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
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 £24 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 | £71 per night |
| Average weekday price | £73 per night |
| Typical stay | 2 nights |
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
Enjoyed the furry ride, walking around in the city, visiting...
4 May 2024
Enjoyed the furry ride, walking around in the city, visiting the historical buildings, communicating with friendly locals. It was hard to find good restaurants with proper prices. They usually said they didn't have the less expensive options on the menu.
The Hagia Sophia museum was a good place to go to get to...
4 May 2024
The Hagia Sophia museum was a good place to go to get to know some of the history of the area. The experience was different from what I had expected, with us having to move through in a group of 13 people, and with key video and sound effects. The Grand Bazaar was well worth a visit, and I ended up making some purchases that I had not expected. One could bargain - one had to bargain - but you are never sure if you get a good price. Also we noticed that having made one purchase, we were strongly encouraged to go to other vendors - brothers, cousins - especially carpet shops! The hop-on hop-off bus tour was also good; we did not hop-off but stayed on for the whole trip which took about 3 hrs. But beware - a lot of that time was spent in moving slowly through the old town!
This is one of the great citiies of the world and one of the...
3 May 2024
This is one of the great citiies of the world and one of the great experiences of a lifetime. Asia meets Europe, vibrant and exotic. Wonderful bazaars and markets, astounding mosques and historic sights, delicious and varied foods at normally very affordable prices. Istanbul is a great destination - worth several. If you haven't been there before, give yourself at least three or four full days, otherwise you will regret having given yourself not enough time to explore this fascinating place.
There’s something for everyone!
3 May 2024
There’s something for everyone! Steeped in history, from Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, to the various museums. The Grand Bazaar and Spice Market are for those who love to shop and haggle. There is plenty of walking around the city - you can walk to see the Galata Bridge and Tower, walk through green parks such as Gulhane Park etc. And for those who enjoy experiences, there are Bosphorus boat trips to the Asian side, the hammams and not to mention the incredible food.
Istanbul is great if visiting for the first time.
3 May 2024
Istanbul is great if visiting for the first time. It is a must see. There are too many scams going on, which is a shame. We got scammed twice trying to top up our Istanbul transport card. Scammers willingly helped us off 18 Euro twice. The ticket machines are hard to use and the display in English usually doesn't work in them. For that reason there are too many confused tourists ready to be scammed. It is shambolic. You must come though, if you haven't been. On your second visit though, you have yourself to blame for getting robbed.
From charming architecture to breathtaking views of the...
2 May 2024
From charming architecture to breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, to delicious local foods/ turkish delights and vibrant nightlife scenes, there's reason why Napoléon said : “If the world was only one country, Istanbul would be its capital.” Locals are so much fun, so friendly and helpful. One (healthy :) ) difficulty was hanging streets and lot of walking, but that's also city's peculiar charm. Street food is on point, especially fish sandwich and doner.
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £200 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £240 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £85 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £202 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £142 per night
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