Tourist Spots

The standards

Nice if you’re in the area or particularly motivated

  • Blue Mosque
    • This is nice but there is so much construction inside you really can’t see anything at all. It’s free and just across from the Hagia Sophia though so it’s still worth the trip.
  • Çemberlitaş Hamamı
    • Public bath from the 16th century.
  • Cağaloğlu Hamamı
    • Public bath from the 18th century.
  • Basilica Cistern
    • A water management system dating back to Roman times.
  • The Grand Bazaar
    • Fun to window shop but the prices are absurd and nothing is particularly interesting to buy. Even in other tourist areas, you can find the same things at more reasonable prices.
    • One exception is for more fancy or colorful tea sets. Most normal, “daily use” tea cups in Turkey are pretty basic and utilitarian. If you wanted something a little more pretty, this can be a good option. They can be a little hard to find otherwise.
  • Kız Kulesi
    • This is on lots of postcards of Istanbul but it has recently been undergoing a major renovation. It may or may not be open when everyone is in the area.

Local suggestions

  • Moda seaside
    • This is great for a slow, quiet break from the city chaos.
  • Süreyya Opera House
    • The Turkish opera is MUCH more casual than typical European opera houses. It’s normal to see people lined up wearing jeans and t-shirts.
  • Gülhane Park
    • Close to the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Sarayı. They have a small restaurant inside that is really great for breakfast.
  • Kuzguncuk
    • You’ll see classical Ottoman houses and have lots of nice shops and cafes to hang out in.
  • Fethi Paşa Park
    • Land originally owned by an Ottoman governor was turned into a city park
  • See a concert at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre
    • Very cute and small concert venue. There really aren’t any bad seats in this place.
  • The Rahmi M. Koç Museum
    • This museum has a lot of transportation related things (cars, boats, trains, planes, tanks, and even a submarine) but there are a lot of other things that don’t fall into this category as well.
  • Balat
    • Lots of old architecture (houses, schools, churches), some auction houses, and tons of cute cafes.
  • The Princes’ Islands
    • A small chain of islands just off of the coast of Istanbul’s Asian side. These car-free islands are a great place to slow down from the fast paced city life. A ferry here takes about 1 hour.