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

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.

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.

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

Türkiye is my favourite country

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

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.

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.

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!

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

LOVE LOVE LOVE this video! I can't wait to see you next month!!! 😊❤❤❤

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

Thanks again for an awesome vlog. Great style of vlog. It looks amazing.

Awesome. After having been to Istanbul a couple of times, I completely agree with everything you've said!

Phenomenal! You have given me loads to think about, as I look to visit Turkey in the fall of next year! I'm greatly anticipating your additional stops in the country.

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

Wow ! Great video . We really want to go there after watching this...Thanks

Another great video! Very informative! I'm going to Turkiye next year, so I star the places you mention on Google maps. Thanks!

Wow. Such a beautiful city. So excited to be visiting next May. Thanks for sharing all the information. Glad its all within walking distance as we decided not to hire car until we leave Istanbul and head to Cappadocia. Great video. Thanks for the share 😀 😊. Have a great day 😀

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.😊

Absolutely LOVE this epidode. You guys are great! ❤️

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

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

Another superb video guys! The information, time and the general quality of your videos is excellent. You put such a lot of effort in to making them. I enjoy your work - well done! 👍🏻

Enjoy your content! We would love to go to Istanbul, and after watching this, we just might have to move it up on our list!

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.

Excellent video. Very informative. It will be my guide for the month I’m planning to be in Turkey

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!

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

Your music in your videos is ON POINT! keep up the good work!

Thanks again for another great video. After we visited Istanbul we went to Cappadocce and Bodrum. These 2 places were amazing also.

In your shots, you really include details and different streets or places that I have not seen in the shots of other youtubers before. That's really nice.

Turkiye is my number one place I desire to go! I am excited for your upcoming videos. Thank you for sharing your experiences and expertise.

great video ! Have a great stay!

As always, I love watching your travel videos and am always jealous 😂😅😂 that you guys are seeing so many beautiful places.

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

Hi! Thanks for sharing. I wish you all the best ❤

Great video!

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

We stayed in the old city near Topkapi palace and the Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque and Hippodrome. The hotel was on a walking street and had a rooftop deck with pretty nice views. We were there for a week near the end of Ramadan and over Eid Al Fitr, so there were always a lot of people out at restaurants after dark and walking around the hippodrome area in front of the Mosques and I thought it was the best timing to visit. On the negative side for tourism, all the museums were free on the holiday, so people visited the cemetery and then went to the museums. That was the day we chose to visit a church with well preserved frescoes and a bus trip to the Asian side and there was a lot of traffic as you might guess in a huge city. On a holiday I would stay in the neighborhood I was staying in. On other days we visited lots of smaller mosques and the university. We ate at a restaurant under the Galata bridge that was good and we took the subway to avoid the steep hill and walked up Istaclal cadesi to Taksim and back. We didn’t get to go up Galata tower because it was closed by the time we were on the way back. We did a dinner boat trip up and down the Bosporus which was one of my favorite things. There was a place with a lot of bus tours and they were sorted by language so we were in the English bus. That was the unfortunate holiday so it turned into an eight hour slog with all the traffic. I probably would have gone for a shorter bus ride without the visit to the Asian side and just take a ferry over. I definitely would do a tour boat because some of the houses and palaces along the water are impressive. I got to see the Theodosian walls briefly and there are many other things I’d love to see on a second trip The grand bazaar was very touristy to me and I don’t think I would go back, but I would like to visit the city again.

The Turkish Delight from Turkiye is unforgettable. 🙏❤️

Great video! I am originally from İstanbul but have lived in London for 5 years. Will travel to my city with my lovely English boyfriend in May. As I don' t want to miss any updates about my city whilst I will show him I watched your video. Should say it is very informative. Thank you for your effort and please don't miss travelling to other cities in Turkey. I am sure you will love it! Lots of love ❤

Happy to see you are doing Turkiye. I'm planning seven weeks traveling around Turkiye next summer.

Great video! If you go back again, I recommend visiting one of the islands, i.e. Princess Island, and taking a bosphorous tour (all the way up to Black Sea and back). Happy travels!

Wonderful breakdown. Thanks.

