The city is perfect for walking, for both people and animals. Istanbul has a few historical, beautiful, and touristy buildings and mosques such as the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, and Galata Tower.
However, those three things are all located in a close area on the European side that can all be done within a day. In certain cities in Italy, the historical sites or beautiful architecture can take you days to explore.
What is outside of the touristy area in Istanbul is absolutely beautiful. Istanbul is my favorite city in the world. The people of Istanbul are a little more closed off and reserved, and most people do not speak any English, however, don’t let it put you off. The people of Istanbul have some of the most beautiful and caring souls.
This is very evident when you see how well cared for and how many stray animals there are around in the streets. They are more seen as “the people’s pets” rather than “stray animals”.
How many days to Spend in Istanbul Turkey
To see the true beauty of Istanbul, I recommend walking around outside of the Sultanahmet to Taksim area. It also depends on how many days you have in Istanbul.
If you only have 1-3 days in Istanbul, you would be better off staying in the Sultanahmet to Taksim areas for convenience, but maybe you could spare a few hours to see a more residential area of the city.
Istanbul is a more affordable travel destination, so if time is not a restriction for you, I would recommend spending a week if you are truly interested in exploring the wonderful city of cat lovers.
Know however that a week will be too much time if you are only interested in seeing attractions and going to the next place. This is more for those interested in walking around the residential areas and getting a feel for a city they may want to return to someday.
Where to Stay in Istanbul Turkey
Taksim
Turkey is a secular country, with a Muslim majority. That means that Alcohol is still sold, and if you’re a nightlife person, Taksim is a popular destination. It’s just north of many of the tourist attractions that you will want to see. I personally did not stay here as I’m not into nightlife but have walked through the area. Just be aware of where you are staying when in Taksim since one wrong turn can put you in a very sketchy part of Istanbul. Luckily, I made a bad turn during the daytime.
Sultanahmet / Beyazit
Sultanahmet is the area around the famous mosques of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Beyazit is the Grand Bazaar area. Both are well connected in transport through the tram system.
The Sultanahmet/Beyazit areas are the most convenient for 1-3 days of exploring the tourist attractions.
A great and affordable hostel in the area that I have stayed in and can 100% recommend is HANCHI.
Kadikoy
Kadikoy is my favorite place to stay on the East or Asian side of Istanbul. It has a very alive and hipster vibe in a wealthy, gentrified area. You’ll see so many cats walking around the streets being cared for by good people.
My favorite neighborhood to stay in, in the Kadkoy area, is Moda. If you are looking for a good hostel in the area, I would highly recommend Juliette Kitchen & Rooms.
It is harder to find hostels on the Asian side of Istanbul, and Juliette Kitchen & Rooms is almost twice the price of HANCHI, however, it is an amazing hostel with great staff, amazing facilities, in one of the best neighborhoods IN THE WORLD, and less than a minute walk away from a seaside park that is very popular with the locals.
Kadikoy also has a ferry that is about a 20-minute walk away from Juliet Kitchen & Rooms which makes it easy to get across the Bosporus.
How to use public Transportation in Istanbul Turkey
Although walking will be the main form of transportation and activity, getting across the Bosporus river will require use of the ferries. The public transportation system in Istanbul works great and is quite affordable.
With the quickly inflating Turkish Lira (TRY), it is hard to keep track of the cost, but as of February 2023, using the metro and trams cost around 8-9TRY and the Ferries cost about 12TRY. As of February 2023, $1USD could be sold for $19TRY.
Yes, that means that you can have a nice 20-30 minute ferry ride across the beautiful Bosporus for less than 1 dollar or euro!
To use the public transportation in Istanbul, you must purchase an Istanbulkart from one of the yellow machines found at the airport, many metro stations, or sold at stands around the city. As of February 2023, it costs 50 TRY to purchase an Istanbulkart (much more than the 12 Lira seen in videos from only a year or two ago).
The Istanbulkart, or the metro card for Istanbul, is not linked to any one person and can be shared amongst multiple people, up to a group of 5.
After purchasing, you can refill your Istanbulkart at the yellow machine as well by putting your Istanbulkart on the sensor, and then putting in the exact cash amount you want to refill.
Just know that you can’t get change, so whatever you put in the machine is what will be filled into your card.
What areas to explore in Istanbul
So, it is no secret that Istanbul is a massive metropolitan city with a population of over 15 million residents, and still growing. Even on a week-long itinerary, you can only scratch the surface.
Because of this, sticking to the inner areas near the river makes it easier to travel between areas, and all the areas have their own unique qualities that separate them.
Flying into Istanbul
If you are flying in from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), I would recommend staying your first nights in Kadikoy. The M4 metro line recently connected to the airport making this an easy transfer.
If you are coming in from the new Istanbul International Airport (IST), you could also take a few connecting lines on the metro down to Taksim or Fatih area or take a bus to prevent the hassle of connecting metro lines.
Asian or East Side of Istanbul
If you are staying on the Asian side of Istanbul, I would of course spend the first few days exploring that side before heading to the main attractions on the European or West Side.
The Asian side is personally my favorite part of Istanbul.
