazaar , completed in 1664 and still trading between 9am and 7pm daily. Opposite is the New Mosque - or at least it was new when finished in 1663. Continue along Hamidiye Caddesi, which serves as the main financial thoroughfare and has banks on either side of varying degrees of opulence. At the end of the street, cross to Sirkeci station , and try to imagine the grandeur of the place when the Orient-Express was at its prime in the early 20th century. These days, few trains go much further than the Greek or Bulgarian border. But the waiting room, adjacent to the huge memorial to Ataturk, still contains reminders of the former magnificence.
LUNCH ON THE RUN
How much time do you have? Vendors wheeling trolleys loaded with simit (bagels) are everywhere. You can barely move in the streets just north of the station without finding a kebab shop. But to be in pole position for the afternoon, climb a little to the Guzel Sanatla Café , next to an 18th-century mosque and across the tramway from the entrance to the Topkapi Palace. Despite the touristy location, the service is good, the food simple but excellent and the prices reasonable.
CULTURAL AFTERNOON
Istanbul is woven from ancient threads, a tangle of over two millennia of intrigue, conquest and capitulation. The most extravagant stories are told in the scattered chambers of the Topkapi Palace . It was built by Mehmet II in 1459 to mark the ascendance of the Ottoman Empire. Its fine pavilions reflect the dominance of the sultans over Europe and the Middle East until the 19th century. The breadth and depth of the treasures can seem overwhelming, so pace yourself and allow time to relax in the shady gardens. The palace and its grounds are open 9am-5pm daily, though from the end of the month they will close on Tuesday. Admission to the palace is YTL15 (£6.50). Once inside you must buy a separate ticket (price YTL12/£5) to visit the Harem - the highlight of a visit.
Topkapi Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries, perched on its wooded promontory overlooking the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara. The cultural, economic and political relationships between Russia and the Ottoman Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries are the focus of Treasures of Kremlin Palace in Topkapi Palace. Held in the imperial stables, this exhibition gathers works once housed in the palaces of the tsars and the sultans (Feb-May).
No matter how sated your appetite for exotic architecture and bling, the Topkapi is one of the city’s major attractions. But before you walk through the palace of the Ottoman sultans, step even further back in time and away from the crowds, at the adjacent archeological museum. It is home to some serious antiquities, including treasures excavated in the 1880s at Sidon, in Lebanon — though the so-called Alexander Sarcophagus may not have been the last resting place of the Macedonian hero. Archaeology Museum will stage an exhibition called Assyrians in Istanbul. This will look at the role that ancient Anatolian civilisations – dating back 4,000 years – have played in the formation of European cultures, using Istanbul as a bridge (Mar to May).
From there, walk over to the Topkapi, lingering in its harem and treasury, and then head to the Konyali restaurant (rather than the nearby cafeteria) at the end of the palace gardens. From the back garden of the sultans, as you look out onto Asia and watch shipping clog the artery of the Bosphorus, you can consider things seen — the exquisite chambers of the harem, the baskets of emeralds and diamonds, the jewel-studded thrones, swords and boxes, the staff of Moses and hair from the beard of the Prophet. Not a bad haul at about £8 for an entrance ticket and another £6 for the harem.
WINDOW SHOPPING
Take the Grand Bazaar for what it has become - a vast, rambling and entertaining tourist attraction - rather than somewhere to find bargains. The covered market opens 8.30am-7pm daily except Sunday. On offer is everything from Turkish delight via hubble-bubble pipes to carpets. Even if you fancy your bargaining skills, you will be no match for the masterful Turkish traders. But while you are counting out the cash for that religious icon you never knew you needed, at least you will be cordially entertained and provided with endless tea. For serious purchases of good-quality clothing at low prices, join the Russian traders in the streets running south of the tramway between Beyozit and Laleli stops.
