This list of best tips for traveling to Istanbul, will help you to organize a trip to one of the most magical cities in the world, union of cultures of East and West.
Spending a few days in this city built between two continents, is a great opportunity for any travel lover who wants to know another culture and way of life totally different from that of Europe, while maintaining certain comforts.
The old Constatinopla, known as the city of the seven hills, will entertain you with all kinds of unique experiences and impressive places such as mosques, palaces and markets, which will leave an indelible mark on your traveling passport.
Based on the experience of the time we spent in this city, in which we wrote this guide to travel to Turkey, we have made this list of 10 essential tips for traveling to Istanbul. We start!
1. What is the best time?
The best time for a trip to Istanbul It is spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October), when temperatures are between 20 and 25 degrees and avoid the agglomerations that occur during the summer months. Keep in mind that in July and August, temperatures can exceed 40 degrees and accommodation is much more expensive.
In winter, although the prices are lower, it does not compensate for having fewer hours of light and raising the risk of suffering days of gray skies, rain, fog and even snow.
2. Entry and security requirements
For travel to Istanbul Spanish and European Union citizens only need to show their passport (with a minimum validity of 6 months) or the DNI.
Once at the Istanbul airport you will have to get a visa that costs about 20 dollars and is valid for 90 days, if you have not processed it online via this official website.
If you are from another country we recommend you check with the Turkish Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country to know the mandatory entry requirements to Istanbul.
In addition to carrying this documentation, it is highly recommended to have the best travel insurance to solve any medical setbacks in the city's quality hospitals, free of charge.
We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.
In terms of security, the city has high levels similar to the big European cities, you just have to be aware of small scams, especially in taxis and thefts in the busiest areas such as markets.
3. Money exchange when traveling to Istanbul
To get Turkish liras, one euro is equivalent to 6 lira, it is better to get money at ATMs in the city, before the exchange houses or to take the money changed from your country.
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
When traveling to Istanbul it is also important to carry coins of little value, for the usual tips in hotels and restaurants.
Turkish Lira
4 How to get from Istanbul airport to downtown?
Istanbul has two international airports: the New Istanbul Airport located 35 kilometers from the city and the Sabiha Gökçen 50 kilometers.
The most common means of transport to transfer from these two airports to your hotel or to the city center are:
- Meter: it will be operational in early 2020 at the New Airport with the M11 line that will connect to the center.
- Bus: From the New Airport you have the IST-19 and IST-20 lines that will leave you at the stops in the center of Taksim and Sultanahmet in about 80 minutes for 3 euros. From the Sabiha Gökçen airport, the Havabüs leaves you, leaving you at Taksim Square in 90 minutes for 2.5 euros.
- Private transport: When booking this private transfer, a driver will wait for you at the terminal raising a sign with your name and will take you to the door of your hotel in an hour.
- Cab: The price of a cheap taxi (yellow) to the center from the Sabiha Gökçen airport is 25 euros and from the New Airport 30 euros.
In this post you can find extended information on how to go from Istanbul airport to downtown.
Istanbul taxi
5. Accommodation in Istanbul
If you are going to travel to Istanbul in the summer months, it is very advisable to book the hotel several months in advance, to save a good amount of money.
Our favorite sleeping area is near Sultanahmet Square, where you can find excellent hotels such as The Million Stone Hotel and above all, the Adamar Hotel with fantastic views of the city from its Panoramic restaurant.
In addition to having a good bus connection to the airport, these two hotels are located a few meters from the Basilica of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, the three main tourist attractions of the city.
Another downtown area with a good hotel offer and close to the markets of the Grand Bazaar and the Species Bazaar, is the Eminönü neighborhood.
If you are looking for a more authentic neighborhood with traditional restaurants and local shops, you can find a good hotel at a good price in Beyazit, located 10 minutes walk from Sultanahmet.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to get away from the historic center and find a hotel with western comforts, we recommend looking around Taksim Square, where the large hotel chains are concentrated.
You visit the Basilica of Hagia Sophia when traveling to Istanbul
6. Transportation on a trip to Istanbul
To move around Istanbul and reach the furthest points, the best option is to use the T1 line of the tram that passes through most points of interest in the city.
We believe that the subway is not very useful and the bus is quite complicated to understand, since it has many lines and only maps of the routes at the main stops.
Another good and cheap alternative (1.5 pounds) to get around the city is the ferry that runs through the Bosphorus Strait and the Golden Horn. For us it is a good way to see the city from another perspective and allows you to cross to the Asian part of Üsküdar to see a magnificent sunset over Istanbul.
To save money on these public transports, we recommend paying with the Istanbulkart rechargeable card rather than buying jetones, chips that cost 3 pounds.
Taking a taxi on a trip to Estamnul, although a race through the center should not exceed 3 euros, can become a bad experience. To avoid any scam or discussion with the taxi driver it is advisable to ask for a yellow official taxi that has the sign Taksi, from a hotel or restaurant. If you are on the street, we recommend that you clearly indicate the destination to the driver with a map, follow the route with a mobile GPS, check the meter and, above all, when paying, be very attentive to the change that returns you .
Bosphorus
7. Places of interest
When traveling to Istanbul it is important to make a list of all the most interesting places in the city you want to know, to make the most of your time.
