A Complete Guide to Istanbul, Turkey
Top Things to do in Istanbul
- UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Areas of Istanbul – This includes many of the historic sites in Old Town Istanbul, including Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and more.
- Sultanahmet Park – Large park in Old Town between Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. The park is constantly buzzing with people at all times of the day. If you want great photos with few people in them, head to the park around sunrise as it is much less busy then.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque – The most iconic and historic mosque in Istanbul. This mosque was built back in 360 AD. It was originally a Greek Orthodox church until the fall of Constantinople when it was converted into a mosque. Hagia Sophia is one of the more impressive religious landmarks we have visited. Hagia Sophia mosque is open seven days a week and admission is free. Make sure you arrive early (by 9 or 10 AM) to avoid the long lines. If you want to skip the line, you can hire a tour guide to take you in.
Sunrise at Hagia Sophia
Inside Hagia Sophia
Found a furry friend inside Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque – Located directly across from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque (whose official name is Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is known for the blue tiles in its interior and is probably the second most famous mosque in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia. The crowds to enter the Blue Mosque aren’t as long as Hagia Sophia so you can visit Blue Mosque whenever you are done at Hagia Sophia. Admission into the Blue Mosque is free and it is open seven days a week.
- Topkapi Palace – Built around 1460, Topkapi Palace is considered to be one of the oldest palaces in the world. It was once the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans. Today, it is one of the largest museums in Europe and houses many collections from the Ottoman Empire. Topkapi Palace museum is closed on Tuesdays.
- Grand Bazaar – One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. The historic Grand Bazaar was very important to international trade as Istanbul is centrally located between Asia, Africa, and Europe. When you visit, you will find yourself getting lost in the winding maze of shops. You will likely encounter merchants trying to haggle you and convince you to buy their goods. Part of the fun is trying to negotiate the best deal you can with these merchants. Due to the popularity of the Grand Bazaar, many of the shops within the bazaar itself are now owned by rich foreigners. Many of the local merchants have moved to the streets on the outskirts of the bazaar. If you are looking for a good deal, your best bet is to wander the streets surrounding the bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays so plan accordingly.
- Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) – Large market with countless spices, dried fruits, candies, snacks, textiles, and much more. The Spice Bazaar is located next to the Golden Horn and the Galata Bridge and is open everyday.
- Galata Tower – One of the tallest towers in the city and one of the most popular places to get a viewpoint of Istanbul, the Bosphorus River, and the Golden Horn.
- Galata Bridge – The bridge connecting the two sides of European Istanbul over the Golden Horn. The bridge has great views of Istanbul and of the Bosphorus. There are restaurants below the bridge and there are fishing boats at the end of the bridge which sell fried fish sandwiches (balik ekmek) which are cooked on the large grills on the boats.
- Suleymaniye Mosque – Beautiful mosque with one of the best views of the city. The views are just as good if not better than the views from Galata Tower and it is free. It is located only a few blocks from the Grand Bazaar so make sure you stop by afterwards.
- Istiklal Street – Istanbul’s famous pedestrian street lined with luxury shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. The street runs from Taksim Square to the Galata neighborhood. You could easily spend a day walking around Istiklal Street and the surrounding side streets.
- Church of St. Anthony of Padua – Beautiful Roman Catholic church where Pope John XXIII preached prior to becoming named Pope
- Taksim Square – The square at the end of Istiklal Street. Lots of good restaurants and bars in the area.
- Take Ferry to Asian Side of Istanbul – Istanbul is the only city in the world which straddles both Europe and Asia. One of the unique things you can do in Istanbul is take a boat from across the Bosphorus to another continent. The Asian side is less busy than the European side so it can be a good getaway from the hustle and bustle.
- Bosphorus River Sunset Cruise – A great way to see more of the city than you normally would on foot. Istanbul at sunset is an incredible sight with all of the silhouettes of all the mosques. At the time we went, there were no sunset cruise options with all you can drink, but most give you one free drink and some light appetizers, with additional drinks available for purchase.
-
- There are dinner cruise options after sunset which include dinner and all you can drink. It will be dark so you won’t be able to see as much of the city, but Istanbul at night with all you can drink wine isn’t a bad option.
