What It’s Like Crossing Continents in Istanbul (Easier Than You Think)

What It’s Like Crossing Continents in Istanbul (Easier Than You Think)

Welcome to Istanbul, the only metropolis on Earth built on two continents. Divided by the Bosphorous Strait, this city is a massive bridge between east and west. Today, we aren’t just visiting one side. We’re taking the ferry back and forth to find out exactly what makes the European side and the Asian side so different. Let’s go. >> I’m Jeff. >> And I’m Alexa. >> Together, we’re exploring the history and geography of the world. one place at a time. We are officially starting our day here in Istanbul because we’re tourists. We’re starting on the European side, which is really helpful because we’re right near the Hagia Sophia. It’s going to make for a really quick visit before we head across the Bosphorus. A lot of traffic though. A lot of traffic. >> One thing you’re going to notice throughout our journey in Istanbul is that there are a lot of cats. Like every single place you look, there’s a cat. There is a reason for that which we’ll get to, but for now we’re just going to count them as we see them. It is a very windy start. But before we head over to the Asian side, we are going to check out one of the most iconic buildings, religious monuments here in Istanbul, and that is Haga Sophia, and that’s over here. But if you look this way, there is another really iconic religious monument, and that is the Blue Mosque. And that is why you’ll also see a lot of tour groups because this is where everyone wants to go at least once when they are here in Istanbul. The little mossi is beautiful. We are not going to check that out today cuz we have so much to see. Istanbul is a huge city. So I think it’s time to head over to Haga Sophia. I also brought this just in case I need it to cover my hair. So, one thing to note as we head over to the Hagia Sophia is that while it is basically the world’s largest mosque today, it actually began its life as the world’s largest Christian cathedral. And so, the original building in the middle was part of like the big cathedral. But then the minouetses, which is sort of a hallmark of mosques, those big pointy tower things, those came afterwards. I think inside the early 1500s or late 1400s, when the Ottoman Empire took it over and turned it into a mosque. So a lot of history in this one building and it’s supposed to be very beautiful inside too. So >> all right, right now we are heading to a very long line to enter the visiting side of Hagya Sophia. For those who want to visit the the religious monument, if you are Islamic Muslim, then you are able to go into the practicing side, the worshiping side. But if you’re not, then they have a separate section for you. So that is where we’re going along with what looks like hundreds of other people. And it’s early. It’s 9:20 in the morning. So, I can’t even imagine what it’s like in the afternoon. >> Slight change of plans here. So, if you’re just going to do the visiting area, it’s going to cost €25 per person. Or if you want the complete experience, it’s €50 per person. >> What’s your response to that? >> No. >> Since it’s not the highlight of our day today, it’s not something we really want to spend all of this time waiting in line just to buy tickets, then just to get in. Instead, we’re going to >> the Blue Mosque. We have so much to do today that we’re not going to give Hagi Sophia justice. >> So, instead, here is some delightful b-roll of what the Haga Sophia looks like on the inside. And then we’re going to continue our way into the Blue Mosque, which is free to enter. And while it is popular, it’s much less popular than Hagi Sophia. Unfortunately, it’s open only for prayers. It’s free to enter, but I guess only at 2:30 today, and it is 9:30 in the morning, so we ain’t getting in. Been a real good kickoff to the episode, huh? Well, I guess we’ll uh go ahead and start our rest of our trip, which is heading to the ferry. Despite us failing on two accounts this morning, this area is still really beautiful. Like just being near Haga Sophia, near the Blue Mosque, and near all of the very ornate Islamic architecture around here, it still makes for a really nice trip. All right. So trying to get some money out because, you know, there’s sometimes street vendors, things like that that we want to have local currency in. So I picked $50 US thinking it would do the the conversion. >> That is not correct. >> I just pulled out $50 in Turkey for what reason? >> What was the reason? >> And I don’t want to say how much I paid cuz there was a fee. I just think this is extra funny because nowhere else since we’ve been in Europe has even entertained the idea of US dollars as a fiat currency and I haven’t really seen that to be the case here in Istanbul either. So why are these things spitting out US dollars? I have no idea. >> Was successful this time. My ego still a little bruised. Okay. So, in thinking about this episode, coming into Istanbul and knowing we want to do an episode about how Istanbul is the only transcontinental city in the entire world, we knew we were going to have to visit both the European and the Asian side. And you can take trains back and forth. They’ll take you through a tunnel, but there’s just not going to be any better way to show it than by using Istanbul’s extensive ferry system. And that’s going to take us across