There’s really no way to quite sum up Istanbul. From its compelling (and lengthy) history to its thriving culture to its delicious food and its distinct neighborhoods, Istanbul is completely addictive–and there is definitely no shortage of fun things to do in Istanbul.
Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, an architecture lover, or simply a traveler who loves to meander through beautiful neighborhoods, Istanbul has something for you.
We were lucky enough to spend a couple of months exploring Istanbul in-depth, and the result is that it will forever be one of our favorite cities in the world.
Here are some of the best things to do in Istanbul, from visiting icons like the Hagia Sophia to wandering through dynamic markets and historic neighborhoods!
Table of Contents
- Planning your trip to Istanbul at the last minute?
- A Quick Note on Museum Passes in Istanbul
- Houses of Worship to Visit in Istanbul
- Beautiful Palaces For Your Istanbul Bucket List
- More Historical Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
- Markets and Shopping in Istanbul, Turkey
- Foodie Activities in Istanbul Not to Miss
- More Fun Things to Do in Istanbul
- Interesting Istanbul Neighborhoods to Visit
- Where to Stay When Visiting Istanbul, Turkey
- Read More About Visiting Turkey + Beyond
Planning your trip to Istanbul at the last minute?
We’ll cover all of these incredible activities in Istanbul in much more detail below, but if you’re in a hurry, here are the top tours and attractions we recommend within this blog post:
- Tour the Hagia Sophia & visit the Blue Mosque
- Wander through the Grand Bazaar
- Explore Istanbul’s food scene (we LOVED this food tour)
- Marvel at the Topkapi Palace
- Visit the Bosphorus (this dinner cruise is a great option)
Looking for a great place to stay? Here are two memorable options:
- Tom Square Boutique Hotel (excellent breakfast, wonderful location, affordable option in Sultanhamet)
- Hotel Momento Golden Horn (luxurious retreat with gorgeous Bosphorus views a short walk from the Galata Tower)
If you’re hoping to organize your Istanbul vacation into a logical route, our detailed 2-day Istanbul itinerary will help you make the most of your time in the city.
Only have one day in Istanbul and don’t want to worry about making a plan?
This popular full-day tour of Istanbul will show you the biggest highlights in the city, including the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, and more!
A Quick Note on Museum Passes in Istanbul
Over the last several years, Istanbul’s museums and attractions have dramatically increased in price–we’re talking a 700% increase for some spots in less than a decade.
Because of this, museum passes like this can now be an excellent deal if you plan to tour the interiors of several popular mosques and museums.
I recommend adding up the ticket prices for any included spots you hope to visit and deciding from there whether a pass is a better deal for your Istanbul travels.
Just be sure to read the fine print carefully: some passes include guided tours and others don’t, and some more affordable options exclude top spots like the Hagia Sophia.
If you prefer to book tickets a la carte, don’t overlook guided tours! Options that include your entrance fee in the tour can be excellent deals.
Shop Istanbul museum passes today!
Houses of Worship to Visit in Istanbul
Pay a visit to the Hagia Sophia.
A church, a mosque, a museum. Originally built in 537 AD, the Hagia Sophia has had a long and storied life!
Without a doubt, it is one of the most famous houses of worship in the world, and visiting the Hagia Sophia is easily one of the best (and most popular) things to do in Istanbul.
Today, the Hagia Sophia operates both as a museum and an active mosque.
Be sure to visit and admire the beautiful exterior, the detailed interior, the Christian mosaics that are revealed in pieces of the walls where the plaster has been scraped away, and the beautiful views of the Blue Mosque from the second-story windows!
You can opt to visit independently or with a guide.
Step inside the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque, so-called because of its stunning blue-tiled interior, is arguably the most beautiful mosque in Istanbul.
Technically named the Sultan Ahmed Mosque after the sultan who had it constructed in the 17th century, the Blue Mosque is an unmistakable feature of Istanbul’s skyline and one of the prettiest sights in Istanbul.
The building is still a functioning mosque, so though it is open to visitors, it closes during prayers each day, and appropriate mosque dress (legs and shoulders covered, hair covered for women) is required to enter.
The Blue Mosque is free to visit independently, though it’s also a popular feature on guided tours.
Discover an epic ceiling at the Chora Church (Kariye Mosque).