AN APERITIF
As dusk falls, the heartbeat of the city skips across the Golden Horn to Beyoglu. The artery is Istiklal Caddesi, thankfully pedestrianised (except for the occasional trundle of an antique tram; fare TYL1/£0.40). It is full of bars and cafés that open on to the street. While there, admire some of the architecture: the art nouveau Metropol Muzik at number 473, and the Palais de Hollande , now the Dutch Consulate, hidden away behind iron gates. A fine place to settle on a warm September night is Dilek at number 343: an imaginatively decorated place with a mid-20th-century ambience - plus good-value drinks and snacks and friendly service.
Try strolling down Istiklal Caddesi one evening. It is a couple of miles long and there is no better place to watch modern Istanbul at play: millions (yes, millions) of city folk walk up or down the hill each day, passing fashion stores, grand 19th-century buildings and some hip bars (360, one of the hippest is on the top floor of No 311; 360istanbul.com). There’s no shortage of restaurants here, from the simple fish tables along Balik Pazari, the fish market, to the extreme sophistication of Mikla, on top of the Marmara Pera Hotel (istanbulyi.com).
At its lower end, Istiklal runs into a lively area called Tunel: be sure to take a stroll along Sofyali Sokak, an alley lined with bars and restaurants, from the newcomer music bar Otto (ottoistanbul.com) to the old-time pleasures of Refik’s (refikrestaurant.com), a meyhane (literally “wine house”) serving meze and lashings of raki in its small dining rooms or out in the alley if weather is good. Lunch costs £10-£20 a head, unless you want to grab a fresh fish sandwich off one of the boats at the Golden Horn waterfront, beside the Galata Bridge (50p). Dinner with drinks will cost £15-£40.
DINNER WITH THE LOCALS
A night out at a kebab shop may not sound much fun, but Konak at 259 Istiklal Caddesi is a Beaux Art palace. The waiters are suitably showy in this theatrical location, the atmosphere animated and the kebabs are grilled to perfection.
SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH
Creations of two of the world's leading religions confront each other at opposite ends of Sultanahmet Square. Start at the Aya Sofia , the magnificent sixth-century celebration of Christianity built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. One thousand years later, when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, it became a mosque and four minarets were attached. When the Republic was proclaimed in 1924, the mosque was deconsecrated and is now, effectively, a glorious museum. The mosaics are the main attraction; the continued renovations the main detraction. It opens 9am-7.30pm daily except Monday, admission YTL15 (£6.50). A millennium after Justinian built the Aya Sofia, Sultan Ahmet trumped it with the mosque that is now named for him. It is better known as the Blue Mosque, because of the ornate tile work on the interior. Non-Muslims, both male and female, are welcome to visit (via the right-hand courtyard) outside prayer times, that is daily 9am-12.15pm, 1.15-4.30pm and 5.40-6.30pm; on Fridays, the only space is 11.45am-2.30pm.
Hagia Sophia, The vast dome of Hagia Sofia is a fine representation of the powers of both the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Its massive dome, was both the largest cathedral in Christendom and a mosque of central importance to the Ottoman Empire.
The Emperor Justinian ordered its construction, and it was completed in 537AD. It remained one of the foundation stones of the Holy Roman Empire until the Ottoman Turks seized control of the city in 1453 and converted it into a mosque. Some 500 years later Atatürk, the Republic of Turkey’s first president, designated the site a museum and UNESCO has since recognised its significance as a monument that reflects the history of the Mediterranean world.
Its spectacular main dome appears to rise unsupported from the main chamber, an effect achieved by its supporting pillars which are concealed within the walls. The mosaics in the upper gallery, including the Desiis mosaic depicting the Last Judgement, are beautiful examples of early medieval art. Another major draw is the “weeping column”, which is said to heal those who insert a finger into a narrow hole in its copper cladding.
OUT TO BRUNCH
Your company in the Pudding Shop at 18 Divan Yolu (00 90 212 522 2970; www.pudding-shop.com), overlooking Sultanahmet Square, will be mainly foreign. It has been thus ever since the 1970s, when this was an essential stop on the hippie trail to Kathmandu. It opens at 7,30am daily, serves good Turkish coffee (YTL3/£1.30) and impossibly sweet baklava - though Western breakfasts are available (and not at all bad).
