Travel guide Istanbul
The best time to go à ISTANBUL
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Practical information for travel à ISTANBUL
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Edition 2025/2026
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Where to go à ISTANBUL?
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Featured articles d'ISTANBUL
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How to travel à ISTANBUL
How to go alone
The price of a plane ticket is very variable and depends on the airline used but, above all, on the reservation delay. In high season, last minute fares can be very high on some airlines. To get good prices, think about buying your tickets well in advance! Note that low cost flights now serve Istanbul.
How to go on a tour
Several tour operators propose offers of stays. Some include the visit of Istanbul in a complete tour of Turkey, others put forward the capital under the prism of thematic stays (long weekend or discovery of the city in winter for example). Prices may vary depending on the booking period.
How to get around
Buses and collective cabs (which stop on request) are the least expensive means of transportation. The entire metropolis is covered by metro, streetcar and funicular. The two banks of the Bosphorus are linked by frequent ferry connections. The acquisition of the Istanbulkart allows to reduce the costs of the journeys.
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Discover ISTANBUL
Calm and dynamic, modern and ancient, religious and secular, Istanbul has an incomparable and multifaceted character that is the envy of many other cities. This megalopolis of over 16 million inhabitants is the only one in the world to be crossed by an arm of the sea, the Bosphorus. To visit Istanbul is also to travel back in time, and, thanks to the many remains, to stroll through Constantinople or Byzantium. The richness of its history and the influence of many cultures make it an exceptional place where priceless treasures abound. Apprehending this fascinating city means experiencing a new culture and seeing the world in a different way. This includes culinary, artistic and architectural discoveries, not to mention the art of keyif (idleness) in the hammams. Surprising and generous, conservative and avant-garde, neither European nor Asian, it is quite simply unique.
The 12 keywords à ISTANBUL
#Atatürk
Main Turkish statesman of the 20th century. Mustafa Kemal known as Atatürk (the father of the Turks) founded the Turkish Republic in 1923. He will modernize the country and establish the principles of secularism. His influence on the social life of the country is still very great, and it is difficult to ignore it so much his portraits, statues and photographs are present.
#Backgammon
One of the oldest board games in the world, probably originating in Mesopotamia. In Turkey, every opportunity is good for playing. In some alleys filled with small tables for this purpose, Turks, while drinking their tea, click the dice on the wooden board. Mixing strategy and luck, this game is quickly addictive!
#Bazaar
Istanbul is full of bazaars, each district has its own speciality (bazaar of fabrics, bicycles, light bulbs...). The best known are the Egyptian market (spice market) and the big bazaar with its 5,000 shops. Between ceramics, jewellery, carpets and copper objects, it is the ideal place to go shopping if you know how to bargain well.
#Bosphorus
About 40 kilometers long, the Bosphorus serves as a passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, marking the boundary between Europe and Asia. Its traffic is one of the densest in the world: 50,000 boats a year and more than a million Stambulans pass from one bank to the other every day. Three bridges and a tunnel cross it.
#Turkish Coffee
In the proper way, Turkish coffee should be slowly heated in sand over a fire to achieve a balanced aroma. The amount of sugar should be specified when ordering: sade (no sugar), orta (medium sweet) and şekerli (very sweet). After tasting, a falcı will be able to read the future in the pomace remaining at the bottom of the cup.
#Kebap
The term kebap, which means grilled meat, can refer to lamb, mutton, beef or chicken. There are many different kinds of kebap, which can be served as a dish with braised tomatoes and peppers, as a sandwich or rolled in a wrap. In France, the doner is best known for being cooked vertically.
#Mosques
Istanbul is known as the "city of seven hills and a thousand mosques". Today, there are 3,300 of them, some of which are pure jewels of Ottoman architecture. It is imperative to visit the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque, avoiding the prayer hours (5 times a day), especially on Fridays between 12 and 2 pm.
#Nazar boncuk
Made from glass paste, this ancestral talisman is found throughout the Middle East, particularly in Turkey. Hanging on the doors of houses, in offices..., it symbolizes the envious gaze of others that could cause various misfortunes to a person. This talisman would have the ability to absorb these bad energies.
#Rakı
Turkish national alcohol, aniseed-flavored, at 45 degrees, generally made from grapes, it resembles pastis or ouzo. It is drunk chilled as an accompaniment to long meals of mezzes and fish. A few rules to follow: the rakı is served first, the water and then the ice cubes. To be enjoyed in moderation, the rakı is strong!
#Teras
Many restaurants, hotels, cafés, bars and nightclubs have a terrace. This asset is used to promote the establishment. Many of them have a beautiful view of the Bosphorus, but sometimes it is more a fashion effect and no panorama is on the horizon. Note that the fresh air is still pleasant.
#Tea
Çay(tchay) in Turkish. An essential drink of Turkish culture, offered as a sign of hospitality, it is drunk everywhere and at any time, served in small glass cups. More bitter and stronger than the tea served in Europe, don't hesitate to ask for it açık(atcheuk) so that it is lighter. Turks usually have tea after a meal.
#Tulip
If you are told tulips, you may think of the Netherlands, but tulips come from the Middle East! It is a symbol of Turkey, and especially of Istanbul (Turkish lale). It took on its full importance in the 16th century, in the Ottoman gardens. It is found as a motif on ceramics. At the end of April, the tulip festival celebrates spring.
You are from here, if...
You are a Stamboulian if, after drinking your Turkish coffee, you turn it over on the small plate that comes with it, so that you can read your future in the grounds.
You are a Stamboulian if you play backgammon(tavla) while drinking tea in a small neighborhood café.
You are a Stamboulian if you have a hearty breakfast(kahvaltı) with friends or family on the weekend.
You are a Stamboulian if, when you go to a restaurant, before you leave you pretend to go to the bathroom, but in reality you are going to pay the bill.
You are a Stambulian if, after a drunken evening, you go to a soup restaurant (open all night) and order the tripe soup(işkembe çorbası).
You are a Stambulian if, at the end of the day, you meet your friends by the Bosphorus and while chatting, you nibble on salted sunflower seeds.
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