This 1000-year-old church-turned-museum-turned-mosque (older if you count previous buildings that stood in its place!) was once part of a monastery that stood outside the walls of Constantinople.
Today, it is a beautiful museum showcasing the decor of the Byzantine-era Greek Orthodox church, and simultaneously operates as the Kariye Mosque.
The highlight of the Chora Church/Kariye Mosque is, without doubt, its ceiling.
Intricate mosaics and frescoes, framed in gold, cover the entire area. It is a marvel to behold.
Like many beautiful remnants of history, however, the details of how the ceiling came to be remain somewhat obscured: the 14th-century artist remains unknown.
Check out the Suleymaniye Mosque.
Second in size only to the Blue Mosque, the Imperial Suleymaniye Mosque is both beautiful and expansive.
Set just a short walk away from the Grand Bazaar, a peek inside is definitely worth adding to your list of fun things to do in Istanbul when you’re passing by!
Admire the view near the Ortakoy Mosque.
The Ortakoy Mosque, while lovely, is better known for what sits outside of it than for any particular features of the building.
Set right on the Bosphorus Strait, the Ortakoy Mosque is often photographed with the Bosphorus Bridge directly in the background.
The view makes for a lovely example of the blend of old and new that makes Istanbul such a fascinating city.
Beautiful Palaces For Your Istanbul Bucket List
Tour the Topkapi Palace.
Once the home of Ottoman sultans, the Topkapi Palace of today is known for its ornate architecture, beautiful grounds, sweeping views of the Bosphorus Strait, and its historical artifacts.
Most notably, the Topkapi Palace is known for its collection of historical artifacts purported to belong to certain prophets familiar to everyone with even a passing knowledge of Abrahamic religions, Moses, Joseph, and Mohammed among them.
While visiting the Topkapi Palace, be sure to pay an additional small fee to tour the harem.
These were the living quarters of the sultan, his family, and his concubines, and as a result, some of the prettiest and most intricate rooms of the palace are located here.
If you’re only going to book a guided tour for one building in Istanbul, we recommend making it the Topkapi Palace. There is so much history here, and a guide can really bring it to life!
This popular tour of Topkapi Palace and the harem is detailed, well-reviewed, and perfect for a history buff! As I update this blog post in 2026, it’s also an excellent deal, as standard tickets for the Topkapi Palace have increased dramatically in price in the last several years.
Visit the Dolmabahce Palace.
Newer and more modern than Topkapi Palace, the 19th-century Dolmabahce Palace became the new home of Ottoman sultans as the Topkapi Palace began falling out of vogue with the royals.
Also located along the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, the Dolmabahce Palace is known for its gilded interior, splashed out with gold and crystal–including 14 metric tons of gold in the ceiling alone.
Admire the Beylerbeyi Palace.
Built in the mid-19th century, the Beylerbeyi Palace is, at first glance, perhaps a bit less striking than Topkapi and Dolmabahce–but it does have an interesting history considering its relatively short (by Istanbul standards, anyway) lifespan.
Toward the end of the Ottoman Empire, Beylerbeyi Palace was used as a summer home for the sultan and his family and was also used to entertain visiting heads of states, including the (in)famous Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
In a less glamorous piece of history, Beylerbeyi Palace was also the last holding place of one of the final sultans of the Ottoman Empire (and the last one to maintain complete control of the government), Abdul Hamid II, during the decline of the empire.
He was held there for six years until his death in 1918.
Unlike the iconic Topkapi Palace, entrance to the Beylerbeyi Palace is included with the Istanbul Museum Card if you have one!
More Historical Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
Climb the Galata Tower.
Looking for the best view over Istanbul? Look no further than the Galata Tower.
Built in the 14th century, the Galata Tower looks out over the Bosphorus Strait toward Sultanahmet, and you can easily pick out features like the grounds of the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque from the top of the tower.
A visit to the tower to enjoy its views is one of the most fun things to do in Istanbul, and it allows you to grasp just how sprawling and enormous the city really is.
If you’d like to stay and relax for a while, there’s even a restaurant on the top floor!
Unlike many historical towers, the Galata Tower has an elevator installed that is used to transport visitors most of the way up, so a visit to Galata Tower doesn’t actually involve much climbing at all.
Say hello to the Hippodrome.