multiple times today. And we are going to get some unbelievable views, but also some very windy views. Cuz if you can’t tell, I’m holding my hat cuz it’s going to blow away otherwise. First step though is finding where we buy tickets to get across to the Asian side. >> A few minutes later. >> All right. So, after Alexa asked one of the very helpful attendants at one of the ticket booths, he told us that the Uscodar line is at Terminal 3. And as we’re looking down, it’s right there. Our first stop on the Asian side, usar. We paid for our ferry and it was only $2.19. >> Super duper cheap. There’s a lot of like phosphorous tours you can do. Sure. They’ll charge you like 40 or 50 bucks for $2 just to get to the other side. We’re going to get the same great views as everybody else. So easy >> easy. >> After you find it, of course. >> Wow. >> Istanbul basically runs on fairies and these boats are the ever beating heartbeat of the city. Right now, we’re riding the Shehir Hatlara, the official city ferry. And they run about 600 trips every single day, moving over 40 million people a year between the two continents. For locals, this isn’t a tourist attraction. It’s a daily commute. And you simply won’t get a better view of Istanbul while riding it. It’s hands down the most beautiful public transit ride in the world. We are officially on our way to Asia, which again, this is the only city you can actually say that in. It’s very rare that there’s a hard border between continents. In this case, there happens to be one. In fact, it’s the only really hard border between Asia and Europe because it’s sort of nebulous when it’s in Russia. It’s sort of nebulous around the Caucuses region of Armenia and Georgia. So, this is kind of it. If you ever want to cross a continental border, both is a great place to do it. In case you ever want to do this yourself, not only is it cheap and pretty easy, but it only takes about 20 minutes to get to the other side. It’s basically how much you would spend sitting in either a car or the train anyways. So, at least here you get a lot of fresh air. A lot of fresh air. I can’t wear my hat because there’s so much fresh air. >> My hair. >> 12 seconds later. >> Oh man, this wind. Feel like I’m on the doubtful sound again. >> Okay, so if you look directly behind me, that’s Asia. And this side, that land mass behind those people right there, that’s Europe. It’s the box for a straight guys. It’s the show. That’s the show for my hair. That’s true. We have officially made it to the Asian side. And Alexa, what do you think >> so far? So cool. >> Yeah, I would say the air has a distinct Asia like quality to it. What the hell are you talking about? I’m just joking. It’s the exact same air. And just like uh all continental borders, that doesn’t really matter all that much. It’s just kind of fun. All right, first step now is to find some coffee cuz this one hasn’t had any yet. >> Nope. No caffeine in me. All right, here at a coffee shop and I am actually going to try my first Turkish coffee. I am very excited having had coffee now in a lot of different places in Asia and Europe, even in South America. Turkish coffee is pretty famous and it’s known for being very strong, which I need cuz we have a long day. So, I’ll try it and then I’ll explain a little bit about it. It is very strong because it is very finely ground coffee and they don’t filter it. So, the coffee is all in there. When you’re done with it, you’ll see like the sludge at the bottom. They ask you how sweet you want it cuz they will add the sugar for you. I wanted mine a little sweet. There’s no milk in here, which is good for me. And then the last thing I’ll say is they also bring you water to help kind of like cleanse your palette as you’re drinking the really strong coffee. >> And as you guys know, I’m not a coffee drinker. So, instead, I got me some Turkish tea. All right, Alexa convinced me to try Turkish coffee. Even though I’m not a coffee person, I generally think it all tastes bad. As far as coffee goes, this one’s probably one of my favorites. It’s like a little sweet. It’s not terrible, but just like with all coffee, it’s why I don’t like coffee. The aftertaste just comes roaring in. Yeah, not for me. >> As we were leaving, we saw them making some kind of bread pa stuff. I’m hungry. We have a long day. Thought it’d be good to have a snack. >> I just burned my tongue. >> It’s very good. Yeah, it’s like potatoes and cheese and yumminess. Let’s power on. >> All right, so there’s really only one thing we want to see in Uscodar at this point now that we’ve gotten coffee, some food, and that is well another mosque cuz we didn’t really get to show you guys the blue mosque or hagia, but this one’s supposed to be very beautiful. So, we’re going to jump inside and I guess just show you guys around a little bit. Jeff was not wrong. The Kusken Cookook Mosque is absolutely stunning. The mosque was built in the early 1950s and is covered with colorful tiles and beautiful light fixtures. While maybe not as large or grand as a Hagi Sophia and Blue Mosque, it was a perfect quick stop while in Uscadar. And with that, our time on the Asian side is over >> for now. >> Exactly. Because don’t you guys worry, we’re coming back in just a little bit. But first, we have to make our way back to the European side by ferry. Alexa can’t get in. >> I don’t know what’s going on. >> The mad rush