Istanbul, Türkiye: Mini-Guide

Istanbul is one of my 2 favorite cities in the world (tied with Cape Town!). It’s absolutely magical, with incredible food, the kindest and most welcoming people, and full of millennia of history. Istanbul is wildly unique as it’s situated on the Bosphorus, so part of the city is in Europe, and the other part is in Asia – it’s the only city in the world on 2 continents! No where else can you quickly pop over to a different continent to have a tea.

I’d try to spend at least 3 nights in Istanbul, there’s SO much to do!

We rented a car through DiscoverCars for just under $30 a day to get around Istanbul for a month! But if you’re just visiting Istanbul you’ll be fine without a car.

QUICK MOROCCO INFO:

PASSPORT/VISA

US and EU passports need to be valid for 6 months after you enter Türkiye, no visa required for stays less than 90 days.

CURRENCY

Turkish Lira (TRY), 1 USD is roughly 35 TRY but changes frequently.

LANGUAGE

Dominant language is Turkish, but Turks are generally multi-lingual and most people you encounter will speak a mix of English, Turkish Arabic, and Kurdish.

AIRPORTS

The easiest and cheapest airports to fly into will in Istanbul: IST and SAW.

GETTING AROUND

Getting around Istanbul is easy with the metro, or the Uber enabled taxis. You can also hire private transport. Within Türkiye, the bus systems and domestic flights are easy! We rented a car and drove around the country.

CULTURE NOTES

Türkiye is a predominantly Islamic country. You can wear what you want but I’d recommend clothing past your knees and covering your shoulders in major cities.

What To-Do

Istanbul is a large city, but you’ll likely want to spend most of your time in/around Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, and Karakoy. Istanbul is incredibly walkable, and a very safe city to walk in. For longer distances, the metro system is affordable, clean, and easy to navigate (and because it’s above ground you get some great views!). We stayed for 2 weeks and still didn’t get to everything we wanted to, so just pick what’s important/interesting to you and go from there!

PS: click on the tour names to go directly to the Get Your Guide page for the tour – I make a small commission on any tours booked though my links at no cost to you so I truly appreciate anytime you use my links!

Where/What To-Eat

Not gonna lie, my jeans were significantly tighter after spending a month in Türkiye…because the food is just THAT GOOD. Turkish hospitality is just, next level. It’s not uncommon to order 1-2 dishes and then they bring you an extra app, a side, and some tea or desserts for free! Also I dream about Turkish breads. I’m gonna list a few dishes and places you have to try, but the options are endless!

FOODS TO TRY:

  • Turkish Breakfast
  • Turkish Coffee & Tea
  • Turkish Delights
  • Corba (lentil soup)
  • Pide (like Turkish pizza)
  • Bakalva
  • Kofte
  • Simit
  • Manti
  • Borek

WHERE TO EAT:

  • Hafiz Mustafa (turkish delights)
  • Helvaci Ali (hot helva)
  • Seven Hills Rooftop
  • Ziya Baba
  • Balat Antik Cafe
  • Karaköy Güllüglu (baklava)
  • Fish wraps from stalls at Galata Bridge
  • Gel Gel (borek)

Where to Stay

I stayed in the Sultanahmet area the whole time, and while it could be convenient it was also a bit of a walk to get to the metro! There’s tons of areas to stay, I’d just try to pick somewhere walkable or super close to a metro stop. I’m listing a few options here but there’s sooo many!

PS: you can click on the hotel names and it will take you to the hotel page – I make a small commission on any hotels booked though my links at no cost to you so I truly truly appreciate anytime you use my links!

I hope you have the best time!!

Amanda Monique

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