Like many features of Istanbul (aka Constantinople) of 2,000 years ago, the Hippodrome isn’t easy to pick out at first glance… but it’s still there.
The Hippodrome (chariot racing track) can be seen today in the public gardens that stand in front of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
Underneath the perfectly manicured paved area that you see today sit the memories of chariot races from thousands of years ago.
Check out the Egyptian Obelisk.
The Egyptian Obelisk that sits right next to both the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul has had quite a long life.
It has called Istanbul home for more than 1500 years… and it was already pushing 2000 years old when it got there!
That amount of history is enough to boggle the mind, but its size is also incredibly impressive: the obelisk that you can view today is only 2/3 of its original size, with the final third being lost to time.
Stroll along the former walls of Constantinople.
Before there was Istanbul, there was Constantinople.
And before there were the Ottomans, there were the Byzantines… and an Emperor Constantine, who gave Constantinople (then known as Byzantium) its second name.
From this piece of history springs forward the famous and intricate walls of Constantinople, which were said to be some of the most intricate and impressive barriers of their time.
Though Constantinople’s walls did eventually fail after a lengthy siege by the Ottomans (hence Constantinople’s transition into Istanbul), many pieces of the walls still remain.
Today, you can stroll along this history for yourself.
Get underground at the Basilica Cistern.
Descending into the Basilica Cistern is a bit like entering another world: it’s damp, it’s dark, you can hear water dripping, and the rows of columns seem to extend into the abyss.
As the oldest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is definitely worth a visit!
Be sure to wander all the way to the back while you’re visiting–there, you’ll find two gigantic stone Medusa heads, one of which is upside down, that once served as the bases of two of the columns.
Their origin remains a mystery to this day.
The Basilica Cistern was one of our favorite places that we visited in Istanbul, and we highly recommend it!
You can visit it as a standalone attraction, and it’s also popularly included in combo tours with the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, like this well-reviewed one.
Pay a visit to the archaeological museums.
Istanbul’s archaeological museums (a close-knit set of three) are located on what used to be the outer grounds of the Topkapi Palace… meaning that they’re so closely located to so many other fun things to do in Istanbul that it would be downright silly not to stop by.
Istanbul’s long and storied history, and the fact that has been ruled by several of the world’s great empires, make it a positive treasure trove for history buffs.
The 3 Istanbul Archaeological Museums are the Museum of the Ancient Orient, the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Islamic Art.
Combined, the museums house over one million objects related to world culture and history.
Visit the Maiden’s Tower.
Located in the middle of the Bosphorus Strait, this small, Byzantine-era tower is better known for its legends than any solid history.
As the legend goes, a sultan once heard a prophecy concerning his young daughter–that she would be bitten by a snake and killed on her 18th birthday.
Wanting to spare his daughter that fate, he built the Maiden’s Tower and placed her in it to keep her far away from any snakes.
Then, on her 18th birthday, he paid her a birthday visit… and the snake he accidentally transported into the tower via a fruit basket filled with gifts bit the girl, who perished.
True story? Highly unlikely… but the tower lives on.
Today, you can visit the tower to enjoy beautiful views of Istanbul and to eat at the restaurant on the ground floor or cafe on the second.
Check out the Valens Aqueduct.
The Roman Empire is well-known worldwide for its aqueducts, and that extended to Constantinople.
Completed in the 4th century, the Valens Aqueduct is the largest surviving Roman aqueduct in the city.
It can be viewed in the Fatih quarter, and, like many features of Istanbul, the ancient has blended with the modern: today, there’s a boulevard that runs right under the aqueduct!
Markets and Shopping in Istanbul, Turkey
Haggle at the Grand Bazaar.
Home to more than 4,000 stores covering 60 streets, the Grand Bazaar most certainly lives up to its name.
Open since 1461 and nearly constantly busy ever since, the Grand Bazaar is the perfect place to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Istanbul in a beautiful setting.
If you’re looking for a Turkish lamp, some candy, a cup of tea, fabric, jewelry, shoes, suitcases, or just about anything else, you can find it at the Grand Bazaar.
Haggling is expected here, so come ready to play if you’re hoping to take home a souvenir!
Though shopkeepers will attempt to beckon you into their shops and call after you, we found the salesmen in the Grand Bazaar much less pushy than in many other similar markets around the world.
