Hello there! Are you up to travel to Istanbul? That’s amazing! Istanbul is one of the world’s most magnificent, exciting, and vibrant metropolises. With its architectural wonders, old and new art, incredible cuisine, and welcoming people, Istanbul is the perfect destination for anyone looking for a great city trip. From seeing the great Hagia Sofia to relaxing in a Hamman bath and eating more kebabs than I can count, Istanbul greeted me with a warm welcome and a wonderful time. And with my Istanbul Travel Guide, I am pretty confident you will be able to have the Istanbul trip of a lifetime too!
This post contains affiliate links. This means, I will get a commission if you click on the products and book your tour or hotel via this link. By doing so, you are doing me a huge favor. Because you are making it easier for me to be financially able to keep providing travel content for you! Of course, this comes with no additional costs for you!
When to Visit Istanbul
Istanbul makes for a great destination for a city trip any time of the year. Although I prefer going there during the autumn time when temperatures are milder and the streets are not that crowded. The milder weather also makes it easier to dress modestly in my opinion.
How to Get to Istanbul
Getting to Istanbul is very easy – all you have to do is fly to Istanbul airport and then take an Uber to your chosen hotel!
Where to Stay in Istanbul
I am never one not to admit failure. And with my hotel choice for Istanbul, I failed. I wanted to get a cheap hotel, which would still be located close to the city center. And well, that left me in a not-so-nice place, which I will for sure not recommend to you. Instead, here is a list of nice hotels that I would consider booking now if I were going back to Istanbul today.
How to Get Around in Istanbul
To get around in Istanbul, I used a good mixture of walking until my feet hurt, public transport, and Ubers. While I love to walk around in cities as much as possible, there were certain distances, walking back would have been too much to walk back home in the dark. Luckily, most parts of Istanbul are amazing to be discovered by foot and if you can’t catch the train, Ubers are affordable too!
What to Pack for Traveling Istanbul
As in Istanbul, you will visit many mosques; it is clear that you will have to wear modest clothes. As with any holy ground of any religion you get to visit, it is important to respect that you will have to cover certain areas. Meaning no cleavage and covered arms and shoulders and in most cases, even a headscarf. In a more practical sense, this meant long skirts, pants, and dresses for me, combined with a long-sleeved shirt and cover-up. Regarding the headscarves, you usually don’t have to bring your own – most mosques rent out headscarves to visitors. But while strolling through Istanbul, buying your own silk scarf also makes for a great souvenir!
What to See in Istanbul
Hagia Sofia
Let’s start with one of the most incredible sights in Istanbul. The Hagia Sofia, an architectural wonder like no other can be visited in Istanbul by worshippers and visitors alike. The building that was first put to use as a church, was transformed into a mosque and a museum before it was turned into a mosque again. It can be described as the epitome of Byzantine architecture and after its completion, many other Orthodox churches were built in its style.
Helpful Tips:
- Before, visiting the Hagia Sophia was free of charge. Now if you want to visit it as a foreigner, you will have to pay 25€ to enter. To be quite honest, I am not sure that I would pay that amount of money to see the inside of it. Of course, it is magnificent and beautiful, but 25€ is a hefty price tag, which you can also rather spend on delicious food or souvenirs!
- If you want to enjoy all of its exterior splendor, check out the rooftop restaurant of the 7 Hills Hotel, it is the ideal place for a Turkish coffee or lunch and taking pictures of both, the Hagia Sofia and the other mosque!
- When visiting the inside of Hagia Sofia, make sure to bring your headscarf and cover your shoulders, arms, cleavage, and knees!
Sultan Ahmet Camii or Blue Mosque
Almost directly next to the Hagia Sophia, you will find the next incredible mosque. The Sultan Ahmet Camii, or the Blue Mosque, is just as breathtaking as the Hagia Sofia, if not more. With its six minarets and wonderful mosaics, it is one of the most popular mosques in Istanbul and one of the most beautiful I have yet to see. The same rules apply to the Hagia Sophia – cover your shoulders, legs, and arms if you want to enter and wear a headscarf.
Grand Bazaar
After taking in so much glorious splendor of religious sights, it is time to take some time to go shopping! A place that shouldn’t be missing in any Istanbul Travel Guide is the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. At this place, you will find a mixture of Turkish spices, lamps, (maybe magic) carpets, Turkish delight, clothing, and accessories. Strolling through it is like riding the magical carpet through a world of 1.001 wonderful souvenirs to take home and remains one of my favorite experiences in Istanbul!
Helpful Tips:
- Don’t be scared to haggle. Nobody is going to offer you a bargain, you have to haggle your way to the bargain.
- Only buy what you really want. Don’t let the vendors pressure you into buying something you don’t want.
- If you want to get a shot of the famous lamp shops, you will now have to pay the vendors to let you take the picture.
Suleymaniye Mosque
Are you ready for the next mosque on this list? Bet you are! The Suleymaniye Mosque is my personal favorite mosque in this Istanbul Travel Guide. I can’t put my finger on why that is, but it just mesmerized me so much with its beauty on the inside and the perfect courtyard outside. As usual, please follow the mosque etiquette when visiting.