Best Eats in Istanbul
Hocapaşa – Most of our favorite eats were in or near the Hocapasa neighborhood. Specifically, there is a small covered street block on Ibni Kemal Street which has several great restaurants.
- Şehzade Cağ Kebap – One of our favorite restaurants in all of Turkey. This restaurant serves meat on skewers from a horizontal kebab with a side of wraps, salad, tomato sauce, yogurt, etc. The meat was tender and delicious. We went back here several times because we loved it so much. This place is full of locals and the locals we talked to recommended it as well so this is a must visit restaurant in our opinion.
- Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi – Popular restaurant to get kofte (Turkish meatballs) which has been around since 1893.
- Hocapaşa Pidecisi – Popular pide (Turkish pizza) restaurant in Hocapasa which was highly recommended by the locals.
- Hafiz Mustafa 1964 – Very popular Turkish desserts shop. These shops are located all over Istanbul and have all sorts of sweets, ranging from baklava, ice cream, and much more.
Eminönü
- Kral Kokorec – Popular kokorec (grilled sheep intestine) restaurant where you will eat outside on a plastic stool. Kokorec might sound strange, but it is a very popular Turkish dish and is delicious. You can get kokorec in a wrap or as a sandwich. Midye dolma (mussels stuffed with rice) is also sold here. There are several of these restaurants across Istanbul.
- Gala Kokorec – Another popular kokorec and midye dolma restaurant where you eat outside on plastic stools and tables. There are several of these restaurants across Istanbul. Depending on who you ask, some prefer Gala over Kral and vice versa, but we found them both equally delicious.
- Lezzet-i Şark Antep Sofrası – Try the kunefe (cheese dessert), beyran soup (meat stew), and icli kofte (stuffed meatballs).
- Galata Bridge Fishing Boats – Fish sandwiches fried on boats docked at the Golden Horn, next to Galata Bridge.
Taksim/Istiklal Street
- Karaköy Muhallebicisi – Small shop famous for its kaymak (clotted cream) made from buffalo milk. The shop also serves breakfast dishes, olives, fresh honey, coffee, tea, etc.
- Mandabatmaz – Nice coffee shop right off of Istiklal street.
- Suat Usta Mersin Tantuni – Restaurant known for tantuni (tortilla with beef, yogurt sauce, and chili oil).
- Durumzade – Anthony Bourdain said this was his favorite kebab in Istanbul. The meat platter here is great and we would highly recommend.
- Taksim Döner – Popular doner restaurant across from Taksim Square which has one of the largest vertical doner rotisseries we have ever seen. You can also get an Izlak hamburger (wet hamburger) here.
- Kızılkayalar Taksim – Next door to Taksim Döner and also has a giant vertical doner rotisserie outside. It is also popular for its Izlak hamburger.
Where to go out in Istanbul
- Taksim – One of the most popular places to go out in Istanbul. You will find all kinds of nightlife here. Wander Istiklal Street and the surrounding areas to find all types of bars, clubs, shisha bars, etc. Once you are done partying, there are many food options in the area as well if you need your late night fix. The party here can go into the early morning hours.
- Galata – You will find more chill bars to grab a drink or shisha here. Taksim isn’t too far away if you are looking to step up the party later in the night.
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise – A fun and affordable way to spend your night which allows you to see Istanbul lit up at night from the water. Many of the dinner cruises have all you can drink options so you will be sure to have a good time.
- Kadikoy – Located on the Asian side, Kadikoy is a fun place to go out with plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes, and clubs. It is cheaper to go out in Kadikoy than the European side. Beware that the last ferry departs around midnight so have a plan to get back if you are staying out late.
- Besiktas – Large variety of nightlife with several clubs along the Bosphorus. These clubs on the Bosphorus can get expensive, but if you want a cheaper experience, you can head to the center of Besiktas where there are plenty of bars to check out.
Where to stay in Istanbul
- Sultanahmet (Fatih) – Considered the Old Town of Istanbul, Fatih is a great area to stay for sightseeing and history. Specifically, Sultanahmet is the area which includes the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. This area is conveniently located and where you will find most of the tourist attractions in Istanbul. There is great shopping (Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar) and restaurants in this area. However, the nightlife and bar scene here is lacking so you would want to cross the river for nightlife.
