This page is a long one.
There's a lot of important information on this page. Please take the time to read through thoroughly, especially the "General Advice" section at the end.
Getting into Istanbul
The preferred airport to fly in and out of is Istanbul International Airport (IST), due to it's proximity and connectivity to Istanbul. This is also the only option for guests travelling in from outside of Europe.
The other airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), is a valid option if travelling from Europe. This airport has metro, bus, and taxi connections to Istanbul.
Airport Transfers and Public Transport
Taxis to Istanbul city centre from IST airport average around EUR 40-50 (yellow taxi), there is a single taxi firm that runs from the airport 24hrs. Turquoise and black taxis (including larger 6-7 seater) from the same firm have a higher rate. Make sure the meter is on, and expect to pay around the number above, they should not negotiate a price with you.
https://www.havalimanitaksi.com.tr/
Take the Metro to Istanbul by buying an IstanbulKart (public transport card) from a machine at exit 11 at IST Airport, then take the M11 metro line. Ride this all the way to Gayreteppe, then switch to M2 and ride South to Vezneciler.
From Vezneciler, you can easily exit and take tram, walk, or ride other metro lines to the main hotels and tourist areas.
The card itself is EUR 2, and each trip is EUR 0.5 with the IstanbulKart card for all public transport within Istanbul, which includes ferries, buses, the tram, and the metro.
Even if you do not take metro as your Airport Transfer method, we would recommend buying a card later in the city centre as it is the most cost effective way to travel around the city.
Where to Stay
Cem has outlined on the map on the right, areas that we would recommend guests find accommodation in Istanbul.
The main tourist areas in Istanbul, with large global hotel chains will be in and around Sultanahmet (the historic centre of Istanbul); Beyoğlu (with pedestrian thoroughfare İstiklal Caddesi, iconic Galata Tower, and Taksim Square); Beşiktaş and Ortaköy (for luxury international hotels and broad Bosphorus views)
If you have been to Turkey before, and don't mind being on the Asian side of the Bosphorus with fewer English speaking/touristy areas then Kadıköy is also a nice area to stay. This area has a handful of hotel options, mostly near the water, but it’s easy to hop over for the day or evening from Eminönü or Karaköy on a ferry ride – a quintessential Istanbul experience in itself.
Hotels and B&Bs to check out
There is no shortage of places to stay in Istanbul, with something at every price point.
In general and especially if it is your first visit to Istanbul, we would recommend staying at a household name hotel (eg Marriott, Hilton, Ramada, IHG, Grand Hyatt and the like) on the European side as it is closer to all the main tourist attractions, public transport, and English speaking amenities.
Make sure to read as many reviews as you can, as hotel star ratings in Turkey differ from that in Asia, USA, and Europe.
AirBnB
There are some great AirBnB and holiday let options in Istanbul, and many are close to the main tourist areas too.
As with everywhere else in the world, read through the reviews and book with AirBnB Superhosts where possible.
Options close to the venue
The Bosphorus Palace Hotel have recommended the following hotels:-
On the European side
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The Stay Bosphorus Ortaköy
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Radisson Blu Ortaköy
On the Asian side
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Wyndham Kalamış
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Hilton Moda
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Mercure Altunizade
5* Options
Some of the super posh options are Kempinski Ciragan Palace; The Peninsula; Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus; and Ecole St Pierre Hotel amongst others.
For Agatha Christie fans, the Pera Palace Hotel may be of particular interest. "Murder on the Orient Express" was written in Room 411. Opened in 1895, the hotel has also hosted Greta Garbo, Ernest Hemingway, Mata Hari, and many more.
Once You're There
We’re excited to share a few of our favorite places in the area with you
Baklava & Pastane
Güllüoğlu in Karakoy is the best Baklava you will find in Istanbul so work this as a stop into your itinerary so you can ruin all future baklava experiences elsewhere. The best baklava in Turkey comes from Gaziantep and all of the options in Istanbul have their origins there.
Other close runners-up are Hafiz Mustafa 1864, Emiroğlu and Köşkeroğlu.
Some other Turkish Pastane (Patisserie)s to visit:-
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Baylan
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Patisserie de Pera
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Day Day Pastanesi
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Inci Pastanesi
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Üstün Palmie Pastanesi
Kebabs & Turkish Food
There are many different types of kebabs beyond your classic Şiş kebap (or as we say in the UK, "shish kebab"), and this is your chance to try them! These top suggestions will also have other non-kebab specialties to explore so please ask when you are there.
Erzurum style horizontal spit kebab, terrific with a variety of side dishes of fresh vegetables.
