If you are visiting Turkey in the near future and you have already booked into one of the best Istanbul hotels, all that remains is to ensure you know about some of the great sights the city has in store for you.
If you're visiting with the family - perhaps with some younger kids in tow - you should add the following sights to your itinerary.
Here are three top family friendly places to visit in the city.
Emirgan Park This park is visually stunning and is well within easy reach of many of the best Istanbul hotels; it can also give you a break from the hustle and bustle the city is famous for.
The park has the distinction of being among the biggest the city has to offer, and it has been around in one form or another for several centuries.
There are well over a hundred acres to explore and, with picnic areas included, you'll see plenty of locals here as well as tourists enjoying the sights and sounds of this lovely public park.
Be sure to seek out the three pavilions, each of which is named after the colour they are painted.
TurkuaZoo You may think you can guess what this is from the name - but you may not be right.
It's not actually a zoo; rather, it is an aquarium, and it provides a wonderful day out for every member of the family to enjoy.
It is the first aquarium of its kind in the country, not just Istanbul, so is becoming rightly famous.
Head out from your choice of the best Istanbul hotels any day of the week to pay a visit to TurkuaZoo - the opening hours are always the same unless there is a special event on.
You can see thousands of different creatures here, not to mention being able to walk through the underwater tunnel to watch sharks and other creatures swimming around you.
The children will love this wonderful attraction, and so will you.
Miniaturk We've all seen miniature parks of one kind or another during our lives, but how would you react to seeing this charming example of an entire miniature country? It's well worth making the trip to see it and the children will love the many models that have been perfectly represented here.
Look out for miniature versions of the Hagia Sophia, the Temple of Artemis, Damascus Station and Aspendos.
This is a fascinating history lesson children simply won't be able to resist.
Booking into one of the best Istanbul hotels means you can enjoy seeing all these and many other sights as well - right on your doorstep.
While you may not initially think this is an ideal city for families to visit, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
It is a learning experience for the entire family and if you pick out the best sites to see, such as those named above, everyone will be able to experience a worthwhile adventure.