Türkiye / Practical city guide

Istanbul

Get oriented, plan your arrival, and find practical answers for your trip.

1 of 8 guides checked against official sources · others are editorial previews

Istanbul, Türkiye — Historical peninsula and modern skyline of Istanbul

41.01° N
28.95° E

Country / area: Türkiye
Time zone identifier: Europe/Istanbul
Currency reference: TRY
Geographic source: GeoNames ↗

Geographic data is source-imported. Transport, payment, and entry details need current verification. Read our source notes ↗

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Your Istanbul guidebook

Istanbul / Airports

Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen: Two Airports, Two Continents, One Card

How Istanbul's two airports on opposite continents connect to the city, and how the İstanbulkart transit card works across metro, bus, tram and ferry.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / Shopping

Grand Bazaar vs Spice Bazaar Istanbul: How the Hans Work

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is a 15th-century grid of streets, bedestens and hans; the Spice Bazaar is a 1660s L-shaped arcade. How each works, who runs it, opening days and which to visit.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / First-time visitor

Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque Istanbul: Fees, Prayer, Dress

Tourist visitors pay €25 for Hagia Sophia's upper gallery, while the Blue Mosque is not on any official fee list we found. How tickets, prayer times and dress rules work at both.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / Transportation

Istanbul HGS Tolls in a Rental Car: Bridges and Tunnel

How HGS tolls work in a Turkish rental car, 2026 prices for Istanbul's bridges, the Eurasia Tunnel and Osmangazi Bridge, the 15-day rule for unpaid passes and new speed fines.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / Money & payments

Museum Pass Istanbul: Is the €105 Card Worth It?

Usually not: the €105, five-day Museum Pass Istanbul skips Hagia Sophia, and the seven open paid Ministry museums on the fee list cost €112 in total. See the arithmetic for three real itineraries.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / Food

Turkish Breakfast and Simit in Istanbul: What to Order

On weekdays Istanbul breakfast is often just simit and tea; at weekends it is a late-morning spread. How to order kahvaltı, serpme and simit, and who sets the city's simit price.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

Istanbul / Food

Turkish Tea in Istanbul: Ordering Çay and Saying No

Understand Istanbul’s small glasses of çay, choose a lighter brew and handle tea offered while shopping without assuming you must buy something.

Official sources checked 2026-10-16

Istanbul / Transportation

Istanbul on Two Continents: What the Bosphorus Divides and How to Cross It

What the Bosphorus actually separates in Istanbul, how the public ferry network works as everyday transport, and how to plan a day around a water crossing.

Editorial preview · factual review pending

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