Istanbul Holiday – 16 Helpful Things to Know Before You Book

Thinking of taking an Istanbul holiday?

Check out my guide based on a stay near Taksim Square and using public transport.

Istanbul Holiday – Getting To Istanbul From Inverness

Thanks to British Airways having a flight from Inverness to London Heathrow I was able to check my luggage in at Inverness and retrieve it again in Istanbul.

The flight time from London to Istanbul is around 3 hours 50 minutes.

The table below shows the prices for flights from London to Istanbul. Click on the month to find more details on the flight options.

The schedule below shows the weekly flight schedule between London and Istanbul. As you can see there are lots of flights available.

1. Istanbul Holiday – What’s the Best Time of Year to Visit?

In terms of weather you can see that it is warmest in July and August.

April and October are still relatively warm and hotel prices are likely to be cheaper too.

2. Istanbul Holiday – What It’s Like Arriving at Istanbul (IST) Airport

The new Istanbul Airport  is absolutely massive.

It can be quite a long walk to get through passport control and into the main arrivals hall. The passport check was quick.

The luggage arrived quickly.

On arrival into the main airport I followed the signs for the Transportation level, which is reached by taking an escalator downstairs.

3. Istanbul Holiday – How to Get From Istanbul Airport to Taksim Square

The transportation level is downstairs at Istanbul airport. This is where the buses, taxis, etc go from and it is very clearly signed. I used the ticket machine to get an Istanbul Kart. This is not an Istanbul tourist pass but a transportation card that allows ticketless travel on the Havaist buses.

There is a Kart machine on the transportation level to buy the card. You pay for the card itself which is about 7 or 8 Turkish Lira (about 90p). You can then add credit to the card at the same time so if you put in a 20 Lira note you would have 12 lira credit on your card if it cost 8 lira.

It can take a bit of working out to get the Kart but it’s worth it.

When you board the bus you simply wave your Kart over the card reader.

The IST19 Havaist shuttle bus went from the transportation level to Taksim Square. It cost 18 Turkish Lira (approx £2.50). The luggage was loaded into the locker and there was a receipt for this.

It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Taksim and dropped off at a small side street right beside Taksim Square.

It was much cheaper than a car transfer and I then just had a short walk through Taksim to my accommodation, the Suitel Bosphorus Taksim.

There is a tram line planned from Istanbul airport to the city but it has not been completed as of November 2019 so buses or cars are currently the main option. Check out Istanbul Airport for more transfer information.

Using the local buses made a great start to the trip and a great insight into some local life.

There are lots more details on the Istanbul airport website of various transport options including private transfers, taxis and other bus servies.

4. Istanbul Holiday – Staying at the The Suitel Bosphorus Hotel

I stayed at the Suitel Bosphorus Taksim, located just off Taksim Square. For my Istanbul city break I wanted to be somewhere centrally located and Taksim Square had good transport connections so it suited me well. See my Suitel Bosphorus Taksim review for more details.

If you want to find cheap hotels in Istanbul check out the map view below;

Check out the top deals in Istanbul;

5. Istanbul Holiday – What it’s like in Taksim Square

The bus dropped off at the corner of Taksim Square by a hotel. 

The square is large and open. During my visit there was a huge mosque being built overlooking the square.

I arrived it was dark and the square was busy with an antiques fair and lots of people walking about. I felt fairly comfortable walking to my hotel but I did get a few looks from men.

I had planned a number of visits during my Istanbul city break but because I found sleeping so difficult at the hotel I didn’t make it out of bed very early in the morning.

I also didn’t feel comfortable being out after dark, except close to the hotel so this meant I only had about 6 or 7 hours to explore each day.

Istanbul Holiday – Local Life, Visiting the Haggia Sophia

There is a Metro from Taksim Square to Sultanhamet . It took a bit of working out. There was a connection that involved going from the Metro to an overland line that ran down to Sultanhamet Square. The metro was very noisy and the tram was very crowded.

The University stop was extremely busy and involved taking a lift. This was not pleasant, mainly because the lift wouldn’t go due to overcrowding so the local boys shouted at a girl to get off the lift. It was a brief and unpleasant insight during my Istanbul city break into what daily life must be like for girls and women in Istanbul.

