What to do in Istanbul

Istanbul is a fairy tale. The capital of Turkey has different types of neighbourhoods where old and modern come together. You will find culture, delicious food and an authentic atmosphere. Discover the beautiful historical district Sultanahmet, take a boat trip on the Bosphorus or taste the Turkish cuisine at a traditional bazaar. All highlights for you at a glance!

Get a £30 discount on your flight

Ready to visit Istanbul? You can now book Turkish Airlines flights to Istanbul with a £30 discount!

Use the code FLYISTANBUL in the final step of the booking process!

All prices on this page are excluding the discount, and only valid on Turkish Airlines between 23 September and 6 oktober.

Sights of Istanbul

These sights in Istanbul are definitely worth a visit:

Sultan Ahmet mosque (blue mosque)

The Sultan Ahmet mosque, internationally known as the blue mosque because of the many blue tiles inside, is the most visited mosque in Istanbul. Fun fact: the outside of the mosque is gray and, although the name suggests otherwise, there are also green and red-brown tiles. The Sultan Ahmet mosque has six minarets and gives a beautiful view from different corners of the city.

Istiklal Caddesi

Literally translated it means: the "Street of Independence". Istiklal Caddesi is the most famous street of the city: a beautiful pedestrian street of about three kilometers, crossed by old trams.

Archaeological museum

It's the oldest museum in Turkey and as a museum lover you should not miss this. The museum contains more than a million objects from the Greek and Roman periods.

Aya Sofia (mosque)

The Aya Sofia is now 1500 years old, and one of the oldest archaeological museums in the world. It is an impressive mosque from both outside and inside.

Things to do in Istanbul

Do you want to taste the culture of Istanbul? This is how you can experience the city!

The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest bazaars in Turkey, with countless spices, jewelry, scarves, handcrafted crockery and so on. Get lost in the narrow passageways while being taken back in time.

Turks bathhouse (hammam)

Enjoy a typical Turkish pampering treatment in one of the many Turkish bath houses. You will feel reborn afterwards!

Bosphorus boat trip

The beautiful wide Bosphorus, the river that runs through Istanbul, really gets its charms from the water. Buy a ticket for a tourist boat trip or for a ferry, and enjoy the great view. Especially nice during the sunset. Don't like boat trips? The view from the Bosphorusburg is also fantastic.

Good to know

• Temperature: in the summer months the average temperature is around 28˚C and in the winter months around 9˚C.
• Time difference: in Istanbul it is two hours later than in London.
• Currency: The Turkish Lira (TRY).
• Language: Turkish, but you can also use English.

Small Print:

• Discounted booking: 23 September until 6 October 2019, only on Turkish Airlines flights from the UK to Istanbul.
• All mentioned flight prices are excluding the £30 discount.
• To use the discount, enter the discount code (FLYISTANBUL) during the last step of the booking process, in the field 'add discount code'.
• The rate mentioned is a starting price based on departure from the UK's main airports.
• The rates mentioned are based on availability and chosen travel dates, and based on Economy Class.