Travel guide · Turkey
Istanbul travel guide
Byzantine domes, Ottoman palaces and ferries between Europe and Asia
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Istanbul spreads across both banks of the Bosphorus, the strait that divides Europe from Asia. The historic peninsula of Sultanahmet holds Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar within a 15-minute walk of each other, while Galata, Karaköy and Beyoğlu across the Golden Horn are where the city eats, drinks and shops. Public ferries cost the same as a metro ride and turn every crossing to Kadıköy or Üsküdar on the Asian side into a sightseeing cruise. Plan 5 days for a first visit; the best months are April–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Turkey
- Best time to visit
- April–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 5 days
- Main airports
- IST, SAW
- Mid-range daily budget
- $120–$230 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Hagia Sophia, Bosphorus ferries, Grand Bazaar and Ottoman mosques
Why visit Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern sit within a few hundred metres of each other on the Sultanahmet peninsula.
- Commuter ferries cross between Europe and Asia for the price of a transit ride, with views of mosques, palaces and the Bosphorus bridges.
- Food runs from simit rings and fish sandwiches by the Galata Bridge to long meyhane dinners of meze and rakı in Beyoğlu.
- The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar have traded for centuries and still serve locals as well as visitors.
- Each district feels distinct: Ottoman Sultanahmet, café-lined Karaköy, the colourful hillside lanes of Balat and the market streets of Kadıköy.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
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Religious site · Sultanahmet
Hagia Sophia
Built in 537 under Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest church in Christendom for nearly a thousand years, became a mosque in 1453, a museum in 1934 and a mosque again in 2020.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Art
Palace · Sultanahmet
Topkapı Palace
The Ottoman sultans ruled from Topkapı for about 400 years.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
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Religious site · Sultanahmet
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
Completed in 1616, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has six minarets, a cascade of domes and an interior lined with more than 20,000 blue İznik tiles that give it its popular name.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Market · Beyazıt
Grand Bazaar
One of the oldest covered markets in the world, the Kapalıçarşı began trading in the 1460s and now has around 60 vaulted streets of jewellers, carpet dealers, leather shops, lamp makers and tea sellers.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Shopping
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Galata
Galata Tower
The Genoese built this stone tower in 1348 as part of the walls of their Galata colony.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Iconic
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · Eminönü
Bosphorus by ferry
The best way to see the Bosphorus is from the water.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where to stay
Sultanahmet is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$ · Best for first-timers, families and culture
Sultanahmet
Old City monuments, carpet shops and wooden Ottoman houses on the historic peninsula
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, first-timers and nightlife
Galata and Karaköy
Cobbled lanes below Galata Tower, third-wave cafés and the Istanbul Modern waterfront
$$ · Best for nightlife, solo travellers, food lovers and shopping
Beyoğlu and Cihangir
Istiklal Avenue, meyhane taverns and steep residential streets above the Bosphorus
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget, solo travellers and nightlife
Kadıköy and Moda
Asian-side market streets, student bars and a seafront promenade
What to eat
- Simit — A ring of bread dipped in grape molasses and coated in sesame seeds, baked crisp outside and soft inside.
- Turkish breakfast — A spread of white cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, honey with clotted cream (bal kaymak), jams, eggs with sucuk or menemen (eggs scrambled with tomato and peppers), bread and endless tea.
- Fish sandwich — Grilled mackerel fillet in half a loaf with onion, lettuce and a squeeze of lemon, eaten by the water with a cup of pickle juice (turşu suyu).
- Meze and rakı — A meyhane meal is a long succession of small plates — white cheese and melon, ezme, stuffed vine leaves, aubergine purée, fava, calamari — followed by grilled fish, all washed down with aniseed-flavoured rakı diluted with water and ice.
- İskender kebab — Thin slices of döner lamb laid over cubes of pide bread, topped with tomato sauce and sizzling brown butter, with yoghurt on the side.
- Lahmacun and pide — Lahmacun is a thin, crisp flatbread spread with spiced minced meat, rolled up with parsley, onion and lemon.
When to go
The best times to visit Istanbul are April to early June and September to October, when days are warm but not humid, tulips or autumn light fill the parks and ferries are a pleasure. July and August are hot, humid and busy; winter is cold and wet but the quietest and lowest-priced season for the monuments.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Mild and increasingly sunny, with the Tulip Festival in April; the most comfortable season for walking the hills, though Easter and May holidays bring crowds. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, humid and the busiest season, with long evenings on rooftops and ferries, Black Sea beaches open and the highest hotel prices. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm seas and settled weather in September and October, turning cooler and wetter in November when crowds thin and prices drop. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold, wet and windy with occasional snow, but quiet monuments, low prices and cosy evenings in meyhanes and hammams. |
Getting there and around
Istanbul Airport (IST), about 40 km north-west of the centre, is linked by the M11 metro and by Havaist buses to Taksim, Sultanahmet, Kadıköy and other districts; buses take about 60–90 minutes depending on traffic. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side is linked by the M4 metro towards Kadıköy and by Havabüs coaches to Taksim and Kadıköy.
Istanbul is huge, but most visitor areas are linked by the T1 tram, the M2 metro, the Marmaray rail tunnel under the Bosphorus and frequent public ferries. One rechargeable Istanbulkart card pays for all of them. Road traffic is heavy, so rail and ferries are usually faster than taxis.
Plan your days
Three days covers the Sultanahmet monuments, the bazaars, a Bosphorus ferry and an evening in Beyoğlu. Five days adds the Asian side, Balat and Fener, Dolmabahçe and a slower pace; a week leaves time for the Princes' Islands or a long day in Bursa.
Practical information
- Currency
- TRY
- Language
- Turkish
- Plugs
- Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is treated, but most residents drink bottled or filtered water; bottled water is sold everywhere.
- Emergency number
- 112 (general emergency number)
- Tipping
- In restaurants, leaving about 5–10% in cash for good service is normal if service is not already added.
Pickpocketing happens on crowded trams and around Istiklal Avenue and the bazaars. Common scams include the dropped shoe-brush trick, inflated bills at bars recommended by friendly strangers and taxis that avoid the meter. Traffic is fast; cross roads carefully.
Flights to Istanbul
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Istanbul?
Three days covers the Sultanahmet monuments, the bazaars, a Bosphorus ferry and an evening in Beyoğlu. Five days adds the Asian side, Balat and Fener, Dolmabahçe and a slower pace; a week leaves time for the Princes' Islands or a long day in Bursa. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Istanbul?
The best times to visit Istanbul are April to early June and September to October, when days are warm but not humid, tulips or autumn light fill the parks and ferries are a pleasure. July and August are hot, humid and busy; winter is cold and wet but the quietest and lowest-priced season for the monuments.
+What is Istanbul known for?
Hagia Sophia, Bosphorus ferries, Grand Bazaar, Ottoman mosques, Turkish breakfast, Baklava, Hammams and Topkapı Palace. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern sit within a few hundred metres of each other on the Sultanahmet peninsula.
+Is Istanbul expensive?
Istanbul is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $120–$230 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Istanbul?
No. Traffic and parking in Istanbul are notoriously difficult; trams, metro, ferries and taxis cover everything a visitor needs. Hire a car only for touring the wider region.