Istanbul Worth Visiting in 2025? Turkey Has Changed…

Istanbul Worth Visiting in 2025? Turkey Has Changed…

and so good morning from Istanbul Turkey I have been to Istanbul more times than I can count It’s a city I’ve loved walked and watched over the years but this time felt a bit different The energy the rhythm and the prices So come with me as I revisit the main spots and let’s see the good the bad and everything in between All righty guys Heading out And so this is where today’s video sponsor Level 8 comes in For me my absolute go-to These carry-on luggages I mean just look at it It looks super sleek This one in particular is the aluminum Gibralta suitcase Quality of these case is very impressive I’ve had a few of them This one is actually the oldest I’ve had it for many years and they actually have a lifetime limited warranty So in case something happens you reach out to them They’re going to help you out but it’s truly kind of I would say a luxury suitcase at a more affordable rate Look they do worldwide shipping and they have a very wide variety of products So just check out their website They ship to I believe Europe Canada US completely for free And when it comes to the checked luggage also many different models but for me I’m always a carry-on guy I just like to keep it simple A new model they have is actually the one with the wide grip So much more stuff fits in You can basically sit on it even if you weigh like an adult human not just like a child Absolute game changer Super durable A piece that’s going to last you many years The wheels honestly I’ve never had a suitcase that just has wheels that are smooth as butter And as of right now with my code Danny 15 you can get 15% off any of their cases So basically you can sit on these things These guys are getting jealous over there So level eight first thing in the description And without let’s get back [Music] [Applause] from here We’re seeing actually most of it This is the other side of the water It’s actually a different continent we’re looking on And today I want to take you along on a bit of a tour How is Istanbul Right now I’m going to be here for a good week and I’ve actually already been here a couple of days and I have to tell you there is a very particular charm to it This is a very old city with very different neighborhoods And today I want to take you with me a little bit how you could be spending two three days here Some of the famous spots some of my go-to spots also a little bit off the beaten path And yeah let’s get into We made it to the main shopping street Nice and sunny day And I got to tell you very first time I came to Turkey I was quite surprised because it feels very European I don’t know what it says about central Europe about Germany France but some streets and city centers feel exactly the same But this honestly I even prefer a little bit It’s like a So the Isla I would say is a interesting mix of uh very nice shops some street food It’s kind of like in some ways the regular shops you know from most of Europe really The Zaras the H&M’s uh but with that also some Turkish stuff some candy some like kebabs So very chill vibe very European How do you feel about it Got all the
I just love and Yeah Are are you going to tell him the secret
Yeah The secret is I hated Turkey like with pure heart because I worked here and it wasn’t like a great experience And when Denny first said like “Let’s go to Eastbul You’re going to love it.” I was like “No way.”
You will
Yeah But right now I’m just in love with this city with this vibe with Turkey as well
That’s what I like about Eastbul It has very different side It has like the old historical quarters which can be very touristy to be fair where you go and then this I would call it kind of like a middle class shopping area cuz from what I understand is there’s like some more fancy district So this is a interesting mix of bit touristy still always busy always buzzing I think today is a Saturday I don’t keep track of these things too much Just working every day but um let’s get some food It’s 12 Haven’t eaten anything Oh there’s the famous Eastl train passing by and can see Oh hello So we’re stopping for a little breakfast Go to here is the lentil
miniman and the famous Turkish lentil soup Thank you good sir What was your name
You’re welcome My name is Reza Yeah
good to meet you
Thank you Nice to meet you too man I found a new subscriber
Thank you
How do you say thank you in Turkish Yeah No no In the Turkish if you want to say the thank you you said little local place Nothing too fancy but I love this area like local grocery shops people having breakfast somebody’s dog
sitting over there And if you haven’t heard Eastern Blue is a city of cats Throughout the day we’re probably going to meet dozens if not hundreds of them In the morning one was out of the window peeking to us So yeah I’ll take you for a little walk Let’s have breakfast And prices are pretty good Even though we’re in the center how much was this This was
uh 200 lit
Oh okay $5 All right Not bad Center price still delicious car Oh this one coming fish
Yeah
Yeah Yeah Yeah Um I saw them on the on the internet So actually quite surprisingly it’s not that long to get from up there all the way down to the water to the boss And wow what a view on a sunny day This is amazing So they have completely renewed this neighborhood I remember many years ago when I was here for the first time just wasn’t here So super nice walking path and just the breeze with all the how do you call them Seagulls Yeah
seagulls So from there you’re seeing the big bridge This is the one you usually arrive if you come from one of the airports Wow And there is a jellyfish Tons of jellyfish in the water
Yeah
