This was my second trip to Istanbul. The first time, we traveled the Mediterranean — a sweeping, sun-drenched journey with Istanbul as one stop among many. This trip was different. This time, we stayed. We gave the city our full attention, and it gave us everything in return.
Istanbul is one of those places that doesn’t let you go easily. It is layered in a way that takes time to appreciate, ancient and alive at once, generous in its beauty, and genuinely warm in its people. If you’ve been, you understand. If you haven’t, I hope this gives you a reason to go.
Getting There: Turkish Airlines
Let’s start at the beginning, because the journey matters. Turkish Airlines is, genuinely, one of the best airlines I’ve ever flown. The service is attentive without being intrusive. The food, and I say this as someone who has lowered their expectations considerably when it comes to airline meals was outstanding. From the presentation to the quality, it felt like a restaurant at 35,000 feet.
If you’re flying to Istanbul from the US, I can’t recommend Turkish Airlines highly enough. It sets a tone for the whole experience before you’ve even arrived.
Where We Stayed
The Harem Suite, Çırağan Palace Kempinski
There is staying somewhere, and then there is this. The Harem Suite at Çırağan Palace Kempinski is housed in a genuine Ottoman palace overlooking the Bosphorus, with views of the historic Yıldız Park — once the private hunting forest of the Sultans. The suite itself is a maisonette-style duplex: two bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchenette spread across two floors. Generous, calm, and impossibly beautiful.
But what made the stay extraordinary wasn’t the architecture. It was the butler service.
You have your own dedicated butler for the duration of your stay, available around the clock. They escort you wherever you need to go — on foot or by golf cart, depending on the distance. During our stay, they came to our door twice with carts, each time with something that stopped us in our tracks.
The first visit: a cart filled with handmade soap samples in every scent imaginable. We were each invited to choose our own, which would then be placed in our room for the rest of the stay. The second visit: an assortment of perfumes and fragrances. We chose our favorites lavender and vanilla, and within the hour, diffusers had been set up throughout our two-story suite, filling every room with exactly the scents we’d chosen. It was just amazing.
Our Airbnb
We also stayed in a wonderful Airbnb that had everything a home base in a foreign city should: beautifully designed, immaculately clean, and perfectly located. The concierge service was genuinely exceptional, they arranged drivers, organized dining, brought in food, and responded to every message with warmth and speed. It gave the whole stay a feeling of ease that made exploring feel effortless.
What We Did
Hagia Sophia
No trip to Istanbul is complete without standing inside Hagia Sophia. It is one of those places that refuses to be summarized. Built in 537 AD, it has been a cathedral, a mosque, and a museum, and today it stands as all three layered on top of one another. The scale is humbling. The light is extraordinary. You walk in and immediately understand why it has been considered one of the great buildings of the world for nearly fifteen centuries.
The Basilica Cistern
Just steps from Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayı) is one of Istanbul’s most atmospheric and surprising experiences. Descend underground into a vast sixth-century Byzantine cistern — a forest of 336 marble columns rising from still water, lit in low amber light. It is quiet and slightly otherworldly. Don’t skip it.
The Grand Bazaar
On my first trip to Istanbul, I had several gorgeous rugs shipped home from the Grand Bazaar. I still love every single one of them, and returning felt like visiting an old friend. The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world — over 4,000 shops across 60 streets, with a history stretching back to 1455. It is easy to get wonderfully lost in.
For anyone who loves rugs, Istanbul and the Grand Bazaar in particular — is one of the finest places in the world to find something truly special. Take your time. Have conversations. The craftsmanship here is extraordinary and the vendors know it deeply and share it generously.
What I Wore & Packed
A few things that made the journey easier and the airport altogether more bearable:
Lululemon Be Calm Oversized Boatneck Long Sleeve — Shop here This is my travel uniform. Comfortable enough to sleep in, put-together enough for the airport and beyond.
On Running Shoes — Shop here I’ve been wearing On to the airport lately and I don’t see myself going back. They walk the line between athletic and elegant in a way nothing else quite does.
Travel Pillow — Shop here On a flight as long as New York to Istanbul, a good pillow is not optional. This one was genuinely wonderful.
The Playlist
Every trip deserves a soundtrack. Listen to my Spring playlist here — the one that played on the way there, on the way back, and in quiet moments in between.
Istanbul has a rare quality: it stays with you. Both times I've left, I've been thinking about the next visit before I've even reached the airport. There is still so much to explore, so many corners I haven't found yet.
From the grandest hotel suite to the smallest shop in the bazaar, the hospitality was remarkable. Beautiful people, inside and out. There is a warmth to the city that is not performance; it is simply how people are.
I hope this inspires you to go — or to go back.
With love,
Rachel
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