Istanbul
Two continents, three empires, and the Bosphorus running through the middle.
Istanbul straddles the strait between Europe and Asia, and has been a capital for Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans in turn. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque face each other on the old peninsula; the Galata Tower and the cafés of Beyoğlu stand across the Golden Horn; and the ferries stitch it all together.
Why go
For the scale of the history, on display in a single walk: a Roman hippodrome, a Byzantine cathedral, an Ottoman palace and a covered bazaar that has been trading for five centuries. Then a ferry to Asia for tea, and back for dinner.
And for the life of the place: fish sandwiches on the Eminönü quay, the call to prayer over the rooftops, the meyhanes of Beyoğlu, the hammams, the fish restaurants in the Bosphorus villages up the strait.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
The sixth-century dome and the seventeenth-century mosque with its six minarets, across a garden from each other in Sultanahmet. Dress modestly and time visits around prayers.
02Topkapı Palace
The Ottoman sultans' palace on the point above the Bosphorus: courtyards, kiosks, the treasury and the harem, with views over the water from the outer terraces.
03The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar
The covered market's dozens of streets under painted vaults, selling carpets, lamps, gold and leather; the smaller Spice Bazaar by the Eminönü mosque sells what it says.
04The Bosphorus by ferry
A public ferry up the strait from Eminönü passes palaces, wooden yalıs and the fortress at Rumeli Hisarı under the bridges. The Asian side at Kadıköy has its own market and cafés.
05Süleymaniye and the old mosques
Sinan's mosque on the hill above the Golden Horn, with its terrace over the city, and the smaller Rüstem Paşa mosque lined with Iznik tiles down by the bazaar.
06Galata and Beyoğlu
The Genoese tower, the tunnel funicular and Istiklal Avenue with its tram, arcades, meyhanes and music. Karaköy at the water's edge has the newer cafés and galleries.
07The hammam and the cisterns
A scrub and steam in a sixteenth-century bath, and a walk among the columns of the Basilica Cistern beneath the streets of Sultanahmet.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Sultanahmet
The old peninsula with the great monuments a few minutes apart. Historic, touristed and quiet at night.
Beyoğlu and Galata
Across the Golden Horn: restaurants, bars, galleries and the tower. Lively and well placed for both sides.
Karaköy and Cihangir
The waterfront and the hillside above it, with cafés, antique shops and a bohemian feel. A short walk to Galata.
Beşiktaş and the Bosphorus
Along the European shore: palaces, ferry piers and the villages of Ortaköy and Bebek beyond. Further from Sultanahmet, closer to the water.
Kadıköy, on the Asian side
A market town within the city, with a young food scene and a ferry ride to work. A local's base.
When to go: Istanbul
- SpringApril and May
- Tulips in the parks, mild sunshine and the Bosphorus at its most inviting. The prime months.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot and humid, with the crowds heaviest in Sultanahmet. Ferries and the Bosphorus breeze are the relief.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Warm, clear and calmer, with the Biennial in alternate years. October is a favourite.
- WinterDecember – March
- Cold, wet and occasionally snowy, with the mosques and museums empty and the tea houses full.
Getting there
Airports
Two airports in our search serve Istanbul. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- ISTIstanbul Airport
- SAWSabiha Gökçen
Distance from
- CDGParis2,250 km
- LHRLondon2,520 km
- DXBDubai3,000 km
- BOMMumbai4,810 km
- JNBJohannesburg7,470 km
- JFKNew York8,060 km
- SINSingapore8,650 km
- SYDSydney14,950 km
Getting around: Istanbul
The tram along the old peninsula, the metro, the funiculars and above all the ferries cover the city; a rechargeable transport card works on all of them and on the airport lines.
Sultanahmet is walked; Beyoğlu is walked with hills. Taxis are plentiful and metered, and traffic across the bridges can be slow — the ferry is often quicker as well as better.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Türkiye
- Currency
- TRY · Turkish Lira
- Languages
- Turkish
- Time zone
- Türkiye Standard Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +90
The atlas
Istanbul in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Istanbul, month by month
- Jan8°
- Feb9°
- Mar12°
- Apr16°
- May21°
- Jun26°
- Jul29°
- Aug29°
- Sept25°
- Oct20°
- Nov15°
- Dec10°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: May to October.
Mean highs run from 8°C in January to 29°C in August, with about 624 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for IstanbulModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBIstanbul
3,000 km
4 hrs 15 mins · Estimate
From AUHIstanbul
3,010 km
4 hrs 15 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Istanbul
From the journal
Related reading
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Plan this trip: Istanbul
Open the trip builder with Istanbul already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
