Things to do in Istanbul Old City

Soon the sun will be warmer, travelers are already started to search for new destinations according to their interests. For the last few weeks so many questions which are frequently about İstanbul are asked by our social media, Whatsapp and mail. It seems that Istanbul is rising among other destinations around the world. So let's answer these questions in a short, sharp, and clear way..

Istanbul was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires for more than 1,500 years and those civilizations create a plentiful, diverse culture that can be traced to almost every corner of the city.  


[Istanbul City View - The Bosphorus Istanbul, Turkey]
If the world were a single state, as Napoleon said, Istanbul would be its capital. As a mosaic of cultures, Istanbul is like a bridge connecting two continents. Thanks to the two major airports in the city, this city can be reached from anywhere in the world. 

Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey but its historical heritage accumulated for centuries carried it to the 17th place on "the most beautiful metropoles around the world" list. Today it is a modern city surrounded by shopping malls, theme parks, nightclubs plus well-protected historical monuments from every religion and culture, making it a traveling paradise that can meet all expectations of travelers. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions such as; where to go…, where to shop…, what to see…, what to eat…, what to do…, how many airports... 

1. Where is İstanbul? Asia or Europe?

This may be the first question that needed to be answered. İstanbul is not in Europe totally or is not in Asia. It connects each continent with 3 bridges on the Bosphorus.
[Istanbul Bridges on The Bosphorus]

The Bosphorus divides the city between the continents Asia and Europe while connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean. So half of the city is in Europe and the other half is on the Asia continent which means that The Istanbul old city, Sultanahmet, Grand Bazaar, Dolmabahce, Ciragan, Yildiz Palaces are on the Europe side, Kadıköy, Beylerbeyi Palace, Maiden's Tower, Haydarpasa railway station is on the Asia side.

The transportation between those sides can be done by bus, metrobüs, ferries, and metro bus line (The Marmaray). You only should be careful not to be on the bridges between the hours 07:00-08:30 and 17:00-19:00 because of the traffic. Plus the transportation alternatives make it easy to travel inside the city, you just need an akbil (electronic ticket). Plus in metro bus lines and metrobüs, tram audio English notifications are done all the way. Still joining an Istanbul tour is the best way to explore the city because it is crowded and if you leave the main transportation line you can easily get lost.

According to historical resources, the first name of the city was Lygos, and the other names, Kostantiniyye, Constantinople, New Rome, Augusta Antonina, and Byzantium, were used during different reigns and periods over the centuries. The name Istanbul, on the other hand, is derived from the Greek phrase "εἰς τὴν Πόλιν" which can also be spelled "s tim boli" which means "in the city". Ottomans, since the 14th century, preferred to use this version and, in time, it shaded into Istanbul. Lastly, it is not the capital of the country. 

2. Where to go in Istanbul?

Istanbul was a capital between the 4th and 20th centuries, almost along 16 centuries and at present, it is one of the biggest metropolises worldwide. Both modern and historically, countless places can be visited. Most favorite historical destinations are Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia Mosque in the old city's ruined walls, known as Sultanahmet at the same time. 
[Blue Mosque - Sultanahmet Grand Mosque in Istanbul Old City] 

Princes’ Islands, Zeyrek Mosque, The Golden Horn, Ortaköy, Galata Tower, and Pierre Lotti are other most wished destinations. But if you are planning a tour to İstanbul it will be better to add the destinations belong; the palaces; Topkapı, Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi, Yıldız, The Grand Bazaar, mosques; Süleymaniye, Eyüp Sultan, Eminönü Yeni,
Churches; Fener Greek Patriarchate and Aya Yorgi Patriarchate, the Holy Trinity, St. Antony of Padua, Hagia Stefanos (Iron Church),
Museums; Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum, Aya İrini, Chora, Turkish and Islamic Arts, Pera, İstanbul Modern, Toy Museum… 

The best way to visit Istanbul is to join a tour because it is big and crowded, plus it is brimful with historical sights, museums, old and new fashion venues, street art, dozens of flavors, as well as various outdoor activities. You might be a humble backpacker, an energetic adrenaline junkie, or either luxury or romance might be your nickname; it does not matter, Istanbul has something for every taste.

There are so many other destinations that can be added to the list. You can also better check from here…

The Bosphorus Tour in Istanbul: A Classic

How many cities around the world? The answer is only one. The Bosphorus is a unique aspect of the city. The blue pearl makes everything better, and for locals, it makes the city’s heavy traffic bearable. Once, Sultans used to stroll here, and since then, experiencing a Bosphorus Tour in Istanbul has been a classic for both natives and foreigners.

