If you don’t love kebabs, you soon will. We're not talking about dodgy donners at the side of the road, we mean Istanbul – the king of expertly crafted meat wraps. That's not all – the city makes one hell of a city break, so let us help with yours.
CLIMB: GALATA TOWER
Istanbul can be a blooming confusing place – we walked around in circles many, many times. Instead, we should have found our bearings early on with a hike up the Galata Tower. Here you'll be able to suss out the location of the Bosphorus, the Asian side and the European side. Apart from the boring geography stuff, it'll give you some of the best high-up views of the city – time your visit with the call to prayer and it's spine-tingling stuff.
STAY: MARTI ISTANBUL HOTEL
There are loads of areas to hang out, but if good nightlife, bars and shops are your thing, this is the ideal base. The hotel is located in Taksim, just a short wander from Beyoğlu, where grungy bars line the narrow streets and tables come laden with meze. Rooms are pretty sumptuous, and a steal for what you get – huge beds, your own private in-bathroom hammam, and a rooftop terrace that you'll never want to leave. You should though, that's the point. From £175 per room per night B&B.martiistanbulhotel.com
EAT: CULINARY BACKSTREETS
If you don't go to Istanbul and eat all the food then you're doing holidays wrong. Take a tour with Culinary Backstreets which offers blinding foodie walks of the city, combining the best local eats with some interesting history thrown in. Think kebabs, intestine, sweetbreads, chicken breast pudding (a sweet, sticky dessert), Turkish pide (pizza) and SO MUCH cheese. You'll meet loads of local vendors, and spend a lot of time taking pictures of their impressive moustaches (don't worry, they like it). culinarybackstreets.com