6. Istanbul Holiday – Visiting The Haggia Sophia

I decided to book a guided tour of the Haggia Sophia – partly because it saved the need to queue but also because I could get an introduction to the history of the place. I booked the tour on the Tiqets app on my phone which was with the Big Bus Company and then met the guide by the big bus near the square.

There is a quick security check before going into Haggia Sophia. On the tour, we got an overview of the building from the guide. The information was relevant and interesting and it was a good way to get more information on the highlights.

At the end of the tour, we were free to explore on our own. There is a lovely gallery area which you can reach by walking up a series of ramps. This gives a great view down into the main area of the Haggia Sophia.

There is some beautiful detail in the building at that level and some great views of the stained glass windows.

Within the grounds of the Haggia Sophia. is a small cafe, bookshop and toilets beside the main complex. It’s a nice spot to sit and people watch for a little while. 

The Haggia Sophia is not a mosque so there is no need to wear a head covering – it is now a museum.

The building was wonderful to visit and also to photograph.

7. Istanbul Holiday – Visiting the Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern looked stunning.

This is located very close to the Haggia Sophia on the inside of the bend in the road. There is a small building that is the entrance. The queues to get in were extremely long so I didn’t go myself.

8. Istanbul Holiday – Getting Back to Taksim from the City Centre

Trying to get the tram back from Sulthanhamet proved impossible as every tram was full, heading towards Taksim.

I decided to walk back to the underground Metro station. On the way back I passed the Grand Bazaar and although I was keen to go in I didn’t feel comfortable enough going in on my own. Given my experience of having men call out to me while I was walking around I didn’t feel comfortable going inside. It was a huge disappointment as it had been something I really wanted to do.

The walk back to the tram station was probably about 45 minutes to an hour and it was a great way to see a bit more of local life.

Istanbul Holiday – Bosphorus Breakfast, A Beautiful Palace, A Boat Ride & A Funicular Finish

9. Istanbul Holiday – Visiting the Dolmabahce Palace

The Dolmabahce Palace was close enough to Taksim Square that I decided to walk. Walking down to it wasn’t that easy and several men approached me on the way. I have no idea what they said but it was a little unnerving.

Before going into the Palace I had breakfast at a cafe which looked right over the Bosphorus. It was lovely to have some toast and coffee watching the boats shuttle backwards and forwards. It was a lovely warm and sunny day and I finally felt like I was enjoying my visit to Istanbul.

The cafe was located at the rear of a car park just by a roundabout. I had a table right by the water’s edge. The waiter was very friendly and helpful and spoke English which was good too. He gave me a receipt and I paid at the cash desk on the way out.

The Dolmabahce Palace was a really interesting visit. I bought a ticket for the Palace and the Harem.

Included in the entrance ticket, but overlooked by many, was the fact that an audio guide was included. This was collected from a little office inside the main entrance. A deposit was needed which could be cash or your passport.

I chose cash preferring to keep my passport on me. The audio guide was fantastic and packed with really interesting information about all aspects of life in the palace, along with the more traditional information about where things came from. (The chandeliers which are stunning came from the UK!).

The palace is ornate and it felt a bit overwhelming by the end of the tour – the fact that so few people had so much wealth and lived such an opulent lifestyle. I felt this particularly after visiting the harem and learning about the hierarchy and structures.

There was a cute little gift shop at the exit of the main palace, before the harem part of the visit and I got a cool little mouse mat that is like a Turkish carpet. No doubt made in China but it was fun.

The cafe in the grounds of the palace wasn’t open so after exiting the palace I headed for the cafeteria which was just by the edge of the sea and before you exited the main gates. It was very busy and the service was a little chaotic but it was nice to sit under the trees and enjoy the view.

I was delighted to be able to enjoy a Sherbet – a very sweet non alcoholic drink that I had heard about but never tried.

Visiting the palace was one of the highlights of my Istanbul city break. It was close to Taksim and a very educational visit given I knew so little about the history of the palace and the area.

