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Travel guide
Istanbul
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October
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Welcome
Istanbul, in a few days
Sixteen million people on two continents, divided by the Bosphorus and joined by ferries that cross it in twenty minutes. Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Blue Mosque share one hill, the Grand Bazaar packs some 4,000 shops under its vaults, and Galata and Kadıköy are where the city goes out at night.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Hagia Sophia · about 1 h 30Justinian's church of 537, the world's largest for nearly a thousand years, then a mosque, a museum from 1934, and a mosque again since 2020.
- Afternoon · Basilica Cistern · about 45 minA sixth-century underground reservoir held up by 336 columns salvaged from ancient temples, with carp swimming in the water below the brick vaults.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Amira Istanbul€120 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Blue Mosque free · about 1 hSultan Ahmet I's mosque facing Hagia Sophia, named for the blue and white Iznik tiles inside; its six minarets caused a scandal at the time.
- Afternoon · Topkapı Palace · 2 to 3 hThe sultans' palace for four centuries: four courtyards of kitchens, treasury, the Prophet's relics and the harem, above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Sirkeci Mansion€150 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · A Bosphorus cruise · half a dayThe city ferry company sails from Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea, or on a shorter round trip to the second bridge.
- Afternoon · The Grand Bazaar free · 2 to 3 hStarted by Mehmet II in 1461, it now covers 61 covered streets and nearly 4,000 shops, with its own mosques, fountains and banks.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Ibrahim Pasha€150 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Galata Tower · about 1 hA Genoese tower of 1348, long a fire lookout, whose terrace looks all round over the Golden Horn, the old city and Asia.
- Afternoon · Balat and Fener free · 2 to 3 hOld Greek and Jewish quarters on the Golden Horn, with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a red-brick Greek school and a cast-iron Bulgarian church from Vienna.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Kybele Hotel€110 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Kebab and doner, in more forms than the two words suggest.
- Meze: a spread of small plates, ordered for the whole table.
- Pide and lahmacun: flatbreads, and the closest thing to a Turkish pizza.
- Baklava and lokum, layered pastry and rose-scented cubes of sugar.
- Cay and Turkish coffee, drunk all day and never in a hurry.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Agree the price first, and be wary of strangers who are too helpful.
- Haggle at the bazaar, and do it with a smile.
- Cover shoulders and knees in mosques, and bring a scarf for the head.
- Tea offered in a shop is a courtesy, not an obligation to buy.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Turkish
| English | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhaba |
| Thank you | Teşekkürler |
| Please | Lütfen |
| Yes | Evet |
| No | Hayır |
| Excuse me | Affedersiniz |
| Goodbye | Hoşça kalın |
| Do you speak English? | İngilizce biliyor musunuz? |
| I don't understand | Anlamıyorum |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar? |
| Where are the toilets? | Tuvalet nerede? |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfen |
| Help! | İmdat! |
| Cheers! | Şerefe! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyTurkish lira (TRY, ₺)
BudgetAbout €85 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingExpected, around 5 to 10%
Emergency112
EntryVisa-free for 90 days in any 180 with a passport, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well outside the tourist trail.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/istanbul
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.