I would stay in Moda, Kadikoy, and spend a few days exploring the East side. Use Kadikoy as the main travel hub with a day east, in Maltepe, and a day to explore north, in the Uskudar district.
Kadikoy
Kadikoy district is my favorite in Istanbul. The closer to the water, the better as well.
Kadikoy is a younger, more gentrified area of Istanbul. It has a less conservative, more hipster vibe all over. It’s also a very residential area, but there is a large business area for all your shopping needs if you walk east from the Ferry or Metro station and then head North after a few blocks.
As with many residential areas in Istanbul, there are an unbelievable amount of stray animals that are all well loved and cared for by the amazing people of Istanbul. The area also seems to have many dog owners who walk their dogs down the seaside park, wrapping around the whole South Peninsula of the Moda region.
The park is always very lively with amazing views to the princes’ islands to the South, and a great view to the West of the Bosporus with the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Galata Tower supported by large Turkish Flags in the distance.
It’s a great area to not only live in, but to also explore for a day and use as a home base to explore other regions of Istanbul.
Uskudar
The Uskudar area also has a similar charm as Kadikoy. The biggest change is the more conservative nature. No hipsters walking their dogs around. The buildings and area have a similar good residential feel with nice apartments, and there are many great restaurants and shops all over.
You can hear the call to prayer through the speakers much more clearly in Uskudar as you explore the region throughout the day. The area is also beautiful and scattered with unique mosques around to explore.
Just remember to stay respectful. Since both Uskudar and Kadikoy are in residential areas, as with pretty much the whole Asian side of Istanbul, there is pretty much no English.
It would be helpful to learn a bit of Turkish to get around. Language is the key to a culture, and even a little effort to speak someone’s native language touches the soul. But the people of Turkey are so kind, you could try to get around with just body language, and many people are happy to try and help.
West or European side of Istanbul
Most tourists only stay on the European side of Istanbul since it hosts all the main attractions. The lower district of Fatih has some areas that are popular to stay in for travelers and tourists such as Sultanahmet and Beyazit.
There are also many places between the Taksim area and Fatih district that are popular for tourists as well such as the areas of Karakoy and Galata in the Beyoglu district.
A little north past this is an area not as common for tourism, but well known for residents, the Sisli district. Sisli hosts a multitude of many great and popular neighborhoods, each with their own charm.
Besiktas and Ordikoy are districts to the east of Sisli that are on the river and are also nice areas to explore.
If you come in from the newer, IST airport, you can take an easy bus down to the Fatih or Beyoglu area and stay for a few days. Then, ferry across to the Asia side for day trips, or if you have more time, go across and stay in Kadikoy for a few days to truly explore the area.
Fatih
The main tourist attraction district. Touristy doesn’t mean bad, however.
If you only have a few days in Istanbul, I advise staying in this area, closer to the attractions such as the Beyazit or Sultanahmet area so you can walk to all the main attractions, or even take the tram.
On the East side of the Fatih district, closer to the water, you will find the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque (currently under maintenance as of Early 2023), Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, and a few great museums in the area.
All definitely worth a visit and could be done in a day of just walking a great circle. Lines to get into the mosques can be long during the day, but if you arrive early, you could save yourself an hour or so of waiting.
Over to the west side of Fatih, away from the tourist attractions, there are pockets of immigrant neighborhoods of other Islamic communities such as people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Syria, etc. You can find many great restaurants if you want to try good cuisine from these regions as well.
Beyoglu
Beyoglu is the district just above Fatih, past the horizontal River splitting the two. It holds the areas of Karakoy and Galata as well, which are two points for more tourism, as well as the Karakoy port for ferry travel.
It’s still very walkable to the main attractions in Fatih, and easily connected by tram.
If you want a little more nightlife, staying in the Beyoglu area may be better than Fatih since you’ll still have easy access to the tourist attractions, but you’ll be much closer, or even in the nightlife area of Taksim.
Sisli
Sisli is a large district of many residential areas with great neighborhoods.
It’s easily accessible by the metro from your stay down south in Beyoglu or Fatih and gives a great feel for the upscale residential feel of the European or West side of Istanbul.
I would take the metro straight to Sisli station, head out, do a little spin and see the Trump tower to the northwest… and then turn a full 180 and start walking Southeast or at least South.
And nothing against Trump, it’s just a great landmark out of the station to calibrate from. Heading straight south will lead you on a great walk through the different hilly neighborhoods.
This walking will definitely be enough to skip the incline machine at the gym for the day, so be prepared for some steep walking.
You can zigzag your way South and East to end up on the Bosporus river. You could walk back North to visit Ortakoy and the more northern bridge, or you could make your way straight Southeast of Sisli station, over to Besiktas ferry station.
Besiktas
The Besiktas ferry port is a great stop to have a snack and decide if you want to walk all the way back down or take a ferry back down to Eminomu or Karakoy, or even across to the East side at Uskudar or Kadikoy.
If you have the willpower and like a long day of walking like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the Dolmabahce Palace and a soccer stadium on your way down. Unfortunately for me, the Dolmabahce Palace was temporarily closed as of February 2023, but make sure to check for updates.