April is one of the best months to visit Istanbul with full of surprises. The weather can be uncertain, but from the flowers around, you will feel the spring has arrived.

1 – 29th Istanbul International Film Festival

This year it will be held between 3-18 April  and we will start to wait for the ticket queues, spend time at cafes around theaters and try to catch the ferry to catch the film on different side of Europe or Asia; in any case we will enjoy our days very much by this festival. Tickets are available through internet by biletix and at the theaters in Beyoğlu and Kadikoy. 

2 – David Guetta concert on 10th of April

Grammy awarded music star David Guetta is coming to Istanbul for a great concert which will be held at Kücükciftlik Park at Maçka and we are ready to sing the ” I got a feeling” under the stars. (Hopefully if it doesn’t rain!).

3 -  23rd of April National Sovereignty and Children’s day

Another unique event in Turkey & Istanbul. It is a national holiday gifted to children by the founder of Turkish Republic – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Different ceremonies throughout Turkey are held and also many children from other countries join these ceremonies.

4 -  WWE Smackdown show

This is the first time we welcome the wrestlers in İstanbul. They will be in Istanbul as per Wrestle Mania Revenge Tour on 18th of April at Abdi İpekçi sports center, if you are interested you need to hurry up, tickets are available at
biletix

Most sections of Istanbul are not very suitable for cycling because it’not a city located on a plain ground and also the motorways do not allow cyclers to ride safely in all that mess. But we can stil recommend you a few routes to enjoy a bike tour, but you should be careful because the car drivers are not very familiar with bikers. Always wear your helmet and ride safely.

1 – Buyukada (Princess Islands)
You’ll see many bike renting shops in the center of Büyükada close to the marina. There are two routes for biking: One of them is Büyük Tur, which tours around the coast of the island (12 km), and Küçük Tur which is about half of the other one. With the longer route; you will have the chance to see the non-residential area of the island with a wonderful Marmara view. If you are couple, you can choose the tandem bikes. The cost is around 10 TL for a couple of hours.

2 – Kartal – Fenerbahce
The 10 km coast on the Anatolian side, has a designated road on the pavement for bikers, so you can enjoy the view of the Princess Islands and the Marmara Sea while riding your bike.

3 – Beşiktaş – Belgrad Forest
It’s a difficult route first strating in Beşiktaş from the harbour passing through Ortakoy, Arnavutkoy, Bebek and Istinye on the motorway with a wonderful Bosphorus view; then from Ferahevler to the inside of Belgrad Forest. The route takes about 3 hours one-way with a few breaks to rest; and you should better have a mountain bike to ride in the pathways of Belgrad. There are many cafes in the coast to chill on the way back to Beşiktaş.

4 – Polonezkoy BMX Cycle Track
If you like adrenaline and would like to jump on the hills and ramps of a cross track built inside the forest of Polonezkoy, this place is for you. Official races are also held here from time to time. Please find more information about the track here and about Polonezkoy here.

There are many great mosques in Istanbul and we strongly suggest to visit at least two of them before leaving Istanbul to feel the soul of orientalism in this magnificent city.

1 – Proper dress code

As the mosques are the places of worship for Muslims, firstly your dress code needs to fit the place. It is better for ladies to have clean loose shirts, pants or long skirts and a scarf to cover their hair, for gentlemen clean shirts and long pants are required. Actually for summer you may enter some of the mosques with shorts but it is not guaranteed.

2 – Get ready to take off shoes

Wearing shoes are not allowed in all mosques,  you need to leave them in a cabinet at the entrance or you can hold them, it is fine in summer but for winter if you will visit a mosque it is better to have extra socks with you to keep your feet warm.

3 – Be quiet

In mosques women and men have separate sections to pray, loud talking and discussion within the mosques are forbidden, additionally it is believed that it’s disrespectful to walk in front of a Muslim during his pray.

 4 – Cleaning ritual

Before praying all Muslims required to be clean themselves  that all mosques have  a nice section for this ritual, you will see many artistic fountains and marmor samples which  can be interesting as much as the mosque.

1 – Balad

Poet says ‘ If İstanbul is a mermaid than Balat will be her smile ’. It has cute narrow streets which ends to Golden horn with beautiful wooden old houses. People from different cultures and religions are mixed for centuries (Jewish, Armenian, Greek, Muslim) in Balat that you will also find many small churches next to small mosques and we guarantee that you will shoot many nice photos if you walk through in this nice neighborhood.