10. Istanbul Holiday – Take A Super Cheap Ferry Ride

After my visit I decided to take a different route back to the hotel and walked along the shore to the ferry terminal. I made up my mind I would take a ferry across the Bosphorus Strait and come back again. This was a very spur of the minute decision.

There was a ferry that ran across the strait from Kabatas which was a 10 minute walk or so along from the Palace.

I bought a return ticket and it was something like a £1 and boarded quite an old ferry and sat back and enjoyed the view and the fresh breeze.

On each trip there was a guy selling refreshments which was interesting, he had a tray full of goods which he carried round the ferry, although unfortunately, no one seemed to be buying anything.

Again another insight into daily life as part of my Istanbul city break and one that few tourists seemed to be getting as it was just locals on the ferries.

11. Istanbul Holiday – Take a Fun Funicular Ride

I then took the funicular from the shore up to Taksim Square. It was clean and I could use my metro card to pay for the fare so it was very cheap. I particularly loved the sign that said no ‘mansplaining’!

After returning to the square I decided to head for Burger King, not because I particularly like Burger King but because it has a lovely terrace with a great view over the square. After a bit of a mix up when I was ordering I headed up the tiny set of stairs to the terrace and enjoyed a great spot of people watching.

I then had a wander around the local area exploring the shops before heading back before it got too late and it got dark.

Istanbul Holiday – The Best Breakfast, Getting Intimate with a Stranger & Another Airport

12. Istanbul Holiday – Enjoying Yigit Soframe Gozlem Beautiful Breakfast

I decided to make my way over to the area of the Aga Hamami Baths to make sure I could find it and then have breakfast nearby. Having eventually found the baths I decided to head to a little coffee bar for breakfast nearby. Oh my goodness it was amazing.

It was called Yigit Soframe Gozlem and I had the most amazing breakfast spread.

Eggs, jam, bread, coffee, fruits, nuts and more all served in cute little dishes. I was able to enjoy a soya coffee as the waiter spoke better English than me and I enjoyed sitting watching local life happen nearby. There was an antique shop across the road that was just opening up.

This little cafe was one of the highlights of my visit – not just because the food was great but because I felt I had finally experienced the Istanbul I was looking for.

Interestingly there was a local guide having coffee there with an American girl and he was telling her that this was the real Istanbul – how right he was.

13. Istanbul Holiday – Visiting the Aga Hamami

I had pre-booked a visit to the oldest Turkish baths in Istanbul, the Aga Hamami. The website was very easy to use and I got a prompt confirmation back of my booking. I booked the full package including a face mask which was 300 Turkish Lire (it was about £35 pounds in total).

The entrance to the Aga Hamami was discrete and down a short flight of steps. I had actually walked past it a couple of times and not noticed it.

On entering the main door at the lower level there was a lovely room with little cubicles around the side, a small fountain and people in various stages of the baths process.

The welcome at the Turkish baths was warm and friendly. I was greeted by name and paid for my experience. I was given instructions on where to get changed and given slip on slippers and a towel.

I have to say I made a huge mistake and hadn’t taken a swimming costume and initally I made the mistake of stripping off completely so there was only a towel covering me.

When I got into the steam room where you spend about 30 minutes warming up everyone else was in swimming costumes so headed back upstairs and put on my undies and then went back in feeling a bit more relaxed.

Going up and down the very tiny and steep flight of stairs with the hotel type slippers was a little unnerving. Someone had asked if they could wear their own shoes for the stairs because he had big feet and the steps were tiny and he was told it was safer to wear the slippers, which I thought was funny.

I was surprised that the steam room was mixed sex and the men had their scrub downs performed in this room on top of the heated slab.

It’s not the most elegant of experiences so I was glad that ladies had a private room. In the centre of a room was a really hot marble raised area where you could sit or lie for extra heat. I chose to sit around the edge at one of the smaller areas. There were taps with little dishes where you could get cold water and throw it over yourself. After 30 minutes I was very warm and relieved when I was told it was my time for a scrub.

I then went into a little side room and met an older lady. She asked me if I wanted her to wear clothes or not. I chose clothes and I could see she was a little disappointed.

The clothes were actually a bikini and I am glad I did choose that option otherwise there would have been some very awkward skin on skin contact!