for the boat. hat hair. It’s not so bad when I have my hat to wear. I’m hiding from the sun. And now we’re back into Europe. Woohoo. It was a relatively easy but more crowded boat this time. And something we’ve noticed on now both our boats is that people like to throw bread. They like to try and attract the birds, which they’re probably all tourists. And I’m sure the locals ate that cuz then the birds go nuts as they are right now. >> So we are in Caro. We have a few things we want to see and then get some lunch before we head back to the Asian side. >> Let’s do it. It’s bull. It’s quite hilly. A lot of climbing. >> Basically, we climbed all the way up and now we’re going all the way back down just to climb all the way back up some more stairs. >> That doesn’t make no sense. >> But they’re not just any stairs. They’re cool vibbey stairs, so it’s worth it. Right behind me are the commando stairs which were built in the 19th century and really are just famous for this unique design. Pretty popular spot for people to take pictures. Love this cat in the background who has decided to photobomb all the pictures. But now that we’ve walked all the way down, we need to walk all the way back up. Very vibe stairs. >> Yeah, >> very fun. And of course, very cute cat, but there’s a lot of those here in Istanbul. If you’ve never been to a majority Muslim country, the chanting, the prayer, you hear it all the time here in Istanbul. It’s very pretty sometimes, but it’s actually coming from this tower right behind me. And that’s why it’s so particularly loud right here. Okay, so right there, which is hovering above me, is the Galada Tower here in Istanbul. And we’re not going to go up there, and I’ll tell you why in just a second, but it does have sort of an interesting history. So, it was built by the Genoies uh back in like the 1200s. And Genoies are from Genoa, you know, Italy. And back when this was part of the Roman Empire, this was a city called Constantinople, part of the Byzantine Empire. Actually, this was built by Genoies sort of residents as they moved and had like a little enclave area within the city. And so, they built it as sort of a watchtower of sorts. It’s been used many times since as various other things. And today, it’s generally a tourist trap. So, you can buy a ticket and you can go all the way up to the top and see, I’m guessing, larger parts of the city. Now, we’re not going to go up there because you see that line behind me. It wraps all the way around the building. Cherry on top. It costs €30 per person to go up. I don’t really want to spend €30 just to go up to the top of the tower. I’ve been to a lot of towers in this trip. They’re all nice, but I don’t want to spend that much money. But it’s still a very cool tower to see, and it makes for a great landmark. Say what you will about this symbol and how crowded it is, but this is a very beautiful city. >> Yeah, I love it here. >> Very picturesque. We are going to make our way down Umbrella Street. There’s a few of them throughout the city. This one is conveniently located and has where we’re going for lunch. So, let’s see. Very cute. I like it. I dig it. As usual with any lunch, I have to try the local beer. In which case this time it’s a feez pillzner. It’s pretty good. It’s like a crisp cleaner. Yeah, no complaints. >> For our lunch, we are gonna kind of have a lot of just appetizers because why not? We want to try a bunch of different things. So, we’ve got some hummus, a grilled red pepper, we got some Turkish pa, and then we have some other things coming out in a little bit. Really tasty. Simple, but really flavorful. Yum. >> There’s nothing like fresh pa. It’s both crispy on the outside, very moist on the inside. Very tasty. And the hummus, very flavorful. I don’t know if I’ve ever really had good hummus in the States. Definitely not like this. Hummus can be very dry often times in southern states. Mostly dry because it’s coming from packages. Oh wow. >> Oh wow. >> It’s not dry here. This >> is now our main course of sorts. These meatballs, they’re like ground meat. Haven’t tried one yet, but it’s like a hard hard shell. So I’m trying to figure out how to open these. Not like that. But you can kind of see all the ground meat in there. It looks really yummy. Oh boy. This is I Oh man. So, don’t do what I did, Jeff. It has a little spicy kick. Very delicious. >> Alexa’s cutting hers open and I’m just full forking it right here. It is good though. It’s like very crispy on the outside, very savory and very moist on the inside. I know some people don’t like that word, but moist. >> How dare you? >> Well, Alexa, now that we’ve eaten, feeling a little full, it’s time for us to head back to the Asia side. So, we’re going to head over to the ferry and try and catch another ferry. We’ve had really good luck so far. Each time we’ve approached a ferry station, our ferry is basically coming in the next 5 minutes. I hope that’s still the case, but we’re going to find out cuz I have a feeling our luck might be running out >> if this ferry right here is ours and it takes off soon. >> All right, we got like 15 minutes. >> Another busy boat. >> To understand Istanbul, you have to understand one thing. The Bosphorus straight. one of the most strategic waterways on the planet. For thousands of years, empires have fought for control of this thin blue line. Why? Because it’s the only way out of