Travel
Flight
Flight to Istanbul Airport - IST
We highly recommend Turkish Airlines, as they have direct flights from most major cities including Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Miami, and many more. Most international flights will arrive to Istanbul Airport. The airport is quite far from the city center but there are convenient shuttles (HAVAIST) you can take to many neighborhoods in the city. You can also take a taxi, which should cost around $20 to go to somewhere central.
Travel Note
What Neighborhoods to Stay
You will see that there are many hotel options. They range from $50 to $800 a night. The choice is yours depending on what you are looking for. We recommend Besiktas, Ortakoy, Kabatas, Taksim, Karakoy areas for central hotels with great views near the Bosphorus. This is where the action is. Old town Istanbul in Sultanahmet is a great place to visit to get a lot of the history and would also be a good choice for those who want to stay near the historic section of the town. Beware, this area gets crowded with tourists! If you’d like to stay on the Asian side, there are more affordable options. Transportation is easy and there are ferries that will conveniently take you to the European side. Uskudar is a central location and Kadikoy is a gem for the locals. There are also plenty of affordable Airbnb options, especially for bigger groups.
Travel Note
Transportation Within the City
It is highly recommended that you use public transportation in the city. You will need an IstanbulKart to use the public transportation in Istanbul. These are pre-loaded travel cards you can use in the metro, ferries and busses. Click below to learn more about how to get an IstanbulKart upon arrival. Uber is not widely used in Turkey, but there are similar apps that are used for taxis, like BiTaksi. Most taxis accept credit cards. However, as hospitable as Turkish people are, some taxi drivers are known to scam tourists by agreeing on a fixed rate for a specific location. Never accept this offer.
Travel Note
Recommended Guided Tours
We recommend some guided tours in the city, especially in the historic district. These guided tours are a convenient way to explore the old district while learning about its extensive history. It is also totally doable to visit these sites without a guide, but it is highly recommended because it's so easy to miss some important parts while focusing on reaching to the big ticket items, like the Hagia Sophia.