Istanbul Guidebook

Rick Steves Istanbul is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Better yet, it's actually two tour guides in your pocket: The authors of this book have been guiding Rick Steves tours in Turkey for more than a decade. As Turkish natives and residents of Istanbul, Lale and Tankut give you an insightful, knowledgeable look at this exciting and complex destination, including:

• Practicalities
  • Easy-to-follow maps (including color maps of Turkey and Istanbul's Old Town, New District, and transit system)
  • ​Trip planning: When to go, pre-trip checklist, festivals and holidays, recommended books and movies
  • Getting around Istanbul by metro, tram, boat, bus, and taxi
  • Advice on planning your time and avoiding lines
  • Detailed advice on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints
• Recommended sights and activities
  • Covering all of Istanbul plus Ephesus and Cappadocia
• Recommended hotels and restaurants
• Self-guided walks and tours
  • Historic Core
  • Old Town Back Streets
  • Golden Horn
  • New District
  • City Walls and Neighborhoods
  • Asian Istanbul Cruise
• Self-guided tours
  • Hagia Sophia
  • Topkapı Palace
  • Istanbul Archaeological Museum
  • Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
  • Grand Bazaar
  • Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent
  • Chora Church
• And more
  • Istanbul's history, culture, and cuisine
  • Shopping and entertainment
  • Unique Istanbul experiences (including Turkish baths)
  • Extra chapter on understanding Islam and Turkish religious traditions
  • Handy Turkish survival phrases

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in this guidebook, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.