City: Istanbul
Top Things to do in Istanbul
10 Points of Interest & Landmarks in Istanbul That You Shouldn't Miss
The mosques, bazaars, and Turkish baths of Istanbul could keep you happily occupied for your entire trip: an eyeful of breathtaking architecture here, a good-natured haggle over a carpet there. Kick your trip off at the awe-inspiring Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque), which is visible from many points of the city. Stroll the Galata Bridge and stop by the Miniaturk Park to see its tiny artifacts. The Grand Bazaar has thousands of shops to browse, while the Egyptian Bazaar is a fragrant trove of spices and fruits.
Restaurants in Istanbul
1. Dialogue in the Dark Istanbul Sergisi
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Dialogue in the Dark invites visitors to leave the world‘s visual cacophony behind and to experience a completely non-visual world. Up to 10 people per group receive a short briefing and are introduced to the use of a long cane before embarking on their journey through darkness. The exhibition consists of a series of scenarios in complete darkness, such as a public park, a bustling city street, a food market, a boat or a cafe. Passing through these dark zones assisted by their visually impaired facilitator, they begin to explore the dark world with their other senses: sound, smell and touch. While visitors perceive everything in a completely new way their visually impaired facilitators provide support throughout the entiry tour, as to them this world is "visible". Depending on the size of the exhibition, the tour lasts 60 to 90 minutes.
2. Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Turbesi
3. Miniaturk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,715 reviews
Minaturk is just what it sounds like: a mini version of treasures found in Turkey. The park contains 105 models done in 1/25th scale, about half of them from Istanbul and the rest from Anatolia and the Ottoman territories outside of Turkey.
Reviewed By mamz001 - London, United Kingdom
Absolutely loved this place! Wife and I paid 20 liras each for a ticket and spent about an hour. It soooo cool, you could really see the details of all the models built here. All these miniature models are key monuments around Turkey, and it really gives a lot of information of when and why they were built. I was shocked at the beauty of some of these models, really stunning. For me this place should be in the top 10 things to do in Istanbul, if you get time do visit this place guys! I think in total there was in excess of 80 miniature models.
4. Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 607 reviews
Reviewed By girl_has_to_travel - Riga, Latvia
This amazing place near the Grand Bazaar is the oldest shisha place in Istanbul and I would recommend you to visit it if you want to have a different and authenic experience. They make really good shishas with smooth smoke and the guy is carrying around the tray with Turkish teas (apple is my favourite)... They have different rooms in the courtyard, but I think the offer is pretty much the same. Stop by if you are in the area!
5. Haydarpasa Terminal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 231 reviews
Reviewed By Travelaround59 - London, United Kingdom
Pity that this majestic building is closed as it looks amazing and interesting. Funnily enough they were finishing to close the outside of the building as we were cruising in front of it. Something to come back for in future for sure!
6. Sogukcesme Sokak
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By Travelaround59 - London, United Kingdom
Sogukcesme Street has to be the cutest little street in Istanbul. I always love walking the little toad with the cobbled pavement and the beautiful wooden houses lining the wall with the Topkapi Palace. Nevertheless the weather is rather miserable Sogukcesme has stil lot of charme.
7. Camlica Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 573 reviews
Reviewed By B1714D - Belgrade, Serbia
Camlica hill is located on the Asian side, on an elevated position in Uskudar. You can reach it by ferry and then taxi (more scenic journey), or taxi all the way from European side via the Bosphorus bridge (also exciting as you cross the only bridge connecting two continents). The Camlica hill is the best viewpoint in Istanbul, as from here you see almost the entire Bosphorus strait, as well the whole city. It's a favorite local's picnic spot, wedding place with an open air restaurant and famous gozleme (Turkish teriffic pastry) eatery. Another new, outstanding attraction is the last year finished mind blowing Camlica Mosque, but you must read about it in a separate review.
8. Kadikoy Istanbul Boga Meydani
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 436 reviews
Reviewed By PDOWN - Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Forget Eminonu and head across on the ferry to Kadikoy. The atmosphenre is wonderful , it's still busy but with less tourists. Within walking distance of the ferry there are shops, restaurants bars and the Fenerbahce football stadium. Spend the day here, there are lovely walks along the seaside, a world away from Sultanahmnet.
9. Sultanahmet Square
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,419 reviews
Reviewed By MrhBerkay - Istanbul, Turkey
I've been to there many times but the last one was probably the most interesting of all. The visit was in April 2020, during the early phase of the pandemic. As it was also a rainy day and most of the locals were at homes, there were literally no people around. It was a life time experience. Generally speaking, the area is worth to see at any time. It has many nice and historical buildings that date back to the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. Most famous buildings are the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The Hippodrome of Constantinople is a must-visit. The Serpent Column (from Delphi in Greece), the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of Theodosius (from the Temple of Karnak in Egypt) are absolutely worth to see. If you are wondering where the snake heads of the Serpent Column are, one of the heads is on display at the Archaelogy Museum. Other notable structures nearby: German Fountain, Ibrahim Pasha Palace, Fountain of Ahmed III and Million Stone Just a little tip: If you want to see the real remains of the Hippodrome, just go to the Kasap Osman Sokak and enjoy the history.
