How to Travel ISTANBUL, Turkiye 🇹🇷 - Your COMPLETE Guide

Welcome to Istanbul, Turkiye (Turkey)! 👋

Are you planning a trip to Istanbul, Turkey? Or maybe you just want to know more about this intriguing city. In this complete travel guide, we will navigate you through everything you will need to know before visiting. From the best neighborhoods to stay, top sites to explore, and many more essential travel tips for a seamless trip.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more travel inspiration! #IstanbulTravel #Turkey #travelguide

Accommodations:
Take a tour in Istanbul:

► Stay Connected

👇🏻 Ways to Support our Channel
Any support we receive is directly used to keep bringing you videos from around the world. Thank you!!

Some links below are affiliate links. By using them there is no additional cost to you. This helps us continue bringing you videos from around the world! If you do choose to use them - Thank you!!

👇🏻Our DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT Travel Essentials:

TRAVEL INSURANCE

[phagan]

My wife and I arrived in Istanbul in late September of 1998 and your video revived many happy memories -- Thanks! We stayed in a family run hotel close to the hippodrome, Sultanahmet District. While in Istanbul we walked everywhere, and at a very nice seafood restaurant, we asked our waiter, where to go in the south of Turkey for warm weather and seas. He told us to go to Ölüdeniz. We followed his advice and did go there after first staying a couple of days in Ephesus. For out trip to Ephesus and Ölüdeniz we took buses which were great. We enjoyed Ephesus very much. Ölüdeniz was perfect, where we had 10 wonderful days with sunny skies and 85 degree air temperature and the same temperature in the crystal clear sea. Most amazingly, our expenses in 1998 were so low. I remember that our hotel was $13 per night and had a beautiful pool and it included a Turkish style breakfast. Now, I want to get out our old photos of this trip.

[Fell]

Another winner. You folks have pretty much mastered the genre. So nice to see a couple of fellow U.S. citizens travel the world without making it all about them…but about amazing places and logistics.

[Evonne-ji]

Just love watching you two! 100% our favourite YouTubers.... honest, down to earth travel advice! Thank you from County Antrim, 🇮🇪

[johnvillalovos]

Great video. We really enjoyed our time there a year ago. Like you we stayed for one month. One thing people often don't realize is how hilly Istanbul is. The public transport is awesome in Istanbul. We had a great time. We ended up staying in Kadikoy.

[d.y.e]

Excellent vlog! Istanbul is just as I remember it. I flew from L.A.-Paris-Istanbul during my annual Paris, spring-season vacation. Istanbul was a wonderful city with really nice people and great food.
You got to experience the new International Airport which opened in 2019. Although I thought that I had been in Istanbul in the late 1990s (like 1999), it was actually April 2000. I just took out my photo album which I had added dates. I do remember seeing earthquake damage while in the taxi from the old Atatürk Airport to my hotel. I just realized that the big quake was in Aug 1999, 8 months prior to my arrival. I remember arriving with a mini emergency earthquake kit, just in case. I've been used to earthquakes here at home since a child and also was the head of the earthquake search and rescue team at work here. In various professions, we are trained for earthquakes.
It was great seeing Hagia Sophia in your video. I stayed about a 3-minute walk from there in a small boutique hotel, Hotel Empress Zoe, owned by a woman from San Francisco and who was at the hotel daily. My room was a small room, directly across from the neighborhood mosque and the call to prayer several times a day. The sounds took some getting used to, but it was magical.
Right near Hagia Sophia is the structure of the first jailhouse/prison in Istanbul which was built around 1918, but converted to the Four Seasons Hotel in 1996. The structure is quite historical. I wish I had also taken a few days at that hotel as it was still quite new when I was in Istanbul. Plus, they were having introductory special prices. I did go inside and the very friendly staff member told me about the history of the structure and showed me around. I think the structure was renovated again in 2021. There's a lot of history in Sultanahmet.
It was great seeing you guys do Istanbul so extensively and on foot. I remember walking for hours on end and one day 12 hours of being out and about. I arrived back to my hotel at midnight. 
One of the other solo female guests at my hotel, whom I accidentally met in the small breakfast room, and I connected and for one day went out into the city. She had already been there several days prior to my arrival. On that day, I remember us walking to the Beyoglu District as we walked across the Galata Bridge and went to the tower and also other places in that district. She was leaving Istanbul the next day and was on a solo 2-year around-the-world journey. She had taken a 2-year leave of absence from her high-stress law firm position, and decided to take off into the world. I remember us dropping into a travel agency that same day as she had decided, that her next destination would be Madagascar.
I did Istanbul using a paper map and was fine. I also travel solo and am used to having to figure out directions, etc on my own. I also have to be cautious, in some areas of travel places, due being a solo female traveling around the world. But, I've been doing solo travel since I was seventeen years old and I am now in my sixties. Awareness of one's surroundings and street smarts are big helpers.
Keep having a great time! I'm looking forward to the next vlog/video.
Greetings from Los Angeles

