Things to do in Istanbul, no research required

Istanbul has enough packed into it to justify its own file. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque tops the list by a wide margin, with Suleymaniye Mosque close behind, both a short walk apart in the old city. Go to Hagia Sophia early, because the crowd builds fast and beating it changes the visit entirely. For something less obvious, the Rahmi M. Koç Museum covers industrial and transport history down by the Golden Horn. Loti Roof Lounge gives you the Bosphorus view for the end of the day. Arts-and-culture stops and cafes run deep across neighborhoods that take real time to cross.