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Every fact checked · est. 2010

The Istanbul guide that shows its work.

Fares, entrance fees and timetables verified against official sources — with the date we checked, on every page.

Start with the essentials
White Şehir Hatları ferry crossing the Bosphorus at golden hour, the Sultanahmet skyline behind it

Essentials

The three pages 40% of readers come for

01TransitGet an IstanbulkartThe transit card that halves every fare. Five minutes at any metro station.02ArrivalAirport → your hotelIST and SAW to Taksim or Sultanahmet: metro, Havaist, taxi — timed and priced.03PassesE-Pass: yes or no?We ran the arithmetic against door prices for three real itineraries.

The guide, by section

Plan Your TripVisas, money, safety, seasonsGetting AroundIstanbulkart, metro, taxis, ferriesThings to DoAttractions, cruises, hamams, nightlifeTickets & PassesEntrance fees, passes, what's worth itWhere to StayNeighbourhoods, honestly comparedFood & DrinkWhat to eat, where locals actually go

Turkish culture

Customs, hamams, dervishes — explained for visitors

Turkish customs and etiquetteThe hamam, explainedWhirling dervishes: where and whyAll culture →

This month

Istanbul in September

Warm seas, thinner crowds, and the events worth planning around.