What to Do in Istanbul While You Recover

You will have three or four empty days between the procedure and the final check. Istanbul is an exhausting city if you let it be, so here is the version of it that does not interfere with healing.

Worth doing

• The public ferry to Kadıköy or Üsküdar. Twenty minutes, costs almost nothing, you sit down the whole way, and it is the best view in the city. Sit inside rather than on the open deck if you are avoiding sun or wind.
• Nişantaşı on foot. Flat, shaded, full of cafés. You can walk for an hour and never be more than ten minutes from the hotel.
• Istanbul Modern or the Pera Museum. Air-conditioned, quiet, small enough to see in an hour without standing too long.
• Emirgan or Yıldız Park. Shade, benches and no crowds on a weekday.
• A long lunch. Genuinely the correct activity for day three.

What to avoid

• Hamams and saunas. Heat and steam are the single worst thing for a fresh graft or a healing wound. Wait until your surgeon clears it, usually four weeks.
• The Grand Bazaar and Istiklal on a weekend. Dense crowds mean being knocked, which after nasal surgery is a real risk.
• Direct sun on the scalp or on fresh scars. Istanbul sun is strong from May to September and pigmented scarring is permanent.
• Hills. Galata, Balat and Sultanahmet are all steep. Not in week one.
• Alcohol. It thins the blood, worsens swelling and interacts with the medication you were sent home with.

If you are unsure whether something is safe, message your coordinator. It is a thirty-second question and it is what they are there for.