2 – Kuzguncuk

Another old Istanbul neighborhood located at the Asian side on the shore, it is not easy to reach there from the city center but it is worth it. Kuzguncuk is a calm place with its cats and very friendly residents; nice smell of the sea will be mixed with nice smell of fresh bakeries. If you get tired to walk around the old houses, you can have a cup of coffee at Sitare, very comfortable cafe with nostalgic decoration and delicious tastes.

3 – Samatya

Here is another historical neighborhood located very close to the old city. Many years Jewish, Armenian and Turkish people lived together in Samatya where as now most of them moved to other parts of Istanbul but outstanding churches are still standing with all their memories. It has also very nice small Bazaar at the center that you can enjoy a whole day watching people around.

** Samatya picture from ” a cup of caffein blog”

4 – Beyoglu ; 

Here we are again back to Beyoglu very popular pedestrian street close to the Taksim square, if you need a shooting that includes all colors this is the place you are looking for. You will find detailed information about Beyoglu if you click on “Beyoglu” tag below.

1 – Ağva

Ağva is the first place that comes to the mind for those who want to get away from the chaos and the noise of Istanbul to have a break and relax. The best time for Ağva is spring and summer, but the prices of the boutique hotels are also high at this season if you’d like to have an overnight stay. You can do trekking, swimming, canoeing or nothing but enjoy the green nature. Choose the weekdays to avoid crowds. It’s about 2 hours driving on the Northeastern part of Istanbul.

2 – Sapanca

It’s a place where Istanbul people go especially on weekends for eating fish by the lake of Sapanca in the open air. It’s a quiet and peaceful place to enjoy a relaxing time. It’s less than 1,5 hours drive on the East of Istanbul.

3 – Edirne

Being a capital of Ottoman Empire till the conquest of Istanbul, Edirne is a small city where great mosques, museums, monuments and history remains. Selimiye Mosque which has the highest minarets in Turkey, Beyazid II Kulliye Health Museum, Meric Bridge Alipasa Bazaar are must-visit, famous fried liver served with onions is must-eat. Edirne is in Thrace having a border to Greece and Bulgaria 200 km from Istanbul – less than 2 hours from the highway.

4 – Abant

Abant is a natural beauty – a lake among the mountains in Bolu – 250 km from Istanbul. The place is beautiful in all times of the year, but the best in winter – with the wonderful landscape under white snow. You tour around the lake on foot or by a coach, then have a lunch in one of the restuarants by the lake or do picnic in open air. The route to Abant can be difficult on winter days with hard snow.

Istanbul is a great metropol where public transport can be a torment for people sometimes, but there are ways to enjoy Istanbul in a local way.

1 – Ferry from Haydarpaşa to Eminönü
Get on the ferry and travel from the historical Haydarpaşa Rail Station to the Old Town Peninsula – Eminönü. Simit (savory roll covered with sesame seed) and tea are indispensable meal for Istanbul locals travelling by ferry. You can share your simit during your voyage with the friendly seagulls.

2 – Tram from Tunel to Taksim
Back from the beginning of 20th century, this nostalgic tramway takes you all over the Istiklal Street. It’s one of the symbols of Beyoğlu District and Old Istanbul.

3 – Fenicular from Tunel to Karaköy
Officially built as the second metro after London in 1875, it’s the shortest (about 2 mins) but one of the most useful public transport vehicle in Istanbul connecting Beyoğlu to the coast of Karaköy.

4 – Boat from Beşiktaş to Üsküdar:
It’s one of the most useful public transport route in Istanbul helping thousands of citizens travelling between the two sides of Istanbul. You can get to the other continent in less than 10 minutes with these boats. The Bosphorus view charms the citizens in the mornings before a challenging workday.

The island’s name means saddle bag in Turkish, deriving it from the two hilltops that embrace the lower harbours, though the Greeks called the island Chalki.

1 – Visit Halki Seminary:
Dating from 1844, it was the main school of theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church’s Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It’s on the top of a hill covered with pines; and the harmony of the dark green and dark blue adds to the beauty of this old seminary. You can visit the monastry except on Sundays. Reservation: 0216 351 85 63 – 0216 351 84 17.

2 – Have a breakfast at Halki Palas:
It’s the oldest and the most glamorous hotel in Princess Islands dating back to 1850s, renovated after a fire in 1991. The hotel rooms have a wonderful view, it’s a good weekend break for Istanbul residents. If you are on a daily visit to the island breakfast at this hotel is highly recommended. You can also enjoy the swimming pool from June to the end of August.
Check their website here.

3 – Eat at a fish restaurant in the marina:
There are many restaurants close to the marina with good service quality and delicous food, especially fish with the combination of beautiful mezes and raki.

