Before you go
1. Check entry requirements
Entry conditions for Turkey (visa or online authorisation, passport validity) depend on your nationality and can change. Check the official sources of your own country and those of the Turkish authorities shortly before departure, and check that your passport is valid.
2. Pick the right season
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are the most pleasant; summer is hot and busy, winter damp. Our guide to the best time to visit Istanbul goes month by month.
3. Plan at least three days
Two days let you see the Sultanahmet classics; three leave time to add Galata, the Bosphorus and the Asian side. See our itineraries Istanbul in 2 days and Istanbul in 3 days.
4. Stay in the right neighbourhood
Sultanahmet for the monuments, Galata or Karaköy for atmosphere and restaurants, Beyoğlu for nightlife. Our guide on where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas.
5. Shoes and clothes
Streets are cobbled and steep: comfortable shoes are essential. Pack modest clothing for mosques and rain gear outside summer.
Arrival and transport
6. Get to the centre without a blind taxi ride
Both airports are far from the centre. The options (metro, shuttles, taxi) are covered in our guide from the airport to central Istanbul.
7. Buy an Istanbulkart on arrival
The whole public network (tram, metro, funicular, ferries, buses) runs on this rechargeable card, and you cannot pay cash on buses, trams or the metro. A full-fare journey costs 46.20 TL, against 65 TL with a contactless bank card. See transport in Istanbul.
8. Take the ferry
Crossing the Bosphorus from Karaköy or Eminönü to Kadıköy is one of the city's finest outings for the price of a public transport fare. Our guide to the most scenic ferry rides suggests lines to try.
9. Taxis: meter on, or use an app
The driver must switch the meter on. To avoid detours and refusals, order through an app (BiTaksi, İTaksi, Uber); if a driver quotes a flat fare, get out.
10. Count on your legs
Distances look short on a map, but the slopes (Galata, Beyoğlu, Süleymaniye) tire you out. Alternate walking and transport.
Money
11. Cards work almost everywhere
Hotels, restaurants, museums and most shops accept cards, Visa and Mastercard above all. Keep cash for stalls, paid toilets, markets and tips.
12. Prices move fast
With high inflation, a price read in a guide a year old is often out of date. Our guide to money, payment and tipping gives current benchmarks.
13. Tipping is not compulsory
In restaurants, 5 to 10% for good service, preferably in cash; round up for a taxi.
14. Withdraw cash from a bank ATM
Turkish bank ATMs accept foreign cards; check the fees displayed on screen before confirming.
Sights and mosques
15. Modest dress in mosques
Shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women, shoes off at the entrance. See our guide to visiting a mosque in Istanbul.
16. Avoid Friday midday
Mosques, including Hagia Sophia, are closed to visitors during the main Friday prayer. Plan something else for that time.
17. Check closing days
Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe and several art museums on Mondays, the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. See our museums open on Mondays.
18. Save time in queues
Arrive at opening time and buy online. See our guide to avoiding queues in Istanbul.
19. Do the Museum Pass maths
At €105 for 5 days, it covers Topkapı, the archaeological museums and Galata, but neither Hagia Sophia nor the cistern. See our guide to the Istanbul museum pass.
Daily life and safety
20. Beware of touts and "too friendly" offers
The shoeshiner who drops his brush, the invitation for a drink that ends in a huge bill: the classic traps are described in our guide to scams and safety in Istanbul. Keep an eye on your belongings in crowded places.
21. Ask the price before you eat or buy
In markets and bazaars you haggle; in restaurants, check the menu and the bill. Restaurants have not been allowed to charge cover or service fees since January 2026.
22. Eat where locals eat
Turkish breakfast, fish, pastries, street food: see our guide to what to eat in Istanbul.
23. Have a rainy-day fallback
See what to do in Istanbul when it rains.
Organisation
24. Group visits by neighbourhood
Sultanahmet one day, Beyoğlu and Galata another, the Asian side a third: it saves hours in transit. See Sultanahmet, Galata and Karaköy and Kadıköy.
25. Leave room for the unexpected
A tea by the water, an alley in Balat, a sunset over the Golden Horn: some of the best moments are on no schedule. Do not fill every hour.
Cheat sheet
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Buy an Istanbulkart | 46.20 TL a trip, against 65 TL contactless |
| Avoid Friday midday in mosques | Main prayer |
| Arrive early at the big sights | Shorter queues |
| Keep some cash | Markets, toilets, tips |
| Order taxis through an app | Meter and route displayed |
Prices checked in October 2026; prices in Turkish lira change often.
Going further
To organise your stay, start with our Istanbul in 3 days itinerary, then read the guide to the budget for a trip to Istanbul and our tips on free things to do.
