City Rating: Istanbul
Population: 14’800’000
Date of visit: June 2017
Attractions & sights: 4/5
Nightlife: 2/5 (during Ramadan)
Safety: 3/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
There is no city like Istanbul. The largest Turkish city is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world with warm-hearted people, excellent food and plenty of things to do. Istanbul is also Europe’s largest city and the only city in the world that lies on two continents.
Where to stay:
Beyoglu is the most touristy and also the liveliest area in Istanbul. This area had plenty of restaurants and bars and also the city’s most famous shopping street (Istiklal Caddesi). Another pro of staying in Beyoglu is that many sights can be visited by walking.
Some people choose to stay near Taksim Square. This square is at the end of Istiklal Caddesi, however I would rather stay more South. Taksim is in my opinion not a must see.
I would only recommend staying in Sultanahmet District if time is super-short and the top priority is visiting Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. It’s also one of the most conservative districts in Istanbul.
The Good:
Istanbul is a unique must see-city, period. It’s not only home of the airport, which has flights to the most countries in the world, it’s also the only city in the world that lies on two continents. Going from Europe to Asia in 20 minutes by boat for only $1 is pretty fun. 🙂
The city on the Bosphorus offers some really good attractions like the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace or Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque is in my opinion by far the best attraction in Istanbul, while Hagia Sophia is a bit overrated. However, both sights are right next to each other so that visiting both makes sense.
Booking a boat trip on the Bosphorus is a must do, and also one of the cheapest tourist attractions you can do in Europe. Other attractions are the Galata Tower and the Galata Bridge.
Istanbul is also a vibrant city, the streets in Beyoglu are busy all the time. I cannot comment on the nightlife, as I have been there during Ramadan. The streets were full of people at night, but many bars and nightclubs were closed during this time.
I can only recommend visiting the rooftop bar of the Marmara Pera hotel. It’s one of the best rooftop bars I’ve ever been to (and I usually visit at least one rooftop bar per city if there is one).
Last but not least, Istanbul is an inexpensive destination due to the weak Turkish Lira, and probably one of the cheapest cities in Europe at the moment.
The Bad & The Ugly:
Due to its size, it can take some time to go from one place to another. Terrible traffic jam can make you wait for hours in a car. Calculate enough time if you arrive, or more important if your flight back is during rush hour in Istanbul.
Moreover, Istanbul used to be safer in recent years but it’s overall still a safe place to visit.
Beware of scams. Some taxi drivers don’t want to use their taxi meter. Find another taxi then. I have heard a story about someone being approached by another “tourist” in Istiklal Caddesi and then ripped off in a dubious bar. The same almost happened to us, but fortunately we did not enter the bar. Be careful if someone tells you that he’s a tourist and offers you to come with him!
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