Thanks to Amira from Bhuz for this one

"Sulthanamet is the oldest and the most historical part of town (but not the fanciest) and is best suited for visiting during the day. It gets dark at approx 18hr30 and shops close around 19hr00. At night it is a good idea to eat and go out in the Ortakoy, Bebek, Taxim and Beyoglu, Kumpapi areas.

However there is a great and famous Kebab restaurant in Eminonu called: Hamdi Restaurant. Very Turkish and try to make a reservation at the top floor as they have a glass roof and you can look over the old city and the bosporus.

Easiest to use taxi's at night. Make sure the taxi driver switches on the taximeter unless you are happy to fix a price and bargain about the price some don't bargain and just say: taximeter. In that case I recommend putting the map of Istanbul on your lap, to pretend you know where your are going. Like this the driver should be less tempted to take you around the block once too many.

On Sunday go to Ortakoy for the Sunday market with lots of silver jewellery, scarves, silks, bags and art.

Uptown you will find the Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu and to Taxim square if you want to do some serious shopping. Good for some lovely lunch spots as well. A lot of Embassy's and Consulates are on Istiklal Caddesi (hope you will not need it). Shops in this area stay open until 21hr00. If you can not get enough of the shops, you can go on to the Ak Merkez and MetroCity malls, they stay open until 22hr00.

MUST GO is İstinye Park Alışveriş Merkezi - Istyine Park Shopping mall - Istinye Park shopping mall is a unique urban lifestyle environment situated on a natural topographical “amphitheater” of residential neighborhoods. Above, a grand circular arrival plaza sits between an open-air lifestyle center and a glass-roofed indoor retail area. With 300 shops and constructed at an expense of $250 million. The new shopping mall offers famous brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Prada, and Fendi to the Turkish consumer domestically for the first time.

Other shopping malls: METROCITY, Kanyon Levent, Cevahir Alışveriş Merkezi, Akmerkez

To get a good impression of the city is a Bosporus cruise, please refer to Turkey Travel Planner for all the different possibilities.

If you would like to go to a hammam, you can try
- Çemberlitas Hamami
http://www.cemberlitashamami.com/
Vezirhan Caddesi 8
+90 212 522 7974
open from 6hr00 - 00hr00
€ 15 all in for 1,5 hr

- Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami
Turnacibasi Sokak 24
+90 212 252 4242

As you will read anywhere, Istanbul is THE place where "east meets west", so you will find lots of traditional Turkish restaurants and cafés but also many hip & trendy places (restaurants, bars & clubs), many with great views of the Bosporus.

* Leb-i derya (a hip restaurant with a terrace on two levels which is covered this time of year, great views over the city, also a good idea for lunch)

* Anjelique and Vogue, both restaurants of the Istanbul Doors Group.

* Kizkulesi (restaurant on a tiny island in the Bosporus)

* Safran (modern turkish)

*Gulluoglu in KARAKOY - BEST BOREK AND BAKLAVA IN ISTANBUL SINCE 1949 (only Turks know this address)

*SET BALIK LOKANTASI (famous for fish and very very nice)

*Pera Palas
'Created by the people who founded the Orient Express, who could not find a suitable hotel for their guests once they arrived at the end of their journey. Frequented by Agatha Christie who, during her stay here, wrote "Murder on the Orient Express", Great Garbo and Mata Hari, and more than once Atatürk himself. It's worth having a coffee at the patisserie or a drink at the bar to take in the hotel's atmosphere.'

*Orient House and Kervansaray (for an evening of traditional Turkish food and entertainment, complete with music, bellydancers and all the expected folklore) "