The 10 best things to do in Istanbul
Much like a football match, a visitor’s Istanbul is very much a city of two halves. Most come primarily for the 'first half', or the old city, which is wonderfully located on a hilly peninsula pointing across the Bosphorus to Asia. It’s studded with more compelling sights than any city has a right to – not least the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Yet the 'second half', or the vibrant entertainment quarter centred on Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy, with its modern art galleries, chic restaurants, bars, clubs and shops galore is just as alluring in its own inimitable way.
For further Istanbul inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants and nightlife.
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Old City
Travel back in time to ancient Byzantium
The attractive late-19th century Archaeology Museum is one of the city’s finest treasures. The interior of the main building, re-opened in 2022 after a lengthy restoration and upgrade process, has a superb collection of ancient Greek and Roman statues, all stunningly displayed and atmospherically lit. Centrepiece of the museum are the beautifully carved sarcophagi from Sidon, notably one depicting Alexander the Great in battle. Other treasures include finds from the 'legendary' city of Troy and purple porphyry sarcophagi of Byzantine emperors.
Insider’s tip: Leave sufficient time to visit a separate section of the museum complex, the tiled Pavilion, located in front of the main building. Once a royal pavilion where from where the sultan’s court watched wrestling matches, it’s now home to a splendid tile collection. Separated from it by a garden area full of statues and fragments from ancient buildings is the Museum of the Ancient Orient, likely to be closed for much of 2024 for restoration.
Contact: muze.gov.tr
Nearest tram: Gülhane
Price: £
Bask in the splendour of a world-famous mosque
The Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) is one of the most important and imposing religious buildings in the world. Constructed in the sixth century, its massive domed basilica was to provide the blueprint for countless Ottoman-era mosques. Glittering with gold mosaics and richly endowed with porphyry columns and marble panelling, this, the ultimate Byzantine building, became Istanbul’s centre of Islamic worship after the Ottoman conquest of 1453. A museum from 1934, it was controversially turned back into a mosque in 2020. As of early 2024 the building is both a mosque, with entry free for the faithful at prayer times, and a pay to enter museum for visitors.
Insider’s tip: For a less crowded exploration of the Aya Sofya, as it has been known since the Moslem Turkish conquest, and to avoid causing any inadvertent offence to worshippers, try to avoid prayer times when visiting.
Contact: 00 90 212 522 17 50
Nearest tram: Sultanahmet
Price: €25
Marvel at the beauty of Ottoman architecture
Facing the Hagia Sophia across an attractive park, the Blue Mosque is every westerner’s idea of what a mosque looks like. Built in 1609, from the outside it is all domes and half-domes, framed by six splendidly spindly minarets. The interior gleams with over 20,000 of the famous blue on white Iznik tiles from which the site's unofficial name (it’s really the Sultanahmet Mosque) derives.
Insider’s tip: Remember that this is a holy place and receives millions of Muslim worshippers annually. Treat it as a place of sanctity rather than a 'must-see sight' and you will gain the respect of its congregants. Observe the dress code, speak quietly and use cameras with discretion.
Contact: sultanahmetcamii.org
Nearest tram: Sultanahmet
Price: Free (donations welcome)
Descend into a watery Byzantine jewel
Descend into a watery Byzantine jewel It’s hard to believe that something as mundane as a cistern could be so beguiling. Yet visiting the 1,500-year-old Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayı), the largest of the literally hundreds of cisterns that once kept the Byzantine-era population of the city watered, is one Istanbul’s most remarkable experiences. Closed for five years for restoration before re-opening in 2022, its 12 rows of 28 marble columns (each around 9m high) holding up a beautiful brick-vaulted roof, glow atmospherically in the innovative lighting system. The cistern is cavernous, some 138m by 65m, and once held up to 80,000 cubic metres of water. Don’t miss the two gigantic Medusa head column plinths in the far-left corner, almost certainly re-used from an earlier Roman building.
Insider’s tip: If you’ve caught the cistern bug, two more await a short walk from the Basilica Cistern. Nearest is the Binbir Direk Sarnıçı (Cistern of 1001 Columns). It’s an exaggeration, it only has 212, but is impressive, nonetheless. A little further on is the much smaller, but beautifully restored and ethereally lit Şerefiye Sarnıçı (Cistern of Theodosius), which comes with a startlingly effective light show.
