Istanbul Travel Guide

Istanbul is a city you can visit five times and still miss things. The old peninsula alone holds Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar within walking distance of each other, and that is before you cross the Galata Bridge or take a ferry to the Asian side. The city has around 16 million people, so the trick is not to see everything but to plan the days so you spend them looking at things rather than standing in queues or traffic.

Why visit Istanbul

For roughly 1,600 years Istanbul was an imperial capital, first Roman and Byzantine as Constantinople, then Ottoman. You can read that history in the buildings: a sixth-century church turned mosque, a Byzantine cistern with Medusa heads reused as column bases, a palace where the sultans lived for almost four centuries. At the same time it is a working modern city with ferries full of commuters, fish sellers under the Galata Bridge and neighbourhoods like Kadikoy and Karakoy where locals actually eat and drink. The Bosphorus, the strait that splits Europe from Asia, runs through the middle of it all.

How many days you need

• 1 day: the old city only. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. Our Istanbul classic private guided tour covers this in one well-paced day.
• 2 days: add Topkapi Palace and a Bosphorus cruise, plus an evening in Galata or Karakoy.
• 3 to 4 days: add Dolmabahce Palace, the Spice Market, the Asian side, the Princes' Islands or a food tour. This is the length most first-time visitors are happy with.

Best time to visit

April, May, September and October are the easiest months: daytime temperatures of roughly 15 to 25°C, long daylight and pleasant evenings on the water. Mid-April brings the tulip festival in Emirgan and Gulhane parks. July and August are hot and humid, often above 30°C, and the old city is at its most crowded, so start sightseeing early. Winter (December to February) is cool and rainy with occasional snow, but hotel rates drop and the queues at Topkapi and the Cistern almost disappear.

Getting there and around

Istanbul has two international airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) on the Asian side. The transfer to Sultanahmet takes about 45 to 75 minutes from IST and often longer from SAW, depending on traffic. Inside the city, the tram line T1 connects the old city with Karakoy and Kabatas, and public ferries are the cheapest way to see the Bosphorus. Buy an Istanbulkart for trams, metro and ferries. Taxis are plentiful, but agree on the meter and avoid rush hour on the bridges.

Top experiences

• Stand under the dome of Hagia Sophia. It works as a mosque again, and foreign visitors enter the upper gallery with a paid ticket.
• Walk the Hippodrome, then go down into the Basilica Cistern.
• See the Harem and treasury at Topkapi Palace. It is closed on Tuesdays.
• Cruise the Bosphorus past the waterside mansions and the Rumeli fortress. A 2-hour private Bosphorus yacht cruise is the relaxed version; the public ferry is the budget version.
• Get lost in the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays), then walk down to the Spice Market.
• Take the ferry to Kadikoy for the fish and produce market on the Asian side.
• Watch the sunset from the Galata area or a rooftop in Karakoy.

Where to stay

Sultanahmet puts you next to the main sights, and it is quiet at night. Karakoy and Galata have more restaurants and bars and good tram and ferry links. Beyoglu and Taksim suit people who want nightlife and shopping on Istiklal Avenue. Besiktas and Nisantasi feel more local and upmarket, with Bosphorus hotels nearby. Browse our Istanbul hotels by area.

What to eat

Start the day with a Turkish breakfast: cheeses, olives, tomatoes, eggs and simit. At lunch look for lokanta, the canteen-style restaurants serving home cooking by the plate. Try balik ekmek (fish sandwich) at Eminonu, midye dolma (stuffed mussels) from street vendors in the evening, and a meyhane dinner with meze and raki. For dessert, baklava and kunefe. Our private Istanbul food tour takes you to places tourists rarely find alone.

Practical tips

• Mosques close to visitors for about an hour and a half around each prayer time, especially Friday noon. Women need a headscarf; shoulders and knees should be covered.
• Carry some lira in cash for small shops, ferries and tips; cards work almost everywhere else.
• Wear good shoes. The old city is hilly and paved with cobblestones.
• Museum prices and opening hours change often, so check the official pages close to your trip.

See all our Istanbul tours, or combine the city with Cappadocia or Ephesus in one of our Turkey tour packages.