• The Insider
  • Planning
  • Sightseeing
  • Transportation
  • Food & Drinks
  • Going Out
  • Shopping
  • FAQ
  • Tours

Istanbul Insider

Istanbul travel guide and advice by locals.

Things to See and Do in Istanbul

I focus here on useful and practical information about things to see and do in Istanbul. This means that I don’t want to reiterate the (already well known) history about the many sightseeing spots. Instead, I focus on practical tips for visiting the numerous places of interest. These include the best way to reach some places, money-saving tips, etc. In the Locals Share section, locals let you in on their favorite places to visit, shop, wine, and dine.

Istanbul sunset from the Bosphorus
Photo by Moyan Brenn ©

Sightseeing

  1. General
    • Opening Hours of Istanbul Sightseeing Spots and Attractions
    • Entrance Fees of Istanbul’s Main Tourist Attractions
    • What is the Istanbul Museum Pass, and Should I Get One?
    • Istanbul E-pass Review: Is It Worth It?
    • I Used Istanbul Tourist Pass For 3 Days: Is It Worth It?
    • 10 Reasons to Love the Taste of Two Continents Food Tour
  2. Museums
    • Hagia Sophia – Church Turned Mosque Turned Museum
    • Are Istanbul’s Archaeology Museums Worth Your Time?
  3. Palaces
    • Little Known Ways to Make the Most of Topkapi Palace
    • See How Easily You Can Visit the Harem of Topkapi Palace
    • Dolmabahçe Palace, Turkey’s Biggest Palace
    • Guided Tours in Dolmabahçe Palace
  4. Mosques
    • If You Don’t Visit the Süleymaniye Mosque, You’ll Regret It Later
    • The Blue Mosque – One of the Most Famous Misunderstandings
  5. Places of Interest
    • What Bosphorus Cruise Tour to Take in Istanbul?
    • Why and How Should You Visit the Princes’ Islands in Istanbul?
    • Is Büyükada the Only Princes’ Island of Istanbul I Should Visit?
    • Where to See the Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul?
    • Whirling Dervishes Ceremony at Hodjapasha Cultural Center Review
    • The Basilica Cistern, the Coolest Spot in Town
    • Don’t Miss the 360º Panoramic View from Istanbul’s Galata Tower
    • The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, World’s Oldest and Biggest Covered Market
    • How to Bargain Like a Pro in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and Elsewhere
    • The Egyptian or Spice Bazaar, the Hottest Spot in Town
    • Big Bus Istanbul Gets You Up to Speed
    • Rhythm of The Dance Show at Hodjapasha Cultural Center Review
    • Is the Asian Side of Istanbul Worth Visiting — Part 1
    • Is the Asian Side of Istanbul Worth Visiting — Part 2
    • Why Madame Tussauds Istanbul Is Worth a Visit – Even with Kids
    • Bebek, Istanbul’s Trendy Village Along the Bosphorus
    • Istanbul Aquarium, a Spectacular Tourist Attraction
    • Don’t Miss the International Tulip Festival
    • The Jewish Community and Notable Synagogues in Istanbul
    • The Golden Horn

Relaxing

  • What to Expect When Visiting a Turkish Bath or Hamam?
  • Things You Did Not Know About Turkish Baths or Hamams
  • Top Hotel Pools in Istanbul

Itineraries

  • Istanbul Tour in Balat Including Chora Church, City Walls, and the Patriarchate

Locals Share Their Istanbul Experiences

  • Aslı Lale Özgen
  • Dilara İnan Özbay
  • Seçil Erdoğan
  • Ali Kambay
  • Anıl Dündar
  • Aykut Kaya
  • Dumrul Alcici
  • Ekrem Başarır
  • Emrah Çağatay
  • Görkem Gül
  • Murat Avcı
  • Orkun Özbay
  • Volkan Çobanoğlu

Best Sellers

  • Email
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

About
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions
Sitemap

Popular Attractions

Hagia Sophia
Topkapi Palace & Harem
Dolmabahçe Palace
Bosphorus Tour
Whirling Dervishes

Travel Tips

Accommodation & Locations
Airport Transportation
Istanbul Kart, Museum Pass, Tourist Pass
Public Transportation
Taxi’s in Istanbul

© 2011–2023 The Istanbul Insider – Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Affiliate Disclaimer
Istanbul Insider
Data and Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site.
Click below to consent ('Accept') to the above or make granular choices
Manage Cookie SettingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.

Your choices on this site will be applied only for this site. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by going to the Privacy Policy page of this site.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
_gat1 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
visitor_id5 yearsThis cookie include cookie name plus the unique identifier of the visitor account. The value stored is the unique ID of the visitor which is used for tracking the visitor.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.