Istanbul guides

Practical guides written at our front desk: where to stay, how to get in from the airports, what changes with the season and what to do in the old city on foot.

• Istanbul's old city in 3DExplore the monuments, walk the routes and collect a stamp at every landmark — all starting from Hotel Marius in Sirkeci.
• Where to stay in Istanbul: 16 real trips, answeredThe way people actually ask the question — three days and a first visit, a midnight landing at Sabiha Gökçen, a toddler and a pushchair, a ten-hour la
• Sultanahmet, Taksim or Sirkeci? Where to stay in IstanbulSultanahmet if you came for the monuments, Taksim if you came for nightlife and shopping — and Sirkeci, between them, if you want both.
• First time in Istanbul: how many nights, and where to sleepHow long the city actually takes, what fits into two, three, four or five nights, and how the number of nights should change where you book.
• Where to stay in Istanbul's Old Town (the historic peninsula)What the Old Town really covers, how Sultanahmet, Sirkeci and the inland streets differ, what you gain and what you give up by sleeping inside it — an
• European or Asian side: where to stay in IstanbulOne city, two continents and a strait in between.
• The best hotels in Istanbul: how to actually choose oneNo paid rankings.
• Who Hotel Marius suits: older guests, young travellers, business trips and familiesThe same small hotel works for an 80-year-old, a student, a consultant and a family of four — for different reasons.
• Where to stay in Sirkeci, Istanbul: is it a good area?Short answer: yes, for most first visits.
• Eating in Sirkeci and Eminönü: what the neighbourhood actually eatsThe lunch street two minutes from our door, the steam-counter kitchens visitors walk past, fish by the ferries, and where to go when you want a three-
• Shopping in Istanbul: the bazaars, the streets behind them and how to buy wellWhat the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar and the streets around them are each good for, when to go, how bargaining really works, what to check before b
• Your first hours in Istanbul: card, SIM, moneyFour practical things that decide how smooth the first day goes.
• Istanbul scams and safety: the traps, and the simple rules that avoid themThe taxi meter, the shoe brush, the friendly stranger with a bar in mind, the menu with no prices — the tricks visitors meet in Istanbul, how each one
• Three days in Istanbul on foot from SirkeciA route built around walking distance rather than a checklist.
• Stay near the airport or in the city? Istanbul, IST and SAWWhen an airport hotel is the right call, when it quietly wastes a day of your trip, and how the trains from Istanbul's two airports actually work — in
• Istanbul layover: reaching the old city from the airportIstanbul Airport is one of the world's busiest transfer hubs, and a long connection is enough to see the old city.
• Istanbul cruise port: a night near Galataport before or after your cruiseCruise ships in Istanbul dock at Galataport in Karaköy, on the far side of the Galata Bridge from Sirkeci.
• Istanbul for a business trip: congress venues, airports and where to sleepJourney times from the old city to every major congress and fair venue, why the train beats the taxi for both airports, and what a two-night work trip
• Staying in Istanbul for treatment: what to ask a hotel, and where we fitAn honest guide for patients travelling to Istanbul: how far the clinics are from the old city, what to ask for when you book, the practical things th
• Istanbul with children: a family stay in the old cityFamilies come to Istanbul for the same sights as everyone else — Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, the bazaars, the Bosphorus — but at a different pace.
• Accessible Istanbul: staying in the old city with reduced mobilityIstanbul's historic peninsula is hilly and many of its streets are cobbled, so planning matters if you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty.
• Mosques, prayer times and Ramadan in Istanbul's old cityWhich mosques are a short walk from Sirkeci, when they close to visitors, what to wear, how Ramadan changes the peninsula, and the practical answers a
• Football in Istanbul: fixtures, tickets, stadiums and how to get thereWhich club plays where, how tickets actually work for a visitor, how away supporters travel on European nights, and the fastest way to each ground fro
• Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü: routes, timetables and pricesWhich boat goes where, how long each tour takes, and how to check today's departure times and fares without trusting a year-old blog.
• Turkish bath near Sirkeci: three historic hamams and what to expectThree of Istanbul's best-known Ottoman bathhouses are within a short walk of our door.
• Istanbul in winter: what to expect from November to MarchWinter in Istanbul is cool, wet and far quieter at the big sights.
• Istanbul in spring and autumn: April, May and OctoberSpring and autumn are the old city's gentlest seasons: mild days, cool evenings and long walks without the summer heat.
• Istanbul in summer: what to expect from June to SeptemberSummer is Istanbul's busiest season: long, warm days, the Bosphorus at its best and the biggest crowds at the famous sights.