- Karakoy/Galata/Kabatas – Located just on the other side of the Golden Horn from Fatih, this is a good middle ground between Old Town (Sultanahmet) and New Town (Taksim). This area is quieter and more affordable than Taksim and has many great cafes and restaurants. From here you can easily walk to most areas of Istanbul as it is fairly centralized.
- Taksim – The best area for going out and shopping in Istanbul. This is the “new” part of Istanbul with great restaurants, bars, cafes, and nightlife. The highlight of this area is Istiklal Street which is full of places to eat, drink, and shop. You could easily spend days wandering Istiklal Street and the surrounding areas trying all the different foods, cafes, and bars. If you are looking for vibrant nightlife, this is a great location to stay. You can either walk or take public transportation during the day to Fatih/Sultanahmet for sightseeing.
- Besiktas – Located along the Bosphorus, this is an expensive area of town. There are several 5 star hotels and many fancy restaurants facing the river, If you are looking for a quiet, romantic stay in Istanbul, this is a good area to look into staying. You can easily take the metro from here to get to other areas of town as needed.
Flying into Istanbul
There are two airports in Istanbul that you can fly into:
- IST (Istanbul International Airport) – The new international airport which is located on the European side of Istanbul. It is one of the busiest and most impressive airports in the world. It takes around 45 minutes to an hour to get from IST to the historic center of Istanbul. If you plan to stay on the European side of Istanbul, it is a little more convenient to fly into IST airport so you don’t have to deal with crossing the Bosphorus.
- SAW (Sabiha Gokcen International Airport) – The older international airport located on the Asian side of Istanbul. It takes around an hour to get from SAW to the city center. However, if there is traffic, it can take upwards of 2.5-3 hours to get there. If you take a taxi or private transfer from the airport, we would recommend you pay the 50 Turkish Lira to use the tunnel to get from the Asian side to the European side to avoid the traffic, which could save you an hour or more of time.
There aren’t any great public transportation options to get from the airport into the city center. If you are patient, there are options which require several transfers between the bus, metro, and walking. Unless you are budget constrained, we would recommend taking a taxi (~400 Turkish Lira at the time of posting) to save yourself the time and stress.
How to get around Istanbul
- Public Transit – To use public transit, you will need to purchase an Istanbul Card (costs 25 Turkish Lira at the time of posting) and preload it with money. If you are traveling with multiple people, you only need to purchase one card amongst your group. This card can be used for the metro, bus, ferry, trams, and funiculars. Each ride will only cost you ~10 lira or less so you do not need to put a lot of money on your Istanbul Card unless you plan on staying for a long time. If you plan on using public transit a lot, there is an option to purchase an Istanbul City Card which gives you unlimited rides for the number of days you choose (options for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 15 days). For most people, the normal Istanbul Card is more economical because a single ride is cheap and Istanbul is a fairly walkable city.
- Metro – The metro is a great way to get around the city center of Istanbul. Most major metro stations will have a machine for you to reload your card.
- Bus – The bus is a good option if you are trying to go outside of the city center or if there’s a specific location you want to get to that doesn’t have metro access.
- Ferry – You can take a ferry from the European side to the Asian side of Istanbul. It’s not everyday you can take a ferry from one continent to another so a lot of people will visit the Asian side for a day trip to get away from the crowds on the European side.
- Tunnel – If you need to go to SAW airport on the Asian side of Istanbul, we highly recommend telling your taxi or transfer that you would prefer to pay the 50 Turkish Lira (at the time of posting) to take the tunnel across the Bosphorus. This will save you a considerable amount of time getting to the bridge and driving across it. When we arrived in Istanbul, we took the bridge and it took us ~2.5 hours from SAW to the city center, but on the way back, we took the tunnel and it was closer to ~45 minutes.
- Taxi/Uber – Taxis around Istanbul are fairly affordable, especially when going to the airport. If you use the Uber app, you can order a taxi from the app which gives you peace of mind of the price you will pay for the ride.