Very very good video very imformative Well edited great video ❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

You had me with Irish Pubs ;-)

Great job, guys, good explanation. We have been following you for a while. We are in Istanbul now, but we are leaving for Antalya on Tuesday. It would have been fun to have a beer with you. From you shots of the Galata tower, you may be gone now. It has been covered with scaffolds for over a week. Keep posting.

Enjoying your creativity, the little suspense music added under the grotto. Thought I was suddenly watching the da Vinci code! I believe that as we get older and wiser, money and success have less meaning. Courage and bravery will eventually define us. Travelling the world in challenging times is a testimony to you both. Hard to walk past a donor kebab!

Another great vlog. Superb information from you both. However, disappointed Brian wasn't videoed having a hair cut in a Turkish barbers. Love you two so much and you are keeping us on track to do the same

I've been to Istanbul more than 7 times I love that city.

My first stop in March. Thanks.

Your travel tips are always my go-to for information of what to see and what to avoid. I love it. Keep it up! Please also share your GoPro info. What case are you using, etc...

Good job. I am glad you have enjoined your stay in istanbul.

Half expecting Jason Bourne or James Bond to walk through the scene. As always, very helpful. I went on a Boy Scout camp out to the island of Rhodes when we lived in Greece and could see Turkey from the beach, but that's as close as I ever got.

Great overview!! Such an amazing city, and near the top of my own list. So glad to see your experience. (Aside, I found the music balance really off in the past few vids, having to turn it way down, then back up to hear you speak. May be just me? But makes it a challenge to watch.)

Lovvvve your videos. Been in Istanbul twice, first on European side, then on Asian side, such an Amazing and vibrant city!

Thanks for sharing, I appreciate all the information and the travel tips. I am heading to Istanbul in June of 2024 for a few weeks and look forward to seeing the sights you visited.

Thank you for sharing… im planing on going during the fall …

Thank you great job, my wife and I just came back from Istanbul and I'm ready to go back,

We LOVE Istanbul! Visited for the first time in 2009, then back in 2013 for our honeymoon, and back on 2014 for 3 months ❤, then 2015 & 2016. Just visited last year again.

The Bosporus is not a River but a sea strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

we love Turkiye

great video. love the music

Nice and very informative video! Thanks! How is the weather in October?

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

You're so lucky!

Terrific video and on our bucket list! With recent geopolitical events, are protests and/or safety issues a concern presently?

Thanks for sharing. I've watched a dozen+ of your videos and this one is by far the most helpful for others looking to visit new cities. Would be fantastic if each of your 'base-camp' cities had a similar video. Especially love the breakdown of neighborhoods for both short and long-term stays. Excellent production and love everything covered. Do you feel Istanbul is fairly safe for solo female travelers? What would you advise or recommend for those visiting solo?

Thanks for the memories of Istanbul guys. I lost most of my Greece and Turkiye video footage due to a hard drive crash. Dud you try lining up with the locals to buy a fish sandwich from one of the boats? Something to try. Much appreciated. Keep them coming. Roger

Great video. We are planning at least a month in turkey. Probably a full month in Istanbul and then 2 weeks in Antalya? We shall see. We will be coming from a month in Greece and we are wanting to visit Romania and Bulgaria and finish in Italy, so we are hoping Romania and Bulgaria don’t make it into the Schengen this year. Safe travels!

A wonderful video! I had never thought of going to Istanbul but it is now on the list. Other places I had never thought of going are Seville and Valencia but am now planning to go next year thanks to your videos! BTW how safe is Istanbul for a single woman without a headscarf?

It's a nice video. If you come to Turkey again, I recommend you to go to Eskişehir, which is an underrated city. You can travel by high-speed train Eskişehir.

Love watching you both travel Europe as we do as well. We are now in Paris for 7 days after leaving Lagos. It's very busy, we were wondering if you make more money if we watch the adds till the end or is pushing the skip button fine? Do love some of the adds as they change as we change cities.

thanks for the video! really useful. May I ask in which month of the year was it recorded?

Sold!

Best haircut I have ever had😅. Brian ask for the wax job for ears etc.

Love your video. it looks very interesting. What currency is mostly used and how was the language barrier

You Guys Are Good - Another Great Video! So...Are you currently in Istanbul?? Trying to connect on your travel schedule.

Thanks for this comprehensive video. You hit all the important info about visiting the city. I was surprised to see no one wearing a mask. In your other videos there has been at least a smattering of masks. Not here. I wonder why. -Elizabeth

Just beautiful! Do you know if the five-day pass has to be five consecutive days or can you split them up?