TAKE A RIDE
Passengers on the Orient-Express who were aiming further east were taken to Eminonu ferry station for the sailing across the Bosphorus to Haydarpasa station on the Asian side of the city. You can follow in their wake for a mere YTL1 (£0.40) on one of the frequent ferries; 20 minutes after departure, having seen superb views, you set foot on a different continent.
A WALK IN THE PARK
The main attraction on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is the Karaca Ahmet cemetery, an easy walk from the ferry. So huge is Karaca Ahmet, and so extravagant the monuments, that you feel you are walking through a very strange city.
WRITE A POSTCARD
Back in Sultanahmet Square, you will not be able to move for sellers offering you postcards. Pick a bench and let the colours, sounds and scents of the city wash over you to inspire prose.
ICING ON THE CAKE
At the end of a weekend in Istanbul, you deserve a trip to a hammam. At Cemberlitas Hamam Vezirhan Caddesi 8, Cemberlitas (00 90 212 522 7974, open 6am-midnight daily), you can indulge your senses with a steam and a massage (YTL25/ £11) in a Turkish bath over four centuries old.
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Exhibitions and museums
Calligraphy Museum, housed in a former theological college close to Beyazıt mosque, which is due to open this summer after renovation.
Two new museums will open this year. The Museum of the Princes' Islands is devoted to the culture of this archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, an hour from the city centre by ferry. These wooded, traffic-free islands are a popular summer getaway for city residents; neglected by the authorities during the Ottoman period, they also became a place of refuge for the city's Greek, Armenian and Turkish minorities. The new museum will open in the former primary school on the biggest island, Büyükada (July 25).
The Museum of Innocence was inspired by the 2008 novel of the same name by the Turkish Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. This poetic tribute to the city uses films, photos and other memorabilia to document culture and daily life in Istanbul from the Fifties to the present (July).
Another highlight will be the opportunity to hear music in exquisite venues not easily accessible to the public. A series of concerts called Music of Istanbul Architecture will bring performances to settings including the 19th-century Dolmabahçe Palace, the largest and most sumptuous of the palaces on the shores of the Bosporus (Apr 6); Galata Dervish Lodge (May 7);
Looking further afield, Balkanist – Istanbul 2010 Balkan Music Festival will reveal the city's role as a musical focus for the Balkan region, exploring the common roots of musical traditions of neighbouring countries (April).
Photography Parade is a series of month-long exhibitions of work by local and foreign photographers portraying various aspects of the city, at the gallery of the Fototrek Photography Centre on Istiklal Street.
For the first time, the city is putting together a crafts map and guide to about 500 artisans working in centuries-old traditions from book arts to wood carving, from wrought-iron work to mother-of-pearl inlaying. A map in four languages with details of their workshops will be available free of charge throughout the city (launching, with website, Apr 30).
A good place to learn about Sufi culture is at the Introduction to Mevlevi culture, to be held every Sunday throughout the year at the Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge. This includes excerpts of music and literature, as well as re-enactment of the traditional sema ceremony. The lodge is also staging classical music and Sufi music concerts every month.
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9.00 Breakfast
Enjoy Russian caviar and a glass of fizz for breakfast on the terrace of the Ciragan Palace Kempinski, at 84 Ciragan Caddesi, Besiktas (00 90 212 258 3377; kempinski.com). The Ciragan is luxury on an Ottoman scale, one of a number of 19th-century marble palaces looking across the Bosphorus into Asia, with the largest breakfast buffet in either continent. There is something surreal about eating sushi and muffins while huge oil tankers and rust-stained Russian gunboats manoeuvre up and down the strait. Double rooms from $255 (£145) per night, breakfast $32 (£18) per person.
