If you don’t know what to do in Istanbul, take a look at my interactive map with tips for various places of Istanbul.
İstanbul Trip – Interactive Google Maps with Tips
Created on Oct 6, 2010 · By Aydin Can
Breakfast @ Bosphorus
Here is a nice restaurant called Sütiş, the opportunity to have a wonderful breakfast. I suggest you to eat “Karışık Menemen”.
Walk 4 FSM @ Bosphorus
FSM, Fatih Sultan Mehmet stands for the name of the 2nd bosphorus bridge in town. Here after your breakfast I advice you to have a walk and watch the beautiful FSM bridge.
Breakfast @ Ortaköy
Here in Ortaköy you will find wonderful cafes, restaurants to stay, chill, eat and enjoy. With the beautiful sea view enriched by the Ortaköy Mosque at the side. Take some photos with the Bosphorus Bridge and Ortaköy Mosque in the background. Magically all photos seems really nice at this location.
Bosphorus Boat Tour
Here is the location where you can take a Bosphorus Boat Tour, it is a nice 1-hour trip the boat goes till FSM bridge and returns back. Costs approximately 5€ per person. However there is no guidance, so you should take your Istanbul Guide with you.
Night Life in İstanbul is cool
I strongly advice you to go to Reina, it’s a very nice night club. In top 3 locations for night life. Remind the dresscode, so take care of your outfit and shoes.
Dolmabahçe Place – a must see
Here you will find Dolmabahçe Place, the largest place in Turkey, very nice place to see and witness the close history. Here you will find scenes from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s (founder of the modern republic of Turkey) life.
Dolmabahçe place also has the biggest chandelier in Europe. The entrance costs around 10€ per person and has a english guided tour included.
Smoking Waterpipe?
Another Turkish tradition finds itself a new identity here in Tophane. The district where you will find many Nargile (waterpipe) Houses. I don’t advice you to try Alibaba VIP, try somewhere else.
Sakıp Sabancı Museum
There is a nice museum with different exhibitions. Here is the website to check what’s up? If you like the exhibition give it a try. http://muze.sabanciuniv.edu/main/default.php?bytLanguageID=2
İstinye Park Shopping Mall
The biggest shopping mall in Europe. Very nice place if you like shopping you will love İstinyePark. While you are visiting, go upstairs to find GoMongo a mongolian restaurant and try the mongolian barbeque. For lunch or dinner.
İstanbul Modern Art Museum
Great! a-must-see Check the web to get more information, here is the link: http://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/f_index.html
Taksim Square
I advice you to go to roof of Marmara Hotel and enjoy the view. You can also go to Kitchenette restaurant for a lunch, its right under the Marmara Hotel. Remember to take a walk through the İstiklal Street.
Istiklal Street
This is the beginning of the street, a nice location to see people, shops, restaurants, cafes, churchs, mosques and sinogogs. You will see the historic tram of Taksim here get it for a short trip. Follow this street till the end where you will find the Fanicular (first metro of Europe) and remember that you should take it.
Fanicular (first metro of Europe)
So this is the first Metro of Europe. Take it to go to Galata Tower.
Galata Tower
Istanbul from top, take this opportunity and visit Galata Tower it’s a-must-see. Costs about 5€ per person to take the elevator. You can also spent an evening here. Between 20-24 there are shows in the restaurant on top.
Galata Bridge
You can take a walk to see the fisherman fishing and the Golden Horn. (Haliç)
Take the Tram
Here you can take the tram to the direction Zeytinburnu in order to reach Sultanahmet, place where you will find the mosques and the basilica cistern. One way costs 50cents per person.
Hagia Sofia Mosque
Here is the famous Hagia Sofia Mosque Museum, one person costs 10€ for a visit.
Remember the mosque is open for visit until 16:00.
Sultanahmet Mosque
Here is the Sultanahmet Mosque, entrance is free, remember that it’s a must-see location. I believe you will like it.
Basilica Cistern
Here is a interesting location to see, a visit costs 5€ per person. Very nice location, you can see statues of Medusa at the end of your tour inside.
The Grand Bazaar
I haven’t seen any other indoor bazaar like this one before. You can find really nice local jewellery, leather, carpets and any other products here. The prices are relatively acceptable but in any case worth to bargain.
Rumeli Hisarı and Museum
Here you can find the ruins of a castle. It’s very nice to watch the bosbhorus from here. There is museum located inside the walls. I haven’t been there but heard that it’s very nice.
Fish 4 Dinner?
If you want to eat some fish for dinner. You can try the “Babalık” restaurant which is located right at this spot. Remember to talk to them in advance and agree on the price of the fish that you’d like to eat and tell them that you deny paying service and kuver. 🙂 Right in front of the restaurant under the triangular roof a fish market is located. So you can see the prices and types of fishes in advance. Rakı & Barbun is a good choice!
Leb-i Derya Bar Resturant
On this street there is a very nice Bar Restaurant called Leb-i Derya where you can have a nice dinner, enjoying the great view. I strongly recommend you to go there. Reserving a table in advance would be really good. http://www.lebiderya.com/lebiderya/eng/ana1.html
Topkapi Palace
a-must-see words are not enough 🙂
Sirkeci Railway Station
This is the railway station on the European side of İstanbul.
Haydarpasa Railway Station
This is an old very nice trainstation on the Asian side of İstanbul. You can watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ngh-9eeMo
Bağdat Caddesi
so called Bağdat Street is a very long street with lots of street side shops, restaurants, cafes and many more. You can have nice walks here worth to see.
Anadolu Hisarı
This one looks like Rumeli Hisarı, ruins of a castle but a smaller version of it. Nice neighbourhood and nice place to see.
Çengelköy
This neighbourhood is very nice to see local tea houses and fish restaurants. To come here you can simply take the boat from the opposite coast.
Bebek
A nice location to spend some time during the day, you can have a walk from Emirgan till Bebek than rest in one of the very elegant restaurants to regain energy. Around Bebek is one of the higher class parts of İstanbul, so price are a little higher too.
Islands
Nice place to see. There are old style horse cars in this area so you have a nice ride within the island.
Çamlıca TV Tower
To see the city from top, give it a try here in Çamlıca TV tower.
Kız Kulesi
a-must-see you can take boats to here from both sides of bosbhorus.
Anadolu Feneri
Here you can see the Marmara and the Black Sea, if you are lucky you may also see the ships coming from Black Sea to pass the Bosporus