Istanbul Travel Tips: 31 Things To Know Before You Go To Istanbul

Last updated on: 7 May 2022

Planning a trip to the beautiful city of Istanbul? Be sure to check out these 31 things that you should know before going to Istanbul!

Planning a trip to a city you have never been to can be overwhelming and time consuming. Wondering if you should use public transport or grab a taxi, what the safety is, where you should stay, what you should do and how to make most of your time, don’t worry, we got you covered. We spent a total of two months in Istanbul, and while we loved every single minute we spent in this city, there sure are a couple of things that we would have liked to know before visiting. So without further ado, here are 31 things we believe you should know before going to Istanbul!

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Transportation in Istanbul

Public transport in Istanbul

One of the best ways to get around Istanbul is by using public transport, especially as Istanbul has an incredible (and affordable) public transport system. Ferry, metros, buses and trams will take you all over the city, no matter where you want to go. All transportation methods are clearly marked so it easy to know which metro, bus or ferry you are taking. We highly recommend using Google Maps to plan your trip as it will give you multiple public transport options including how long it will take! The easiest way to use the public transport system is by getting an Istanbul Kart, which brings us to the next point…

Istanbul Kart

The Istanbul Kart is a card that allows you to pay for all public transport during your time in Istanbul. It can be purchased from the yellow Biletmatik machines that you can find at metro and tram stations, or you can check out the Istanbulkart website to find a Biletmatik near you. You can also buy a Istanbul Kart upon your arrival at Istanbul airport, the Biletmatik machines are located at the transport floor (-2). It might be good to know the following when purchasing a Istanbul Kart:

You can change the language of the Biletmatik machine to English
The Istanbul Kart costs 25 Turkish Lira (March 2022)
No credit is on the card, you will have to top it up
The machines accept cash only notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Turkish Lira
When adding more then 25 Turkish Lira you can have the option to add the rest as credit

So how much should you add? That all depends on how much you are planning to use the public transport system. In April 2022 a ride with the metro was 7.67 Turkish Lira, and the price for a ferry ride was anywhere between 7.67 and 10 Turkish Lira (you can find the latest prices for the rides here). You can easily top up the card later, but we’ve heard it is rather hard to get your money back so it is better to not add too much.

Taxi’s in Istanbul

Another easy option of getting around the city is by getting a taxi. Taxis are widely available in Istanbul, and due to their bright yellow colours they are easy to spot. You will also find blue and black taxis available in Istanbul, however, these are both more expensive than the yellow taxis. You can get a taxi by either waving one down or by finding a taxi stand. Taxis are quite affordable in Istanbul, you might notice that taxi drivers insist on setting a price before going, just know that you can request for the meter to be turned on instead. Taxi “scams” like this one the “I don’t have change”, and a couple others are pretty common in Istanbul. It might be good to know that Istanbul does have toll roads (most common for bridges and tunnels), which will be added to the amount on the meter. You can find more info on the taxi rates, toll fees and tips for taking taxis here.

Useful Apps for Transport in Istanbul

If you are planning on visiting Istanbul you might want to download the following apps for using the public transport in Istanbul:

Google Maps (Android/iOs) - great for planning and seeing which public transport to take
Google Translate - useful for asking directions or talking to Taxi drivers
BiTaksi - an app that will help you with finding taxis in Istanbul
Istanbulkart - after purchasing the card this app supposedly will allow you to check your balance and to top up the balance with a credit card. We personally didn’t use the app as it required a Turkish phone number and a Turkish residency number at the time.

Tips for Sightseeing in Istanbul

A weekend is not enough

If you are planning on visiting Istanbul just know that a weekend is, and will not ever, be enough. Istanbul is a massive city with sights spread all over. A weekend is a great option for those who would like to have a taste of what Istanbul is like; visit the most famous mosques, have some Turkish foods, wander around the bazaar, just know that it will not be enough to see it all.

Explore the Asian Side

While most of Istanbul’s most famous sights (the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower) are located on the European side of Istanbul, we highly recommend taking a day to explore the Asian (Anatolian) side of Istanbul. Hop on the public ferry to enjoy some scenic views and head over to Moda to go cafe hopping, or head over to Üsküdar to see some of Istanbul’s most unique sights.