On a Bosphorus Tour, the palaces of Dolmabahce, Beylerbeyi, Ciragan, historical mansions, nightclubs, Maiden's Tower, Anatolia, and Rumeli Fortresses can be seen on the tour, while the Bosphorus itself is another breathtaking view. Especially on warm summer nights, numerous native and foreign people have fun on a boat on the Bosphorus. So add the Bosphorus Tour to your itinerary no matter the season. While you can join a Bosphorus tour by boat throughout the day, most visitors prefer night tours. They spend their days seeing the old city, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and the other sights of the Sultan Ahmet peninsula, and choose to have fun with belly dances, dervish shows, DJ parties, and various classical Ottoman dishes at night along the Bosphorus.

Bosphorus Tour in Istanbul

A private yacht Bosphorus tour with a guide in Istanbul, allows you to enjoy the cool breezes of the Bosphorus while watching the sunset. A solitaire ring, a few glasses of champagne, and honey bees mostly prefer this. Keep in mind that a single private yacht tour on Bosphorus can be your day.

Istanbul Luxury Tours: An Elegant Theme

Istanbul luxury tours, on the other hand, can provide luxurious accommodation and transportation services while all other touristic attractions are on the list. With the 3-day private luxury tour in Istanbul, you may even have a helicopter tour of the sky across the stunning view of the city if you prefer to stay in ıstanbul for 7-day luxury tour

A guided tour in Istanbul is a good alternative when it comes to seizing upon any details and discovering the surprising stories behind the historical sights. The city is around 5,800 years old when we count the prehistoric period and 3000 years old as a city. Throughout its history, it has stood up despite earthquakes, fires, floods, raids, and sieges. It is not going to be wrong to say that the city was rebuilt again and again over the centuries. So all the corners, historical sights, walls, and culture have epic stories that are worth listening to. So a guided tour to hear those like fairy tales, or we can call it 1001 Night Tales because the city has as many as stories as the book, would be perfect. Just remember that you can have a private guided tour in Istanbul, which is one of the best and most comfortable ways to discover the city.

Istanbul Outdoor Activities

It should be underlined that while the city is rich when it comes to historical sights, it also has so much to offer when it comes to outdoor sports, adrenalin enthusiasts, and nature lovers. Various attractions in a rich activity pattern for instance Istanbul quad biking, rafting, trekking, Vialand Istanbul theme park visiting, horse riding, and jeep safari, are waiting for the adventurers. For the last few decades a great number of theme parks such as Isfanbul Vialand Theme Park, Marina Aquapark Waterland, and Istanbul Aquarium, can be perfect destinations for families with children.

Other Activities in the İstanbul

For 1600 years, Istanbul was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. These civilizations reflected their beliefs, art, culture, and, of course, cuisine to the city. As a result, Istanbul became a sacred region for different religions, the capital of art, and the intersection spot of gourmet dishes. Today, this wealthy heritage creates gorgeous itineraries for those who are looking for something exclusive.

Hot Air Balloon Flights In Turkey Istanbul

In Turkey, hot air balloon flights have been popular since the 90s. The land of fairy chimneys, Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon, and the white travertines of Pamukkale Hot Air Balloon are the two best-known destinations to experience these hot air flights. However, in Istanbul, hot air balloon flights are not held. Nevertheless, you can add a hot air balloon flight to your Istanbul tour. As we mentioned, Istanbul is a great city and has two airports; one is on the Asian side of Istanbul and the other one is on the European side. You can fly from Istanbul airport to Nevsehir for around 70 minutes or fly to Denizli-Pamukkale for 60 minutes and experience a hot air balloon flight over the magnificent landscape. But please remember that the hot air balloon flights are held at around 5:30 a.m. and consider this while you are planning it or we can help you. Just enough to contact with us

There are so many other destinations that can be added to the list. You can better check from here…

3. Where to shop in Istanbul?

The most popular shopping center is The Grand Bazaar. It is one of the largest and oldest bazaars in the world that have 61 streets covered over 4,000 shops plus it was one of the top of the world's most-visited tourist attractions list in 2014 [1].

[Peoples are walking in the Grand Bazaar Istanbul in Turkey]
Roughly you can find jewelers and gold bracelets along Kalpakçılar street, furniture along Divrikli street, carpets along Sahaflar street, leather goods and casual clothes along Perdahçılar street.