If you’re not interested, a friendly “No, thank you” is usually more than enough to get them to move on.
Delight your senses at the Spice Bazaar.
It’s impossible not to love the Spice Bazaar: beautiful, colorful, and home to an amazing scent (spices plus tea plus sugar!), the Spice Bazaar is the perfect place to pick out an edible souvenir.
If you haven’t had any yet, be sure to pick up a bit of Turkish delight here. It’s inexpensive and tasty, though not something I feel the need to eat regularly.
Once you’re done exploring the beautiful interior (it’s not enormous), be sure to explore the outdoor market on the west side of the building.
It has a bit more of a local feel, and this is where you’ll find vendors selling things like olives, local cheeses, vegetables, and even Turkish coffee grounds!
Indulge in some modern shopping on Istiklal.
Istiklal Street is the heart of shopping in modern Istanbul: this is where you’ll find a delightful mix of local retailers standing alongside international chains like H&M, Zara, and others.
Prices are competitive, and the selection is infinite, so while we feel that Istiklal’s nickname of the “Champs-Élysées of Istanbul” is overselling things a bit, it’s definitely worth stopping by, whether you want to shop or simply to people-watch.
Have tea with a shopkeeper.
Having tea with a shopkeeper is a common practice in Istanbul and an incredibly fun way to explore the city.
Don’t be surprised when you get offers of tea left and right while out shopping!
Will accepting an offer of tea, especially in tourist areas, up the pressure to buy something? Sure–but you’re still under no obligation to buy.
If you’d like to avoid any potential awkwardness, though, we suggest waiting to accept an offer of tea from someone you’re planning to make a purchase from, or even someone you’ve already finished doing business with!
Jeremy once had a delightful hour-long conversation with a shopkeeper that we dropped our laundry off with, and we went through a couple of cups of tea each in the camera shop we visited to purchase a new lens.
Foodie Activities in Istanbul Not to Miss
Take a food tour.
Thanks to its long history of having multiple cultures living side-by-side, Istanbul’s food scene is varied, gigantic, and full of incredibly delicious options.
We adored this Taste of Two Continents Food Tour, and thought it was the perfect way to start wrapping our heads around the best foods in the city.
For best results, we recommend taking one as early in your trip as possible. That way, you can use your newfound food knowledge to inform your shopping and ordering choices for the rest of your time in Istanbul!
We absolutely loved our food tour and ended up trying several foods we probably wouldn’t have sampled without taking it (including chicken pudding for dessert–more on that below!).
Have chicken… for dessert.
A sweet, creamy dessert pudding made of… chicken meat?
Nope, I’m not kidding: tavuk göğsü is a delicious dessert… just don’t think too hard about the ingredients!
The dish reminds us of rice pudding–when we first tried it, it was with tentative small spoonfuls just to say we had tasted it, but we ended up quickly devouring the whole plate!
If you’re looking for unique food activities in Istanbul, give it a try–you won’t regret it!
Indulge in some of Istanbul’s street food.
While street food in Istanbul isn’t quite as prevalent as in, say, Southeast Asia, you’ll still pass plenty of options for quick snacks as you explore the city.
Fresh fruit juice, simit (essentially round pretzels covered in sesame seeds), corn on the cob, chestnuts, and kumpir (loaded baked potatoes) are all popular street foods in Istanbul, and tasting at least a couple of them should definitely make your list of fun things to do in Istanbul!
Fall in love with Turkish breakfast.
There are few meals in this world more delicious than a great Turkish breakfast.
Made up of several different spreads, cheeses, breads, olives, honey, and more, plus eggs and sausage if you’re feeling particularly hungry, plus unfathomable amounts of Turkish tea, Turkish breakfast is a gut-busting and incredible meal.
No list of fun things to do in Istanbul could be complete without the earnest suggestion to eat as many of these breakfasts as humanly possible while in the city… if for no other reason than that the cravings you’ll get for them once you leave will be nearly unbearable (ask us how we know…).
If you’re looking for a fantastic and popular breakfast spot that’s popular with locals and tourists alike, you can’t beat Van Kahvalti Evi (or their prices)–we ate there at least a dozen times during our months in Istanbul.
Though it’s a bit pricier, we also loved Privato Cafe near the Galata Tower.
