Things to Do in Istanbul

Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey - Istanbul Attractions

Things to Do in Istanbul

Ways to tour Istanbul

Book these experiences for a close-up look at Istanbul.

Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht
334
Sunset Cruises
from $57.49 per adult
Bosphorus Cruise Boat Tour İstanbul 3 Hours Tour With 1 Hour Stop in Asia Side
269
City Tours
from $21.85 per adult
Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht Istanbul Bosphorus (Small-Group)
47
Sunset Cruises
from $44.84 per adult
Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
1,030
Bus Tours
from $150.00 per group (up to 8)
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Dance Shows
40
Dinner Cruises
from $55.19 per adult
Istanbul Full Day Old City Tour
65
Bus Tours
from $90.84 per adult (price varies by group size)
Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise with All inclusive Dinner and Belly-Dancer Show
22
Shore Excursions
from $29.34 per adult
SPECIAL OFFER
Dolmabahçe Palace: Skip the line Ticket with Guided Tour
11
Walking Tours
from $28.75 $25.87 per adult
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
VIP Istanbul Combo Ticket: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Baslica Cistern
22
Skip-the-Line Tours
from $50.59 per adult
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Taste of Two Continents Food Tour
818
Private and Luxury
from $117.34 per adult

Day Trips

From quick jaunts to full-day outings.

Top Attractions in Istanbul

1. Dolmabahce Palace

Architectural Buildings

New City / Taksim

Admission tickets from $25.82

The palace was built in the mid-nineteenth century, in the last period of an Ottoman empire in serious economic crisis…

2. Hagia Sophia Mosque

Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings

Sultanahmet

Admission tickets from $33.28

It is the 6th-century-built christian church, the shape of which greatly influenced the classic shape of all the great…

3. Sultanahmet District

Neighborhoods • Historic Walking Areas

Sultanahmet

•

Open now

By ClaudiaPorto

The Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here.

4. Suleymaniye Mosque

Religious Sites

Grand Bazaar

By davidgoldberg1

Four towering Minarets testify to his being the 4th ruler of the conquered city, and each has 10 external galleries…

5. Topkapi Palace

History Museums

Sultanahmet

Admission tickets from $40.16

The palace where the Sultans of Turkey ruled the Ottoman Empire-the biggest ever- for five hundred years.

6. Bosphorus Strait

Bodies of Water

Sirkeci

•

Open now

As you enter Istanbul aboard ship, within the Bosporus, you can see and experience the vibrant ocean and inland water…

7. Historic Areas of Istanbul

Historic Sites

Sirkeci

By ciegutierrez

With your back to the agitated waters of the Golden Horn Strait or the Bosphorus Strait, the Historic City, influenced…

8. Gulhane Park

Parks

Sultanahmet

The museum features 140 replicas of inventions of the 8th to 16th centuries, from astronomy, geography, chemistry…

9. Galata Tower

Historic Sites • History Museums

Beyoglu

Galata Tower has a unique place in Istanbul's history dating to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans.

10. Rahmi M. Koc Museum

Speciality Museums

Beyoglu

By TubaKoseogluOkcu

On the shores of Golden Horn, it's a modern complex displaying a permanent exhibition on Turkish history of…

11. Emirgan Park

Parks

The pavilion was restored in the early 1980’s and furnished with antiques and opened to the public as a cafeteria.

12. Miniaturk

Points of Interest & Landmarks

Beyoglu

By RocketCaptain

It is a virtual timeline of architecture of the region spanning 5000 years.

13. Ortakoy

Neighborhoods

Besiktas

It has every color of permanence that will get tattooed into your synapses.

14. Balat

Neighborhoods

Fener & Balat

This area used to house many religious buildings reflecting the harmonious Old Istanbul.

15. Chora Museum

Art Museums • History Museums

Fener & Balat

By Propaganda_Machine

It is a unique collection of ancient frescoes and murals that are part of a UNESCO world heritage.

16. Istinye Park

Shopping Malls

Largely built with hundreds of showrooms catering all sorts of merchandise whether it is cloths, food, footwears, etc.

17. Eyup Sultan Mosque

Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings

Golden Horn

Facing Bayezid Square, it has been witness to countless political and social events throughout it's history.

18. Kız Kulesi

Historic Sites • Observation Decks & Towers

Uskudar

By iSmartTraveller

The history of the tower begins from Ancient Greek civilizations and continues with Byzantium and Ottoman civilizations.

19. Sultanahmet Square

Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

Sultanahmet

This is the heart of Istanbul, confluence of the Greek, Roman Ottoman and Turkish style architecture, culture and food.

20. Basilica Cistern

Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins

Sultanahmet

By Marius_Berger

It’s the largest surviving water cistern from the roughly 36 cisterns that have been built in Constantinople.

21. Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium

Aquariums

Admission tickets from $11.78

It’s a four levels place in which live fish sharks, stars, shrimp and many others.

22. Istiklal Caddesi

Points of Interest & Landmarks

Beyoglu

•

Open now

Historical and panoramic bridges of Galata and Unkapani connects Istiklal to the old city of Constantinople.

23. Ural Ataman Classic Car Museum

Speciality Museums

Two floors of cars from the 20's- 70's all in mint condition.

24. Pierre Loti Tepesi

Historic Walking Areas

There is a cable car (Teleferic) station, just about 4 minutes ride to Perie Loti hill with a nice Cafe.

25. Bosphorus Bridge

Bridges

The bridge spans majestically across the deep blue waters that flow between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

26. Blue Mosque

Religious Sites

Sultanahmet

•

Open now

The design is the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development.

27. Beylerbeyi Palace

Historic Sites • Architectural Buildings

Uskudar

An earlier wooden palace which stood on the site was destroyed by fire and todays construction was to take 5,000…

28. Bebek

Neighborhoods • Parks

Sirkeci

It offers some insight into life outside of the city nestled on the shores of the Bosphorus.

29. Zorlu Center

Shopping Malls

Besiktas

This is a new shopping centre with all internal and Turkish brands .

30. Camlica Hill

Points of Interest & Landmarks

Uskudar

By linweisingapore

It's where 2 continents meet, separated by a Bosphorus River in between.

1

…

Special Offer

Shows, Concerts & Sports

Food, Wine & Nightlife

*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

Frequently Asked Questions about Istanbul

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