Dining with a piece of history; this restaurant famously served Ataturk and has a permanently reserved table for him. No particular specialties but the food is excellent with interesting ambience.
Famous for South-Eastern Turkish cuisine. Excellent all-rounder, particularly good Beyran, Icli Kofte, Adana Kebap. In quite a touristy area near Misir Carsisi but is no tourist trap.
Doner Kebap
Turkish street food style kebab on a vertical spit. Some notable places to try:-
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Donerci Celal Usta (Sirkeci)
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Dönerci Engin’in Yeri (Galata)
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Karadeniz Döner Asım Usta (Besiktas)
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Metet Közde Döner in Kuzguncuk
Kofte
Turkish style meatballs. Some notable places to try:-
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Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
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Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi
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Şöhretler Köftecis
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Tarihi Merkezefendi Köftecisi
Other good all-round but smaller options:Buhara Ocakbaşı, Ortaköy Harbi (further out than typical tourist spots but across the bridge from the wedding venue). Cem has other suggestions further out but these can be difficult as a tourist in terms of travel and language.
At the sit down places, look to try an Iskender Kebab - which is a doner kebab on a hot plate, served on top of hot home-made bread with a rich butter sauce, tomato sauce, and yoghurt. One of Cem's guilty pleasures.
Avoid a place called Zumrut Bufe even if recommended to you by others.
Balık ekmek
This is Charmaine's favourite Turkish street food. Freshly grilled mackerel, on a bed of fresh salad, lashings of lemon juice, on a crusty bun, served straight from the boat that the fish was caught on.
The easiest places to find this are along the quay on the Eminonu side of the Galata bridge. They are all lined up and very similar in all fairness, so look for price to guide you.
Cem would recommend eating this takeaway rather than as a sit down meal. They will try to push tourists to sit down, and angle for tips.
General Advice about visiting Istanbul
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Check if you need an e-Visa
Most nationalities require a tourist visa to enter Türkiye. A standard multiple-entry visa is valid for a stay of up to 90 days with 180 days validity from the date of issue.
EU citizens and Malaysian citizens do not need a visa.
Visa on arrival (VOA) is also available, but if you’re flying in, it requires queueing at the airport.
Please use the official e-Visa portal linked below (there are copycat sites out there).
2
Taxis and accomodation
Hotel platform Booking.com is restricted within Turkey. Looking up accommodation and hotels prior to your arriving is essential. Taxis in Istanbul have three different price points - Yellow are standard and the lowest fares; Turquoise are premium and 20% more than Yellow; and Black taxi are luxury and 2x more expensive than Yellows. Taxis are metered, however scams do happen (see point 9). Most tourists and locals prefer to use apps.
Uber exists in Istanbul, but alternative taxi services are BiTaksi and Itaksi.
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Card is widely accepted, but it helps to carry cash.
Ninety-nine percent of venues and shops in Istanbul accept credit/debit cards, including Visa and Mastercard, as well as contactless pay like Monzo and Wise.
For small markets and convenience stores, local restaurants, bars and taxis – and when dipping into the wonderful world of Istanbul street food – you’ll need cash.
Most ATMs charge a withdrawal fee – up to 5% for some banks – and have a transaction limit of between 3000-5000 TRY.
TRY or EUR?
When visiting Turkey, it's better to use the local currency, the Turkish Lira (TRY), which offers widespread acceptance and would offer the best price due to the exchange rate.
However, if you arrive in Turkey with another currency on hand, it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be allowed to pay in Turkey. Especially if you're carrying a popular tourist currency like GBP, EUR, or USD, you'll find it easy to exchange them for liras at banks or currency exchange offices across Turkey — even if those currencies aren't official or used commercially in Turkey. Currency exchange offices are called döviz, so look out for signage with this word, or a local Turkish bank, if you need to exchange currency.
Instead of converting physical banknotes, the cheapest way to pay in Turkey is to use a multi-currency travel debit card.
We would advise having a pre-loaded travel debit card, and some cash in both TRY and EUR on you for your trip.
Due to the lira having taken a big FOREX hit in the last few years, some vendors will post costs in EUR, but charge in TRY.
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5
Tipping?
As a rule of thumb, you are expected to tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars. Hotel staff expect, depending on their duties, between 5 to 20 Turkish Liras for their services. Turks don’t tip taxi drivers, but round up cab fares.
Have a look at this page that has more detail on tipping culture in Turkey.
6
Should I get a local SIM card?
Open WIFI is not readily accessible in Istanbul, which makes buying a local SIM card more or less a necessity. Low-cost packages are not available to foreigners and most telcos only offer one standard tourist package.