the Black Sea. It’s a literal choke point where the currents are treacherous and the traffic is nonstop. Huge oil tankers share these waters with tiny fishing boats, all squeezing through a gap that at its narrowest point is only about 700 m wide. Basically, it’s the ultimate bottleneck between east and west. We’re riding the back of the boat this time. >> Not my favorite. >> But you look behind me straight down the Bosphorus. It’s amazing just how beautiful it is to be out on the the Bosphorus like this. And at the same just like how cheap it is. >> Like it might legitimately be the best way to see. That mosque right there. Stunning. Stunning. Every time people throw bread and here they come, the birds >> stalking the boat because they’ve been trained. >> That’s one full boat. Very crowded. Alexa’s grumpy. >> We have made it back to the Asian side and we are specifically in Moda. I >> thought we were in Katakoy. >> Okay. Yes, I think we’re both right. I think Katakoy is a larger district and Moda is like the specific part we’re in. Well, we’re here. >> We’re here. We’re back in Asia. First things first is I think we’re here going to we’re going to ride a little tram in a circle. >> Tell me why. >> That’s just what we do. Ride little trams. >> Oh, yeah. >> Big Tokyo vibes right now. Big Shaboya Crossing vibes right there. Baby Shaboya, but Shaboya just a whole lot of people crossing at once. >> Teeny tiny little tram. Rickety little tram, too. >> Finally got a seat. It’s nice. It’s comfy. Look at that. I don’t have to pull on anything else. Well, we rode the tram all the way around full circle. >> It was cute. >> Very cute. We got to see basically all of this little Moa neighborhood here, including seeing a bunch of kids ride on the very outside of the train, which was, I don’t know, made my day. Now, we’re just going to sort of explore the neighborhood a little bit. Maybe find some ice cream. Mhm. >> One thing you cannot miss while you’re in Istanbul are all of the street cats. Like this cat that made its way into the Birkenstock store in Istanbul. There are anywhere between like a 100,000 and a million stray cats. But they’re not just like regular stray cats. These cats are kind of treated like community cats. people leave food, water, even shelter um for them to live a really probably happy life. They’re all over the city. They’re super cute. My camera roll is filled with them. But I mean, I don’t know. Just look at this little kitty. Not so little. Kind of chubby. Oh my god, that is the best statue of ice cream I could ever have. >> So, here’s the thing. We have walked about 15,000 steps today all across Istanbul. So, this right here, which is mint chocolate, by the way, my favorite ice cream. 100% guilt-free. And it is 100% delicious. >> We both agree that pistachio is the superior green ice cream, right? >> Yeah. No, pistachio ice cream is garbage. >> Who Who wants nut flavored anything? That’s what she said. >> Who wants ice cream that tastes like gum? >> Well, it’s been fun exploring Asia once again, but there’s only one thing left for us to do. Because we live in Europe, we have to go back to Europe, which means going all the way back over to the ferry, taking one more. Here we go. Let the rush begin. >> We are officially on the ferry back to the European side. I have to say it has been so much fun seeing Istanbul going back and forth by ferry to both the European and Asian sides of this incredible city. If you are ever in Istanbul, be sure to use a ferry system because one super easy. And when else can you cross a continent? >> Not very many places. In fact, in terms of cities, no other place. Very fun to explore geographically and historically. Next week, we are heading back to Europe to visit three different Christmas markets in three countries in three days to find out why Europe is so obsessed with them. >> I guess with that, come back next week >> for another adventure. See you then. >> Always drink more beer. No, don’t. You should probably not Don’t take that advice. Bad advice. Beep beep. >> I swear I don’t plan on these things. >> Having your Titanic moment. Except these birds are ruining it. >> Feel like I want to take a little trip. I don’t know.

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Istanbul is unlike any other city in the world because it’s the only city that truly spans two continents. Split in half by the Bosphorus Strait, on the western side is Europe and on the east is Asia. Which leads to one of the most fascinating geographic questions: what does a city look and feel like when its sitting on two continents? In this video, Geoff and Alexa land in Istanbul to explore that very question! And they’ll be making the journey across the Bosphorus multiple times using the cities famous ferry system.
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Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
0:32 – Starting in Europe
1:08 – Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
4:24 – First ferry to Asia
8:40 – Asia side and Turkish coffee
11:00 – Kuzguncuk mosque
11:47 – Second ferry to Europe
13:09 – Karakoy neighborhood
14:44 – Galata Kulasi tower
16:08 – Umbrella Street and lunch
18:16 – Third ferry to Asia
21:02 – Istanbul tiny tram
22:08 – The cats of Istanbul
23:38 – Final ferry back to Europe
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This video was filmed in September 2025.