Istanbul Tour Guide

Istanbul travel guide

For anyone who wants to take a trip to Istanbul, having an Istanbul travel guide can be beneficial. Because it provides compact information about travel and life in this city to tourists and travelers.

So before traveling to Istanbul, the beautiful city of Asia and Europe, read the travel guide to Istanbul offered by Manolya Tour Travel Agency.

Introducing the city of Istanbul

Istanbul is the bustling and popular metropolis of Turkey that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year. A variety of historical sights to modern and diverse shopping centers in Istanbul will entertain and surprise you.

Istanbul private tour guide will provide you the best information to make your visit easy and comfortable.

As you probably know, Istanbul is a city between the two continents of Asia and Europe! A city that connects two continents with the famous Bosphorus Bridge. In this way, by crossing the Bosphorus, you will reach the European neighborhoods of the city from the Asian neighborhoods.

The city of Istanbul has an area of about 2,576 square kilometers and a population equal to 15,214,177 people live in this city.

Practical knowledge

• Visa: not required for some countries
• Currency: Turkish lira (TRY)
• Local time: GMT+3
• Official language: Istanbul Turkish
• The religion of the majority of people: Islam
• Best season to travel: All seasons
• Sightseeing style: historical, shopping, sightseeing, nightlife
• City electricity type: 230 V/50 Hz
• Souvenirs: Turkish coffee, Turkish sweets and delights such as baklava and spices, ornaments, Turkish clothing, decorative lamps, etc.
• The best place to stay: around Taksim Square and neighborhoods such as Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, Eminönü, Karaköy, and Galata. Additionally, Manolya Tour provide local tour guide Istanbul, which is very professional and experienced.

Essential numbers

Turkey phone code: +90

Istanbul phone code: 212 for European areas, 216 for Asian areas

Police: 155

Fire department: 110

Ambulance: 112

Access ways from Istanbul Airport to the city center

Istanbul Airport is about 45 kilometers away from the city center. Use these ways to get out of the airport and reach Istanbul:

• Bus: Istanbul Airport has special buses to different parts of Istanbul. Therefore, it doesn’t matter where your accommodation is, depending on where you made your Istanbul hotel reservation, the bus you need to board varies. Depending on which area of Istanbul your destination is, the bus you are looking for departs from the airport every 15 to 40 minutes and of course you pay a different fare. If your destination is the city center, you will be on the way with these buses in about an hour and a half and you will pay a fare equal to 18 liras.
• Taxi: The taxi fare from Istanbul airport to the city center is around 200 to 250 Turkish lira. Of course, don’t forget that this fare will increase at night and if you are waiting for the taxi driver and have a large volume of luggage and luggage.

Famous sights of Istanbul

Istanbul is one of those cities where most tourists are familiar with its famous sights before their trip. As Manolya Tours, we suggest you several tour guide Istanbul. Some of the most attractive and famous of Istanbul are:

Hagia Sophia:

The first place you will come across and you will witness its splendor and beauty from different parts of the city is Hagia Sophia. A mosque that has been turned into a museum and is more than 1000 years old. It is not bad to know that Hagia Sophia was built by the Romans as a church before it was a mosque.

To get the best information, please choose the best tour guide in Istanbul form Manolya Tours such as Istanbul Private Tour Guide, Istanbul Old City Tour, Half Day Afternoon Istanbul Old City Group Tour, Half Day Morning Old City İstanbul Tour.

Dolmabahçe Palace:

Dolmabahçe is one of the royal and magnificent palaces of Istanbul, which is located right next to the famous waterway of the city. Therefore, it has a beautiful blue landscape and, of course, it exposes a beautiful view from inside the boat and ship.

This palace was built during the Ottoman Empire and has a luxurious design and decoration. Manolya Tours suggest guide Istanbul tour such as Two Continents with Dolmabahce Palace Tour, Dolmabahce Palace Morning Group Tour.

Blue Mosque:

The Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Mosque is a large mosque that is famous for its blue tiles and attractive decorations.

Visiting this mosque is free. There are several guided Istanbul tour package arranged by Manolya Tours such as Fast Track Topkapi Palace Tour, Fast Track Basilica Cistern & Topkapi Palace Tour, Fast Track Basilica Cistern Tour.

Bosphorus Ferry:

It is impossible to go to Istanbul and miss the Bosphorus ferry and boat ride. Seeing the seagulls flying around the boats and seeing the historical and famous buildings from another angle is a pleasure that cannot be replaced.

As Manolya Tours, we also recommend private guided tour of Istanbul and tours such as Bosphorus Tour by Boat, Private Standard Yacht Tour in İstanbul, Private Luxury Yacht Tour in İstanbul, Sunset Cruise Istanbul.

