Things to do in Istanbul

Things to do

1. Hagia Sophia

   Fifteen hundred years as basilica, then mosque, then museum, then mosque again, under a thirty-one-meter dome. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Culture and historyMonument2 hr≈ €25best in the morning

2. Topkapı Palace

   Four courtyards, the harem for an extra fee, and the Ottoman treasury at the back. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Culture and historyMuseum3 hr 30 min≈ €30best in the morning

3. The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar

   Four thousand shops along sixty covered streets, open since 1461. On Wikipedia

   ShoppingMarket3 hrFreebest in the afternoon

4. The Bosphorus by boat

   The public ferry to Anadolu Kavağı: two continents, wooden yalı mansions, and the price of a ticket. On Wikipedia (in French)

   RelaxationViewpoint3 hr≈ €8best in the afternoon

5. An Ottoman hammam

   The heated göbektaşı stone, a scrub with the kese, and in some cases a building by Sinan. On Wikipedia (in French)

   RelaxationRelaxation2 hr≈ €45best in the afternoon

6. The Basilica Cistern

   Three hundred and thirty-six columns beneath the city, two Medusa heads at the back, and water up to your ankles. On Wikipedia (in French)

   Off the beaten trackMonument1 hr≈ €25best in the morning

7. Balat and Fener

   The old Jewish and Greek quarters, their colorful wooden houses and their hillside cafés. On Wikipedia (in Turkish)

   Off the beaten trackMarket2 hr 30 minFreebest in the afternoon

When to go

The most pleasant months in Istanbul: in April, May, September and October, taking weather and crowds into account.

More ideas for those months: where to go in April, where to go in May, where to go in September, where to go in October.

Averages measured over recent years: mean temperatures and number of rainy days, month by month.

What budget on the ground?

Per person and per day, including accommodation, meals, local transport and visits — excluding the round trip. An estimate calculated the same way as in the app, from the local cost of living.

Budget

€35

Mid-range

€60

Comfort

€115

Getting there from Paris: the carbon footprint

Per person, round trip, in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent — manufacturing, energy and, for flights, contrails included.

Plane

750 kg

Factors from ADEME (Impact CO₂); outside France, rail uses the European average published by the European Environment Agency.

Book on the ground

Tours and tickets

• Go City Multi-attraction passes for big cities
• Klook Tours, tickets and excursions
• Tiqets Museums and monuments, skip-the-line tickets
• WeGoTrip Self-paced audio tours

Internet on site (eSIM)

• Airalo Data eSIM, by country or region
• Drimsim SIM card that works in almost every country
• Saily Data eSIM
• Yesim Data eSIM

From the airport

• GetTransfer Drivers make an offer for your ride
• Intui Private transfers at a fixed price
• Kiwitaxi Booked transfers, from taxi to minibus
• Welcome Pickups Driver waiting on arrival, price fixed in advance

Rent a car

• Auto Europe Rental comparison
• EconomyBookings Rental comparison
• GetRentacar Cars from rental companies and private owners
• Localrent Local rental companies, often no credit card needed

Partner links: if you book through them, Tripora may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you and without changing the order of these lists, which is alphabetical.

Good to know: Türkiye

Plugs

Type C, F, 230 V

Emergencies

112

Driving

On the right

Near Istanbul

• Izmir Türkiye, 330 km
• Pamukkale Türkiye, 340 km
• Bucharest Romania, 450 km
• Bodrum Türkiye, 460 km
• Kos Greece, 480 km
• Antalya Türkiye, 480 km

Elsewhere in Türkiye

• Antalya
• Bodrum
• Cappadocia
• Fethiye and Ölüdeniz
• Izmir
• Pamukkale
• Trabzon