If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul.
– Alphonse de Lamartine
While sitting at my desk browsing for cheap flights, I found a flight to Venice Italy for 491 dollars. The catch: a 15 hour layover in Istanbul Turkey (both ways). While most people wouldn’t even consider this messy travel itinerary, I couldn’t have been more excited.
Istanbul had been on my to do list for years. I know it deserves more than 30 hours, but if I can get a free preview on my trip to Italy, I’ll take it. This is when I learned that layovers could be a useful budget friendly travel tool.
So what did we see in our 30 hours in Istanbul?
Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Inside Blue Mosque: You are required to cover your hair while in the mosques. Luckily I was wearing a scarf and was able to use that. Don’t worry, they have free ones to lend out to visitors.
Whirling Dervish: The whirling dance is best known in the West by the practices of the Mevlevi order in Turkey and is part of a formal ceremony known as the Sema. The Sema is only one of the many Sufi ceremonies performed to try to reach religious ecstasy.
Smoking a hookah in an outside cafe
The ceiling of Blue mosque
Inside the courtyard of Blue Mosque
The Grand Bazaar:Fact: I bought more souvineers, jewelry, and décor in a couple hours at the Grand Bazaar than I did during 10 days in Italy.
Where have you taken advantage of layovers?
PS. Visit our post on how to book the cheapest flights for information on finding long layovers 🙂
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