[kevinkirkpatrick]

We love starting our weekends off with some coffee and your new videos..has become a tradition ...cheers!

[kayclifton]

I can hardly wait until I go there because there are historical places in Turkey 🇹🇷 that worth seeing. Keep posting guys love it.
Kay

[BestHiphop-ygmi]

Great video! I think that Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cities in the world where you have so much to do and see. Food is one of the best in the world. If you are curious Turkish pizza is called “Lahmacun” and Baked Potato filled with different choices is called “Kumpir”. You will find the best Kumpir in Ortakoy neighbourhood. Lahmacun is hot and miss but look for Gaziantep Lahmacun. Same with Baklava, usually Gaziantep Baklava is the best with pistachios. Gulluoglu Baklava is one of the best ones in Istanbul which could be a bit pricey than normal, but it worths it in my opinion (if you like baklava). I know you guys love beer, so I’m sure you will like both Efes and Tuborg which are two popular beer brands in Turkey. Efes is Turkish and Tuborg is Danish. Both are great and very cheap if you buy them from stores. Enjoy your time in Istanbul, it is a beautiful city.

[danieltroyo]

Thanks for showing us another very nice, informative video, Istanbul looks a great city to visit, you guys look amazing!!

[therahughes]

What an amazing video. I love all the " Pro Tips". You two are informative tour guides for the" Average Tourist ". I love it!!! . I do hope you get to Ephesus sometime in your travels.

[KathyinKentuckyUSA]

I started watching Brian and Carrie about a year ago whensI was planning a vacation to Paris-- you popped up on my feed. Currently, I am going through a dark time. I am smiling watching your video. My lovely husband (he is not part of the darkness) would like to visit Istanbul some day and I agree it would be thrilling. Feel good about yourselves today, you have made me forget my trouble for 25 minutes. Cheers!, Kathy

[nomadjim]

Great overview of Istanbul! Makes me want to go back and spend more time there. I stayed in Beyoglu as well and it really is the best centrally located neighborhood to stay in. Looking forward to your next destination. Cheers!

[eesa]

Great video quality and some solid info there too!
I was there last year and stayed on the asian side and i loved it so much more than sultanahmet, peaceful, beautiful and really good food with non tourist prices

[monacaltabiano]

The Turkish Delight from Turkiye is unforgettable. 🙏❤️

[brucefellowes]

Another great video. I believe the name for a Turkish pizza is called Pide

[bronwynquinn]

Wow! What a wonderful video! So much tremendous information…beautiful photography, and a great resource! Thanks you two!

[ericdenissen]

merhaba brian and carrie beautiful and interesting video about istanbul i recognized many points wherever i have been, the mosques for example have fun in istanbul

[LisaShear-fbnd]

Great tip on rooftop bars! I started putting those on my must do list after finding great ones in Athens! Looking forward to a trip to Istanbul in the further!

[artbrutnewyork]

Outstanding video! Great visuals, music, tips, and commentary! Love Istanbul . Looking forward to your video sharing your monthly cost of living.

[markfinlay]

Hi Guys, Thanks for the camera advice. I loved the Istanbul video and think it is one of your best. It painted a picture and the recommendations were spot on. I am looking forward to next weeks video.😊