I was asked to lay on a slab which I did and then my towel was removed. I had taken my bra off as requested but left my knickers on.

She clearly wasn’t keen on my full M&S lace knickers so she hoiked them up giving me a very friendly but definite wedgie. It was an unnerving experience.

By now I was so far out of my comfort zone that I had started to see the funny side of the experience and I just let myself relax into it and not worry about what was going on. The scrub was amazing and whilst it wasn’t particularly relaxing, apart from the soap suds, I certainly felt clean by the end of it. The lady showed me how much stuff came off my skin and I have to say it was quite disgusting.

After my scrub I headed upstairs for a lounger and waited for my oil massage. I was taken into a small room on the first floor where there was the obligatory CD of supposedly relaxing music playing.

However, there seemed to be a fault with the CD player and it just repeated the same track. After a couple of minutes I stopped noticing though as I was relaxed from having oil poured over me.

The massage was firm but not hard or sore and it felt nice to relax after a couple of busy days and such a bumpy start to my visit to Istanbul. I felt like I was experiencing something historic taking the Turkish bath.

At the end of the bath, I was given a face mask and told to apply it and then leave it on for a certain amount of time and then wash it off at a basin in a small corner room. In between I lay on one of the loungers near the changing rooms and lockers and had a job to stay awake if I am honest.

Having washed up at the end I got changed and headed down the very tiny and steep stairs again and enjoyed a little cup of tea in the main entrance area. It was nice to see other guests coming in, mainly tourists, and the people who had been in the baths when I was there finished up also so it was a nice shared experience amongst strangers.

At the end of the visit, I emerged back out onto the streets of Istanbul feeling that only on the last day I had found what I was looking for and feeling a little sad to be leaving. However, I had decided to check out of my hotel a night early and head for the Sabiha airport so I collected my things from my hotel room, checked out, and then headed swiftly for my bus.

14. Istanbul Holiday – Getting from Taksim Square to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

Having used the Havaist buses I decided to use them again to transfer from Taksim Square to Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

Given I was staying close to Taksim Square it was an easy walk to the bus pickup. The luggage was loaded and I was given a receipt I then used my Istanbul Kart to pay for the fare.

The cost was 30 Turkish Lira (approximately £4). Again the bus was quite busy and it took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the airport. As with the previous bus I wasn’t able to connect to the internet on the bus because it said I need a Turkish phone number. I preferred looking at the views anyway!

This was another great way to get some local insight into all the different people travelling to thei airport and a good way to finish my Istanbul city break.

15. Istanbul Holiday – Staying at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport Hotel

I stayed at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport Hotel, right next to the airport terminal and connected by a handy shuttle bus.

This was an unexpected part of my Istanbul city break but a very pleasant addition after I checked out 1 night early from the Suitel Bosphorus Taksim.

16. Istanbul FAQs

Istanbul Holiday – Things to Do

Check Out More Istanbul Things to Do

Istanbul Holiday – Want to Stay In Istanbul?

Find hotel deals for Istanbul right here!

Find Cheap Hotels in Istanbul Using Map Search

Click on the price to get details of hotel such as review score and picture. Click again for more information

Check Flights to Istanbul

Istanbul Holiday – Package Holiday Options

Istanbul City Break Costs

• Flight from Inverness to Istanbul via London Heathrow £134 including checked luggage
• Suitel Bosphorus 4 night stay £118
• ISG Airport Hotel £40 (This was extra cost because I decided to check out early of Suitel)
• Baku 3 night stay £74
• Opera Hotel Riga £36
• Istanbul to Baku flight with Buta Airways £30 including charge for checked luggage
• Baku to Kiev flight with Buta Airways £45 including charge for checked luggage
• Kiev to London flight with Wizz Air £60
• Flight from London Gatwick to Inverness with Easyjet £50
• Total Trip Price £587

This trips was originally lower, however British Airways cancelled flight from Kiev to London which required a reroute to get home via Riga and another over night. Also I checked out of the Bosphorus Suitel one night early so this was an additional cost.

Further Reading

If you have found this Istanbul City Break article useful you might like;

Baku Holiday

Valencia City Break

Riga City Break

If you would like more ideas then check out my Travel Inspiration page

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