[Istanbul Grand Bazaar Souvenir Gift]
Also Egyptian Bazaar or Grand Spice Bazaar is another worldwide known bazaar that all kinds of qualified spices and Turkish delight, Turkish coffee can be found.
Eminönü district (at the Old City, west of Golden Horn) is full of shops since Ottomans it is the center of trade that today all kinds of local goods can be found, but like Grand Bazaar, Eminönü is so big and all streets, inns are expert in single kind of goods. You may need help like us :)

[Eminonu - Galata Tower Istanbul Turkey] 
In the last 2 decades so many malls, shopping centers are opened around the city, and so many travelers just arrange their visits focusing on those malls or allow extra time to visit those centers. Here is the most popular list: Cevahir (Şişli), İstinye Park (Sarıyer), Kanyon (Levent), Akmerkez (Etiler), Forum İstanbul (Bayrampaşa), Metrocity (Levent), Emaar Square Mall (Üsküdar), Capitol (Altunizade)…

4. What To See In Istanbul?

With all the other historical destinations mentioned above, İstanbul is full of amazing views. You can see Osman Hamdi’s masterpiece “The Tortoise Trainer” in the Pera museum or a rich vehicle collection in the Koç museum. Just while walking on the street you will capture kinds of graffiti or fabulous sunsets from Galata Bridge, Çamlıca hill is the best location to watch every hill of İstanbul that is known as the city built on 7 hills.

5. What To Eat In Istanbul?

From 5 star restaurants to street foods, there are countless alternative foods, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, local, and worldwide known tastes İstanbul is full of delicious foods. Kebap, Lahmacun, baklava, şiş kebap, zeytinyağlı sarma, künefe, mantı are known well around the world already. But take this list with you on your travel:

For Breakfast: Menemen, Otlu peynir, Kuymak

[Turkish Traditional Breakfast Food: Kuymak with the black Turkish tea]

For Lunch & dinner: Tandır Kebap, Enginar Dolması, Hünkar Beğendi, iskender Kebap

Appetizers: Humus, aubergine salad, fava, Cerkez Tavuğu, Sarma

For dessert: Güllaç, Aşure, Sütlaç, Taş Kadayıf

6. Where to eat?

The city is full of restaurants but some districts are famous for an especially one taste;
Süleymaniye – Kuru Fasulye (Haricot bean)
Ortaköy – Kumpir
Spice Bazaar –Turkish Delight

[Diffrent colors Turkish Delight in Grand Bazaar Istanbul]
Beyoğlu/Taksim – Chocolate
Bosphorus (İstinye-Bebek) – Fish
Vefa – Boza
Eminönü – Fish&bread
Kanlıca – Yoghurt
Sultanahmet – meatball
Sarıyer – local patty
Pierre Loti – Turkish Coffe

 [Turkish Coffee image]

7. What to do in Istanbul?

As listed above you can visit both historical and modern destinations, taste numerous foods, shop… But wait, there is more…
Istanbul is a good location for;

Golfing

Horse Safari

Quad Safari

Paint Ball

F1 Turkish Grand Prix

Nightlife,

Istanbul for Christmas,

Istanbul for honeymoon,

M.I.C.E and Congress

8. How many days in Istanbul?

It is for sure that less than a week will not be enough. 

9. Istanbul weather year-round?

All daily and annual details are here. 

10. Istanbul and Cappadocia?

Cappadocia is one of the most visited cities 759 km far from İstanbul. There are flights from İstanbul International airport and Sabiha Gökçen airport often. By bus, it will take 10 hours. You can go to Nevşehir by train but you will need a bus transfer from Kayseri station which will last about an hour. But you can choose to join one of our cappadocia tours so you do not miss the other attractions on the route.

 [Cappadocia Underground City | Cappadocia The Land of Beautiful Horses ]

11. Is Istanbul bigger than London?

Yes. Istanbul is bigger than London and Paris as an area (km2). For other cities, you can check the list. 

12. Istanbul & quarantine? 

In İstanbul and Turkey all the governmental and private institutions, transportation services took precautions since the beginning of the epidemic. During your Istanbul visit, you will need a vaccination certificate like other countries and a HES Code which means that you do not need or are quarantined, you will need it for each entrance. Please click for the HES code.

13. How many airports are there in Istanbul?

In Istanbul there are two airports are serving passengers. The Istanbul International Airport, on the Europe side, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asia side, are working 7/24 for domestic and abroad flights.

Looking for more Istanbul & Turkey Tours? Also, you can click for Istanbul & Turkey tour packages in 2023/2024 with prices. 

For more please do not hesitate to ask :)