Museum pass

If you are a museum lover and are planning on visiting multiple of Istanbul’s museums you might want to check out the Museum Pass. This pass will allow you to visit multiple museums in Istanbul within 5 days, all for a fixed price. We personally are not the biggest museum lovers so we skipped the museum pass, however, it might be worth checking out. You can find all info about the museum pass, including which museums are included and where to buy the museum pass here.

Visiting Mosques

Istanbul is filled with stunning mosques, and even if you are not a lover of religious sights I can definitely say that at least visiting one or two should be on your bucket list. Mosques in Istanbul are free to enter for everyone, no matter if you are Muslim or not. If you are visiting a mosque for the first time here are some tips:

Do not visit a mosque during prayer time
Take off your shoes before entering a mosque
For women: cover your knees, shoulders, and chest as well as your hair. To be as respectful as possible we recommend to wear pants/skirt/dress that covers you full legs and to cover your arms at least till your elbow. Loose fitting clothes are recommended.
For men: long pants are recommended, however, t-shirts seem to be accepted.
Take of your hat before entering a mosque
Do not take photos of people praying
Certain mosques are segregated meaning that women and men enter through different doors (this is not always the case though) and have different areas they can visit/pray

Shopping in Istanbul

If you love shopping you will love Istanbul. Streets lined with shops, bazaars, local markets and shopping malls, no matter what you are searching for Istanbul has it all. Most people will head over to the grand bazaar to go shopping for souvenirs, where you will find carpets, beautiful lamps, bright coloured bowls, cups and plates and much much more. It might be good to know though that you are expected to bargain in the bazaar. If you don’t have any experience with bargaining here are some of our tips:

Don’t look too interested, this will make shop keepers raise their prices
Don’t name a price, even if they ask for your “best price”
When they name a price look surprised, if you are traveling with someone else you can even go as far as saying things like “oh no that is too expensive”. Often you will be able to bring the price down anywhere from 35 - 50%, so if a price is too outrageous you are sometimes better off leaving.
Make an offer of around 30 to 50% of the price they mentioned. They will never accept it straight away but it will leave you room to lower the price or…
Put the item down and slowly walk away, there are many other stores in the bazaar selling the same items and the vendors know this. They will often drop their prices quickly once they notice you have lost your interest.

All the tips above will help you, but we do want to emphasise that when bargaining you should be respectful. While many consider it a game with a winner and a loser, we would recommend finding a happy medium that leaves both you and the shop keeper feel like winners. Don’t start bargaining unless you are truly interested in buying the item, and don’t offer any ridiculous low prices, you will find that shop keepers will be insulted when you do this and often will not even try to bargain with you anymore.

Istanbul Travel Tips: Food & Drinks

Don’t Drink the Tap Water

No matter what you do, do not drink the tap water, it is not considered safe to drink. When we asked our AirBnB host she immediately messaged back saying to never ever drink the tap water. You will find small shops and supermarkets selling bottled water everywhere. If you are not sure where to go look for “Migros” or “Carrefour” on your Maps app on your phone, these are two of the larger chains that have shops all over the city.

The Local Cuisine

Do try the Turkish cuisine when you visit Istanbul. While you will find burger and pizza restaurants everywhere we highly recommend trying the local cuisine, it is delicious and large in variety so it has something for everyone. Some famous dishes we would recommend trying:

Baklava
Kebap
Pide
Turkish Coffee and Tea
Lokum or Turkish Delight

Turkish Breakfast

Now there is one things we have left out of the must try foods and that is Turkish breakfast. Turkish breakfast, or kahvalti in Turkish, is an absolute feast. Getting a Turkish breakfast in Istanbul is quite easy as not only many restaurants and cafe serve breakfast, but there are also many restaurants that are dedicated to Turkish breakfast. You will specifically be looking at Serpme Kahvalti, which is the Turkish breakfast that consists of bread and many small dishes filled with delicious toppings such as jams, honey and cheese. Free flowing tea is often included and it is often optional to order other dishes, such as eggs on the side!

Try Street Food

Or if you are feeling a little bit more food adventurous perhaps try some of the local street food! You will find street food everywhere in Istanbul and it is both delicious and affordable. We have written a complete guide to street food in Istanbul, including which to try, but here are a couple of our favourites:

Dürüm
Simit
Lahmacun
Borek
Dondurma or Turkish ice cream

simit in front of vendor stall selling simit in istanbul

Alcohol in Istanbul

For those wandering, yes, alcohol is widely available in Istanbul. You will find alcohol available in most restaurants, bars, and of course supermarkets. It might be good to know that prices of alcohol, compared to other products in Turkey, are slightly higher.

