Istanbul travel guide

Hagia Sophia

For nearly a thousand years after 537 this was the largest church in the world, and its dome still seems to float on a ring of windows. Upstairs, gold Byzantine mosaics of Christ, the Virgin and emperors share the space with huge Ottoman roundels naming God, the Prophet and the first caliphs. A mosque again since 2020, it lets worshippers in free at ground level; foreign visitors buy a ticket for the upper gallery, where the mosaics are, and use a separate visitor entrance. Cover shoulders and knees, and women cover their hair.

Blue Mosque

Some 20,000 hand-painted İznik tiles, mostly blue and green, line the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and give it its nickname; light comes in through hundreds of windows under a cascade of domes, and the interior was restored in 2023. Its six minarets caused a stir in the 1610s, when only the mosque at Mecca had as many. Entry is free, but it is a working mosque, so it closes to visitors around each of the five daily prayers and for longest at Friday midday, reopening in the early afternoon.

Basilica Cistern

Down a flight of steps, raised walkways lead through a dim, amber-lit forest of 336 columns reflected in shallow water, with fish moving below. This sixth-century reservoir once supplied the Byzantine palace, and at the far end two columns rest on carved Medusa heads, one sideways and one upside down. Its management passed from the city to the state foundations directorate in June 2026 amid a court case, so check hours and tickets just before you go.

Topkapi Palace

From these courtyards on the point where the Bosphorus meets the Golden Horn, the Ottoman sultans ruled for close to four centuries. Wander the tiled rooms of the Harem, see the jewelled Topkapı Dagger and the 86-carat Spoonmaker's Diamond in the Treasury, and the relics of the Prophet kept in the Privy Chamber. It is closed on Tuesdays; arrive at opening and allow half a day.

Grand Bazaar

Around 4,000 shops crowd some 60 lanes under painted vaults, and its stone core goes back to the 1460s, just after the Ottoman conquest. Step off the main streets into the hans, old caravan courtyards where silversmiths and other craftsmen still work. It is closed on Sundays and religious holidays. Haggle with a smile, and settle the price before anything is wrapped.

Süleymaniye Mosque

Sinan built this mosque for Süleyman the Magnificent in the 1550s, on the hill above the Golden Horn; the sultan lies in a tomb in its garden and the architect in a small one just outside the walls. Inside, the space is vast, calm and full of light, and the terrace looks across the water to Galata. It is quieter than the Blue Mosque. Free, but closed to visitors during each prayer, and for longest around Friday midday prayer.

Bosphorus ferry

From the deck you sail between Europe and Asia, under the great bridges and past Ottoman palaces, wooden waterside mansions and the walls of Rumeli Hisarı, while gulls trail the boat and tea comes round on a tray. A public ferry is the cheapest way to do it. Şehir Hatları runs Bosphorus tours from Eminönü, and an ordinary commuter ferry to Üsküdar or Kadıköy costs one Istanbulkart fare.

Galata Tower

Out on the narrow balcony of this 14th-century Genoese tower, the whole city turns around you: the domes and minarets of the old city across the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus running north. It stands above Karaköy and stays open late; the line is shortest in the morning.

Dolmabahçe Palace

In the 1850s the sultans left Topkapı for this marble palace on the water, built in a European style with crystal balustrades, gilded ceilings and a ceremonial hall under a chandelier said to weigh about four and a half tonnes. Atatürk died here in 1938, and a clock in his room still shows 9:05, the minute of his death. Visits are by ticket, and it is closed on Mondays.

Spice Bazaar

Under vaults finished in the 1660s, the air smells of cumin, dried rose and coffee, and stalls are piled with sumac, saffron, apricots, pistachios and slabs of Turkish delight. It sits by the water at Eminönü and opens on Sundays, so it is the bazaar to visit when the Grand Bazaar is shut. Ask for a taste before buying lokum.

Balık ekmek and simit

At Eminönü, mackerel fillets sizzle on grills aboard boats rocking against the quay, then go into bread with onion and salad, eaten on a low stool by the Galata Bridge. For breakfast or a walk, a simit, a chewy sesame bread ring from a street cart, does the job. Both are quick, cheap and part of daily life here.

Kadıköy market

Over on the Asian side, the lanes behind Kadıköy's ferry pier are where the neighbourhood shops: fish on ice, barrels of pickles, cheese and olive delis, and small lokantas with trays of the day's stews. Come at lunchtime, then walk down to Moda by the sea.

Turkish breakfast

Less a meal than a whole morning, kahvaltı covers the table in small plates: white cheese, olives, tomatoes and cucumber, honey with thick kaymak cream, eggs cooked in the pan, and glass after glass of tea. Weekend breakfasts run long and late.

A meyhane evening

At a meyhane the table matters more than any one dish: cold meze such as white cheese, melon and stuffed vine leaves come first, then fish or grilled plates, all with rakı that turns cloudy white when you add water. Talk, toasts and sometimes music stretch it over hours. The side streets of Beyoğlu are the classic place for one.

Best: April to May

Mild, walkable days, with millions of tulips in Emirgan, Gülhane and other city parks through April.

Best: September to October

Heat breaks, crowds ease, and the Bosphorus light is at its sharpest.

Harder: July and August

Peak prices, queues and humidity; plan mornings at monuments and evenings on the water.

How do you get around Istanbul?

• Transit cardBuy an Istanbulkart from the Biletmatik ticket machines at stations, or from kiosks; it works on metro, tram, Marmaray, ferries and buses.
• TaxisMake sure the meter is on before the taxi moves. BiTaksi and Uber both book licensed city taxis that charge the meter rate.
• Airport transferFrom Istanbul Airport, the M11 metro runs to Gayrettepe for the M2 line, and on to Halkalı for Marmaray trains to the old city. Havaist buses also serve central hubs.
• Closing daysTopkapı Palace closes on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays; plan those days around them.

Do you need cash in Istanbul, and do you tip?

• Carry cashSmall cafés, bakeries, bazaars, village shops and public toilets may prefer cash.
• TippingLeave about 10% in restaurants if service isn't on the bill; cash goes straight to the staff.
• Hagia Sophia ticketHagia Sophia's upper gallery has an entry fee for foreign visitors, charged in euros; the ground-floor prayer hall is free for worshippers.

Useful phrases

• HelloMerhaba
• Thank youTeşekkür ederim
• YesEvet
• NoHayır
• PleaseLütfen
• How much?Ne kadar?
• The bill, pleaseHesap lütfen

Local manners

• ShoesTake your shoes off when entering a home or a mosque.
• TeaTea is offered often; accepting a glass is a warm gesture.
• MosquesCover shoulders and knees, and women cover their hair; scarves are often lent at the door.
• GreetingsA handshake and a smile go a long way, especially with older people.
• BargainingHaggling is normal in bazaars, but keep it friendly and fair.

Useful apps

• Uber: Rides, eats, and moreBooks licensed Istanbul taxis on the meter, with the driver and route shown in the app
• Moovit: Public Transport LiveMetro, tram, ferry and bus routes in Istanbul
• Google MapsWalking directions and transit times around Istanbul
• Google TranslateTranslating Turkish menus, signs and conversations

Download links for these are in the Istanbul guide in the Journey app.

Before you book

Check your government’s travel advice before you book.