Hi Brian and Carrie, thank you for all the detailed information you provided, they are so useful and you guys are amazing. I am planning a trip to Istanbul and will be staying at the Millennium Istanbul Golden Horn for 3 days. Then we are heading out to several cities and finally back to Istanbul for another 4 days. For the 4 days stay since we would have spent 3 days exploring all the sites in the Sultanahmet area, i'm considering staying in the Beyoglu area but the coverage of this area is quite big. Should i stay close to Istiklal Avenue or Galata tower or Karakoy? I'm looking at a few airbnb and unsure what area i should stick to. i did originally secured a really nice hotel in the Sultanahmet for a great price but i can cancel. We are fit, mid 50's , love to walk, enjoy a drink but not big in partying disco night scene and we don't care for expensive luxury hotel. Can you recommend some area or even the place you stayed if you think they are good. Thank you so much and keep doing what you do now!

Nice. Seems more inviting than I would have thought. Is this part of your Schengen strategy?

Super exciting episode! If I may ask, what was the cost of the flight from Palermo via Rome? I'm too impatient to wait for your cost of stay video 😅 Cheers!

Welcome to İstanbul ! Have a nice time !❤

Hello, enjoyed the video! Did you ever feel unsafe traveling there as Americans with all the things going on right now?

A lot of people in istanbul don't speak English but they understand English though.

Do you guys share which Airbnbs you choose? Would be great to leverage all your research and hard work!

👍👍👍

Hi Brian and Carrie, with your videos you guys inspired hubby and I to come to turkey this september , I cant wait to see Cappidocia and Antayla , ? spelling..... Im stuck on planning where to stay in Istanbul, we r not keen on high tourist areas and not really not interested in the mosques, would like to stay somewhere quiet so "call to prayer " is in a faint distance and does not wake us up at 5am. we do like culture, restaurants and shops. Somewhere central but out of hustle and bussle. Is there a nice marina district ? Also you suggested a week in Istanbul , how long would you say in Antayla and Cappidocia to see the main highlights and have a few days down time , is there any othere areas worth a stop I see Bodrum is quite popular.......... we are doing the semi slow travel lol Thank you

Hi Carrie n Brian. I plan to spend a full month in Istanbul from 15 october. Ive already done the touristy things in last trip. May i ask where u stayed n paid for the month you were there? Where would you stay again if you planned a second trip?:)

Thanks for the video! It is correct that most public transportation TAKES CREDIT CARDS (the touchless ones) except MAMARAY from Sabiha airport where we'll be landing from Zurich, CH hence that we only have 3 FULL DAYS @ Istanbul, thus staying at Sultanahmet is preferred ? ALSO, I heard that the Christian side of Ayasofia is covered now (or blocked due to the "war" that has been going on)? My husband likes Michelin restaurants, so we'll be eating there ;-) Interesting ground design like Lisbon, Portugal of course they had the Ottoman influence 🙂 By the way, Beyoğlu, pronounces beyooLU (the G is silent)

Great video. Thanks for sharing. Bosphorus is not a river.

8:46 i hope this is not the cats home with her babies inside 😱 Thank you for the awesome video

Interesting, though the Bosphorus that divides Istanbul is a strait - a narrow stretch of sea - rather than a river.

Wow, we just came back from Istanbul in October 2023. We spent a week in Bodrum and another week in Istanbul. Highly recommend visiting Bodrum. So I have a question for you guys: Did you ever consider renting out your home as collecting rent as a source of income as opposed to selling it? What do you think would have been the pros and cons to doing that? I ask because that's what my wife and I are considering doing.

Would you consider sharing your AirB&B spots you selected? I don't know if that is something AirB&B frowns on or not but you always seem to find awesome places to stay!

Carrie, your hair always looks great! I’m nearly 50 and have more grey than blonde these days. I’m worried about my ability to get my roots touched up regularly. What your secret???

again guys great video of turkey i never know how beautiful this country is and the great history thanks for letting me the bars and happy hours thats important LOL LMAO Hahhahahah just kidding

We love Istanbul! How has inflation affected the tourist areas? Is everything a lot more expensive?

Please share your thoughts on how expensive has Istanbul become recently.