Top things to do in Istanbul
Attractions, tours and activities in Istanbul
Recommended museums in Istanbul
Where to discover culture and the arts in Istanbul
Istanbul: the city's best neighbourhoods
Find a great area to stay in Istanbul
-
Old City Sultanahmet
0.2 miles from city centre
Begin your adventure in Sultanahmet Square, gateway to the historic centre. In Topkapi Palace, Byzantine artefacts sparkle through the display cases as light beams in. Hagia Sophia’s mosaics are time worn, reflecting the history of a space that has been both mosque and church across 1.5 millennia. Zany bars and cosy cafes beckon you.
Places to stay from £4 per night
-
Taksim
2 miles from city centre
Street culture, energetic cafés and antique shops with quirky treasures await in this cosmopolitan district. Dandies and divas will have a field day at the boutiques on Istiklal Avenue. Concerts, cinemas and exhibition centres provide family-friendly entertainment, while trendy clubs and bars bring out the bold and the beautiful after dark.
Places to stay from £4 per night
-
Ortakoy
4 miles from city centre
Ortakoy’s residents are youthful and cosmopolitan. Among the swathes of modern art galleries, you'll find eateries tempting you with delicious local delicacies. One of the area's oldest buildings is the Turkish Bath, followed by the neo-Baroque Ortakoy Mosque. Take a cruise across the Bosphorus, or shop for trinkets at the emporiums.
Places to stay from £10 per night
-
Kadikoy
3.8 miles from city centre
To stay in Kadıköy means full-scale immersion in Turkish culture, and it’s a fast ferry ride from this residential district to the city’s prime attractions. Elaborate wooden houses that creak with the passing of time and remnants of the Roman Empire await as you wander the streets. Indulge in mouth-watering Turkish Delight from Akustik Market.
Places to stay from £5 per night
-
Besiktas
4 miles from city centre
Fragments of the Ottoman Empire lie in this coastal district. Picnic or play in the flower-filled groves of Yildiz Park, followed by a walk toward Ortakoy – inviting cafes by day and plush clubs by night. Salute the sea at the Turkish Naval Museum, see and be seen in trendy Bebek and Kurucesme or crown your day at Dolmabahce Palace.
Places to stay from £10 per night
-
Sisli
3.3 miles from city centre
Sisli is a large district on the European side of Istanbul, near the Bosphorus Bridge. A mix of mosques, churches and synagogues make the area eclectic, while Trump Towers and Cevahir Shopping Mall are reminders of the growing tide of commercialism sweeping the area. The narrow streets of Nisantasi are loaded with boutiques and galleries.
Places to stay from £5 per night
-
Topkapi
1.9 miles from city centre
Take a decent pair of walking shoes to navigate the 5.5 km stretch atop the 8th-century City Walls of Constantinople. Be sure to spend some time at Kara Ahmet Pasha Mosque, a medieval centre of learning that contains painstakingly detailed mosaics. The area maintains its learned nature, on account of the scholarly cafés and student haunts.
Places to stay from £8 per night
-
Beyazit
0.7 miles from city centre
There’s a haze around the palaces, towers and gardens around Beyazit Mosque that gives the feeling of being lost in time. The mosque has stood proudly since 1506 and weathered many storms over its cut-stone exterior. The Grand Bazaar is filled with the sights, smells and sounds of an authentic Turkish market.
Places to stay from £5 per night
-
Asian Side
6.6 miles from city centre
The Asian side of Istanbul lives on the razor’s edge of the past and present. Kadıköy is a feast of scents and sound – In Moda, buy tapas-style food from a zany street vendor, then wander past hip tattoo parlours and street art for a street-eye view of hip urban living. Buy branded clothing on Bagdat Avenue, then dine out in style.
Places to stay from £5 per night
About Istanbul
Including tips for the best time to visit Istanbul
Straddling the border between Europe and Western Asia, Istanbul acts as an ancient crossroads of cultures, religions and civilisations.
Greek, Persian, Byzantine and Ottoman influences can be seen across the city. The mesmerising Hagia Sophia, for instance, stood for over 1,000 years as an ornate church before being converted into an Imperial Mosque, which it remained as for over half a millennia. And there’s Topkapi Palace, a lavish complex of halls, courtyards and terraces with commanding views over the Bosphorus Strait. Today, both structures are religious museums attracting millions of visitors every year.
The Blue Mosque is another glinting example of Byzantine-Ottoman fused architecture, with its domes, towering minarets and blue İznik tiles that adorn the interior. For a full view of the mosque’s design, enter through the crumbling remains of a Roman-era hippodrome in Sultanahmet Square.
Yet Istanbul’s oldest monuments could easily escape you. Deep beneath the ground are several hundred ancient cisterns, where water was once delivered via 20 kilometres of aqueducts from a local reservoir. The largest of these is the Basilica Cistern, which you can explore along raised wooden platforms.