4 – Relax at Değirmenburnu:
It’s a picnic area with a broad view of Anatolian coast of Istanbul and other Princess Islands with a walking distance of 5 mins from the marina. A bottle of beer at the sunset would be a highlight for your Heybeliada visit.

1 – Go to Kalpazankaya:
The best way to get to Kalpazankaya is by foot, because the nature on your way is beautiful, and it takes around 30 minutes. You may also use the coach, but it would be more costly (around 15 USD one way). When you get to Kalpazankaya, under the shadow of the pines, you’ll see a wonderful foreland creeping into the sea with a wonderful view of Heybeliada. You may enjoy a lunch or a drink in the outdoor restaurant, sunset is the most recommended time for this beautiful place. During weekends, early reservation is a must.

2 – Visit Church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos:
Dating back to 830s, this church was re-established in 1896. Today, it is the parochial church of the Greek residents of Burgazada. The church is close to the center.

3 – Eat at Barba Yani:
It’s a Greek restaurant very close to the marina with delicious mezes, raki, fish and a wonderful hospitality. The music gets louder in the late hours, and you may eventually find yourself dancing on the table thanks to the music, ambiance and raki.

4 – Do Trekking and go to Bayrak Hill:
Don’t use the trackway, but use the direction with the bushes and trees to the get to the highest point of Burgazada (160m). It’s not a very difficult or long trekking route; and when you reach the top you’ll be rewarded with a 360 degrees view of the Marmara Sea including all the Princess Islands and the coast of Istanbul.

Büyük means big and it is the biggest of the Prince’s Islands. Trotsky lived on this island for four years in his exile like some of the Byzantian emperors.

1 – Rent a bike and tour the island:
You’ll see many bike renting shops in the center of Büyükada close to the marina. There are two routes for biking: One of them is Büyük Tur, which tours around the coast of the island (12 km), and Küçük Tur which is about half of the other one. With the longer route; you will have the chance to see the non-residential area of the island with a wonderful Marmara view. If you are couple, choose the two-seated bikes. The cost is around 10 TL for a few hours. You can chill out at a coffee after you’re done– Kahve Dünyası which is a coffee chain close to the marina having a good view, relaxing atmosphere and decent Turkish coffee.

2 – Visit Church of Saint George (Aya Yorgi):
Dating back from 1750s, the church is located on the top of a hill overlooking the island and the coast of Istanbul. You can reach very close to the church by a coach or by a bike; but the last 100 m of the route is a very steep one, and you should walk till the top. The church is a small and an old one but what you get is the wonderful view; while enjoying the scenery, you can eat at the outdoor restaurant, and taste the house wine.

3 – Jump on a coach and tour the island:
If you’d like to have a nostalgic tour in the island; you may hire a coach and make the Büyük Tur or the Küçük Tur. It would be more costly than a bike (around 30 YTL for half an hour journey).

4 – Eat Ice Cream at the Market:
Roma Dondurmacısı has the most popular ice cream in the island. Ice cream with figs and mastika are highly recommended.

Although there are some alternatives to go for swimming in Istanbul, if you have a few days to spend for sun and sea, some beautiful places are available out of Istanbul. These places can be reached by motorway, and since you’ll need mobility where you visit, you are recommended to rent a car.

1 – Bozcaada:
Bozcaada is a tiny island on North Aegean Sea, with wonderful food, wine, beaches and a bohemian atmosphere. There’s something that makes you feel peaceful and happy on this island as soon as you get off the ferry. There are many pensions and guest houses to stay in the center which are owned by local, friendly people. The sea is crystal clear and it’s usually cool even at the hottest time of the year.

2 – Gokceada:
Gokceada is the greatest island (more than 40 km from one to the other end) in Turkey, being on the furthest west of the country. The island is not very touristic and this makes it a bit more unique and peaceful. The sea is clean and beautiful, and it’s also a suitable place for windsurfers. If you want to see natural beaches, old villages and eat good food as fish or the famous puding with mastic, Gokceada is the place.

3 – Assos:
It’s a tiny town on the shore in the North Aegean Sea where Aristotle lived before. Though the town is historic and offers old stone houses, temples, castle; it also has beautiful beaches in the surrounding areas. The restaurants in the center serve delightful fish with a wonderful seaview.

4 – Kıyıkoy:
A small village on the shore of Black Sea with a beautiful beach. It’s a wonderful spot where nature is still untouched and having the features of Black Sea and Meditarenean climate together. You can enjoy the sea, food, nature all at once.