Istanbul travel tips: what to know before you go

Before you go

Carry your passport, get an Istanbulkart, keep small lira notes

Visa

None for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most EU tourists, up to 90 days in 180

Currency

Turkish lira; cards almost everywhere, cash for tips and small stalls

Time zone

UTC+3 all year, no daylight saving

Plugs

European two-pin (types C and F), 230V

Emergency number

112 for police, ambulance and fire

The Istanbul travel tips we give first-time visitors fit in one breath: carry your passport, buy an Istanbulkart on day one, keep some lira in small notes, dress for mosques on old-city days, and check which sights are closed before you plan a day around them. The rest is detail, with links to our longer guides where a subject deserves one.

Istanbul travel tips at a glance

Topic	The short version	Our full guide
Getting around	Buy an Istanbulkart; the tram and ferries beat taxis in traffic	Public transport in Istanbul
Tipping	About ten percent after a proper meal; round up taxi fares	Tipping in Turkey
What to wear	Anything in the street; shoulders and knees covered in mosques, plus a scarf for women	What to wear in Istanbul
Safety	Safe by big-city standards; keep your bag in front of you in crowds	Is Istanbul safe for tourists?
Where to stay	Sultanahmet for the monuments, Karaköy or Galata for the evenings	Where to stay in Istanbul
How long	Three days is where the city stops feeling rushed	How many days in Istanbul
When to come	April–May and September–October are the easiest months	Best time to visit Istanbul

What should you know before going to Istanbul?

Four things are worth sorting out before you pack.

Passport and visa

Holders of ordinary passports from the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia and most EU countries can visit Türkiye as tourists without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other nationalities should check the official e-Visa site, evisa.gov.tr, where many can apply online. Check your passport's expiry date too: the UK government's entry advice asks British visitors for at least 150 days of validity from the day they arrive.

Carry photo ID

Turkish law expects you to carry photographic ID, and the UK advice is plain that visitors should always have their passport on them. A photo of it on your phone is a backup, not a substitute.

The time difference

Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year and has not changed its clocks since 2016. That puts Istanbul three hours ahead of London in winter and two in summer, and seven or eight hours ahead of New York depending on the season.

The size of the city

Istanbul spans two continents and is far bigger than the map on your phone suggests. Two sights that look close can be an hour apart by car at rush hour, and the famous day trips are genuinely far: Gallipoli is four to four and a half hours each way by road. Plan your days by neighborhood, not by list.

Money: cards, cash and what things cost

The currency is the Turkish lira. Cards are accepted in most places, though not in every taxi, and you will want small notes for tips, street food, tea gardens and public toilets. Draw cash from bank ATMs, and when a machine or card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in lira; that conversion rate is rarely a kind one. Our guide to cash or card in Istanbul covers ATMs, fees and exchange offices in full.

Is Istanbul expensive for tourists? For most visitors from Western Europe or North America, meals, tea and ferries still feel like good value. Prices rise quickly with inflation, which is why we print no lira figures: they would date within months. The big fixed cost is museum admission, and we will give you current figures when you get in touch.

Tipping is customary but genuinely your choice. Around ten percent after a sit-down meal, a rounded-up taxi fare and about fifteen percent for the hamam attendant cover most situations. Since January 2026, a Ministry of Trade rule has barred restaurants from adding a compulsory service or cover charge, so whatever you leave is your decision. Our guide to tipping in Turkey covers guides, drivers and lira versus euros.

Getting around without losing half a day

Buy an Istanbulkart from the machines at most tram, metro and ferry stations, top it up, and tap it at the gate. The same card works on trams, the metro, buses, funiculars, Marmaray and the city ferries. The T1 tram links Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar and the Galata Bridge, and the commuter ferries are the best-value sightseeing in the city. Our guide to public transport in Istanbul covers the lines and the card in full.

For taxis, take a registered one from a rank, note the plate and make sure the meter is running, as the UK government advises, or use a ride-hailing app. In heavy traffic, the tram or a ferry usually wins. Both airports are a long drive from the old city; our Istanbul airport transfer guide compares the ways into town.

Do's and don'ts in Istanbul

• Do cover shoulders and knees for mosques, carry a light scarf if you are a woman, and take your shoes off at the door. The big mosques lend coverings; see what to wear in Istanbul.
• Don't plan a mosque visit for prayer time. Most mosques pause visits during the five daily prayers, and the Friday midday prayer means the longest wait.
• Don't photograph people at prayer, or military and official buildings; the UK travel advice is explicit about the second.
• Do accept a glass of tea in a shop if you would like one. It is hospitality, and it obliges you to nothing.
• Do ask what a fair price is in the bazaars, and look at a couple of shops before a bigger purchase. Sellers expect the conversation and most enjoy it; our shopping in Istanbul guide explains how buying works.
• Don't follow a friendly stranger to a bar of his choosing, and buy your own drinks. That and the dropped shoeshine brush are the two old tricks worth knowing; our answer to whether Istanbul is safe for tourists covers the rest.
• Do cross roads with the locals. Traffic is a bigger everyday hazard than crime.
• Do learn merhaba (hello), lütfen (please) and teşekkürler (thank you).

First time in Istanbul? The mistakes we see most

Ignoring closing days. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. Plan the week around those three.

Doing too much in a day. Four monuments in a day is a route march. Three, with a ferry and a long lunch, makes a better trip; our two-day Istanbul itinerary shows how we pace it.

Arriving at the big sights late. In our experience the lines at Hagia Sophia and Topkapı grow through the morning, so go at opening time or later in the afternoon.

New shoes. The old city is cobbled and hilly, and a day of mosques means shoes off and on again. Bring comfortable slip-ons you have already worn in.

Practical odds and ends

• Water: the mains water is treated, but most residents drink bottled or filtered water.
• Plugs: European two-pin sockets (types C and F) at 230V; most chargers need only an adapter.
• Phone data: check your plan's roaming for Türkiye, or set up an eSIM before you fly. Tourist SIM cards are sold at the airports; bring your passport, because the SIM is registered to it.
• Emergencies: 112 for police, ambulance and fire.

Let a local handle the logistics

If you would rather not handle all of this yourself, a private day with our small team of local guides takes care of the timing, the traffic and the tickets: we buy your entrance tickets in advance at the gate price with no markup, you use the priority entrance, and ticket costs are quoted separately. Private tours run from €150 per group per day, guide and car included. Browse our private tours or tell us your dates, and we will plan each day around the closing days, the crowds and your pace.

Istanbul travel tips — frequently asked questions

Istanbul travel tips in pictures