İstiklal Street:

At the end of the day, visit İstiklal Street to join this lovely crowd. Just walking on this street, watching people and street artists is exciting, not to mention shopping and rummaging. İstiklal is one of the best places to taste delicious street food.

In addition, the representative office of some of the most famous brands in the world is also located on this street. Under the name of Manolya Tours, we provide best tour guide Istanbul, and recommend Private Taste of Two Continents Food Tour.

Galata Tower:

This historical tower, which is located near İstiklal Street, gives you the opportunity to watch the historical context and view of Istanbul from a height of 67 meters. In the southern part of this tower, Istanbul Spice Bazaar is located, where you can go to buy spices and other foods.

Shopping:

Istanbul is one of the most popular destinations for shopping. Because Istanbul shopping centers are very diverse and modern.

Balat neighborhood:

This neighborhood is full of colorful houses and cozy restaurants and cafes that attracts many tourists.

Greenhouse Park:

One of the green and popular parks in Istanbul, which is located in the historical area of Fatih. By walking in this park, you will add pure moments to your trip.

If you plan to visit the sights of Istanbul in a certain period of time and see the various attractions of this historic and modern city, we suggest you to experience the Istanbul itinerary with Manolya Tour.

Public transportation in Istanbul

To get around in Istanbul, we recommend using public transportation, which has a reasonable cost. Metro, BRT bus, bus, tram, boat and ferry are among them. To pay public transport fare, you must have an Istanbul card (city electronic ticket) which costs 50 Turkish lira.

Metro: Istanbul metro with different lines is one of the best options for moving around the city. Metro lines operate from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The cost of each trip with Istanbul card is 10 Turkish lira.

Bus: There are a variety of regular buses and BRT buses in Istanbul that make it easy to get around the city. The fare of regular buses is 10 lira, while the fare of BRT buses is calculated according to the number of stops traveled. In general, don’t forget to ride the bus in Istanbul, you must have an Istanbul card.

Tram: You must have seen the famous red tram of Istanbul that passes through İstiklal Street. With this tram, you can move between the famous attractions of the European part and you only need to pay 10 lira with the Istanbul card.

Sea bus: To travel along the Bosphorus waterway or to access the Prince’s Islands, you can board a sea bus or public boats and ferries in Istanbul. The cost of riding these water vehicles can be paid with Istanbul card or in cash. In the routes inside Istanbul, the fare with Istanbul card is 10 lira. The cost of access to Prince Islands is about 20 to 35 liras.

Dolmuş: Dolmuş are our public vans that you can identify in Istanbul with their yellow color. The fare of Dolmuş is slightly higher than buses, but they have more diverse routes than the bus system. The fare of each route is listed on the signs at the beginning of the line.

Online taxis: If you are interested in using online taxis, be sure to download and install one of the three mobile applications, BiTaxi, Uber. You should know that BiTaxi is the most popular online taxi in Istanbul and you can pay its fare either in cash or online.

SIM cards of Turkey

Turkey has many mobile phone operators, including Turkcell, Vodafone and Avea, of course, Turkcell is the most famous service provider.

You can get sim cards and call and internet packages at the airport, shopping malls and operator branches throughout Istanbul. It is not bad to know that the cost of buying tourist SIM cards of these three operators is between 180 and 350 liras.

Famous Turkish dishes

Istanbul is one of the best destinations for traveling and tasting different delicacies. Because a variety of restaurant foods, street foods, and of course sweets and desserts are waiting for you.

If you go to a restaurant for a meal, first of all you will be greeted with a large tray of different types of meze (appetizers). Delicious appetizers, such as Dolma, salad, pickles, fruits, vegetables, etc., which can take the place of the main meal if you don’t control yourself! Therefore, we suggest not to overdo it.

After that, for the main meal, you can order one of the delicious Turkish kebabs such as döner kebab, Iskender kebab, Şiş kebabı or famous dishes such as meatballs and pide.

After this, if you go for an evening or night walk to a place like İstiklal Street, various street foods are waiting for you. You can buy delicacies such as Börek, Midye dolma, Simit, Funnel ice cream, Grilled Cobs, Kumpir from street stalls.

If you visit a cafe, attractive options such as baklava künefe are ready for you to enjoy with a hot drink.

Additionally, we also offer guided tour Istanbul turkey offered by Manolya tours like Private Taste of Two Continents Food Tour.

Festivals

Every year, various festivals are held in Istanbul, and participating in them can be a part of your happy travel memories! Among the most important festivals of this city, the following can be mentioned:

Istanbul International Film Festival, Istanbul Tulip Festival, Istanbul Chill Out Festival, Jazz Music Festival, Bosphorus Swimming Competition, Istanbul International and Art Biennial, Coffee Festival, Jazz Festival and…

As Manolya Tours, we highly recommend you Turkish Night Show Cruise and Bosphorus Cruise Arabic Night Show.