Galata Tower, Galata Bridge & Karaköy
Some of the most vibrant neighborhoods to visit in Istanbul are located on the other side of the ocean and can be easily reached by crossing the Galata Bridge, which is already a highlight. On a sunny day, you will have the most amazing views from each side of the city. You can also buy some roasted chestnuts as a snack while walking on the bridge. On the bridge, you will see people fishing, many restaurants, and a lively atmosphere. Just make sure to avoid eating in the restaurants up there – they are known tourist traps.
Once you have reached the other side, you should definitely make your way up to the Galata Tower, one of the most prominent buildings on Istanbul’s skyline. You can also walk up to it and it is said that whomever you climb up that tower with, you will marry. Right next to the tower, you will also find the famous Viyana Kahvesi. This café serves the San Sebastian Cheesecake, which went viral on TikTok once and is worth a try!
When you have made your stroll around all the wonderful places around the Galata Tower, you should look out for your next meal! Whether this will be a lunch or a dinner, I think the best place to have that is in the neighborhood called Karaköy. On its main street, you will find a bunch of great restaurants lined up, all ready for you to choose one (which seems to be impossible). My personal highlight there is the fish kebab, which is a specialty for the street!
Topkapi Palace
Another place where you can experience the history of Istanbul come alive is at the Topkapi Palace. The royal palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire, and today it serves as a museum. Closed on Tuesday, you can visit it any other day from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, and it makes sense to book your tickets in advance for it to save time! On the palace grounds, you can move freely, exploring all its different areas. You can explore where the servants cooked and lived, where audiences were heard, and laws were passed. The Topkapi Place’s splendor and ornaments are simply incredible to take in, and there are so many details to be discovered for you!
Egyptian Bazaar
If you didn’t get enough of the Grand Bazaar, let me tell you – there is more! At the Egyptian Bazaar, you will also find a wide range of everything you have to discover at the Grand Bazaar with only a little bit more of a focus on all the food experiences of Turkish Bazaars like for example various spices and loads of Turkish delight!
Grand Mecidiye Mosque (Ortaköy Mosque)
With all the mosques to visit in Istanbul, I don’t think I could ever really grow tired of admiring them all! The last mosque on this Istanbul Travel Guide is the beautiful Grand Mecidiye Mosque. It is right next to the ocean and especially when you visit it early in the morning, it almost has a golden glow surrounding it. The place is one of Istanbul’s highlights, even more so, when you visit it early in the day, when people do not yet crowd it. The surrounding neighborhood is also incredibly vibrant and worth a visit!
What to Eat in Istanbul
Ohhhhhhh, the mouthwatering Turkish cuisine is something to drool over, even when it has been a while since I actually traveled to Istanbul. As I am writing this Istanbul Travel Guide I can’t help to wonder if I should book a trip to Istanbul soon, if only for the food.
- Kebab – the classic, meat and salad stuffed bread is so iconic, do I really need to say anything about it?
- Köfte – small, spiced balls of meat, incredibly delicious!
- Pide – kinda like a boat-shaped pizza, Pide is the perfect appetizer to share on your table or just for yourself!
- Adana – minced meat with spices, grilled over charcoal for the ultimate smokey flavour!
- Gozeleme – pastries stuffed with a divine filling of white cheese, spinach or minced meat.
- Baklava – the ultimate Turkish dessert. I don’t want to tell you too much but it is a pastry so incredibly sweet and delicious!
Top Experiences in Istanbul
Istanbul is so filled to the brim with exciting sights and places, even if you would just spend every day walking around its neighborhoods, taking it all in, you would have your money’s worth out of the trip. However, there are also more things to do, if you want to experience Turkish culture.
Hammam Experience
If you tell me that there is a spa experience to be had in one of my travel destinations, you can be sure I am in. In Turkey, this experience is for sure to have a Hammam bath! Originally, the Hamman baths of the city were close to the Mosques, and the baths were part of the religious routine known as ablution. They also served as a place of community, where men and women would meet up (separated by gender, of course!) and exchange news and gossip. Nowadays, you can still enjoy the hot steam of the baths and also book a scrubbing and massage. If you are traveling with your partner of the opposite sex, you can also book a special Hammam suite for couples, as you will not be allowed to enter the public ones together.
Photoshooting Above the Rooftops
Creating lasting memories is super easy in Istanbul! Especially when it is by creating your own personal souvenir in the form of an photoshooting above the Rooftops of Istanbul! On a sunny day, you will find the ideal conditions to take pictures of the magnificent skyline of Istanbul. And all you have to do is to check restaurants on the European side of Istanbul for their rooftop access. Most of them will nowadays offer a photoshooting setting for only a small fee!
Day Trips from Istanbul
Adalar
Last but certainly not least on this Istanbul Travel Guide – make sure to plan some time for visiting Adalar. The so called Prince’s island is the perfect place to get away from the busy city. You can get there by ferry and just stroll through the small town, walk for a while and have lunch with an ocean view.
Did You Like this Istanbul Travel Guide? Make Sure to Pin it for Later!