Vodafone only has one option for tourists, which costs around 350 TRY. This includes 20GB of data, calls and texts, and unlimited access to Whatsapp.
The process of buying a SIM is very straightforward and should take about 15 minutes.
You need a hard copy of your passport for registration, so make sure you’re carrying it with you.
The tourist SIM automatically expires after 60 days.
7
Bring comfortable shoes.
Istanbul is the ‘City on Seven Hills’. Constantinople was laid out in the image of Rome, which was built over a septet of hills.
On the ground, it feels like all of Istanbul is rippled, with steep streets and vertiginous staircases at almost every turn. There are many advantages to this city plan, the delightfully sloped houses in Balat for one, and the spectacular city views you get from the higher elevations for another.
Comfy shoes and a whole lot of patience are absolutely essential when exploring Istanbul on foot, where it can literally feel like an uphill battle to get from one place to the next.
8
Dress modestly.
Istanbul is a metropolis through and through, with a liberal dress code to match.
While anything goes, women should try to avoid plunging necklines, revealing fabrics, and very short hemlines.
For visits to the mosques (for example, the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque), please be aware that covered arms (to the elbow for men or the wrist for women) and legs (down to the ankles) is required. Tight-fitting clothes like leggings must be covered up.
Women must also cover their hair. Majority of mosques have pull-over muumuus that you can borrow (for free) at the door to fully cover up. Note that there are no dress requirements for young kids.
Don't get scammed!
Like any tourist hotspot, be vigilant and wary of scams, tricksters, and pickpockets. Trust your gut and instincts, especially if it's too good to be true.
Some common scams in Istanbul are:-
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The "Taxi Scam", where the taxi driver pretends to switch on the meter at the start of the journey, but doesn't, and drives you far away, only to ask for an extortionate fee to send you to your destination. If using cash to pay for taxis, please be aware of the bills you're using so you're not short changed.
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The Leather Goods/Carpet man, who is usually friendly and fluent in many languages, will offer to guide you around if you 'look lost'. He will suddenly need to "drop something off" at a shop. While there, you'll be offered tea, and meet his family members, who will tell you about their quality products that you should buy.
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"The Falling Simit Man", a child or adult carrying Simit (a type of Turkish bagel) will fall/get "knocked over" in front of you, and try to guilt you into paying for their simit and/or injuries.
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"Fake Policeman", where someone dressed as a policeman asks for your passport and wallet. The scammer will then either slip money from your wallet or run away with it.
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Fake Tour Guide/Ticket Sellers. Don't buy tickets from street vendors or unauthorized sellers. Stick to official ticket offices or online booking platforms.
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'Shoe Cleaner Trick', where a shoe cleaner will walk past and "drop" their wooden shoe brush from their caddy. hoping you will pick it up and give it back to them. The shoe cleaner will insist on cleaning your shoes in gratitude, and sometimes will also tell you how difficult their life is, hoping to guilt you into paying much more than you would have to pay for the services.
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"Let's have a drink"/"Nightclub Scam", where you are invited to a "hidden gem" and showered with compliments by people calling you "my friend". You'll be pressured to pay an inflated bill for all the food and drink that your new "friends" enjoyed.
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The "Restaurant" scam, while waiting for your food, the waiter brings your aperitifs and puts some nuts or bread on the table. Besides the ordered drinks, he also pour everyone a glass of water. These are not complimentary and you will likely be charged for this at the end. Restaurants often apply "tourist pricing", where the price on the English language menu is markedly higher than the Turkish language menu. Make sure to have a good look at the price list, and compare it with the same dishes at similar establishments. Only enter if it looks reasonable for what you anticipate to get.
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Useful Turkish Phrases
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Thank you (formal) – Teşekkür ederim (Teh-sheik-kewr eh-deh-reem)
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Thanks (informal) – Teşekkürler (Teh-sheik-kewr-lehr)
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You’re welcome – Rica ederim (Ree-jah eh-deh-reem)
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Hello – Merhaba (Mehr-hah-bah)
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Please – Lutfen (Lewt–fehn)
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How are you? – Nasılsın? (Nah-suhl-suhn?)
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I am fine – Iyiyim (Ee-yee-yeem)
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How much – Ne kadar? (Neh kah-dahr?)
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Sorry – Pardon (Pahr-dohn)
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What is your name? – Adınız Ne? (Ah-duh-nuhz Neh?)
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My name is (…). – Adım (…). (Ah-duhm)
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Where is the toilet? – Tuvalet nerede (Two-vah-let Neh-reh-deh)
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Where is (…)? – (…) nerede? (Neh-reh-deh)
If you get stuck, or are in doubt,
ASK CEM!