Two days in Istanbul: What you can really see with Turkish Airlines' deal

Turkish Airlines, which flies from Melbourne and - as of December - Sydney to Europe via Istanbul, offers two complimentary nights at a five-star hotel in Istanbul for business-class passengers or one night at a four-star hotel for economy passengers.

So what's the catch and how much of this epic city can you actually see in that time?

The offer is only available for customers with onward international flights from and to specific destinations (the list is pretty comprehensive though) with a return ticket to the same country of origin and a connection time of at least 20 hours in Istanbul.

It has to be all on one ticket and the offer's not available with onward Turkish Airlines domestic flights or flights ending in Istanbul.

Frankfurt is my ultimate destination and I'm flying business class from Singapore return, so I qualify for two free nights.

I wanted to visit Istanbul anyway, so I choose a connecting flight with more than 20 hours specifically to take advantage of the offer. You can use your free night/s on either the outbound or inbound flights and I nominate to use mine on the way out, applying for my hotel stay at the same time as I book my flight, some 12 weeks in advance. I receive my hotel vouchers a month later. I apply for my Turkiye e-visa ($85) two weeks before I'm due to fly and I have it the following day.

There's a choice of about half a dozen each of four- or five-star international brand hotels. At the time of booking the latter were all on the European side of the city.

My choice, the Hilton Conrad Bosphorus, is exactly what you'd expect from a five-star hotel, with spacious rooms, a spa, pool, bar and restaurant.

The added bonus is spectacular views of the city and the Bosphorus Strait, but the payoff is a walk up a steep hill.

What can you do in two days? We touch down at Istanbul Airport at 4pm and take a taxi to our hotel, arriving at about 6pm. After checking in and having a shower, we have a sunset drink at the Conrad's Summit Bar, then dinner at its restaurant, Manzara.

I book a walking tour of the old city for the following morning ($120 for two, plus $66 entrance fees) through Air BnB Experiences. After our free breakfast, we take a taxi from the hotel to our meeting point, the German Fountain in Sultanahmet, joining a group of six - four other Australians, one Irish and one American traveller.

All of Sultanahmet's sights are conveniently close together and we wander down the Hippodrome, a former chariot-racing course of Constantinople, while our guide Israfil, a retired teacher, explains the significance of the public monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpent Column and the Masonry Obelisk.

We only view the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, a former church turned mosque, then museum and back to a mosque in 2020, from the outside, but visit the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet) and the eerily beautiful Basilica cistern, another ancient Byzantine construction.

Then Israfil takes us for a tea break in the leafy courtyard of a former madras (Islamic religious school) turned cafe. We also visit the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets in the world, as well as the spice market.

With a tour guide, we're able to skip the lines everywhere, which is a great time saver and Israfil proves an excellent guide; knowledgeable and passionate about his city and its history.

After the tour, we wander through the Eminonu district, stopping for a late lunch of charcoal-grilled meats and salad. We take a taxi back across the bridge and alight at the waterfront for a stroll, then decide to take a boat tour of the Bosphorus.

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Sitting on the top deck, we sail past the Dolmabahce Palace, exquisite Ottoman and Byzantine architecture, mosques and waterside homes of the very wealthy, crossing over the Asian side of Istanbul and back.

On the walk back up the hill, we stop for a restorative beer then return to the hotel for a swim, before heading out to dinner at a nearby wine bar.

We have a nightcap on the hotel terrace to admire the spectacular city and busy waterway by night, then go to bed.

After breakfast the following morning, we take a taxi back to the airport for our 11am flight to Frankfurt.

If you really want to visit Istanbul and are flying business class, this is a good offer. However, the single-night economy offer is probably not really worthwhile unless you have a flight that arrives in the early morning and leaves late the following evening and are willing to go hard to see the sights.

In either case, I'd advise staying longer at your own expense. Not necessarily at a five or even four-star hotel, however, as there's a plethora of very reasonably priced, decent-quality hotels in the city.

You'll also need to take into account the expenses you'll incur, from your visa to transportation to and from the airport and getting around, as well as meals and sightseeing.

And be aware, with a limited number of rooms, there's always the possibility that there won't be any hotel accommodation left after you've booked your flights, so factor in a plan B (and book early).

There's so much to see and do in Istanbul that I regret I didn't extend our stay, although it proved a very tasty appetite-whetter and I'm definitely keen for seconds.

Explore more: turkishairlines.com/en-int/flights/stopover

The writer travelled at her own expense.