Things to do in Istanbul

Istanbul is a city of nearly sixteen million, organised by water rather than by streets. The Bosphorus separates Europe from Asia; the Golden Horn cuts west into the European bank. Geography decides your day here.

Where the city divides

The historic peninsula sits in the fork between the Horn and the Marmara. Almost every first itinerary starts there. Everything after that is a decision about which bank you want.

• Sultanahmet and Fatih. The old peninsula, with most of the city's monuments inside one walkable kilometre.
• Karakoy, Galata and Beyoglu. The vertical city, climbing from the quay to Istiklal. Where people eat and drink rather than sightsee.
• Besiktas and Ortakoy. The palace shore, facing the strait, and packed at weekends.
• Kadikoy and Moda. The Asian side, twenty minutes out by ferry, residential and better for it.
• Uskudar. Tea gardens, mosques, and the view of the skyline everyone else is standing inside.
• The Princes' Islands. Car-free, and an hour out across the Marmara.

What the city is booked for

Four things dominate, and they barely overlap. Guided days on the peninsula come with fast-track entry; the queues there are the worst in the city. The water is the second, from a commuter ferry to a chartered yacht.

Food behaves like a separate holiday. Breakfast runs to twenty small plates. Market walks go through Kadikoy, and evenings mean raki and meze in Beyoglu.

The fourth is leaving. Bursa, Sapanca and the Ottoman film sets are road trips. Ephesus goes by plane and back the same night; Cappadocia usually takes two days.

Practical

• Seasons. Spring and early autumn are the comfortable months. Summer is humid; winter is wet, grey and half the price.
• Cross by boat. A ferry between the continents beats the bridge on time, costs a city fare, and is the best view in Istanbul.
• Istanbulkart. One card for ferries, trams, metro, buses and the funiculars. It pays for itself on the first day.
• Distance. Two airports, both a long drive from the old city. Never plan a tight connection on either.
• Hagia Sophia. A working mosque again. Foreign visitors now pay for the upper gallery and go in by their own gate.
• Sundays. The Grand Bazaar is shut. The Spice Bazaar is not, which is the useful half of that fact.
• Prayer times. Working mosques pause visits five times a day, so keep the plan loose rather than timed.
• Money and taxis. Cash in lira still rules the bazaars and tipping runs about ten per cent. Taxis are the standing complaint, so use an app.