A short history of Istanbul
Stand at the tip of Sarayburnu, where the Golden Horn meets the Bosphorus, and it's easy to see why people settled here. Greek colonists founded Byzantion on this point in the 7th century BC. When the Roman emperor Constantine I moved his capital here in 330, it became Constantinople. The best-preserved stretch of the 5th-century land walls built under Theodosius II runs between Yedikule and Edirnekapı, and you can walk alongside it for an afternoon.
Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 under Justinian I. After Mehmed II took the city in 1453 it became a mosque, in 1934 a museum, and since 2020 it has been a mosque again, officially named Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi. Topkapı Palace was the seat of Ottoman government until the court moved to Dolmabahçe in 1856.
The capital moved to Ankara in 1923, but Istanbul stayed the country's largest city. Sultanahmet Square is where the Byzantine Hippodrome used to be. The Obelisk and the Serpent Column still stand along the centre line of the old racetrack.
Istanbul neighbourhoods
In Fener and Balat on the Golden Horn, the streets climb steeply between colourful houses with jutting bay windows. Greek and Armenian schools, neighbourhood tea houses and antique shops share the same lanes, so bring a camera.
Eyüp's mosque courtyard is calm early in the morning, and a cable car takes you up Pierre Loti hill for a view over the Golden Horn. Samatya, right under the city walls, has fishermen and meyhanes, the side of the old city that tour groups rarely reach.
Over on the Asian side, the Üsküdar waterfront facing the Maiden's Tower fills up around sunset, and life moves slower than in Europe. Just north, Kuzguncuk with its wooden houses and community garden feels like a small village, perfect for a short walk and a coffee.
Where to stay
- Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı are all walkable, and the T1 tram runs through.
- Karaköy / Galata: Tram, ferries and funicular meet here, among plenty of cafés and galleries.
- Cihangir / Taksim: The centre of nightlife and restaurants, with the metro and airport buses nearby.
- Kadıköy / Moda: The lively heart of the Asian side, with its market, taverns and ferries to Europe.
- Beşiktaş: A local, student feel, with cheap eateries and ferries in every direction.
- Nişantaşı: Calm, upscale and safe, close to the shopping streets and the M2 metro.
When to visit Istanbul
In April the tulip beds at Emirgan Grove bloom and the city shakes off its winter grey within a few weeks. April-May and September-October bring daytime temperatures of around 15-25 °C, the nicest time for walking. The Istanbul Biennial, held every two years in autumn, falls in this window too.
June to August is 28-32 °C and humid. Queues in the old city get longer and hotel prices peak. Still, the Bosphorus breeze on a ferry's upper deck cools you down.
Accommodation is cheapest from December to February, and in return you get 5-10 °C, rain, wind and the odd snowfall. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year, and Sultanahmet Square fills up at iftar time. During the bayram holidays everyone leaves town at once, so bus and plane tickets get pricier.
Food culture in Istanbul
Once a weekend serpme breakfast hits the table, nobody gets up before noon: cheese, olives, honey with kaymak, menemen and pot after pot of tea. On weekdays have lunch at an esnaf lokantası, a tradesmen's canteen with stews kept warm in big pots. Dinner usually runs 19:00-21:00.
There's balık ekmek in Eminönü, simit on every corner, and stuffed mussels and kokoreç late at night. At a meyhane you start with cold meze, the rakı arrives, and hot dishes follow. Turkish coffee comes after the meal. In winter try boza at Vefa, in summer ayran or şıra.
In restaurants, a tip of up to a tenth of the bill is usual. Some meyhanes add a per-person cover charge, so check whether it's on the menu before you order.
Istanbul trip budget
In Istanbul most of the money goes on where you sleep, while food and transport are still reasonable. Prices move fast with inflation, so the ranges are wide. Stay in a guesthouse and eat at esnaf lokantası canteens, and in 2026 you'll get around on 2,500-4,500 TL a day. A mid-range hotel with restaurant dinners comes to 6,000-12,000 TL, and if you're staying somewhere comfortable, count on 15,000 TL a day and up.
A single ride with an İstanbulkart costs around 40-55 TL, with discounted transfers. Turkish citizens enter Hagia Sophia for free, while the gallery set aside for foreign visitors is ticketed at about 25 €. Topkapı Palace charges foreigners a euro-based price, and Turkish visitors pay a discounted rate.
The Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye are free, just keep an eye on prayer times. Gülhane Park, a walk across Galata Bridge and the Kadıköy market don't cost anything either. The Eminönü-Kadıköy ferry is the cheapest Bosphorus view you'll get.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Istanbul map