Download the GetIr App

If you are a food delivery lover then we highly recommend to install the Getir App. Getir is an app that allows you to order foods from tons of restaurants in your neighbourhood and get it delivered straight to your front door. The app is available in English, however, it might be good to know that many restaurants only have their menu’s and customisation options in Turkish, so it might be good to have the Google Translate app handy as well! You will find food options like kebap, burgers, pizza, pasta and so much more. The app does require you add a credit card as cash options are not available. We had trouble adding our Canadian credit cards but luckily our Wise card worked just fine!

Supermarkets in Istanbul

If you need any groceries or toiletries you will find plenty of supermarkets available all over the city. You will find small supermarket shops selling a couple of items of fruit, drinks and a few other necessities as well as larger supermarkets. If you are looking for a supermarket near you try searching the following on your app:

Carrefour
Migros
A101
Sok Market
BIM

In addition to supermarkets you will also find produce markets that often happen once a week. The day differs per area, for example on the Asian side there is a large market happening every Tuesday, and on the European side you can visit the Market in Besiktas on Saturdays!

What to Wear and Pack for Istanbul

The Weather in Istanbul

You will find all four seasons in Istanbul with snow covered roads in the winter to incredibly hot summers. We personally love visiting countries like these during either spring or fall when temperatures are milder, making it a lot more enjoyable to explore. We personally visited Istanbul in March to May and found that not till later in April the weather started to get more enjoyable (in March we still had snow and temperatures were below 0°C at night). The hottest month of the year is August where temperatures average around 28°C (83°F) and the coldest months are January and February where temperatures drop to an average of 6.2°C (43°F).

What to Wear in Istanbul

There is no set rules or guidelines on what you should wear in Turkey. While predominately a Muslim country you will find people walking around in short dresses and shorts as well. However, if you are planning on visiting mosques or any other religious sights it is recommended to wear more conservative clothing that cover your legs and shoulders, and for women visiting mosques your hair as well. Istanbul, as described above, has all four seasons so we recommend checking the weather before leaving on your trip to make sure you pack the right clothing!

guy sitting in front off kronotop cafe in istanbul

Goed Shoes

One thing you cannot forget to bring to Turkey is a pair of comfortable shoes. While public transport and taxis are widely available you will still find yourself wandering through cobble stoned streets to admire the shops and sights. It might also be good to know that Istanbul is built on hills, and avoiding these hills is absolutely impossible, so be prepared for a little workout walking up and down hills, as well as stairs, during your trip.

Essentials for Istanbul

Besides clothing there are a couple of items that we would recommend packing for your trip to Istanbul:

Earplugs - Turkey has a predominantly Muslim population and as such the call to prayer, also known as ezan, can be heard five times a day in Istanbul. The call to prayer times change throughout the year, however, some of the call to prayers can take place during the night or around dawn. If you are staying close to a mosque and you are not used to the call of prayer you might want to pack a set of foam or silicone earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
Power Adapter - Turkey uses the type C and F plugs, so if you are coming from a country that uses any other type of plug (such as UK, USA or Canada) be sure to put a power adapter in your suitcase so you can charge your electronics during your trip to Istanbul!
(Head)scarf - As mentioned above, Istanbul is filled with stunning mosques with many of them absolute must sees during your trip to Istanbul. However, each of these mosques have a conservative dress code requiring you to cover shoulders, legs and for women also their hair. A large scarf to cover your hair and possibly even shoulders as such could come in handy when sightseeing in Istanbul.

Internet & Wifi in Istanbul

Wifi in Istanbul

Wifi is widely available in Istanbul, so you won’t have to worry about staying connected during your trip. Most cafes and restaurants have wifi in case you would like to check up on your messages during the day, however, if you prefer to be connected 24/7 and not having to depend on wifi you might rather buy a sim card instead.

Buying a Sim Card

If you are planning a trip that is longer than 4 or 5 days in Turkey then you might like to get a sim card. If you are planning on getting a sim card then be sure that your phone is unlocked before leaving to Turkey. Upon arrival you will have multiple providers to pick from. Two of the most popular providers in Turkey are Turkcell and Vodafone. We personally opted for Turkcell, as according to the internet they are known to have the best coverage, and bought the only option that was available for tourists: the tourist welcome package. The tourist welcome package included (valid for 30 days) 20GB of data, 200 min and unlimited Whatsapp messaging. The welcome package was 350 Turkish Lira ($23.85) in March 2022. Be sure to bring your passport when getting a sim card as they will need this to register your sim card.

