Where would you like to go?
First time in Istanbul
Arrival, internet, where to stay, transport, tickets and food in six steps.
Istanbul
Palaces, hidden cisterns and life on the Bosphorus.
Istanbul Premium Card: sights, cruise & transport
Top sights · Cruise · Transport
From €151.05Istanbul Classic Card: transport, cruise & eSIM
5 transport rides · Cruise · eSIM
From €23.65
Istanbul Deluxe Card: museums, Harem, cruise & eSIM
5 days · 12-museum pass · 10GB eSIM · 5 QR rides
From €217.55
Istanbul Saver Combo: three sights, cruise & eSIM
3 days · Hagia Sophia, Topkapi & Cistern · Cruise · 3GB eSIM
From €128.25
Istanbul Combo Ticket: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi & Cistern
3 days · Three landmark admissions · Audio guides
From €122.55Istanbul E-pass: attraction pass options
Multi-day pass · Mixed / varies
Istanbul in 3 days: a first-time itinerary
A practical three-day Istanbul route through Sultanahmet, Galata and the Bosphorus, with time to explore and advice on which tickets to plan ahead.
How to get around Istanbul: public transport explained
Compare Istanbul’s T1 tram, metro, Marmaray and ferries. Plan airport transfers, check late services and learn how to board before your first trip.
Istanbulkart: how to pay for transport in Istanbul
Learn where to buy Istanbulkart, add credit and validate it. Understand card costs, transfers and how it differs from a sightseeing or QR transport pass.
Internet and eSIM in Istanbul: stay connected from arrival
Plan mobile data for Istanbul: Turkish SIMs, eSIM compatibility, airport setup and whether a Europe plan includes Türkiye.
Istanbul must-see places: a visual first-visit guide
Explore Istanbul through photos of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and more. Choose your priorities, plan a route and check ticket differences.
What to eat in Istanbul: dishes and neighbourhood stops
What should you eat in Istanbul? Start with simit, meze & baklava, plan food stops around sightseeing and compare independent meals with tasting tours.
Where to stay in Istanbul: choose your neighbourhood
Where should you stay in Istanbul? Compare Sultanahmet, Galata or Kadıköy by sightseeing, transport, evening plans and the trade-offs at your exact hotel address.
Istanbul city pass or individual tickets: what makes sense?
Compare Istanbul pass inclusions, Harem access, cruises and transport extras with individual tickets. Calculate the cost of the visits you will use.
Five Istanbul food stops worth saving — and what to order
Five Istanbul food stops drawn from visitor recommendations: what to order at Mahir, Şehzade, Çiya, Borsam and Walter’s, with branch details and map links.
Your first day in Istanbul: Sultanahmet at your pace
Two landmark visits, a generous lunch break and time to explore the historic square. A walkable first day without racing between bookings.
Istanbul: a palace morning and a waterfront afternoon
Give Topkapi the time it deserves, then change pace beside the water. A second-day route with room for a meal and an optional cruise.
Mahir Lokantası
Lahmacun + haşlama içli köfte · Pera or Osmanbey
Şehzade Cağ Kebap
Cağ kebab; ask how many skewers make a portion · Sirkeci · European side
Çiya Sofrası
Ask about the day’s regional dishes before choosing · Kadıköy market · Asian side
Borsam Taşfırın
Lahmacun, with another ordered fresh if you want more · Kadıköy · Asian side
Walter’s Coffee Roastery
Coffee; ask which cakes are available that day · Moda · Asian side
Basilica Cistern: entry ticket with audio guide
Admission and audio guide
From €45.00Hagia Sophia: entry ticket and museum option
1 hour · Museum option available
From €28.00
Topkapi Palace: ticket and audio guide
Palace admission · Audio guide
From €56.91Bosphorus dinner cruise with a private table
3 hours · Dinner included
From €26.00Bosphorus sunset yacht cruise: drinks & snacks
2 hours · From price: soft drinks option · Wine option available
From €33.16
Topkapi Palace: hosted entry or Harem guided tour
Harem included only in the 1.5-hour guided tour option
From €68.00Basilica Cistern: QR entry ticket & audio guide
QR entry · Audio guide in 7 languages
From €47.41Hagia Sophia: QR entry ticket & audio guide
QR entry · Audio guide in 10 languages
From €28.45
Topkapi Palace: guided tour with Harem & Hagia Irene
2.5 hours · Live guide
Dolmabahçe Palace & Harem: entry with audio
Flexible visit · Audio / independent
Galata Tower: entry & audio guide
Flexible visit · Audio / independent
Bosphorus Bites: food walk across two continents
4 hours · Live guide
Old City Turkish bath: private treatment options
50–125 minutes · Spa host
Which Bosphorus cruise should you book?
Choose between a sightseeing cruise, sunset yacht, dinner cruise and public ferry in Istanbul, with practical checks for routes and booking.
Basilica Cistern tickets: what to know before you visit
Understand Basilica Cistern admission, audio guides and tour options, then fit your visit into a Sultanahmet itinerary without buying the wrong ticket.
Hagia Sophia tickets: choose the right visit
Understand the difference between Hagia Sophia’s cultural visitor route and the separate History & Experience Museum before choosing a ticket.
Topkapi Palace tickets: palace, Harem and planning your day
Plan Topkapi Palace around its Tuesday closure, understand Harem and combined-ticket inclusions, and choose the right visitor category.
A Kadıköy–Moda afternoon: market, lunch, coffee and the sea
A flexible Kadıköy–Moda walking route: arrive by ferry, choose Çiya or Borsam for lunch, stop at Walter’s for coffee and finish by the sea. Includes map links.