Wandering around the Grand Bazaar is like stepping into a turbo-powered pinball machine: it's fast-paced, noisy and there's flashy stimuli to set your senses spinning.

Your eyes dart to the bright fuscia and orange pashminas, now to the semi-precious stones sold in the jewellry section. Now to two carpet traders arguing over a coffee, now to the dozens of replica cars and planes buzzing around the floor. And that's just the visuals.

Let your scent guide you and you'll be led to double-roasted pistachio Turkish delights, the chargrill of chicken shish or you might bump into the simit salesman pushing his trolley round the circuit.

In fact, with up to 300,000 daily visitors it's likely you'll be bumped, tossed and swept into a few people as you snake your way through the hundreds of interconnected vaulted passages.

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Merchants armed with sophisticated sales pitches sing out greetings as they usher travellers into their stores. The more Westerners in a shop, the busier the shop becomes. Be prepared for, and enjoy, the delightful bait: offers of free apple tea and soft drinks, stories about the building's history (parts are over 600 years old and the architectural details are worth a moment's appreciation) and charismatic frontmen who'll happily answer your cultural questions. There's no need for tour guides here.

Some vendors are out to dupe tourists (beware "genuine designer" perfume filled with water) but most sell authentic items.

Stamped silver and gold is real, the thread-count in carpets high and for the style-conscious there are funky modern stores such as Stonebul selling bespoke jewellry.

Tackle it like a Turk (see Shopping Tips below) and you'll net a bargain, particularly in the leather, silver and carpet sections which are historically the foundation of the market.

Workmanship costs are lower in Turkey so goods will come with a considerably smaller price tag than what you'd get in the UK but you pay for the quality so don't expect to pick up a solid gold necklace for under £70.

If you're hunting antiques be warned: that way dragons lie. It is illegal to buy or export antiquities from Turkey. Breaking this law can result in a prison sentence. So if you're in any doubt, bail out.

That said, with 3,600 shops sprawled across 40,000 square meters it's easy to get lost, and hard to get out.

Take note of the Nuruosmaniye gate for a swift exit.

Shopping tips: Go in the morning. The first sale of the day, known as SIftah, is sacred to shop-keepers.

Browse through the stalls and get to know how much the item you're interested in is priced at other stalls before you start to bargain with any salesman. If you ask a price that is too low they'll know that you don't know the local price - which means in the end you'll end up paying tourist prices.

The Turkish are hospitable and shopping is a social activity. When offered accept the apple tea and get to know your shopkeeper. You are under no obligation to buy after accepting anything that is offered by them - offers of food and drink are a local custom.

Let the vendor quote the first price - once you offer a price that the shopkeeper agrees to, you will be expected to buy the item.

Getting there: The Grand Bazaar is in the Beyazit district. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is via the Zeytinburnu tram which will cost you two Lira from Sultanahmet; get out at the Çarsikapi stop then follow the signs marked Kapalicarsi or Grand Bazaar.

If you prefer to walk the market is a slingshot away from the Blue mosque and Hagia Sophia - it'll take you 20 minutes at a leisurely pace to walk to the main entrance from these historic sites.

Navigating: There are 21 entrances to the market, but the two most commonly used ones are Beyazit and Nuruosmaniye.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 8.30am - 7pm

Flights to Istanbul: Pegasus airlines offer flights from London (Stansted) to Istanbul for £39.99 inclusive of tax.

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