Mhm Crazy Absolutely beautiful It’s one of the best parts about Eastanbul You can just walk around by the water and it’s such an energy Can’t compare it to anything else And the famous thing about here is like there’s a different continent One is part of Europe other one’s Asia when you’re pretty much one minute away away It’s a little you know geographical fun fact So yeah absolutely beautiful around here [Music] We are enjoying very much the view of the old city So pretty much all the way at the bottom at the water where we walked yesterday on the other side So you have this modern mall on one hand and on the other one is this kind of like old school super nice Hope we’re not going to get ripped off but price is actually pretty good And I have my sister joining today
Hello You just started YouTube a couple months ago right
Yes Really
So we’re mentoring her a little bit as well How was it going
It was tough guys It was so so full Lots of people huge crowds but East is really beautiful especially today on a sunny day
Yeah
really enjoying the travel journey here
So that is actually a funny thing This video might come out a good bit later but today is the end of Ramadan And with that the crowd is uh like I’ve never seen this movie before Like I don’t know It always is If you avoid the tourist areas it’s very chill You can catch a coffee you can have a nice tea sit by the water take the ferry you’re one of 10 people on the ferry during the week It’s like very actually peaceful almost like poetic you know you’re out on the bus for us And right now the fairies are just filled to the brim And I think this is more of like a I guess foreign tourist area cuz there’s nobody here Just thousands of seagulls I think it’s a miracle that we haven’t been pooped on yet but what is not still can be So yeah going to try a little fish um doodle and enjoy the view So how is it called it It’s
the IT 8 it holiday right now Nice to see I feel like people from all the surrounding areas come but it’s really a different kind of mass tourism right now going on So
so nice breeze and I like this one Yeah So another really cool thing as you can see really a lot by just walking around It’s very hilly So we actually want to take some transportation to go up It’s kind of out of service They have like a tunnel And this behind me is the famous Gelata Tower Looks super exciting From most parts of the city you can see it Lots of nice cafes For some reason they’re very hyped about cheesecake here What is it They have a newslet for the most overpriced steak But yeah beautiful Saturday vibes Oh walked back up in the city And actually this is our hotel Let me give you a quick look We got a big fruit fan on our hands Thank you Here we go
Jul you have the key
Yeah So we’re staying at a little side street boutique hotel Honestly it’s quite surprising how affordable it is When I booked it I really didn’t expect anything Um I think I paid like 26 28 bucks and I’m sure during the season it’s a good bit more So basically it’s Harry Potter’s closet No it’s really cute So it’s an attic And I was at first bit concerned that we’re not going to have any space but actually here kind of like have all the stuff and beautiful rooftop view nice amount of daylight So for a couple of days really nice atmosphere We even had a cat in the morning rolling up on our window So in the offse amazing deals We’re right in the city center like right by the main shopping street [Music] And so on a different day we are in a neighborhood I’ve never been to in Eastol I’ve been to the city probably like a good 10 times over the last what is it I think first time here was in 2020 And uh this is the Orta Koy neighborhood and it’s very famous for this mosque here on the Bosphorus You have this big bridge in the background So it looks super cool Always wanted to come out and look kind of like small like just kind like the church to view but actually they have like a big huge market next to it It’s pretty cool Not the Grand Bazaar but still fairly nice Here’s some like I always wonder what is that these sauces there Of course you can get yourself a Gucci bag There’s some busyiness kind of the cats here are a bit more thick and here always Yeah Always people are fishing and what we’re seeing is one brother on the lookout and we got fishermen doing their business and these guys always watching and you know I’ve teased it a little bit in the beginning of this video but I’ve been here a little bit over a year ago when it was a bit warmer and uh I’ve never published that material just never got around to it So I thought let me give you the full impression of how it looks here in very early spring I’m filming as of 2nd of April this video I think it’s going to come out a little bit later And uh I remember driving on the ferry more sunny vibes Also on the other side the market everything So let’s do a little bit of time traveling So here is for you during summer [Music] Okay so we have made it onto the other side of the water Pretty much just a station You can easily walk at 20 minutes But let’s say like that the vibe right away is quite a bit different almost feels like in a way different neighborhood perhaps maybe different country but it is a different continent we’re on right now and the Grand Market should be somewhere around the corner so that’s where we’re going to be heading to right now so lots of mosques around the area actually the famous Hagya Zofia is here probably going to pass by there as well but yeah wow actually now we’re looking on the other side seeing the Gelata Tower probably also seeing my home from here so yeah let’s get into the bazaaroo probably one of the largest markets that I personally know Uh let’s say like that when you walk in it starts a little bit more touristy They’re having food They’re having kind of like even um fruits spices things like that A little bit more touristy The deeper you go in the more it starts to get like whatever like counterfeit stuff all kinds of different games We get