Are you planning a trip to Istanbul and struggling to figure out what to see? That’s perfectly understandable, as Istanbul is massive, with nearly 16 mln residents. So massive, in fact, that it doesn’t fit on one continent alone, stretches out across both Europe and Asia. As such, we completely understand that this might be a bit overwhelming. To help you with that, we dedicated today’s post to going over some of the best things you can do during your trip to Istanbul.
Istanbul
What to see in the Constantinople of yore?
As we’ve mentioned, Istanbul is located on both European and Asian lands, along the Bosphorus Strait. The city is bordered by both the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Though its scale can be overwhelming and challenging at first, thankfully, the city is quite well connected.
Istanbul’s public transport includes metro, trams, buses, vans and ferries. You will need a ticket to make use of them, which you can buy from a ticket vending machine (though, be warned, you can’t pay in cash). The most cost-effective option you have is to purchase a city card, the so-called Istanbulkart, which you have to then top-up. You can both buy the city card and top it up at one of the several thousand ticket machines in the city.
City card offers the cheapest tickets available. It’s best to take care of the city card business right off the bat when arriving in the city so you can then move around it more freely.
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul’s most famous place?
The Hagia Sophia, otherwise referred to as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, is arguably the highlight of visiting Istanbul. The temple built around 537 is located in Sultanahmet, the city’s most tourist-heavy district. It has alternated between being a church and a mosque throughout its history. Since 1985, the Hagia Sophia has been listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
In recent years, the building has functioned primarily as a tourist attraction, with the cost of a ticket being 100 TRY. In 2020, Hagia Sophia was recognised as a mosque again. For tourists, this is good news. It means that admission to the temple is free, as it is to all mosques.
As such, it now also requires the same respect all mosques do, with customs like taking your shoes off before entering and women having to cover their shoulders and hair. The mosque is open from 9am to 11pm. Tourists are admitted in large groups, so the waiting time to enter is not as long as you may expect. The Sultanahmet district can be reached by metro. Thankfully, it’s a place where many tourist attractions are located, so you can combine a visit to Hagia Sophia with other notable places.
Blue Mosque
Another highlight of Istanbul
Towering over Istanbul’s skyline, the Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture. It’s another iconic landmark of the city, owing its nickname to the rich blue ceramic tiles adorning the building’s interior. It’s also on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, has been since 1985. It’s one of the most visited sites on the map of Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque is located opposite to the Hagia Sophia Mosque, also in the Sultanahmet district. Entry to the shrine, as to all mosques, is free. As with Hagia Sophia now, you should also take off your shoes and dress appropriately.
Sultanahmet Square
or ‘the Hippodrome’
Still within the same area, the Sultanahmet Square, also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, contains several historically and architecturally important sights. Interestingly, during the Byzantine era, a horse racing track was located here! It was the centre of Constantinople’s culture and social life. The square is located between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, so it can be your transition between the two.
Some amazing architectural sights include, for example, a German fountain built in the neo-Byzantine style in 1891.
Another important building is the obelisk of Theodosius, which was brought from Egypt by, well, Theodosius the Great and is now around 3,500 years old. The square is also home to the Serpent Column, which was brought from Delphi in 324 to celebrate the Byzantine victory over the Persians. There is also another amazing obelisk here, surrounded by a wall, the age of which is unknown. Of course, entry to the square is free.
Grand Bazaar
One of the biggest and oldest markets in the world
What should you see in Istanbul? Certainly its massive covered market, one of the oldest and largest in the world. You can easily spend a whole day here – it’s called grand for a reason. The trading area of this place is 30,700 thousand square metres. The Bazaar attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every day.
Immediately upon entering, you’ll be hit by a wave of an indescribable richness of flavours, colours and smells, making you feel like you’ve just entered one of the ancient Arabic street markets. The Grand Bazaar area houses more than 4,000 shops that sell everything; from clothing and home décor to foodstuffs and items specific to Turkish culture and cuisine. The indoor market is also considered one of the first shopping malls in the world.
The Grand Bazaar is located in the Fatih district, which is easily accessible by metro from any point in the city. And yes, the Grand Bazaar is also close to the Sultanahmet district, meaning you can also combine it with the previous three sites! The bazaar is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am and 7pm. Entering the bazaar is free, though the cost of actually being in the market is up to how much you can resist spending too much here. We’d recommend bargaining whenever you can.
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Cistern)
An interesting sight in Istanbul
The Basilica Cistern is one of the more surprising places for tourists in Istanbul. This huge, palace-like underground hall, supported by 336 columns in 12 rows, once stored water supplies for the Byzantine emperors. The project was started by Constantine the Great and completed by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Entry is, for once, paid, and it will cost you 450 TRY. The palace is located in the Fatih district, i.e. close to the tourist district of Sultanahmet, and you can get from Sultanahmet to the Basilica Cistern on foot.
Topkapı Palace
What to see in Istanbul?
You should certainly include the symbol of Istanbul on your to-see lists – the Topkapı Palace, located at the top of the city’s most visible hill. Drenched in decoration and decadent opulence, it offers visitors an intimate insight into the sultans of the Ottoman Empire.
The Palace is open all week except Tuesdays. Tickets to the Palace cost 750 TRY as of 2023 (about 23 pounds), and in addition, you will pay 350 TRY to enter the Harem. You can buy a combined ticket for 950 TRY. The nearest tram stop is Gülhane İstasyonu, which means a 10-minute walk to the palace.
Dolmabahçe Palace
What to visit in Istanbul?
