# Istanbul Tourist Information, Istanbul Travel Advisory - Site: Acetes Travel - URL: https://acetestravel.com/istanbul-tourist-information-istanbul-travel-advisory/ - Language: EN - Last updated: 2026-05-07 ## Description Before photographing the locals, you should definitely ask permission from them. When you enter a house or a mosque, you should definitely take off your shoes. You should be very careful when choosing clothes before visiting the religious places of istanbul. Short skirts, shorts and open hills are not suitable for city observations. You can drink alcohol only in specially designated areas. Don't forget to bargain in markets and bazaars. Sellers increase the price for tourists. Before you buy anything, you should ask prices few different shops or search from the internet. Do not drink tap water. Stay away from street vendors. Stay away from the vendors selling tours on the street, if you want to buy a tour, you should buy from the internet or tour agency. Always have your passport with you. Carry cash with you. When you buy a plane ticket to go to istanbul, choose Atatürk Airport because it is much closer to the city center. Sabihagökcen airport is far from the city center, so the transfer fee will be higher. Air in istanbul is generally hot during the summer months. Choose casual and sports outfits. Pick up a few winter clothes for the other months. Don't go to every restaurant to eat and drink, usually choose the local people's choice or ask the local people for help. Be sure to check the voucher when paying at the restaurant. Top 10 Tourist Attractions in istanbul 1. Take tour to historical places of istanbul, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet (Hippodrome), Hagia Sophia and Archeology Museum are the must-see places in istanbul. Top Landmarks in Sultanahmet, istanbul 2. Visit the Maiden's Tower in the middle of the sea and drink coffee with the perfect view of istanbul. 3. Take a boat cruise to Prince Islands; Buyukada, Heybeli, Burgaz and Kinaliada these islands known as the Prince Islands. 4. Visit Galata Tower; Exploring istanbul is a great experience but to see it from up high is something completely different. 5. Take a istanbul Bosphorus cruise tour you will have opportunity see Galata Tower, Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Savarona Yacht, Rumeli Fortress, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Anatolian Fortress, Kuleli Military High School, Beylerbeyi Palace, Maiden Tower. 6. Don't miss to join Turkish Night Show istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise, Bosphorus cruise with dinner, unlimitted drinks and a great Turkish night show performed by a professional dance team including belly dance and much more. 7. istanbul Bosphorus Cruise Open Buffet Lunch on the Boat, lunch on the istanbul bosphorus by the boat and sightseeing cruise in between Asia and Europe. To have opportunities taste Turkish cuisine. 8. Go to a whirling dervish show, Turkey is home to the Mevlevi Order of Sufi whirling dervishes. 9. Listen to the call of prayer between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. 10. Visit the Chora Church. The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora may not be the largest of the Byzantine churches, but it’s certainly known for being one of the most beautiful. Places to Visit in istanbul This city has been the center of history in two great empires and two divine religions. The traces of this past can be seen all over the city, although care is not taken to protect them. istanbul is home to the most important temples of both Islam and Orthodox Christianity. The city's most famous buildings, which are among the attractions of istanbul, are within walking distance. The area known as the Historical Peninsula forms the borders of Byzantine istanbul. The list of places includes the most important sightseeing spots including squares and museums such as Galata Tower, istanbul Archeology Museum, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace. Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome) Maiden's Tower Ciragan Palace Dolmabahce Palace Topkapi palace Yildiz Palace Beylerbeyi Palace Galata Tower Kucuksu Pavilion Rumeli Fortress Anatolian Fortress Grand Bazaar The Egyptian Bazaar Hagia Sophia Museum Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome) Sultanahmet Square, which is on our list of places to visit in istanbul, is one of the busiest places of the city in terms of tourism. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Serpentine Column, Obelisk and many other historical places are in this square. Maiden's Tower Maiden's Tower, It is an architectural monument built during the reign of II. Mehmet. The present-day shape of the girl tower in the Byzantine-style architecture of the Ottoman Empire was rebuilt by Sultan It was given by II. Mahmut. The tower, which was the home of a grave during the Greek period, was used as a customs station during the Byzantine period. In the Ottoman period, it served in many areas such as show platform, exile station, defensive fortress and quarantine room. However, it has never lost its mission to guide the ships that have the primary duty and the importance of this task. Ciragan Palace In the palace, the richest examples of stonemasonry are found. At the Ciragan Palace, which hosted important meetings, gold gilded furniture had pearl pencil works. Nowadays, the palace, which hosts many social activities, has been transformed into a seaside hotel due to the additions. Dolmabahce Palace Dolmabahçe Palace, located in the unique beauty of the Bosphorus, was a palace in the late Ottoman period. Today, the palace welcomes visitors as a museum. Dolmabahce Palace is the first of its kind in istanbul with its unique decorations, architectural details, unique hand-woven carpets, chandelier craftsmanship, glazed pavilion, greeting section, palace collections, and Mustafa Kemal's room. Topkapi palace After the conquest of istanbul, the construction of Topkapı Palace started in 1460 and was completed in 1478. Topkapı Palace, which has an area of seven thousand square meters, was started to be used with Fatih Sultan Mehmed and it was the place where the Ottoman Empire was ruled for 400 years until the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid. Yildiz Palace The Yıldız