approached quite frequently I’m wearing flip flops right now So there’s some guy like telling me like “Hey man I got some shoes for you Don’t worry like I’ll hook you up.” And uh yeah let’s say like that Going to walk around here a little bit I personally really like the vibe Definitely come here when you have a bit more energy just because of how many people there is But I think if you’re into markets it’s probably one of the best places in the world It’s fairly neat but at the same time a bit raw around the edges in the sense that they just have literally everything here And uh Oh look at that It’s huge stones Only $717 for this one So I would say that’s a bargain So yeah lots of decoration accessories and obviously also like you know uh Turkey is famous for its clothing production So that is obviously a big thing as well So what a lot of people are doing is coming to Turkey with empty baggages empty suitcases pretty much for this place in particular Well guys if I am spending a couple of days in East obviously have to stop by one of the main places So on the one side we are having the Blue Mosque and on the other side is the Aya Sophia So obviously one of like I said the much more busier areas but just in terms of the aesthetic and just generally I feel like Eastble even though it’s a super busy super touristy city even in these type of neighborhoods it’s kind of like nice to go for a walk and I would say the view and the vibe speaks for itself So I think today just going to keep it much more let’s say in a way busy and fast-paced Just kind of like passing through different neighborhoods Going to be trying a little bit more of the Turkish coffee enjoying a little bit Definitely mission is to find a nice cafe with a nice view But for right now I would say let’s go somewhere in Eastbul where I have never been before For that
yes
we’re going to hop on a ship But yeah generally this neighborhood I think the Haga Sophia used to be a church at some point um from what I’ve heard and uh pretty much yeah cut the rest out So guys it’s time to go into the waters of Eastan So boarding a pretty large ferry Gives me a little bit of flash but gives some like Manhattan New Jersey ferry just something like that And uh yeah I think the view is going to be quite something just going up here already So the cool thing is it’s kind of like public transport so it costs like 50 cents You basically get this crazy view of all the major mosques around here Let’s see Chicken [Music] Well well let’s say it like that 20 minutes on a ship probably would have taken at least over an hour by car It felt like we’re just leaving the city behind And this area is called Kadikoy a place that I really haven’t been last time not even in a closed neighborhood How you doing my man All good Are you the coffee man Yes
Yes Nice Okay Well let me let me try your work then here Well he didn’t stay for the review I have to say it’s not the best one I’ve had but you know Turkish coffee I think I’m slowly developing the taste for it So let’s say like that It seems like it’s a bit more of a local neighborhood in the sense of um not as touristy as like the Gelata area or like where in the beginning of the video not as old and historical as the one with the mosques but kind of like a nice mix Feels a bit more local and I would say the drive here is kind of the best part in many ways So going to have a little coffee walk around a little bit Yeah I would say pretty good first day But yeah really the best part is that easily with the ships you can explore most parts of the city and it’s almost kind of like an excursion without the annoying tour guys telling you about everything So I like
what’s your name
What’s your name Mijit
Mijit
Mijit You’re the best coffee maker in town
Yes Yes
You could say like that In many ways it’s a similar vibe as in the more touristy more famous neighborhood we have been before Just everything a bit more affordable everything a bit more let’s say local you see I would say like probably touristy amount maybe here’s like 30 40% whereas in the other neighbors probably 70 80 and so yeah kadcoy pretty cool so took the boat back as you can imagine the light the energy going back we’re back on I think kakoy so the main side uh where the video started I think tomorrow going to take you a little bit around this neighborhood as well But for right now evening the vibe really a place and I was just thinking that is in many ways why I like Eastanbul is because the city has a structure I could not compare it to anything else for now See you tomorrow [Music] So guys this is the home here for the next couple of days I have to tell you super freaky Airbnb but kind of interesting Maybe I’ll show you later a bit more Let’s hit the streets All righty guys So here is like some type of more or less famous breakfast shop Looks pretty pretty cool I have to say Especially the thing in the background Sorry Sorry guys Guys we’re starting the day hopping out this neighborhood I’ve heard it’s kind of nice Chihang gear They say I didn’t really know what it is when I was looking up the Airbnb So the place I’m staying at right now is quite a bit freaky Maybe I’m going to show you a little bit more But they say cafes restaurants in the neighborhood So we’re like 10-minute walk from the main streets But also I was like “Hey Turkish breakfast Try the regular go-to I didn’t expect too much but I have to say visually looks super nice Having some Turkish coffee This is going to fuel us let’s say throughout the day Nothing like too complicated Basically just a lot of different ingredients Marmalades eggs Yeah Going to start a little Eastbul adventure right now But I think my favorite basket is the bread basket here Tastes like pure butter basically [Music] Okay thank you So perhaps my second favorite mode of transport Seriously just taking a different type of transport here as an experience Yep this one So it’s kind of like a little tram underground Takes you all the way down because walking is quite a bit intense Down a little bit easy Up different story So yeah
