Originally Posted by
Stgermainparis
This is such a wonderful post! I didnt see it for some reason. Thank you!
Okay, so Ive booked a place in the center of Sultanahmet for our entire 5 night stay. We do like being where we can just walk everywhere. Would there be any advantage to staying two of those nights up at the Grand Hyatt? Are there sites more easily accessible from there? I ask only bc I could use points. And it would probably be a higher quality than what I can afford in Sultanahmet.
I am getting so excited about this new part of our itinerary. Happened by accident but turning out to be the destination I am most happy about!
Oddly my post was sat awaiting moderation for days and days so it wasn't visible! I was pleased to see you quickly changed from a day trip to a proper visit; there is so much to see it is worth taking time to enjoy it.
I think having a couple of days at the Hyatt could be a good idea and gives you the opportunity to visit different areas. From the Hyatt you can walk to Taksim easily, also Dolmabahçe Palace is a 15 min downhill walk. I would probably walk to Beşiktaş (youthful, student trendy vibe type of area for a contrast to the historic parts) one afternoon/evening via Maçka Park and have a meal at a meyhane there. Down the hill (10 min walk) is also Kabataş station where there are ferries over to the asian side, including Üsküdar to see Maiden's Tower. Also at Kabataş is the tramway termius so if you wanted more time in Sultanahmet you can travel back easily from there.
It is quite a steep hill up to the Hyatt but there is a furnicular at Kabataş to Taksim which is a good compromise to balance walking & comfort.