Istanbul Tips: 15 Tips for Your First Time in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is a bustling city filled with incredible culture, mosques, and delicious food. With so much to see and plan, choosing tours, knowing the ideal transportation modes, and remembering all the cultural differences can be overwhelming. Thankfully for you, I recently traveled there on my honeymoon and learned all the tips and tricks.

Before visiting Istanbul, there are a few things to kind in mind. Here are 15 Tips for Your First Time in Istanbul, Turkey.

1. Obtain a Visa

All tourists entering Turkey require a visa for tourism or commercial travel of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. You can apply for an e-visa online prior to arriving or obtain one at the airport upon arrival. It’s advised to obtain said visa 48 hours before departure.

It’s not free either; expect to pay around 50 USD. You can make an appointment here.

If you don’t plan ahead, don’t fret. Eligible travelers entering Turkey for tourism purposes can get a Visa upon arrival at one of Turkey’s international airports. Full transparency: this is what we ended up doing and it was pretty easy (but you must pay in cash).

2. Pre-Organize Airport Transportation

While you can take the metro or a cab into the city center, I recommend organizing airport transportation ahead of time.

Prior to the trip, we did a lot of research and every article said the same thing: avoid cabs at all costs. The public transportation was also unclear from the airport so the easiest option is to opt for organizing your airport transportation ahead of time. You can either work directly with your hotel (~$50 one way) or through a private car service.

3. Double-Check Your Ticket for the Airport Info

Istanbul has two main airports, so it’s important to double-check which one you booked flights through to avoid a transportation nightmare.

Sabiha Gokcen offers flights from more low-cost airlines, while the New Istanbul Airport (IATA code IST) is the main airport in Istanbul and Turkey. Depending on where you’re flying from, you could land at either airport. Make sure to check your ticket before booking transportation to ensure you get picked up and dropped off at the right spot.

This might be my top tip. Even though I knew to double check I still made a mistake when we were en route to Cappadocia. Halfway to the airport, we had to turn around and head to the other airport!

4. Skip the Taxis and Take Public Transportation

The public transportation system in Istanbul is incredible. Skip the cabs and opt for the metro system; it’s cheap and easy to use. The system offers a few lines, but two will get you almost everywhere, including, Etilier, Levent, and Taksim Square. It also will take you to the airport in about 35 minutes, if you don’t want to arrange private transport.

It felt daunting at first, but there are plenty of Tourism Kiosks that can help you get set up. We also found our hotel concierge to be a great resource.

5. Always Negotiate

Similar to vendors in other parts of the world like India or Mexico, you can negotiate in the shops and Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Every day locals and visitors alike negotiate their way to the best deals on rugs, ceramics, and more.

Pro Tip: Never look too interested, then you can put a better price on the item you’re eyeing.

6. Don’t Stay in the Old City

I talk more about this in our guide on how to spend 4 days in Istanbul, but the short of it is this:

The Old City is very touristy and does not have a great nightlife.
I would recommend it if you only have 1-2 days, do opt for this choice as it is near the main historic attractions.

7. Visit the Asian Side

If you want to avoid crowds and see where more locals hang out, definitely check out the Asian side of Istanbul. Personally, Kadikoy was one of my favorite parts. For foodies, this neighborhood is a mecca. Kadikoy contains neat markets, cool bars, and tons of cafes.

8. Skip the Bosphorus Tour

This statement might be controversial. A Bosphorus Boat Tour was originally on our planned itinerary, but after quite a bit of research, we found that while it’s great for seeing attractions from afar and enjoying the views from the water, it wasn’t ideal for exploring attractions in depth.

We took the ferry to the Asian side to visit the Dolmabahçe Palace and we enjoyed the water views at a fraction of the price of a Bosphorus Tour.

If you are looking for a more personalized and unique experience, opt for a sunset yacht tour via Airbnb Experiences.

9. Utilize ATMs

In Istanbul, most places want cash. Make sure to take money out before going shopping, eating, or on tours. It will save you from an awkward situation when the vendor doesn’t prefer your American Express.

The best part about the ATMs in Istanbul is that they’re everywhere! It seems that every few blocks there is a whole section of ATMs for various banks.

10. Carry around a mix of Currencies

While I recommend always bringing cash to foreign countries, it’s especially important in Istanbul. Here, it’s helpful to have a mix of currencies (Euros, USD, Turkish Liras). To our surprise, most people want Euros and Dollars over Turkish Liras.

Note: We also found this to be true in Cappadocia.

11. Try the Fish Sandwich

Istanbul offers a wide range of food choices, but the Fish Sandwich, or Balik Ekmek, was one of our favorites (and super affordable!). You can expect a mackerel-type fish topped with lettuce, onion, and grilled hot peppers on a crusty roll. It’s definitely a must-try from the food vendors.

12. Have a Traditional Turkish Breakfast

Unlike a simple cappuccino and pastry in Italy, the Turkish people see breakfast as the most important meal of the day. You can expect to find a variety of items within these subgroups bread, spreads, cheese, and eggs. Most importantly no Turkish breakfast is complete without black tea.

Our hotel came with a delicious breakfast, but we also particularly enjoyed breakfast at the Nova Santiye Cafe.

13. Try a Traditional Turkish Bath

Traditionally, Turkish Baths aid in cleansing, relaxation, and even weight loss. We enjoyed our experience so much that we booked two Turkish Baths on our trip. If you have the opportunity, this is a must-do on your trip to Istanbul.

We opted for the historic Suleymaniye Hammam. The hammam has been around since 1550 (built from 1550 to 1557) and was often visited by the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman. It was designed by well-known Turkish architect Mimar Sinan. It is a 90-minute experience that starts in a hot room made of warm marble slabs before you are scrubbed down with soap by the masseurs.

14. Do your Shopping in Cappadocia

If you’re short on time and planning to visit Cappadocia, skip shopping for artisanal goods like carpets and ceramics in Istanbul. This includes removing the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar from your itinerary. Cappadocia offers the best shopping in my opinion – with higher quality products at more reasonable prices.

15. Have the Google Translate App

English is not widely spoken in Istanbul, so it’s imperative to have google translate ready to go. While the app isn’t always perfect, it will help you get by while chatting with the locals. There is also an option to speak into your app and it machine generates the translated voice to make things even easier!