Istanbul - Gear

This scarf is a versatile essential for Istanbul. Soft, lightweight, and GOTS-certified, it doubles as a modest headscarf for mosque visits, a wrap for breezy ferry rides, or an easy layer for changing weather.

A meditative, melancholic portrait of Istanbul by Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, this book blends personal memoir with cultural history. Through archival photographs, poetic vignettes, and intimate reflections, Pamuk paints a textured, atmospheric picture of his hometown.

This lightweight hybrid tote and backpack is perfect for spontaneous stops at markets, bazaars, or Turkish bookstores. Made with water-resistant durable ripstop, it's easy to fold and pack for travel.

Essential for peace of mind in busy places like Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar or metro. Tuck one in your daypack or luggage and track it via your iPhone if it gets misplaced. Compact, reliable, and especially useful for multi-stop travel.

We use Wise to spend in local currency without the painfully high foreign transaction fees. It’s one of the simplest ways we’ve found to access our money abroad, in any currency needed, without feeling like we’re losing some of it to massive fees every time we tap.

We use SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance to protect ourselves in case we face an unexpected medical emergency. In addition to covering medical treatment and hospitalization, their policy also covers lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency evacuations.

It can be a hassle to buy a new eSIM every time you enter a different country. That's why we use Saily's Global eSIM, which provides coverage in all the countries we regularly travel to. It's great to land in a new destination and already have data.

Using a VPN is essential to protecting your digital life when moving through unfamiliar networks. We use NordVPN to encrypt our connection on public wifi—whether in airports, cafés, or coworking spaces.