We believe that for a first trip to Istanbul you can not miss the Blue Mosque, the Basilica of Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, all located in the historic center and a few meters away from each other. In these three buildings it is important to arrive a little before they open, usually at 9 in the morning, so as not to waste much time in the queue.
Once these three visits are completed, you can begin to know other points of interest in the center such as the Basilica Cistern, the Constantinople Racecourse, the Grand Bazaar and the Species Bazaar.
In addition to these tourist attractions, in this neighborhood there are less known sites such as the Gülhane Park, the Rüstem Pasa Mosque and the Soliman Mosque.
Between visit and visit we advise you to book a Turkish bath, to relax and try one of the great experiences of the city.
Once the historical center is completed, you can cross the Galata Bridge to reach the Galata Tower, one of the best viewpoints in the city and then continue north and get to the Istiklal Caddesi shopping street that will take you to the popular Taksim Square. From this square you can access the Besitkas neighborhood to visit the Ortaköy Mosque and the Dolmabahce Palace.
A good way to not miss any of these sites and learn about the interesting history of the city is to book this free tour of Istanbul Free! or if you are a group, book this private tour with a guide in Spanish.
Other interesting places that are further away from the center are the Church of San Salvador in Chora, the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, the Cafe Pierre Loti and the Cafe de las Alfombras, two of the best places to watch the sunset.
One of the best experiences of Istanbul is to cross the Bosphorus Strait, which separates the Asian part from the European part, booking this sunset cruise with a guide in Spanish or this night walk with show and dinner.
Another of the best tips for traveling to Istanbul is to complete this list of the 50 things to see and do in Istanbul.
8. Routes through the city
Our recommendation is that your trip to Istanbul last between 3 and 4 days, something that will allow you to know its main tourist attractions and be able to spend time walking through less known neighborhoods such as Asians.
Most points of interest can be reached on foot, by ferry or tram and we only recommend using the taxi in specific cases to get to the Church of San Salvador Chora.
Based on our experience we have made these four guides that will help you not miss anything important in Istanbul if you have 1 to 4 days.
Blue Mosque
9. Where and what to eat in Istanbul
Another reason for travel to Istanbul It is to try the delicious Turkish cuisine. Some of the most typical dishes are:
- Döner Kebap: Lamb, chicken or veal cooked on a vertical grill that is eaten alone or accompanied by sauces, vegetables or bread.
- Meze: appetizers made with eggplants, cheese, tomatoes, black olives or peppers, among many other products.
- Dolma: grape leaf stuffed with a mixture of rice, minced meat, pine nuts and different species.
- Kofta: meatballs.
- Lahmacun: a kind of thin-crust pizza spread with minced meat with onion.
- Manti: stuffed pasta similar to dumplings.
- Midye dolma: mussels stuffed with rice, raisins, pine nuts and various spices.
- baklava: sweet puff pastry cakes with nuts, pistachios and honey syrup.
- Kahve: Turkish coffee in which sugar is added at the time of doing so.
- Raki: Turkish anise.
Among the most recommended restaurants in the city to try these dishes, which are also in tourist areas, you have: Istanbul Anatolian Cuisine, Three Partners, Galata Kitchen, F&B Culture, Seher Kebab Meat House, Bitlisli, Panoramic Restaurant, Mesopotamian Terrace Restaurant, Gulhane Sark Sofrasi, Buhara Ocakbası and the Kucukoglu Barbecue.
Doner Kebab
10. Tours and excursions
Once you have made all the important visits to the city, if you have extra time, you can complete the trip with one of the best excursions in Istanbul.
The first excursion proposal when traveling to Istanbul is Cappadocia, one of the essential places to visit in Turkey and one of the natural wonders of the world.
To see this impressive lunar landscape you can make hiking trails that run between monasteries and castles carved into rock, underground cities and the famous fairy chimneys, and complete the experience by booking this balloon ride at dawn.
The best way to get to Cappadocia if you don't want to do 12 hours by bus, is by plane, which takes just over an hour from Istanbul.
Another more comfortable option is to book one of these excursions with a guide in Spanish:
The second recommendation on a trip to Istanbul is to approach the city of Ephesus, one of the best preserved cities of the Roman era that has in the Library of Celsus, one of his great jewels.
To get to Ephesus, if you don't want to rent a car, you can take a bus that takes 10 hours or book this excursion to Ephesus by plane in one day and with a guide in Spanish.
The last proposal is a visit to the nearby archipelago of Prince or Adalar Islands, located 20 kilometers from Istanbul. On its islands you can relax, take a bath and try delicious fresh fish dishes.
To get to these islands you can take a ferry on the Kabatas pier that takes just over an hour or book this comfortable cruise that visits three of the Prince Islands.
More tours and excursions in Istanbul here
Cappadocia
Do you want to organize a trip to Istanbul?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Istanbul here
The best hotels at the best prices in Istanbul here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Book the best tours and excursions in Istanbul in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Istanbul here
The best travel insurance for Turkey
Rent your car in Turkey at the best price here
The best offers of Flights to Istanbul here
The best hotels at the best prices in Istanbul here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
Book the best tours and excursions in Istanbul in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Istanbul here
The best travel insurance for Turkey
Rent your car in Turkey at the best price hereIf you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 essential tips for traveling to Istanbul, add yours in the comments.
