We Finally Made It to Istanbul for Christmas 🇹🇷

Day 53, 54 & 55 of travelling overland from the UK to Australia.

We wake up in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, knowing today is a big one, we’re heading to Istanbul for Christmas.
The bus is booked for midday, so we grab breakfast and a hot chocolate before making our way to the station.

What should’ve been a simple journey turns into a long, stop-heavy travel day supermarkets, roadside eateries, and hours on the road before finally crossing into Turkey. By the time we reach Istanbul, it’s late, we’re exhausted, and we’re grabbing dinner just as the city is shutting down around us.

The next morning is Christmas Eve.
Buffet breakfast, a chilled wander, a spontaneous Christmas gift challenge at the mall, and an unnecessary Shake Shack order that we fully commit to.

Christmas Day itself is something special.
We exchange silly supermarket gifts, then head straight into the heart of Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, and one of the best meals we’ve had on the trip, recommended entirely by our waiter.

No traditional Christmas dinner.
No family around.
Just a city full of chaos, kindness, colour and honestly, we loved every second of it.

The next few days are still undecided… more time in Istanbul, or heading east toward Ankara and Cappadocia by bus or by rented car?

Thanks for watching!