Best Travel Guide Istanbul | ArrivalGuides.com

IstanbulGuide was updated: 2025-07-29

It’s easy to lose yourself in Istanbul's grandiose history, but modern Istanbul is a simmering metropolis, well worth a visit in its own right. The shopping is world-class and the nightlife pulsates around not one but several districts. Even though Istanbul is no longer the capital, it’s still the country’s business and cultural centre, still the city where new trends are created.

Do & See

Istanbul is a vibrant city whose grandiose history is utterly fascinating. Take a stroll around the city and admire the amazing mosques, museums and the Great Bazaar, or even visit an authentic Turkish bath.

Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia)

Aya Sofya is a remarkable mixture of Christianity and Islam, a church with minarets and a mosque with pictures of the Virgin Mary that, unfortunately, are now covered up. The building is one of the wonders of world architecture. Its 32-metre main dome has stood firm since Aya Sofya's completion in 537 CE. That's almost one and a half thousand years ago. Originally constructed as a Christian church, the temple has since been a mosque, then a museum, and now once again acts as a mosque.

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Galata Tower

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karaköy quarter of Istanbul, just to the north of the Golden Horn's junction with the Bosphorus. The top floor of the tower is located at a height of 52 metres and houses an observation deck. It is unlikely that you will find a better lookout spot in all of the city; it's simply stunning. The tower is one of the most iconic buildings in Istanbul and is a very popular destination. It's a good idea to come early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

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Topkapi Palace

The palace of the sultans with its many courtyards and gates brings on a nostalgia for forgone times. There are several special museums in the area; highlights include the Treasure Chamber, where the famous dagger and Spoonmaker's diamond are true stars of the collection, and the harem, where the sultan’s wives and children lived. None of these are included in the ticket price to the palace.

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Sultanahmet (The Blue Mosque)

Built at the beginning of the 16th century during the rule of Sultan Ahmet I, this grandiose mosque seamlessly combines Ottoman and Byzantine architectural styles. The building is known for its six minarets and was given its nickname for the 20,000 blue tiles adorning the interior. These tiles were made in Iznik, an area that was famous during the Ottoman Empire for its expert production of ceramic tiles.

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Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar attracts many people, far too many if you come at rush hour. It’s a good idea to arrive early in the morning and enjoy a cup of tea in one of the cafes whilst the bazaar comes to life. There are thousands of stalls, selling virtually everything, carpets, gold, cloth, spices and more. The bazaar is a world of its own and it’s easy and fun to get lost in the teeming alleyways.

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Turkish Baths

It is said that if you have never tried a Turkish bath then you have never been truly clean. Move through several hot rooms and finally arrive at the massage table for a real going over. Men and women bathe separately, exceptions are made at certain times for tourists. Çemberlitaş Hamam, situated near the Bazaar, is the oldest hamam in town and was reputedly built by the master architect Mimar Sinan in 1584.

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Turkey

Istanbul

Do & See

Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia)

Galata Tower

Topkapi Palace

Sultanahmet (The Blue Mosque)

Grand Bazaar

Turkish Baths