Asian side of Istanbul one day itinerary
The Asian side of Istanbul often receives less attention by tourists since the majority of renowned places such as Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace are in the European side. Read this blog to know more the places to visit in the European side of Istanbul. However, if you really want to truly understand Istanbul, you need to step onto the Asian side of Istanbul. This side of Istanbul represents the modern and daily life of the city. Similar to many Asian cities, you will find many modern brands and firms, busy streets, as well as the residential areas. Visiting the Asian side of Istanbul is also good for food, art, and culture lovers. It is famous for market streets for foods, cafes, as well as arts. If you have limited time, it is best to plan the places to visit to maximize your time when in the Asian side.
What to Visit in the Asian Side of Istanbul?
In this blog I will discuss the places to visit, for a day or two. If you do it for a day, you might need to use taxi to bring you quickly from one place to another. Using bus although may take longer, is also a good alternative since it is cheap and Istanbul has reliable public transport.
1. Kadıköy
Kadıköy is a paradise for street food and art lovers. It is known for market streets where you can find different food shops such as spice stalls, cheese shops, fishmongers, and meyhanes (traditional taverns). There are also trendy cafés, bookshops, and street arts in this area. There are spaces for arts like Moda Sahnesi and Barış Manço Cultural Center, which host everything from indie theater performances to concerts. If you are looking for some landmarks, you will find the Haydarpasa train station and I love Istanbul in the seafront of Kadıköy.
2. Çamlıca Hill & Tower at the Asian Side of Istanbul
The highest hill in Istanbul is Camlica, which can be found in the Asian side at Üsküdar. Simply walking the Camlica Hill gives you an astonishing, panoramic view of Istanbul city (see photos below). Camlica Hill can be walk by public and on the top of the hill you will find a Turkish Restaurant named İBB Küçük Çamlıca Sosyal Tesisi. Going to this restaurant is so far the best food experiences that we had in Istanbul. Aside from very reasonable price – it is the cheapest among all the restaurants that we have been to in Istanbul, it offers high quality, authentic food taste of the city. The restaurant is also a good place to do drink coffee/tea while overseeing the view of the city from the top.
If you want to level up your experience of viewing Istanbul from the highest point of the city, you can go to the Camlica Tower. This tower is just 3-5 minutes walk from the restaurant. Note that the visit to Camlica Tower will cost money. The entrance fee is 900₺ (less than 20 euros) for 1 hour of being on top. The price is fine for single or a couple, but for a family of five, this has been too much. Anyway, we just proceeded and make the most of our stay. There is a restaurant on top of the tower by reservation. Although a good experience, the price that you will pay will be 5-7x more compared to IBB Küçük Çamlıca Sosyal Tesisleri. Have a think before going to Camlica Tower.
3. Üsküdar
Üsküdar is one of the oldest districts of Istanbul. It offers the perfect place for watching Bosphorus sunsets with tea gardens along the waterfront. Üsküdar is also filled with Ottoman mosques, like the 16th-century Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, which is designed by Mimar Sinan.
4. Kuzguncuk Evleri
Kuzguncuk Evleri is a colorful district of the Asian side of Istanbul. This area has many classic Ottoman-era wooden homes, carefully preserved to stand the test of time. The houses have bright façades, flower-filled balconies, and old-fashioned shutters creating calm and nostalgic feeling at the same time. Since this district has been home to diverse nationalities – Jewish, Armenian, Greek, Turkish, there are mix of synagogues, churches, and mosques that are close to each other.
5. Beylerbeyi Palace
If the European side has Dolmabahçe Palace, the Asian side of Istanbul has the Beylerbeyi Palace. Although quite smaller than its counterpart, the 19th centrury Beylerbeyi Palace played its important role as host for foreign dignitaries. For example, it has welcomed Empress Eugénie of France in 1869 and the Nicholas, King of Montenegro in 1874. Other prominent visitors of Beylerbeyi Palace include Duke Edward VII and Duchess Alexandra of Denmark.
6. Kız Kulesi (Maiden’s Tower)
The Kiz Kulesi, also known as Leander’s Tower (Tower of Leandros), is a a tiny islet tower with legends of love and imprisonment in the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait. Originally built by the Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 BC, the tower served as custom station for ships coming from the Black Sea. It was on used as a defense tower by the Byzantine emperors. They connected Kiz Kulesi to the Asian shore through a chain to stop enemy ships from entering the Bosphorus. The tower was then destroyed during the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It was then reconstructed by Sultan Mehmed II to serve as a lighthouse, a quarantine station, and a military base. Nowadays, it has a restaurant with one of the city’s most romantic settings.
Interested for other things to do in Istanbul? Check out my blogs on:
1. Bosphorus Cruise tour in Istanbul