Hello, and welcome to Istanbul! This beautiful city is on two continents and is home to hundreds of years of powers, religions, and civilisations.
No matter if you go to Istanbul for the old buildings, the hot kebabs, the tall churches, or the beautiful boat rides, everything will take your breath away. Are you ready to try everything? Here are the specifics of how to plan the ideal trip to Istanbul, a place that has it all. 🗌🍢🌊
📍 What place is Istanbul?
Istanbul is the only big city in the world that is on both Europe and Asia at the same time. It is in Turkey, across the famous Bosphorus Strait.
- Turkey is the place.
- There are continents, and they are Europe and Asia.
- It was first called Byzantium and then Constantinople.
- Its streets are very old—almost 2,500 years old.
⌚ The best time to visit
Even though Istanbul is beautiful all year, the best times to visit are when the weather and the mood are just right:
- From April to May and September to October, the weather is nice and not as many people are around.
- From June to August, it’s hot, sticky, and busy, which is excellent for events and parties.
- From November to March, it rains and gets cold, but there are fewer guests and better deals.
- In the spring, the tulips make the parks look like lovely flower beds 🌷
✈️ The Best Ways to Get to Istanbul
There are two airports in Istanbul that make it easy to get there:
- Istanbul Airport (IST) is big and new, and it’s on the European side.
- The Sabiha Gökçen Airport code is SAW. It’s excellent for low-cost airlines on the Asian side.
- From either airport, you can get to the city by:
- Take the metro or a Havaist bus to get to the airport.
- Taxis or ride-sharing apps like Uber or BiTaksi
As you drive into Istanbul, the skyline of domes and minarets will welcome you.
🏠 The Best Places to Stay in Istanbul
Each area of Istanbul has its own feel. This is where you should stay:
- Sultanahmet has famous churches, museums, and history. Beyoğlu and Taksim are places to shop, go out at night, and hang out at rooftop cafes.
- Karaköy and Galata The streets are cool, and you can see the Bosphorus.
- The Asian side of Kadıköy has a neighbourhood feel, great food, and cheap places to stay.
- There are busy markets in Beşiktaş that are easy to get to.
- In Istanbul, you can find the right place to stay, whether you want a quiet hotel or a cool Airbnb.
👀 Things to Do
1. From the Hagia Sophia Cathedral to a mosque to a museum and back to a mosque!
Take a look at the big roof and the tiles.
You can get in for free, but you have to dress modestly.
2. The Blue Mosque, also known as Sultan Ahmet Camii, is right next to Hagia Sophia.
Inside, there are pretty blue tiles and six minarets.
It’s free, but it’s closed for prayer times.
3. The Topkapi Palace
Eighty-four years of Ottoman rule were spent here.
Take a look at the women, the wealth, and the old things. It costs about €15–20 to get in.
4. Take a trip on the Bosphorus
Get on a trip that goes from Europe to Asia. It’s beautiful at sunset. You can pick between tours that last one to two hours or all day.
5. The Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar
You can get lost in more than 4,000 shops.
Don’t forget to get rugs, lights, tea, and other things.
Do not forget to bargain like a local! 🛍️
6. The Tower of Galata
You can see all of Istanbul from here, and it’s best at sunset. 🌇 About €10 will get you in.
7. A Turkish bath, or hamam To get clean like the Ottoman sultans, scrub and soak.
The top picks are Cagaloglu, Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan, and Süleymaniye Hamam.
🍽️ Tips on What to Eat in Istanbul
There is a lot of rich and tasty food in Istanbul. Don’t miss this:
- Kebabs are what it is. If you like grilled beef, try Adana, Şiş, or Döner
- Meze Small, tasty starters 🍽️
- Simit are rings of bread covered in sesame seeds. They are a type of street food.
- Bakery Flaky pastry with honey syrup and nuts 🍮
- Turkish tea It’s served in tulip cups and is strong and sweet 🍁
- Men women With fried eggs and peppers and tomatoes 🍳
- Cracker-like Lahmacun bread with hot meat on top
- A fish bread sandwich on the Galata Bridge 😟
👇 Places to eat that you have to visit:
- Çiya Sofrası in Kadıköy
- It is easy to get to the Blue Mosque from Sultanahmet Köftecisi.
- There are rooftop cafés in Karaköy where you can eat lunch with a view.
✈️ Going on a trip in Istanbul
- The Istanbulkart is an easy way to get around Istanbul. It’s a reloadable transit pass that can be used on the metro, tram, boat, and bus.
- Trains and trams are nice, clean, and quick.
- Ferries are the best way to go from one land to another.
- Taxis: Use BiTaksi or Uber to avoid scams.
- Download Moovit or Google Maps offline for a smooth city tour 📱
🎒 What to Bring with You
✅ When you go to the mosque, bring a scarf or blanket. Dress modestly, especially in religious settings. Comfortable shoes for walking on the cobblestones. Wear light layers, because the weather in Istanbul changes quickly. Bring an umbrella in case it rains unexpectedly in the spring or fall. A power connector with two European prongs
👇 Some insider tips on how to make the most of your time in this location
💌 In churches, you should dress nicely and take your shoes off.
💗 You should bring Turkish Lira with you because a lot of places only accept cash.
Do not go to the mosque when people are praying.
💭 Pick up some Turkish words:
- Say hello (Merhaba)
- Please accept my thanks.
- Evet and Hayır both mean “Yes” and “No.”
- To avoid tourist scams, don’t follow wild “guides” or pay too much for a taxi ride.
- Don’t be shy; part of the fun of the market is arguing!
Here is an example of a one-day trip to the city’s activities—time 8 a.m. Early in the morning, go to Sultanahmet Square. Visit the Blue Mosque.
9:30 in the morning Go to Hagia Sophia at 11 a.m. Check out Topkapi Palace.
1:00 PM For lunch at 2:30 PM, a café by the Bosphorus Visit the Grand Bazaar and shop.
4:00 PM As the sun goes down at 6:00 PM, climb Galata Tower. At 8 PM, dinner will be served at Karaköy. A quick trip through the Bosphorus at night
In one day, you can see a lot of history, culture, food, and views.
Get an e-Visa if your country needs one. Download Google Maps or Maps.me to use when you’re not online. You can buy an Istanbulkart at the airport or at the first metro stop. Be ready to follow mosque rules. Turkish breakfast is something you should try at least once. Thanks 🍻
💭 Thoughts on Istanbul One Last Time
There is no other city like Istanbul in the world. As the sun rises in Asia and sets in Europe, you can drink tea and listen to the call to prayer. At night, you can dance the night away on rooftop bars with views of the Bosphorus.
There are many different kinds of beauty in Istanbul. There is old and new, busy and quiet, a spiritual heart in Sultanahmet, a modern beat in Beyoğlu, and a taste of the area in Kadıköy.
Istanbul is calling you if you want to go somewhere that will blow your mind and impossible to describe.
Will you be ready to cross the pond in Istanbul in just one day? 🌍️🚤