Back on ground level, the Grand Bazaar will entice you with its maze-like network of craft stores and cosy teahouses. Go explore a little, before treating yourself to a Dürüm wrap on a street corner, or a mouthwatering meze in a bistro-style restaurant in Sultanahmet.
Tonight
From £18 per night
This weekend
From £35 per night
Next weekend
From £35 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October–December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
| Local currency | € 10 = £8.58 |
| Language | Turkish |
| Average weekend price | £70 per night |
| Average weekday price | £72 per night |
| Typical stay | 2 nights |
Points of interest in Istanbul
Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Istanbul
-
Taksim Square
2.1 miles from city centre
-
Blue Mosque
0.2 miles from city centre
-
Topkapi Palace
0.6 miles from city centre
-
Grand Bazaar
0.4 miles from city centre
-
Hagia Sophia
0.3 miles from city centre
-
Istiklal Street
2 miles from city centre
-
Bosphorus Bridge
4 miles from city centre
-
Galata Tower
1.2 miles from city centre
-
Pierre Loti
3.8 miles from city centre
-
Suleymaniye Mosque
0.8 miles from city centre
Istanbul reviews
What other travellers say about Istanbul
I love the city.
26 April 2024
I love the city. I visit it frequently. It has everything you may think of in one place. It is traditional yet very modernized. I can't say enough about the delicious Turkish cuisine. It is full of sightseeing, parks, and shopping centres. It has an amazing nightlife too. But I would avoid it during Ramadan because there is not much happening during this month, especially the nightlife.
We love Istanbul but it’s too expensive compared to 2 years...
25 April 2024
We love Istanbul but it’s too expensive compared to 2 years previous prices are more than 3 times eg dinner a 1 course a beer and Iran was almost 40 we did then go to the pudding shop and the cost was 24£ it was the only place we could find reasonable but basically it was chicken and potatoes a slice of green and red pepper and 1/4 tomato. To visit any attraction was at least £20 each luckily we have visited previous 3 times and saw them either free or very minimal cost £5. The Cakes you see were 400turkish lira - £10
A beautiful place to visit on a sunny, breezy day.
24 April 2024
A beautiful place to visit on a sunny, breezy day. Take a boat ride on Bosphorus or take a tram to go around town. By the way, trams are excellent in taking you around the city - and very, very cheap. The town is steeped in history. You will see the signs of its grand past all over. People are very friendly and smiling. It was our third trip and we will go back soon.
A perfect destination for Food lovers, combines history, art...
24 April 2024
A perfect destination for Food lovers, combines history, art, modern architecture and shopping. It offers both luxury and simple lifestyle option with great nature and many options for transportation. The only disadvantage is that its very crowded so choosing the right time to come is essential.
- Topkapi Palace : to be done but expensive for what it is.
24 April 2024
- Topkapi Palace : to be done but expensive for what it is. The Harem is the best place - Blue Mosquee : beautiful and free - Grand Bazar / Spice Bazar : just to feel the atmosphere, not to buy something - Hammam : the must of the trip, with scrub, foam & oil massage - Princess Islands (the last one) : beautiful, like if you are in a seaside resort + an icecream of course ! - Bosphorus cruise but only if you didn't take the boat for Princess Islands - Fatih, Balat & Fener with colored houses - Citerne Basilique : too expensive for what is it, in 15 minutes, you make the tour - Basilique Sainte Sophie : not done +++ : The restaurants and also a fish sandwich on Eminonu !
Istanbul is a must for the wanderlust!
24 April 2024
Istanbul is a must for the wanderlust! Amazing things to do and see! I wasn't impressed with how everyone gives you prices in euros as if to condition us into thinking we are getting a good deal or something. This results in paying 'the Euro price' making Istanbul a complete rip off! Please charge your visitors in Lira and for the 'lira price', which should be the same as what the locals pay. Why is there a different price for locals and tourist? Not nice Turkey!
Popular places to stay in Istanbul
Stay in some of the best accommodation Istanbul has to offer
-
HaciBayramHotel Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £146 per night
-
Four-G Hotel Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £232 per night
-
Ararat Apart Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £85 per night
-
White House Hotel Istanbul Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £240 per night
-
Sadaret Suites Old City -Best Group Hotels Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £154 per night
-
Other accommodation in Istanbul
Choose from a wide variety of places to stay in Istanbul
-
Apartments
From £7 per night
-
Villas
From £237 per night
-
Cottages
From £68 per night
-
Serviced Apartments
From £8 per night
-
Holiday Homes
From £68 per night
-
Guest Houses
From £6 per night
-
Hostels
From £4 per night
-
B&Bs
From £7 per night
-
Homestays
From £12 per night
-
Boats
From per night
-
Self Catering Accommodation
From £5 per night
