Is Istanbul Worth Visiting? — Trip Planner

What's actually worth your time in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia now charges foreign visitors 25 euro for the upper gallery, while the ground floor stays a working mosque you can enter free outside prayer times if dressed appropriately. Topkapi with the Harem is 2,750 lira and closed Tuesdays. The Basilica Cistern is 1,950 by day and 3,000 after dark. The Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye cost nothing, and Suleymaniye has the better terrace.

Istanbul's museums, and which one to pick

The Istanbul Archaeological Museums, at 15 euro, hold the Alexander Sarcophagus and a cuneiform copy of the Treaty of Kadesh, and are nearly empty compared with the queue outside Topkapi fifty metres uphill. Kariye, formerly the Chora church, has reopened as a mosque with its fourteenth-century mosaics visible and costs 20 euro. Dolmabahce is 2,000 lira, shuts Mondays and is not covered by the Museum Pass.

What to eat in Istanbul

Eat balik ekmek from the boats at Eminonu, midye dolma counted by the shell from a street tray, and kokorec after midnight in Beyoglu. Cross to Kadikoy for Ciya Sofrasi's rotating Anatolian dishes and the fish market around it. Karakoy Gulluoglu does the pistachio baklava, and in winter Vefa Bozacisi has been serving boza with roasted chickpeas since 1876.

What things cost in Istanbul

A full Turkish breakfast in Besiktas or Kadikoy runs 400 to 700 lira for two, balik ekmek about 150 and a cay 25 to 40. Transport is 46,20 lira a ride with the card. The headline sights are priced in euro for foreigners, 25 for the Hagia Sophia gallery and 30 for Galata Tower, and they add up fast against local prices.

Istanbul after dark

Beyoglu is the spine, with Nevizade's meyhane tables for raki and meze, Asmalimescit for bars and Karakoy for rooftops facing the old peninsula. Kadife Sokak over in Kadikoy is cheaper, younger and busy on weeknights. Alcohol carries heavy tax, so the drinks cost more than the food. Ferries stop well before the bars do, leaving taxis and the Marmaray to fill the gap.

When to go to Istanbul

The month to avoid is January — around 10°C (50°F) with roughly 12 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: October is the sweet spot, January the month most people skip.

Pack for peak season: Layers — t-shirts under a light jacket or sweater, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.

Where to base yourself in Istanbul

• Sultanahmet — Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi — the historic core.
• Beyoğlu — Istiklal Avenue, Galata Tower, modern nightlife.
• Karaköy — Galleries, third-wave coffee, hip galleries.
• Kadıköy — Asian side, food markets, Moda promenade.