If you take a trip along the Bosporus, you will pass many lavish and intriguing buildings, but the richest of them is certainly the 600-metre-long Dolmabahçe Sarayı (Dolmabahçe Palace). It took 13 years to build in total and was completed in 1856. It served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire until 1922.
The palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid (who decided that it should have more of an European-palace feel than Topkapi) and designed by an Armenian architect, Karabet Balian, and his son Nikos Balian. It is an ostentatious mix of architectural styles, including baroque, rococo, neo-classical and modern Ottoman. It’s certainly worth visiting, whether you’re there just for the aesthetic or for a history lesson in Turkish culture. Dolmabahce Palace’s opening hours are from 9am to 6pm and it is open everyday except Mondays. Dolmabahce ticket price is 650 TRY per person (or about 20 pounds).
Taksim Square
Istanbul’s square
Located in the Beyoglu district, in the heart of the European part of Istanbul, Taksim Square is a corner of the city where two worlds collide. The diverse mix of languages and cultures is clearly visible here, in one of the most symbolic areas of the metropolis. At the heart of this square is a statue that is a monument to the founding of the Turkish republic.
Istiklal Street
A popular street in Istanbul
You’ll find the Istiklal Street connected to the Taksim Square, as it stretches out all the way to the bridges over Bosphorus. Istiklal Caddesi is the longest touristic street of Istanbul – iconic, always crowded and full of life. You’ll see hundreds of shops and a dense grid of labyrinthine side streets on each side here. These hide tea shops, local artist workshops and the locals themselves lost in thought. A vintage red tram runs along the street, which you too can ride for a symbolic fee.
Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi)
A monument in Istanbul
The Galata Tower, ergo the Galata Kulesi, is one of the oldest towers in the world and one of the main symbols of Istanbul. The tower was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. It went through a couple of functions in its life, starting out as a tower in a Genoese colony, then becoming a prison and finally a fire lookout tower. You can reach the Galata district with the tower by strolling along Istiklal Street. An entry ticket costs 650 TRY, or about 20 pounds.
The Galata Bridge and its fishermen
The famous bridge in Istanbul
Built in 1994, the Galata Bridge in Istanbul’s Bazaar district spans the so-called Golden Horn and connects two districts, Eminönü and Beyoğlu. The Galata Bridge is a national treasure in itself, but also of great importance to Istanbul’s fishermen. There are some of the best fish restaurants in the city under the bridge, with the hard-working fishermen responsible for this success becoming a symbol as prominent as the bridge itself. The Galata bridge also offers great views of the city, which have inspired photographers, poets and singers for hundreds of years.
Kadıköy
What to do in Istanbul?
Kadıköy is a district that used to be a separate city. Its history dates back to Byzantine times. It is the centre of the Asian side of Istanbul, which we have to get to by ferry. What can we do there? We can go for a walk in Kadikoy Square, explore neighbourhoods such as Moda and Fenerbahce Kalamis, stop for a tea and people-watch by the sea. It’s a place with a great atmosphere, unsurprisingly popular among both tourists and young Turks alike.
Turkish ice cream
What to eat in Istanbul?
Whether you’re currently strolling along the busy Sultanahmet or the endless Istiklal, you’ll invariably come across ice cream parlours. Instead of a few impatient kids, you see a group having a blast in front. Why? Because Turkish ice cream vendors are famous for being specialists in pestering their customers – before you get your purchased ice cream, you will often be subjected to a series of jokes. Honestly, it wouldn’t taste the same without it.
Turkish tea
What to drink in Istanbul?
Thankfully, Turks are quite fond of tea too. You can relax at one of the small tables and watch the rushing crowds pass you by or ask a waiter for a board game, which tea shops are often equipped with.
Çelebioğlu Sokak Beşiktaş – Breakfast Street
All-day breakfasts in Turkey
The people of Turkey love to eat, and there’s a lot more to local food than kebabs, as you’ll quickly find out. All meals are a celebration, but perhaps none is more important than breakfast. Where better to experience this ritual than at the famed Breakfast Street? Çelebioğlu Sokak in the energetic Beşiktaş district is where breakfast is served all day long. The district is located a few stops by metro from Taksim Square.
Beşiktaş district
Speaking of Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş is one of Istanbul’s oldest neighbourhoods. This region is located in the European part of the Bosphorus. It is considered one of the most famous and vibrant areas in the European part of Istanbul. The location also provides one of the best views of the Bosphorus Strait.
Cats in Istanbul!
Cats, cats, cats
We couldn’t help ourselves but give cats in Istanbul a separate point on our list. Istanbul is an absolute kingdom of felines, and the locals take great care of them. There is even a documentary about the city’s cats entitled Kedi. Take a moment off the grand monuments and observe the vibrant life cats have in this remarkable city.
Map of must-see places in Istanbul
What is worth seeing in Istanbul?
1) Hagia Sophia
2) Blue Mosque
3) Sultanahmet Square
4) Grand Bazaar
5) Basilica Cistern
6) Topkapı Palace
7) Dolmabahçe Palace
8) Taksim Square
9) Istiklal Street
10) Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi)
11) Galata Bridge and its fishermen
12) Kadıköy
13) Çelebioğlu Sokak Beşiktaş (breakfast street)
14) Beşiktaş Quarter
We hope this will help you with your Istanbul visit. It’s a city with an incredible atmosphere, something so inviting and yet so ancient simultaneously. History, art, nature, culture, amazing cuisine, people and cats. You’ll find something for yourself here, we’re sure.
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