we’ll be by the water in a minute [Music] So guys even though it’s cloudy we’re walking up some stairs to hopefully get some kind of view Also going to have perhaps a little special guest tonight So the place is called Kubet Hopefully it’s not going to start raining right now A little bit already but the terrace We have a terrace rain I would
say probably best view in East Tambul It’s a cloudy day So I guess it speaks for it You’re pretty much seeing everything you see yesterday where we have been done with the boat and
we’re seeing the most famous man in Sri Lanka How have you been man
Great It’s good to see you in my beautiful cityst cities
So you said actually your roots are also Turkish
Yeah we are ethnically right
We are technically ethnically technically ethnically we are uh Turk So we come from Central Asia
No it surprised me that you it surprised me that you actually speak Turkish out of nowhere you started It’s pretty cool
So David you have maybe seen him in the Sri Lanka video series
Uh you’ve actually just been there recently again right Yes I went back to do the school opening and going to be last visit for this year So next year again maybe we should do again together
I mean yeah I might I might So definitely good to see you And wait so you said like you keep coming back here right
Yes I come almost like every 3 months My doctors are here and I come and relax since I speak the language I know food It’s so easy for me to
What would you say is like the biggest selling point of Turkey
Uh people and food I think two great things And this is the best time to come here
And medical and I think also
there’s a big medical tourism right now for hair transplantation and teeth
I feel like in terms of price Eastanul is probably one of like the best values in this area of the world
Huge city Yeah
If you come here with dollars or euros it’s it’s great You get a great value for your for your money
All right Well we just ordered So let’s see what we’re going to get
Order the fancy way
We just order in this punchet And we don’t have we don’t have to talk even to the waiter We just order and then
it’s going to come in few minutes
hopefully We shall see Uh how do you want your coffee
Some at the It’s like the columns of the mosques Pretty cool Thank you sir Look at this Nice Let’s go I don’t like my camera [Music] So here we are back again Hope you enjoyed this little something I’ve never done Sometimes there’s some countries I film a video and then like bigger travel series just get in the way where I end up not publishing the footage And Eastumble was one of those things I always knew it’s sitting somewhere It should see the light of day And uh yeah overall one of the biggest cities in the world one of my favorite cities in the world Not everything I like about it especially last couple of days here was kind of holidays was a bit intense Very very many people What is quite interesting is the prices really went up I remember since the last time being here first of all the currency really it’s kind of like a sad thing if you consider that a lot of people had savings in the Turkish lera currency pretty much went from whatever it has been like dropped value I think by more than two times in the last couple of years And with that you would think Eastern Bull became maybe a bit more affordable if you compare it to the dollar or euro But actually what I have to say is right now just walking around overall coffee is $45 a meal $10 I remember it to be a bit more affordable So if anybody um has been here is from here knows about it Let me know like how is the cost of living in Turkey in the last couple of years relative to everything Is it like getting much much worse as things are getting much more expensive Are the wages going up Cuz still it’s very good value for a mega city but it’s not what it was even like one and a half years ago when you saw the footage from before So if anybody knows I’m curious to hear down below And other than that I’m going to take in a little bit the Otako view in and you got a world to see Join me on Instagram if you want to see where I am right now Wow what a place

🇹🇷 Traveling to Istanbul, Turkey in 2025! 🌏🥳 15% OFF Level8 Travel Luggage with Worldwide shipping (Code”Dany15″): https://www.clkmg.com/LEVEL8/DanyDev
.
In this video, we take you through the must-see sights in Istanbul—from the Hagia Sophia to the bustling Grand Bazaar, serene Bosphorus cruises, and hidden gems on the other side of the water
.
Join me on My Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/danydevv/
.
In This Video @lizachaika @alex_againn
.
My Travel Medical Insurance by SafetyWing (Needed for many Countries): https://bit.ly/3BsdPyN
.
For the best music in my content I use Epidemic Sound, sign up for a 30-day free trial here: https://bit.ly/3xXgNKc
.
Email: info@gotaworldtosee.com (Business Inquiries)
.
Check out my second Channel (spontaneous talks around mindset): https://www.youtube.com/c/DanyDev
.
MY Gear(UPDATED 2025):
Drone: https://amzn.to/4cSKFeP
Small Camera: https://amzn.to/4jV3znz
Microphone: https://amzn.to/3GvPazS
Big Camera: https://amzn.to/449P0I8
.
By using my affiliate links them you find product I use. Support me by clicking them and I recieve a small comission at no extra cost to you.
.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:40 Best For Travel (Sponsor)
02:00 The Plan
03:01 İstiklal Road
04:40 Turkish Lunch
06:10 New& Old Karkoy Waterfront
09:00 Gelata Tower and Hotel Tour
11:00 Ortakoy
13:00 Summer Istanbul
14:00 Grand Bazzar and Hagia Sophia
16:50 Boat to Kadikoy (Asia)
20:10 Turkish Breakfast
22:00 Kubbe Restaurant with View
25:05 Honest Thoughts on Istanbul