Istanbul

Two continents on the Bosphorus

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

Recommended stay: 3–4 days
Best time to visit: April to June and September to November
Airports: IST · SAW

Istanbul at a glance

Istanbul is a two-continent city of mosques, palaces, bazaars and Bosphorus ferries. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, Galata Tower, the Bosphorus, Dolmabahce Palace and Kadikoy sit on metro, tram and ferry clusters, with day trips to the Princes' Islands, Bursa, Sile and Anadolu Kavagi. Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) are the catalogue airports. An Istanbulkart simplifies metro, tram, bus and ferry hops.

Quick information

Recommended stay3–4 days

Best time to visitApril to June and September to November

AirportsIST · SAW

Budget travelAccommodation and reserved palace or ferry days drive costs most strongly. Check current prices close to travel instead of relying on a fixed estimate.

Spring and autumn suit Sultanahmet courtyards, bazaar lanes and ferry decks without peak summer heat. Summer is hot; keep cistern, palace and mosque interiors for midday. Winter is milder than inland Turkey but wet for viewpoints.

Plan your visit

Airport to centre

Metro / airport rail

M11 metro toward Gayrettepe and onward metro or tram

Check the current Istanbulkart fareTransport

Must-see sights

Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Topkapi Palace

Sights

One-day itinerary

Morning: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Afternoon: Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar or Spice Bazaar.
Evening: A short ferry or Eminonu waterfront without stacking Galata Tower.

Itineraries

Best areas to stay

Sultanahmet
The historic peninsula. Evenings are quieter than Beyoglu. Kadikoy needs a planned hop.
Best for
First visits, mosques and walking
Karakoy / Galata
Galata
Steep streets above the Golden Horn. Sultanahmet is a tram hop.
Best for
Tower views and ferry hops
Beyoglu / Taksim
Beyoglu
Useful for IST airport buses; mosque interiors need a tram or funicular hop.
Best for
A livelier evening stay
Kadikoy
Markets and waterfront cafes. Useful after SAW. Sultanahmet needs a ferry plus tram.
Best for
An Asian-side stay with ferries

Approximate budget

Budget
Varies
per day, per person
Simple rooms, street food and Istanbulkart; excludes travel to Istanbul.
Mid-range
Varies
per day, per person
Comfortable room, restaurants, Istanbulkart and selected palaces.
Comfort
Varies
per day, per person
Central stays, frequent dining, private transfers and a reserved ferry or palace day.

Airports

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

IST
Istanbul Airport
40 km from city centre
SAW
Sabiha Gokcen Airport
45 km from city centre

Airport to city transport

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

OptionTimePrice

IST

Metro / airport railISTUsually the most practical public option from IST when the metro is running. Confirm the current line, last services and Istanbulkart top-up on official airport or Metro Istanbul information.
M11 metro toward Gayrettepe and onward metro or tram
Check the current Istanbulkart fare
Details
Usually the most practical public option from IST when the metro is running. Confirm the current line, last services and Istanbulkart top-up on official airport or Metro Istanbul information.
Airport busISTUseful for luggage and hotel-area drop-offs. Confirm the current stop, luggage space and last services.
Havaist or other airport coaches toward Taksim, Sultanahmet and selected hubs
Check the current operator fare
Details
Useful for luggage and hotel-area drop-offs. Confirm the current stop, luggage space and last services.
TaxiISTUseful for families, late IST arrivals and Sultanahmet stays. Use an official rank and a metered or officially quoted ride.
Door-to-door journey; time varies with traffic and bridge crossings
Confirm the current official fare
Details
Useful for families, late IST arrivals and Sultanahmet stays. Use an official rank and a metered or officially quoted ride.
Private transferISTUseful for groups, child seats and Princes' Islands departures. Confirm meeting point and delay terms.
Pre-booked door-to-door journey
Confirm the complete quoted price
Details
Useful for groups, child seats and Princes' Islands departures. Confirm meeting point and delay terms.

SAW

Metro / airport railSAWUsually the most practical public option from SAW when the metro is running. Confirm the current line and last services. Useful for Kadikoy stays.
M4 metro toward Kadikoy and onward Marmaray, metro or ferry
Check the current Istanbulkart fare
Details
Usually the most practical public option from SAW when the metro is running. Confirm the current line and last services. Useful for Kadikoy stays.
Airport busSAWUseful for luggage when a current European-side stop beats a metro-plus-ferry change.
Havabus or other airport coaches toward Taksim, Kadikoy and selected hubs
Check the current operator fare
Details
Useful for luggage when a current European-side stop beats a metro-plus-ferry change.
TaxiSAWUseful for families and late SAW arrivals. Journeys toward Sultanahmet cross to the European side. Use an official rank.
Door-to-door journey; time varies with traffic and bridge crossings
Confirm the current official fare
Details
Useful for families and late SAW arrivals. Journeys toward Sultanahmet cross to the European side. Use an official rank.
Private transferSAWUseful for groups and child seats. Confirm meeting point and delay terms.
Pre-booked door-to-door journey
Confirm the complete quoted price
Details
Useful for groups and child seats. Confirm meeting point and delay terms.

Getting around

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026

OptionTimePrice

Istanbulkart, metro, tram and walkingLoad an Istanbulkart. Sultanahmet is walkable. Galata and Kadikoy need a tram, metro, funicular or ferry hop. Recheck last metro and ferry services.
Best for Sultanahmet, the bazaars, Galata and Kadikoy hops
Check current Istanbulkart rules
Details
Load an Istanbulkart. Sultanahmet is walkable. Galata and Kadikoy need a tram, metro, funicular or ferry hop. Recheck last metro and ferry services.
Ferry and taxiCity ferries are part of daily movement, not only sightseeing. A car is unnecessary in the historic peninsula.
Useful for Bosphorus crossings and late returns
Check current Istanbulkart or taxi fare rules
Details
City ferries are part of daily movement, not only sightseeing. A car is unnecessary in the historic peninsula.

Istanbul at a glance

Quick information

Plan your visit

Airport to centre

Must-see sights

One-day itinerary

Best areas to stay

Sultanahmet

Karakoy / Galata

Beyoglu / Taksim

Kadikoy

Approximate budget