Nearest tram: Sultanahmet
Price: ££
Explore the legacy of a sultan
The beautifully restored Suleymaniye mosque complex is the masterpiece of the finest Ottoman architect, Sinan, bequeathed to the imperial capital by the mightiest sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent. Imposingly located on the old city’s third hill, with sublime views across the Golden Horn from its terrace, the complex comprises a caravanserai (a roadside inn), library, hospice, bath house and theological schools, as well as a mosque.
Insider’s tip: Easily missed in the northwest corner of the complex is the simple tomb of the doyenne of Ottoman architecture Sinan, who was so proud of the Suleymaniye that he had himself interred here, on a plot that was once his family home.
Contact: 00 90 212 522 02 98
Nearest tram: Laleli/Üniversite
Price: Free (donations welcome)
Find the heart of a fallen empire
A wonderfully eclectic series of buildings set around pretty garden courtyards, the Topkapı Palace was the seat of government of the powerful Ottoman Empire and, in the Harem residential complex, also the home of sultans, concubines, eunuchs and slaves. There are exhibits galore, too, from the famous Topkapı Dagger to a tooth of the prophet Mohamed. It’s a warren of a place, so allow at least a half day to visit. The entry fee includes access to both the Harem and the sixth century Church of the Holy Peace (Hagia Eirene) in the first courtyard of the complex.
Insider's tip: Peer out into the courtyard of the Hagia Eirene to get a glimpse of a purple porphyry sarcophagus believed to be that of the Emperor Constantine himself.
Contact: muze.gen.tr
Nearest tram: Sultanahmet
Price: ££
Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy
Browse cool and contemporary art on the Bosphorus
After being housed in a temporary premises for several years, the gallery reopened in 2023 in a startling new glass and steel building designed by Pritker prize-winning architect Reno Piano. With a great location overlooking the ship-strewn Bosphorus to Asia, and across the mouth of the Golden Horn to the domes and minarets of the old city, the views are as stunning as the art. Bold and innovative, Istanbul Modern is every bit as entrancing as its London namesake.
Insider’s tip: The café-restaurant here serves extremely good international-Turkish cuisine. It’s open daily from 10am until midnight too, so you can catch the last couple of opening hours in the gallery before winding down with a meal – and those exhilarating Bosphorus views.
Contact: istanbulmodern.org
Nearest tram: Sişhane
Price: ££
Visit the city's most novel museum
Opinion is divided as to the merits of the Museum of Innocence, established by Turkey’s first Nobel Prize-winner, author and Istanbulite Orhan Pamuk in homage to his book of the same name. Exhibits include the butts of over 4,000 cigarettes smoked by the protagonist, and lots of ephemera from the period the story took place (mid-70s to mid-80s).
Insider’s tip: A moving tale of obsessive love or an overlong study in pretentiousness? You’ll have to visit to find out, and if you’ve read the novel first then so much the better. Take along a copy of the 560-page-long book, first published in 2008, to gain free entry.
Contact: masumiyetmuzesi.org
Nearest tram: Şişhane
Admission: £
Bosphorus
Sail up the Bosphorus to Asia (and back)
The cheap as chips cruise up the Bosphorus from Eminönü to the Asian shore village of Anadolu Kavağı, close to where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea, is an Istanbul institution. Cruise past Ottoman palaces and castles, under continent -spanning suspension bridges and watch out for porpoise and shearwaters, as well as enjoying a fish dinner in peaceful Anadolu Kavağı.
Insider’s tip: The boat can get packed, especially on summer weekends. Go early the morning of your departure to get tickets from the quayside in Eminönü, and start queuing at least an hour before departure to get a decent seat on the ferry.
Contact: sehirhatlari.istanbul
Nearest tram: Eminönü
Price: £
Other
Don’t just eat, cook
With its beguiling synthesis of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines, cosmopolitan Istanbul is fortunate in having one of the world’s great kitchens. Turkish Flavours organises cookery courses for novice visitors, assorted themed walks in the best 'foodie' areas (shopping in bazaars and trying the tastiest street foods) as well as evening tasting events in lively meyhanes (taverns).
Insider’s tip: Your eating experience doesn't finish with the end of the course or tour – your instructor or guide will recommend the best places to eat in the city, and the finest outlets to do your food shopping.
Contact: turkishflavours.com
Prices: ££
