We arrived in this dynamic city right at sunset and let me tell you…Istanbul, it’s a vibe! Turkey was a new country for all of us and we couldn’t wait to dive in. Is it Europe? Is it Asia? Is it both? East meets West in this amazing country and we had three weeks to explore, starting in the belly of the beast, Istanbul. We were instantly in love.
Where to Stay in Istanbul with Babies
I loved the Airbnb we rented. It was in a central location in Beyoglu yet felt like a local neighborhood. The people at the local market and restaurant were so kind and the boys loved the stray cats.
What to Do in Istanbul with Babies
Shop in Galata
I am not a big shopper while traveling but I love to buy local soaps because they are a practical necessity and they feel like a treat! I found a cute soap shop in Galata that I loved. There were so many cute boutiques and local shops. This was the point in the trip where I was like “Oh ya! I’ll be back here.”
Cruise the Bosphorus on a Yacht
We are boat people but I never think to rent one while in a city. I was browsing Airbnb experiences and I saw a shared yacht cruise. This was way better than a tour cruise because it felt like we were on a friend’s yacht rather than a tour. We got to mingle with the other passengers and the hosts were a fabulous local couple, one Turkish and one European expat. They were so knowledgable and shared information and recommendations about the area.
We boated from Europe to Asia and back! We brought our baklava from Karaköy Güllüoğlu on board and they supplied wine. While we had the only kids on board, it was kid friendly (I asked ahead of time) and they even let Marin drive the boat down the Bosphorus. It was a wonderful afternoon activity! Not to mention it was inexpensive at less than $50 total.
Traffic is crazy in Istanbul so the host recommended we take the metro to Bebek instead of taxi and it was nice and easy to navigate. I remember there being a funicular involved too which Marin always loves to ride. Baby Hobie at 10 months old was just along for the ride as long as he was cuddled on my chest! (Which he was 24/7 this trip thanks to our Ergobaby carrier.)
Play in Tophane Pavillion and Hupa Lupa
This park in Karakoy has a small playground. It was okay, but the nearby mosque is beautiful and there was luckily some kids’ event going on when we were there called Hupa Lupa. It had huge bouncy castles, a DJ, and Paw Patrol characters. Not what you expect to find one corner over from a centuries-old mosque in Istanbul, wild.
Toddler Marin was in heaven and we were relieved because we had been dragging him to every restaurant and coffee shop we wanted to go to. There was even a play space for baby Hobie. I don’t remember the cost except that it was annoyingly expensive, but it was worth it to let the kids have some fun before sightseeing in Sultanahmet.
Explore Sultanahmet’s Grant Bazaar, Hagia Sofia, and Blue Mosque
We crossed the bridge to Sultanahmet, the oldest part of the city. First stop, The Grand Bazaar. I was stoked as I love a market and was assuming it would be like shopping in the Morrocan medinas. It was fun to see the scarves and spices but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. It almost felt like an indoor flea market. We bought some spices as souvenirs for our family and some Turkish Delights for us!
The two main attractions here are The Hagia Sofia and The Blue Mosque. We visited the Hagia Sofia and Grant had to rent a funny poncho to enter since he was wearing shorts! It was crowded and noisy with the call to prayer, a little overwhelming to me. I was also peeved because Marin and Grant got to go to an area that I wasn’t allowed to because I’m a woman. The Blue Mosque had only certain times you could enter and we didn’t feel like waiting as the boys were getting a little cranky so we admired it from the outside.
Where and What to Eat in Istanbul with Babies
Doner Kebab on Istiklal Street
The night we arrived we were starved from our flight so we quickly dropped our bags and headed out to nearby Istiklal Street. Narrow alleyways winded around local restaurants, bars, and jazz clubs. We picked a random one, Asmali Saki Meyhanes, and took a guess off the menu. It was packed and the food was flavorful. We didn’t ask for the price ahead of time (rookie move) and I feel like we got ripped off with the “gringo price” but nevertheless we had a great time!
We thought we were in a secret local spot but take one turn off the windy road and you’re in the main shopping avenue with Zara! And boy were people shopping! It was 10 PM and families with strollers were full-on shopping. We ended up grabbing Doner Kebab here another night.
Turkish Breakfast at Cafe Privato Restaurant
Located in the more touristy area of Galata is Cafe Privato. This was our initial Turkish breakfast and it was amazing! We sat on the patio and people watched while we sampled eggs, breads, jams, spreads, honey, and cheese!
Turkish Breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi
I had read about this spot beforehand and wanted to check out their Turkish Breakfast. We put it in Google Maps and came across another cool neighborhood we hadn’t yet been to. I swear every corner of this city is amazing!
The service was fabulous and the atmosphere great but we did prefer the previous Turkish Breakfast. There are many cute cafes and shops nearby to explore after brunch.
Funny story: Our son Marin, age 3, thought the concept of Turkish breakfast was funny and said “They just keep bringing stuff out that you don’t order.” When we returned home the following month it was a “clean out the fridge” kind of morning and when toddler Marin started to complain that we didn’t have his favorite breakfast items I reminded him it was like Turkish breakfast and “I just keep bringing stuff out that you didn’t ask for.” He got tickled at this and we still joke about it a year later! (Yes, that’s how long it took me to find time to write this blog post.)
Macarons at Vakko L’atelier
The waterfront cafe Vakko L’atelier is so cute. It felt like we were in Paris. We stopped for coffee, macarons, and ice cream (Or maybe we had wine, hard to say! Probably both!). The ice cream even came in a bowl made of ice which Marin loved.
Baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu
You must eat baklava in Turkey and this is the place to try it! They had a cute patio out back but we snagged a variety box to go before heading on our boat tour.
Pour-overs at Coffee Sapiens
If you’re over Turkish coffee and looking for a good pour-over or cold brew, here is your spot! It’s tucked in a cute side street of Karakoy.
Kadikoy for Dinner and Street Food
On our last night, we dined in Kadikoy at a restaurant our friend recommended, Ciya Sofrasi. It was a scene. The street was packed with restaurants and tables spilling into the streets and everyone was chain smoking.
Our food was good and it was a fun, lively atmosphere. We were full from dinner (Hobie was a big fan of the watermelon!), but we had a few more items on our food bucket list to try. I opted for street stall mussels (risky before a travel day, thankfully it turned out okay) and Grant tried the Turkish version of pizza. After late night street eats (Hobie passed out in the stroller), we boarded the ferry and crossed back to the European side of Istanbul.
With more of an exotic flair than Europe, Turkey started to scratch my itch of getting out of my comfort zone. Istanbul is an amazing city. Go.
In love with Istabul,
– Ray