Every dish was delicious, the serving sizes were enormous, and the literal dishware itself was incredibly beautiful, which was great for those Turkish breakfast photos that every trip to the city requires.
Snack on fresh fish sandwiches under the Galata Bridge.
Touristy? Sure. Fun? Absolutely.
As you stroll across the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, you’ll immediately notice the fishing poles.
All across the bridge, men have fishing poles set up in the Bosphorus Strait in the hopes of catching a fish or six–but this photo op is only the beginning of the area’s fish-focused culture.
For centuries, this area was where fishermen brought their day’s catch to sell, and eventually, the tradition of cooking and selling fish sandwiches right on the dock was born.
Today, you can still buy a fish sandwich right under the Galata Bridge, wrapped in paper and ready for you to munch on while you wander around the docks and admire the view of the Galata Tower and the Bosphorus Strait.
Have dinner between two continents.
How often can you say that you had dinner between two continents?
In Istanbul, it’s possible!
Book a Bosphorus dinner cruise, and you can enjoy watching the sunset over the city while you indulge in a delicious meal that takes place not in Europe or Asia, but in a fleeting place in between the two.
This extremely popular Bosphorus Cruise includes dinner, drinks, entertainment, and amazing views!
Dine like a sultan.
Ever wanted to dine like royalty?
If so, make your way to the Asitane Restaurant in Istanbul!
This unique restaurant specializes in recreating the dishes that would have been served to sultans and their families throughout the reign of the Ottoman Empire, making a visit to Asitane a meal and a history lesson in one.
If you’d like to turn a meal into a memorable experience, consider adding a visit to Asitane to your list of fun things to do in Istanbul!
More Fun Things to Do in Istanbul
Take a day trip to the Princes’ Islands.
This small archipelago of islands located just outside of Istanbul makes the perfect day trip from the bustling city, especially during the warm and beautiful summer months.
These quiet islands don’t allow any cars on them, just horses and carriages, so a visit here is like a peaceful step back in time–a far cry from the center of Istanbul.
Ferries leave daily from both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul for the Princes’ Islands, which makes a visit an easy and fun addition to your Istanbul vacation.
See a Whirling Dervish show.
Though Whirling Dervishes didn’t originate in Istanbul, they have long become synonymous with the city–and Istanbul is one of the easiest places in the world to see them!
Experiencing a whirling dervish show is among the most memorable things to do in Istanbul, and it is certainly one of the most unique!
Get your ticket to see the Whirling Dervishes in action today!
Take the ferry to another continent.
Istanbul is well-known for its status of being the only city to span two continents–and thanks to public transportation, it’s extremely easy to travel between the two!
Where can you take a quick boat ride from Europe to Asia, with no immigration check or passport stamp required?
Pretty much only in Istanbul.
Though the ferry ride from Europe to Asia (or vice versa) is the most photogenic and popular way of getting between the two sides of Istanbul, you can actually take a metro as well.
We tended to take the ferry one way and the metro on the way back, combining the two transportation methods.
Relax at a traditional hammam.
Turkish hammams are a spa experience like no other.
A traditional experience includes a scrub down and massage from a masseur (who will be the same gender as you), and though the experience can be intense, bordering on painful, the amount of dead skin that can be removed is nothing short of remarkable.
You’ll leave feeling silky smooth!
Traditional hammams include nudity, and as a result, most hammams have either separate areas for men and women or serve men and women at different times of day.
Be sure to check details for the particular hammam you’re visiting before heading over!
Ride the streetcar.
The streetcar of Istiklal is less about transportation than it is about nostalgia, but regardless, it sure is cute!
The streetcar runs the length of Istiklal, dead-ending into Taksim Square before turning around.
If you stand to the side and watch the streetcar go by, you’ll likely see plenty of local children jumping on and off of it for fun.
Try out hookah.
Hookah is everywhere in Istanbul–if you’re hoping to try it out, either for the smoke itself or simply for the photo op, you won’t have a shortage of opportunities.
Most traditional cafes and many restaurants have hookah pipes available, but if you’re looking for the easiest (and most photogenic) spot to light up, consider stopping into one of the cafes that has hookah pipes set out on each table.
They’re quite easy to spot!
Delight in the charm of Istanbul’s cats.
