Sultanahmet
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar within walking distance. The historic heart, quieter at night than the districts across the Golden Horn.
Sources and further reading · Sultanahmet
Türkiye
Hotels in Istanbul
Istanbul is vast, and the side of the water you sleep on shapes the trip. Most visitors stay on the European side, either among the monuments of the old city or around Galata and Beyoğlu; the Asian side is calmer and a ferry ride away.
This guide helps you choose an area. Hotel prices and availability are checked when you search with dates and guests.
Get to know the area before choosing a hotel
Beyoğlu and Galata
The Galata Tower, İstiklal Avenue and the restaurants of Karaköy. Lively day and night, with trams and ferries close by.
Sources and further reading · Beyoğlu and GalataKadıköy
On the Asian shore: markets, cafés and a local feel, linked to the European side by frequent ferries.
Sources and further reading · KadıköyGetting in from the airport
Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
Istanbul has two main airports on opposite sides of the city. From Istanbul Airport, on the European side, a metro line and airport buses run into the city. Sabiha Gökçen is on the Asian side, with a metro line and buses. Check which airport your flight uses — the drive between them is long.
Before choosing your address
- Check which side of the Bosphorus the hotel is on before comparing prices.
- Old-city streets are often steep and cobbled. Check whether a car can reach the entrance.
- Traffic can be slow; a hotel near a tram, metro or ferry stop often saves more time than one that looks close on the map.
Worth reading before you book
How to choose a hotel: what to check before you book
The right hotel is not the grandest on the list; it is the one that fits the days you planned. Five checks, in this order.
What you pay at the hotel: taxes, fees and the deposit
The booking closed at one price and the bill shows another. Usually that is not a mistake but a local tax.
How to read a flight before you book: times, stops, duration and the fare rules
Two flights at the same price can be very different trips. Everything that tells them apart is already on the result — it only has to be read in the right order.
