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 £14 per night
This weekend
From £32 per night
Next weekend
From £32 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October–December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
| Local currency | € 10 = £8.54 |
| Language | Turkish |
| Average weekend price | £69 per night |
| Average weekday price | £71 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
Istanbul is a very interesting city so rich in culture and...
16 April 2024
Istanbul is a very interesting city so rich in culture and history. The city has a lot to offer for any type of visitor with varied activities to do, natural wonders and historical places to visit, flavorful dishes and gastronomic delights to savor, and to immerse in a complex juxtaposition of the traditional and modern social, cultural milieu.
Around 15 years since I last visited the city.
15 April 2024
Around 15 years since I last visited the city. It still remains on of the most captivating cities in the world. The food is amazing, the sights are all beautiful. Public transport has also become very convenient, with relatively cheap fares as well. The cost of food, going out and attractions however have become ridiculously overpriced. I know the inflation is very high, but people trying to scam you on top of the already excessively inflated prices just makes you feel less welcome. Things such as different menus and separate prices and entrance fees for foreigners are never nice to encounter.
Istanbul will be very busy during the holidays, as it is...
14 April 2024
Istanbul will be very busy during the holidays, as it is with other cities. However, the transport system is excellent and well connected. The new airport is huge, most probably bigger than Heathrow airport in UK. Be aware though of your belongings especially in crowded places. Food is great, however, make sure you check the prices, so you dont get surprises when billing comes. Best time to visit the city is March - April (cool) and August to October; beyond those months, it can be either chilly or hot in summer.
Amazing, lively city, good transport connectivity.
13 April 2024
Amazing, lively city, good transport connectivity. A little challenging for vegetarian people but it was manageable. Beautiful city, worth a visit at least once. Tourist destinations were super crowded and packed included the most popular Istaklal street and Taksim Square
My second visit in 18 months - I absolutely love this city.
13 April 2024
My second visit in 18 months - I absolutely love this city. It's exotic with so much history, many ancient beautiful buildings and plenty of glossy modern areas as well. In fact, something for everyone. The Turkish people are so friendly and welcome tourists appreciating the revenue we bring to the country.
Istanbul is one of the oldest, greatest and amazing melting...
13 April 2024
Istanbul is one of the oldest, greatest and amazing melting pots in world, period! However, in last years it became ( especially the European part - Old city, Galata, Beyoglu) extremely crowded and unreally over expensive.
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £139 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
From £208 per night
Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
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Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
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Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul
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