Istanbul is worldwide for its cat population. I’ve even seen it said that they are part of Istanbul’s soul, and that seems quite accurate!
The city is home to a plethora of semi-stray cats that are fed and cared for by the public.
You can’t spend a day in Istanbul without passing at least a few of these adorable creatures, often as they’re grabbing a snack from the bowls left out for them or even directly from someone’s kitchen!
As the cats are strays, always be cautious when approaching them, but many relish pets and human attention.
Visiting with them as you sip a cup of tea at a cafe is definitely one of the most fun things to do in Istanbul.
Pay a visit to Miniaturk Amusement Park.
Want to add a downright whimsical feature to your list of fun things to do in Istanbul?
Consider visiting Miniaturk!
This park is all about the tiny things: take a stroll through the park to visit tiny versions of plenty of Turkey’s best-known features, including replicas of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul’s airport, Cappadocia, and more!
Sound a little silly?
Well, it is–but that’s no reason not to go.
Check out the Museum of Innocence.
If you’re a fan of the novel The Museum of Innocence
And, luckily, it’s located in the heart of Istanbul!
Tucked away in the adorable Cukurcuma neighborhood, the Museum of Innocence is small, unique, and utterly unforgettable to those who are fans of the book.
Stroll through Emirgan Park.
As one of the largest and prettiest parks in Istanbul, Emirgan Park is a must-see for anyone who wants to take a deep breath and step away from the city while in Istanbul… without ever having to leave it at all.
Admire the tulips.
The Netherlands may be better known for its spring tulips these days, but tulips are actually native to Turkey and Central Asia.
In the spring, tens of millions of tulips bloom throughout the city, and they can be observed just about everywhere, from parks to Taksim Square.
There’s even a tulip festival held in Istanbul each April!
The flowers are stunning, and if you’re lucky enough to be visiting Istanbul when they’re in bloom, be sure to stop and admire them as much as possible.
Check out Taksim Square.
As the heart of modern Istanbul, Taksim Square bears the curious fate of not being much to look at (it’s large, bustling, and surrounded by shopping areas on one side and a park on the other), while having a lot of stories to tell.
The square has been the center of several political protests over the last 50 years (though don’t worry: it’s generally a quite peaceful and touristic place).
Situated at one end of Istiklal Street, it’s almost impossible to visit modern Istanbul without passing through Taksim at least once.
Istanbul’s funicular and streetcar both end here, and it’s a popular drop-off point for cabs and Ubers taking tourists to Istiklal for shopping.
Watch the sunset over the Golden Horn.
Watching the sunset over Istanbul’s Golden Horn (a major inlet of the Bosphorus Strait that is framed by Istanbul’s minaret-dotted skyline) is a special experience.
We recommend grabbing a cup of tea somewhere with a view and settling in for the show!
Interesting Istanbul Neighborhoods to Visit
Istanbul is a city of neighborhoods, each one with a unique character and style.
While coverage of all the neighborhoods of the city would take thousands of words, as a visitor, there are definitely a few neighborhoods to keep in mind.
These are the places you’ll most likely be visiting as you work your way through all the fun things to do in Istanbul, and in addition to sampling their various attractions, they’re all worth wandering semi-aimlessly through, too!
Sultanahmet
Sultanahmet is the heart of old Istanbul and the home of the most famous attractions in Istanbul.
This is where you’ll find the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Basilica Cistern, among other highlights.
Though it is a bustling place during the day, there’s not much nightlife in Sultanahmet. The neighborhood tends to mostly shut down after dark.
Beyoglu
As you cross the Galata Bridge heading toward the Galata Tower, you’ll be entering Beyoglu.
This is one of the biggest and busiest districts on the European side of Istanbul and is often cited as a great place to stay in Istanbul.
Beyoglu is enormous, and some of the other neighborhoods covered here (including Galata and Cihangir) are subsets of Beyoglu.
Kadikoy
As Istanbul’s best-known neighborhood on its Asian side (at least as far as visitors are concerned), Kadikoy is unapologetically modern and colorful.
In Kadikoy, street art, cafes, and modern restaurants abound.
Kadikoy is located right on the shores of Istanbul’s Asian side, and if you take the ferry over, you’ll be dropped off right at Kadikoy’s doorstep.
