If you are visiting Istanbul for the first time, consider the information in this section to avoid problems during your trip. Because it is a very crowded city and naturally it contains many problems. Traffic and transportation problems are the leading ones. Therefore, if you make a good plan for your trip with the help of this page you will make your travel hassle-free.
What are the most important tourist activities in Istanbul? What are the most popular places to visit in Istanbul? How many days is enough to visit Istanbul? What is the best transportation option in Istanbul? What should be considered during your trip? Where to stay in Istanbul? What to eat and drink in Istanbul? What to buy in Istanbul? Shopping in Istanbul?
The most popular tourist activities in Istanbul are Bosphorus boat trip
The next step of your planning should be Sultanahmet . Sultanahmet is a region with many historical buildings within walking distance of each other. The Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, German Fountain, Topkapi Palace, and many other historical sites are one of the rare places you can see together. There are also many options in this area if you want to relax and have a drink in the historical peninsula.
You must also add the Istanbul Princes' Islands tour
Istanbul, home to countless cultures of hundreds of thousands of years, is a huge city of 15 million today. Istanbul, with its historical structures dominated by Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, entertainment streets that never go out of light and seagulls that are always hungry, is a must-see, discover and live route for every traveler.
Dolmabahçe Palace
This imposing structure in baroque style, which was started to be built in 1843, was the campus used by the sultans, especially in the summer. There are baths, gardens with Asian-origin plants, 141 carpets and a clock tower visible at the entrance. During the Republican era, the most important event in the palace that Atatürk used as a residence during his visits to Istanbul was the death of Atatürk on 10 November 1938. It is open to visitors between 09.00-16.00 except Mondays and Thursdays.
Topkapi palace
The building, which was started to be built in 1465, was used as the administrative center of the state during 400 years of the 600-year history of the Ottoman Empire. Topkapi Palace opened as a museum on October 9, 1924, Kubbealtı, Supply Room, Mecidiye Mansion, Hekimbaşı Room, Mustafa Pasha Mansion and Baghdad Mansion can be visited. Open every day from 09.00 to 17.00 except Tuesdays.
Hagia Sophia Museum
A.D. It is a basilica planned patriarchal cathedral built in the old city center of Istanbul's historical peninsula between the years 532 - 537, and after Istanbul was taken by the Turks in 1453, it was converted into a mosque by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. During the Latin Empire, it was briefly used as a Catholic Church. This cosmopolitan building, which is used as a museum today, bears the traces of every period in which it lives. Excludes Mondays between 09.00-19.00.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is the largest covered cistern in Istanbul. The concerts and dance shows in this fantastic building are quite impressive. Open daily from 09.00 to 17.30.
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque)
It was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609-1616 by architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga. The interior of the mosque is illuminated with more than 200 colored glass and adorned with more than 20.000 İznik tiles.
Galata tower
Galata Tower, one of the oldest towers in the world, was built in 528 by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius as the Lighthouse Tower. IV. During the reign of Murat Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi watched the winds at Okmeydanı and made flight drills. The tower is 69.90 meters and weighs 10,000 tons.
Chora Church
Chora mosaics and frescoes are the most beautiful examples of the last period of Byzantine painting, the 14th century. In the outer narthex, there are scenes about the life of Jesus and in the inner narthex, there are scenes about the life of Mary. After you leave Kariye, which is charming, you have to taste Ottoman food in Asithane garden.
Maiden's Tower
According to legend, the king built this tower on the coast of Salacak to protect his daughter, yet he could not prevent his death. Nowadays, the venue has a bar and a restaurant and is also home to fashion shows.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar was accepted as the first shopping center in the Ottoman Empire for many years. There are many shops selling traditional products such as leather, carpet, silver, kerchief, and copper. From the Grand Bazaar, you will reach the Spice and Nuts Spice Bazaar, where it will continue down the Mahmutbey road.
If you make a good planning to visit Istanbul historical sites and participate in the most popular activities, 3 days will be enough.
Day 1: You can join the Istanbul Sultanahmet historical tour in the morning, in the evening Istanbul Bosphorus dinner cruise with Turkish Night.
Day 2: You can visit Halic Pierotti Hill and Galata area by yourself or by taking a tour. You can see the unique view of the Golden Horn in the cafe on the top of Pierotti hill. From there you can go up to the Galata Tower and watch 360-degree Istanbul and stroll through the historic houses of Balat.
Day 3: You can spend a relaxing day away from the crowds among the historical mansions intertwined with nature that will join the Istanbul Prince Islands tour.
Transportation is one of the biggest problems in Istanbul. If you don't make good planning, your trip can turn into a nightmare. If you have an agreement with an Istanbul Travel agency
If you have planned your tour on your own, we strongly recommend that you take the tram or metro. Historic sites in Istanbul are easily accessible by metro or tram. All you have to do is make sure that the hotel you are staying in is close to the metro or tram and you should buy an Istanbul Card.
You can buy the Istanbul card from any station just make a payment from the machines, without any documents.