Palace, which witnessed a very important period that coincided with the last years of the Ottoman Empire, is quite impressive with its natural surroundings, unlike other palaces. Beylerbeyi Palace The palace was built by Sultan Abdülaziz in 1861 and served as the summer palace for the Ottoman sultans and members of the Ottoman Empire. The palace is a very important heritage with its magnificent view, unique craftsmanship and the opportunity to witness a period. Galata Tower Galata Tower was first built as a lighthouse by the Byzantines in 528 and needs to be constantly renewed and repaired for fires, storms and many other reasons until the present day. The tower, which was recently restored in 1967, continues to host thousands of guests who want to have a panoramic view of istanbul every day. Kucuksu Pavilion Küçüksu Pavilion belongs to the Byzantine period. It was used as a sultan garden during the Ottoman period. It was used for different purposes throughout the period. The construction of the vault was completed in 1857. During the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, the facade decorations were given importance and a rich visual appearance. The Küçüksu Pavilion, which was used as a state guest house in the Republic period, was turned into a museum palace in 1996 and opened to visitors. Rumeli Fortress The Rumeli Fortress, also known as the Boğazkesen fortress, is located in the Sarıyer district of the istanbul province and in the Bosphorus. The Rumeli fortress was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet directly opposite the Anatolian fortress before the conquest of istanbul in order to prevent the attacks from the northern part of the strait. The area where the fortress is located is the narrowest part of the strait. The construction of the fortress lasted 90 days. The fortress, which has the biggest castle towers in the world, has 3 large towers. Anatolian Fortress Anadolu Fortress, which is built on an area of 7.000 m2 at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus and at its narrowest point, consists of the inner and outer fortress walls and inner and outer castles. Especially after the conquest of istanbul, Anadolu Fortress, which lost its importance, started to be considered as a settlement. Grand Bazaar istanbul's favorite, the most visited tourist attraction of the world, a gateway to history, has always been the center of attraction for shopping. The year 1461 was accepted as the foundation of the Grand Bazaar by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. However, it is thought that the history of the Grand Bazaar dates back to Byzantium. The first building, known as the Inner Bedesten and covering a small area of 48 × 36 meters, is considered to be a Byzantine work. The new Bedesten, the Sandal Bedesten, was started to be built in 1461 with the order of Fatih. The Egyptian Bazaar One of the oldest covered bazaars in istanbul, the Spice Bazaar is said to be a bazaar in the place of the Byzantine time. The present building was built by Haseki Turhan Hatice Valide Sultan, the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ibrahim, to the Chief Architect Kazim Aga. Hagia Sophia The Hagia Sophia Museum is the largest church built by the Eastern Roman Empire in istanbul. The fact that the church is built three times in the same place is a remarkable feature. In 1453, by the conquest of istanbul by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque. After the conquest, the building was strengthened and the minarets built by Mimar Sinan contributed to the building's protection with the support of the building. In the Ottoman period, inside the Hagia Sophia, minbar, mihrabs, preaching sermons, and muezzin mahfilleri were made. Best Time to Visit istanbul Four seasons to another beautiful istanbul, any time of the year, but the most ideal months to visit the city spring and summer. In istanbul, precipitation may occasionally appear in spring but mostly air is sunny and warm. istanbul has a structure that attracts tourists in all months of the year. The city offers a distinct beauty in every period. In the spring, purple flowers blooming purple trees, and in autumn the blossoming vegetation embraces urban streets and avenues of landscape. Likewise, Istiklal Street, which is under the snow and white snow in winter, has a beauty not to be found in the Christmas cities of Europe. Some people likes this city in winter and others in the summer. istanbul Weather The weather in istanbul is about 20 degrees Celsius in summer and 7 degrees Celsius in winter. The best times in istanbul, which is around 14 degrees in the spring, are experienced in May, June, September and October. istanbul Weather by Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Temp Min °C 3 2 3 7 12 16 18 19 16 13 9 5 Temp Max °C 8 9 11 16 21 25 28 28 24 20 15 11 Rainfall (mm) 109 92 72 46 38 34 34 30 58 81 103 119 Where to Stay in istanbul If you are looking for a place to stay in istanbul, such as public transport, security, service quality, Wi-Fi service and of course customer reviews. istanbul hotels are located in Taksim, Galata, Kadikoy, Sultanahmet and Talimhane regions. The most popular region in this regions is Sultanhamet. Most of the Ottoman and Byzantine historical artifacts in istanbul were collected in this region. You can reach these historical sights by walking just a few minutes without using any vehicle. On the other side if you have limited budget, you should choose your hotel near the Sultanahmet region such as Aksaray, Fatih, Laleli and Topkapi. In this regions you can use T1 tram line to go Sultanahmet just in few minutes. But be carefull while chooseing your hotel at Aksaray and Laleli, some of hotels in this regions is not family friendly hotels. Where to Eat in istanbul, What to Eat in istanbul There are many alternatives to dinner in istanbul, one of the largest metropolises in the world, where many different cultures live together. You can take into consideration the suggestions of what to eat in istanbul from the regional Anatolian flavors and the distin… ## Translations - [ES] https://acetestravel.com/es/informacion-turistica-estambul.md - [RU] https://acetestravel.com/ru/turisticheskaya-info-stambul.md --- More: https://acetestravel.com/llms.txt · https://acetestravel.com/llms-sitemap.txt