Cihangir
If you’re looking for cafes, boutiques, and lots of corners to explore, head to Cihangir.
This trendy neighborhood is full of boutiques and delicious restaurants and is often a favorite among those who visit Istanbul.
This is where you’ll find Van Kahvalti Evi, the breakfast restaurant we became mildly obsessed with while in Istanbul.
Galata
The Galata neighborhood, predictably enough, is centered around the Galata Tower.
Here you’ll find steep hills, tons of restaurants and shopping, and plenty of people at all times of the day.
I’m partial to this neighborhood–it’s pretty and centrally located–and think it’s a great place to stay while in Istanbul.
Karaköy
Looking for coffee shops?
Head to Karaköy.
This neighborhood is located right on the harbor and is well-known for its trendy coffee shops, cafes, music, and restaurants.
Cukurcuma
Small and slightly obscure, the Cukurcuma neighborhood of Istanbul is known for its antique shops and is worth visiting for that alone.
The sight of decades worth of wooden furniture pouring into the streets during the day is enough to give Cukurcuma a distinct and lovely feel.
This is also where you’ll find the Museum of Innocence.
Balat
Balat was once known as the Jewish quarter of Istanbul, but today, it is known more for its colors.
If you’re interested in photographing incredibly vibrant buildings and street life, be sure to add visiting Balat to your list of fun things to do in Istanbul.
Where to Stay When Visiting Istanbul, Turkey
Where to stay in Istanbul depends a lot on the kind of trip you’re looking for.
If you have a short amount of time in Istanbul and aren’t interested in nightlife, staying in Sultanahmet near major tourist sights and plenty of fun things to do in Istanbul might be for you.
If you’re staying in Istanbul longer or are a fan of nightlife, consider staying over in Beyoglu instead–specifically in Galata, Cihangir, or Karaköy.
We’ve stayed in both, and find that all areas of Istanbul have their pros and cons! We are partial to Galata, though.
Hotels in Sultanahmet
We personally stayed in and enjoyed both of these Sultanahmet hotels during our visits to Istanbul.
Tom Square Boutique Hotel — With spacious, beautiful rooms, a great location (it’s a short, if steeply uphill, walk to the Grand Bazaar), and one of the best included hotel breakfasts we’ve ever had, we loved our stay at Tom Square Boutique Hotel and would immediately check back in on a return visit to Sultanahmet.
Emirhan Inn Apart Hotel — Located just a few minutes walk from iconic Istanbul sights like the Blue Mosque, the Emirhan Inn features cozy rooms, a friendly proprietor, and it makes a solid choice for a short trip to Istanbul.
Hotels in Beyoglu
During our longer trips to Istanbul where we stayed in Beyoglu, we have always stayed in Airbnbs or rented apartments.
However, if you’d like to stay in a hotel in Beyoglu, we’d recommend somewhere close to the Galata Tower for convenience during your 2 days in Istanbul.
Here are a couple of well-reviewed properties to consider!
Hotel Momento Golden Horn — With clean, modern rooms and an excellent location (around a 5-minute walk to the Galata Tower), Hotel Momento is a luxurious and memorable choice for your trip to Istanbul.
One of its biggest selling points? Many rooms boast views of the Bosphorus Strait!
Bankerhan Hotel Galata — Set on a quiet street in the trendy Karaköy neighborhood (we love the coffee shops in this area!), Bankerhan features beautifully decorated rooms in a wonderful location–you’ll be just a short walk away from Galata Tower and a tram station.
Read More About Visiting Turkey + Beyond
Excited to keep planning a trip to Istanbul… and beyond?
If you found this guide to the best things to do in Istanbul helpful, we’d love to continue to be part of your trip planning here on Our Escape Clause!
You can browse all of our Turkey blog posts here, or check out these guides:
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Nice article ,very helpful for travelers
Thanks
Thank you, glad we could help!
Thank you ,this is very helpful
Glad we could help! 🙂
Thanks! Looks great, will definitely take this into account when visiting this pulsating gem of a city.
Thanks so much, glad we could help!
Hi ! Kate
Love from Dhaka-Bangladesh. Yes it is very true dine like a Sultan and travel like a King (am i right ?) Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving us a huge guide lines of Istanbul city tour with nice photographs. Please go on I am with you.
Everything looks so ornate and stunning!