Our recommendation is that if you prefer hotels around Sultanahmet you can visit the historic sites on foot. The preferred hotel areas should be Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Laleli, Çemberli Taş, Eminönü, and Beyazıt.
Click to see Istanbul metro and tram transportation map
Things to consider during your trip to Istanbul;
1. When exchanging money, definitely do not exchange money from the street exchanger. You can easily find a foreign exchange office in Istanbul, especially in the tourist districts.
2. Always have Turkish Lira with you; Credit card may not pass in all regions. You may have to make your payments in cash.
3. Do not drink water from the taps. Always have drinking water with you.
4. When buying a tour, prefer agents instead of street vendors.
5. If you are traveling during the summer, keep comfortable sportswear, sunglasses, and sunscreen. If you are going to visit in autumn or spring, have a raincoat, umbrella and a thin coat. We don't recommend a visit in the winter.
6. Always have your passport and visa with you.
7. Tourist areas are expensive in terms of eating and drinking. For this reason, please visit our advice page on what to eat and drink in Istanbul .
8. If you want to visit religious places such as mosques during your visit, bring a headcover and long clothes.
9. You should choose the correct location for accommodation. Since the tourist areas are generally in the city center, it would be more appropriate to prefer Sultanahmet, Çemberli Taş, Beyazıt, Laleli. Hotels far from the city center are cheaper, but you will see that it will not be cheap if you include transfer fees. The other problem is that many travel agencies in Istanbul do not provide free transfers to the hotel far from the city center.
10. There are 2 airports in Istanbul regarding airport preference. Both are about the same distance from the city center. For this reason, you can choose anyone, but we recommend you to mix the flight ticket prices. Tickets at IGT (Istanbul Airport) are slightly more expensive than Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Turkish Airlines is mainly operating at Istanbul Airport and Pegasus at Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
11. There are many options for transfer from the airport to the city center. Taxi, private transfer companies and airlines services are available.
Best accommodation option in Istanbul,
Many foreign tourists search for this question before coming to Istanbul. Let's try to give detailed information about accommodation in Istanbul.
Istanbul, which is visited by millions of tourists every year, has a wide range of accommodation. However, if you want to plan a comfortable and trouble-free trip during your trip, you should choose your hotel in the right location.
What is the best location for accommodation in Istanbul?
In order to stay in Istanbul, it is useful to know the regions that tourists visit. Among the most visited regions in Istanbul, Sultanahmet is followed by Beyazıt, Eminönü, Çemberli Taş, and the Bosphorus.
Therefore, Sultanahmet should be the first choice of accommodation.
Sultanahmet hotels offer a wide range from 5 stars to boutique hotels. However, because it is a touristic region, prices are more expensive than in other regions. The biggest advantage is that there are many important historical buildings from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods in this region and one is within walking distance of each other. Therefore, choosing this region will give you the advantage of visiting the historical places of Istanbul in a short time.
Beyazit, Laleli, Çemberli Taş, Aksaray and Eminonu are close to the Sultanahmet area and you can use the tram. In these regions, hotel prices are cheaper and you can reach Sultanahmet with a 10-minute tram ride.
The other option is the Galata region. This area is accessible by tram. Prices are a bit more reasonable.
Karaköy Pera can be considered as an accommodation option in the region. This region is usually the departure point of boats participating in the Bosphorus tours. If you will join the Bosphorus tour, you will experience great convenience in transportation.
Taksim and Beyoglu area hotels offer a wide range of hotels. However, these regions are mostly preferred by those who love nightlife.
One of the most important issues about accommodation in Istanbul is that when you buy an Istanbul tour from an agency or the internet, many companies offer free transfer service to the hotel. You can benefit from this service if your hotel is close to the city center, otherwise, you will have to make your own transfer.
Istanbul has a wide range of food. Especially in touristic areas, you may encounter many different tastes from Turkish cuisine. In Istanbul, which food should you eat and where to eat is the right question. Click here for the answer to the question of what to eat and where to eat in Istanbul .
What can you take as a gift to your loved ones when you return to your country after visiting Istanbul?
Istanbul is the city with the richest range of this field in Turkey. Hand-woven carpets, ornate water pipes, miniature ornaments, tiles, and many more options are available. You can find many famous brand products in shopping centers. When it comes to food, Turkish delight, baklava, and apple tea are the most preferred foods for tourists in Istanbul.
When it comes to shopping in Istanbul, the most popular place for tourists is the Grand Bazaar. In the covered market, you can find a lot of products of distinguished Turkish culture. There are actually products worth seeing. However, when shopping in the Grand Bazaar, we strongly recommend that you make a few different price comparisons. Hand-woven carpets are especially preferred in touristic areas. It is possible to see a lot of carpet shops around you. You should do very good price research when buying a carpet. You may encounter very different prices for the same type of carpets.
Another place that tourists visit most is the Egyptian bazaar. In this region, you can find all kinds of spices, natural herbal products, and Turkish delight.
