Best baklavas in Istanbul by far. Also try the other desserts on show. At the same time down them all with glorious flavored tea - goo for the apple tea! Turkish coffee is also good!

Glorious underwater cistern made popular by Dan Brown. Go underground into the water catchment area - you can today see fishes swimming around while the pillars and dim lights make it a memorable visit.

Vibrant city of Istanbul is seen best at Sultanahmet District, especially at the Grand Bazaar. Find everything and anything here, you cannot get more Turkish that this!

Without doubt one of the most beautiful of mosques around, the Blue Mosque exudes charm and history like none other. And its sheer size will impress immensely

Gorgeous architecture, especially the images that are made completely from mosaics. Very close to the Grand Bazaar

THE place to visit in Istanbul. The grounds are gorgeous, the architecture simply stunning. The collection of valuables from the kings or yesteryears are impressive as well, visit the inner parts of the palace if you have the time!

A church. A mosque. A museum. And its size and architecture can only be appreciated once you have seen it yourself!

View the gorgeous sea view, with gulls flying, cruise ships flowing by. The view itself is worth a visit

Take a boat along the Strait and explore both the European and Asian side of Turkey. Enjoy the breeze if you are able to sit outside your cruise ship

Explore the vibrant food stalls, especially fresh seafood that is prepared on make-shift restaurants that are actually well-decorated boats! They are close to the entry points to the cruise ships so you cannot miss them. There are other normal restaurants there as well, with street food sellers. A number of cruise ships leave from this pier, especially the famous Sehir Hatlari

Memorable cruise, run by one of the oldest cruise companies in Turkey (if not the oldest). Take the longer 6-hour cruise (it takes 1.5 hours either way with a 3-hour stop at Anadolu Kavagi) if you have time to spare, alternatively take the shorter trip (3 hours) if you are short on time. Get a good seat (outdoors if it is not too cold), get a drink from the cafe inside and enjoy the view of the Bosphorus Strait as the ship cruises on. There are a number of stops as well if you want to get off, but I would suggest that you enjoy the whole cruise experience on the ship to digest Istanbul. And the best part is that it is very affordable!

Glorious place to visit, for seafood lovers (enjoy a meal by the jetty) as well as for the glorious views that you get as you hike upwards towards the castle. Worth the visit without a doubt!

Vibrant place to visit - connects the Galata side to Sultanahmet. As you walk past you can see tens of people fishing with their long rods - any time of the day! Good seafood restaurants at the bottom part of the bridge

For a complete 360 degree-view of Istanbul, Galata Tower is the place to visit! A bit of a hike to get there, but there is an elevator within the Tower, and you would be at the top within seconds! And what a view!

A good place to visit if you are interested in modern art, in many different forms and structures.

The Istanbul experience is never complete if you do not visit the Grand Bazaar. The place is huge, so get your coordinates right or you would end up not knowing where you are! You can get anything and everything here from Turkish lamps and souvenirs to spices and tea and household products. You could spend a whole day in here!