10:00 Swinging times in a coffee house
Hey, you just got up from breakfast, but it's time to sit down again. The Turkish passion for coffee died a death during the First World War when prices went through the roof, but Istanbul still has some great coffee houses and the tradition of finding the best place for a cup is kept alive mostly by tourists these days. Take a book to either the Pierre Loti Café, at Gümüssuyu Balmumcu Sik 1, Eyüp, for some genuine 19th-century atmosphere, or to The Pudding Shoppe, at 6 Divanyolu, Sultanahmet, where Billy Hayes made the deal that landed him a 30-year jail sentence in Midnight Express. Sammy Suleyman, the grey-haired swinger in charge in the 1970s, is usually on hand to regale you with stories of Istanbul's hippy heyday.
12:00 Take a trip to a palace harem
At some point, you must visit the Topkapi Palace, Babihumayun Cadessi (00 90 212 512 0480), so why not lunch there? After a leisurely stroll around its gracious courtyards and the crowded harem, queue up for the state-run Konyali restaurant, Topkapy Sarayy Muzesi, Sultanahmet (00 90 212 513 9696) in Mehmet the Conqueror's garden courtyard. Good food and great views: down below, queue up to sail along the Bosphorus, while on the opposite shore you can't miss the Selimiye barracks where Florence Nightingale nursed the wounded during the Crimean War. Expect to pay £20 per head for three courses.
14:00 Shop and ward off the evil eye
The Grand Bazaar, at Carsikapi Cadessi, contains more than 4,000 shops within its labyrinth of brick tunnels that have been here since the 15th century. It's like discovering a whole other Istanbul with its own post office, banks, police station and mosque. In From Russia With Love, the secret headquarters of James Bond's ally, Kerim Bey, were housed behind a shop in the Bazaar. In reality it's an ideal place to browse for Evil Eye pendants, pashminas, silk scarves, leather goods, carpets, gold and silver.
16:00 A taste of Eastern promise
Istanbul is also the ideal place to buy Turkish Delight, known as lokum. Head for Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir (00 90 212 522 0666) in Eminönü, where it was invented in the 19th century as a delicacy for the sultan. You'll be amazed how many flavours there are these days. If you want some mint tea to drink with your purchases, walk over to Sirkeci Station, virtually unchanged since it was built as a terminus for the Orient Express. There's a spacious antiquated café on the platform, decorated with photos from the days when wealthy Europeans steamed into Istanbul.
17:00 A quiet moment at the mosque
Haigha Sophia on Ayasofya Meydan, Sultanahmet (00 90 212 522 1750) and the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Meydani (00 90 212 518 1319), are two of the most stunning religious buildings in the world and they just happen to be within strolling distance of each other. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome in the Blue Mosque as long as they observe the rule about removing shoes. Haigha Sophia is now a religious museum.
20:00 Book early for a towering time
Cross the Golden Horn by taxi to drink Gordon's and tonic (avoid the local gin) in the bar of the Pera Palas, at 98-100 Mesrutiyet Cadessi, Tepebasi (00 90 212 251 4560). Then, providing you've booked ahead, take the boat out to Kiz Kulezi (00 90 216 342 4747; kizkulesi.com.tr) for the meal of a lifetime. This romantic tower in the middle of the Bosphorus featured in another Bond film, The World Is Not Enough. It was built in the 18th century as a lighthouse and opened in 2000 as a restaurant. Boats leave the European side at 7pm and return at 11.30pm and 1215am. Expect to pay £35 per person for three courses with wine.
23:00 Vamp it up at cocktail hour
5 kat, at 7 Sogancz Sok, Cihangir (00 90 212 293 3774; 5kat.com), is the famous fifth-floor bar frequented by vamps, tramps, barflys and "resting" actors. Presided over by the flame-haired Yasemin Alkaya, the "Fifth" has leopard-skin sofas, blood-red drapes and a very long bar. Cocktails are as over the top as the décor and there is a great view of late-night Istanbul.