Use a VPN

If you are planning on traveling to Istanbul, or are planning to travel in general, we would highly recommend using a VPN. A VPN, or a virtual private network, allows you to browse public internet a whole lot safer during your trip as it creates an encrypted connection between you and the internet. As we travel full time we personally always use a VPN. We are currently using Surfshark VPN, which has the option to be installed on a phone or a laptop. Another benefit of having a VPN is that it allows you to “connect” to different countries. Which is great when wanting to watch Netflix as it allows you to enter the Netflix libraries of multiple countries!

Money & Budget for Istanbul

Turkish Lira

The currency used in Turkey is the Turkish Lira. The Turkish Lira has both notes (5,10,20,50,100,200 Turkish Lira) as well as coins (1,5,10,25,50 kr) although the 1 Kurus, pronounced as Kooroosh, does not seem to be used very often.

Using Credit Cards in Istanbul

Using credit cards in Istanbul is widely accepted. The most common credit cards to be accepted are the Visa and Mastercard (we use our prepaid Wise card), although it might be good to know that our Maestro debit card from the Netherlands also seemed to be accepted at supermarkets, restaurants and cafes. The only place where we found that you could only pay with cash was in most taxis, markets and when topping up our Istanbul Kart. Nonetheless, we always recommend keeping some cash on hand, just to be sure!

Tipping in Istanbul

Tipping in Istanbul is not mandatory, however, it is highly appreciated. In cafes and restaurants it is customary to tip around 5-10% and in more upscale restaurants it is more common to tip around 10-15%. In some cafes and restaurants a service charge (often of around 10%) is automatically added to the bill, even if it is not stated on the menu, if it is then it is not customary to tip. It might be good to know that in Istanbul it is not always possible to add the tip to your bill when you are paying with card, so it might be good to keep some cash on hand.

turkish breakfast at velvet cafe istanbul

ATMs in Istanbul

ATMs are widely available in Istanbul, you honestly will find them everywhere. You will also find ATMs upon your arrival at the airport so you can take out cash there as well to pay for a taxi to the city centre. Check with your bank in advance to see what your withdrawals fee will be. Similar to using credit cards in Istanbul you will find that Visa and Mastercard (both debit and credit) are the most widely accepted cards, Amex, however, is not accepted everywhere.

What to Budget for Istanbul

What you will need to budget highly depends on what kind of trip you are planning. Are you planning on staying in hostels, eating street food and only visiting the free sights and using public transport? Then a budget of 25 - 35 USD per day, per person, is sufficient. However, if you prefer to stay in a medium range hotel as a couple you are starting to look at 50+ USD per night, plus costs of eating out, transport and sightseeing you will easily need a budget of 75 - 125 USD per day for the two of you. Istanbul truly can be as expensive, or as affordable, as you want it to be. You will find plenty of free sights and affordable restaurants (away from the main sights and busy streets) all over the city. One thing that can make your trip quickly expensive is when consuming a lot of alcohol, as compared to food and other drinks this is higher priced in Turkey.

General Travel Tips for Istanbul

Safety in Istanbul

Istanbul, in general, is a safe city to visit. However, you should be aware (similar to every city in the world) that there are areas that are considered less safe, especially at night. We found an article online that highlights which areas you should avoid when visiting Istanbul. Besides that you should know that scams in Istanbul are pretty common as well as pickpocketing, so make sure you keep your valuables in a safe place.

Visa for Turkey

Most countries and nationalities need a visa before entering Turkey. Luckily Turkey has an e-visa system that is quick and accepts over 95 countries. You can check here to see if you can get an e-visa, or even to see if you are visa exempt!

Accommodation in Istanbul

If there is one thing you don’t have to worry about it is finding accommodation in Istanbul, there are loads op options available for every single budget. You will find budget hostels as well as luxury hotels. We personally love using booking.com for short term accommodation as not only you can use the map feature to find the best place to stay, you can also read detailed reviews and see all the amenities and different rooms every hotel or hostel has available!

EXPLORE ISTANBUL WITH OUR TRAVEL GUIDES

And there you have it, everything you need to know before traveling to Istanbul! Planning a trip yourself? Be sure to check out our detailed travel guides that will help you plan your trip to Istanbul:

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