Istanbul, the 15 million people city and the largest metropolis in Turkey. Even though half of Istanbul still belongs to Europe, you feel like you are in another world. An exciting world full of history of Islamic culture. Nowhere in Europe can you get such an insight into it as in Istanbul.

Despite the enormous size of Istanbul, the city is fortunately not sprawling. Much is close together and can be easily reached on foot on a longer day. Of course, in such a big city there are almost endless possibilities to do something, but here are probably the most important and best highlights of the city.

The large 15th century palace was inhabited by sultans for 400 years. On site you can see many remains from that time. Through the buildings and their furnishings, you can well imagine how life was then.

On the way to Topkapi Palace, we were told that it is twice the size of Vatican City and half the size of all Monaco.After some research, we have to say that the palace is indeed huge, but the size statement is a bit of an overstatement.

The entrance fee per person is 200 Turkish Lira, which was $13 at the time of our visit. Since the Turkish Lira fluctuates a lot, it can be different again at the time of your visit. The prices will be adjusted accordingly.

Hagia Sophie is probably the most fascinating mosque in all of Istanbul. This is because it has been a church for almost 1,000 years since its completion in 537 AD. And even in that time it belonged to the Roman, Orthodox, Catolic and Greek Orthodox communities.

Then in 1453 it became a mosque for almost 500 years. After that in 1945 until recently in 2020 a museum and today again as a mosque open to all visitors.

Already the outside appearance suggests that the Hagia Sophia has a lot of history behind it. But as soon as you enter the gates you are blown away. The beautiful chandeliers and the large Arabic inscriptions enchant every visitor.

Almost opposite the Hagia Sophia is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which is also called the Blue Mosque. When you see pictures of Istanbul, it is usually presented quite proudly – and rightly so! It is beautiful and definitely belongs on anyone’s list of things to see in Istanbul.

The Galata Tower from the 5th century is a former prison. Today it is modernly restored and offers a beautiful view over all of Istanbul from the top. It is located a bit outside the center with the most popular mosques, but it is definitely worth a visit.

To enjoy the beautiful view from the top, you have to put 100 Lira on the table, which makes $7.

As beautiful as Istanbul is with all its mosques and cultural side. A little change is good and this is offered in the hip district of Balat. Here the young heart feels at home. The houses and the numerous small cafes and restaurants invite you to spend some time there. A wonderful change.

When in Istanbul, you can’t miss the experience of visiting a bazaar. Hundreds of stores with food, jewelry and clothes are perfect to walk through the many small alleys, talk to the sellers and negotiate down the often far too high first price.

The Bosphorus Bridge is most famous for connecting the European part of Istanbul with the Asian part. To see the bridge up close, you can either book a boat tour, or go to Kaytan Lounge ↗ for a drink or a meal to have the bridge right in front of you.

Turkish cuisine is a dream. Everywhere in Istanbul you can find great restaurants where you can fill your stomach.

• Moise Karaköy | Turkish cuisine
• Rose Papillon | Delicious breakfast
• Omar | Dining with a view of Hagia Sophia
• Pepo’s Galata | Our favorite, been here 3 times
• Esmer Chef | Ideal for affordable Italian cuisine
• Blue House | Beautiful terrace with view of Blue Mosque
• Kaytan | Beautiful restaurant by the Bosphorus Bridge
• Nova Santiye Cafe | Tasty turkish breakfast and wonderful terrace

We love to use Uber, Bolt or other similar services around the world wherever possible to get from A to B with ease. Unfortunately, however, our experience with Uber in Istanbul has been the worst ever.

Taxi companies in general don’t like Uber and consortiums because they take away their customers. However, they don’t want to admit that the taxes themselves rip off all tourists as high as possible. Maybe they should start working there on themselves first.

Nevertheless, in Istanbul there is no real Uber. You can use the app, but you only get official taxes through it. That’s better, since the approximate price is basically fixed. The problem is that in Istanbul, in our experience, 80% of the drivers ask you where you want to go and if you could pay in cash.

Both are strictly forbidden by Uber. If you say that you only want to pay via Uber, they refuse. This is very annoying and, depending on the location and time, can lead to you waiting an hour for your transport.

But there are also the 20% or so who act normally and pick you up without asking where you’re going first and you pay via the app. This minority makes it a bit more bearable, however, Uber in Istanbul is really not what it is appreciated for.

We stayed at the beautiful Airbnb of Origine Rentals ↗ and can highly recommend it.

The prices are per person, except for the accommodation, which we rent for 5 people.

Accommodation: $63 / night

Restaurant: $5 – $18 / meal

Snack: $1 – $4 / meal

Pleasure: $4 – $6 / event

Taxi: $1 – $6 / ride

Activity: $7 – $14 / event