Skyline Chasers

This cylindrical stone tower has watched over the Golden Horn since 1348, when Genoese merchants built it as the apex of their fortified colony. Climb to the top for a 360-degree panorama that takes in the minarets of Sultanahmet, the Bosphorus shipping lanes, and the sprawl of the Asian shore. At s

On the 7th floor of a building off İstiklal Caddesi, this much-loved place is friendly, stylish and always buzzing. And oh, the views! Sip a cocktail or cold beer while gazing over to the Asian side and you'll never want to leave. There's also food on offer, but the real draw is the Golden Horn pano

This is the classiest bar and restaurant in town. Sink into the Alvar Aalto-designed chairs and watch the twinkling lights of Beyoğlu while you sip a wonderfully dry martini or good-quality glass of house wine. The Marmara Pera hotel's top-floor operation serves excellent Mod Med cuisine to a truly

Take the cable car up through the old cemetery above Eyüp, and you'll arrive at this hilltop café named after the French novelist who fell in love with Istanbul's melancholy beauty. The views over the Golden Horn are sweeping and timeless — order a Turkish coffee, settle into the terrace, and watch

The highest point in Istanbul — a hilltop park crowned with pine trees where the entire city unfurls before you in every direction. You can see both bridges, the minaret-filled skyline of the Old City, the Princes' Islands in the distance, and the Bosphorus winding its way to the Black Sea. Bring a

Rising from a tiny island 200 metres off the Üsküdar shore, this squat tower is one of Istanbul's most romantic silhouettes — especially at sunset when it's lit against the darkening Asian skyline. Legend says a princess was imprisoned here to escape a prophecy of death by snakebite. The 18th-centur