A guide to the neighborhoods and areas of Istanbul, including where to stay and which districts suit different travelers.
Neighborhoods
Where to stay in Istanbul
The right neighborhood can matter more than the right hotel. Compare atmosphere, location and who each area suits.
01
Sultanahmet and the Historic Peninsula (Fatih)
The Historic Peninsula, surrounded by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, on which UNESCO says Byzantium and Constantinople developed; the World Heritage property has four components: the Sultanahmet archaeological park, the Süleymaniye quarter, the Zeyrek area and the Land Walls. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern are all here, as are the Grand Bazaar (Beyazıt) and Süleymaniye. Chora sits further out, in Edirnekapı along the line of the Land Walls.
Best for
First visitMajor monuments on footT1 tram access
The T1 tram stops at Sultanahmet, Gülhane, Çemberlitaş and Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı and, per Metro İstanbul, runs 06:00 to 00:00 daily with about 2-minute gaps at peak. T1 connects with Marmaray at Sirkeci.
02
Eminönü and the Golden Horn shore
Where the T1 tram meets the T5 tram and the ferries, and where the Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque complex sit. The official portal treats the Golden Horn as one of the city's main areas to explore.
Best for
FerriesSpice BazaarChanging between rail and boat
03
Beyoğlu: Karaköy, Galata and Taksim
The official portal calls Beyoğlu the centre of Istanbul's entertainment and cultural scene, built around İstiklal Caddesi, Taksim Square with its Monument to the Republic, narrow-streeted Karaköy and the redeveloped Galataport waterfront. Galata Tower stands above Karaköy. The portal lists historic cinemas, theatres, the Hagia Triada Orthodox Church, Galatasaray High School and consulate buildings, and five festivals (Beyoğlu Culture Route, Istanbul International Film, Music, Theatre and Jazz).
Best for
Nightlife and cultureWalking İstiklal CaddesiGalata Tower
The M2 metro serves Şişhane and Taksim, and the 0.64 km F1 funicular joins Taksim to Kabataş over a 70-metre height difference, connecting with the T1 tram and ferries at the bottom.
04
Beşiktaş and Ortaköy
Dolmabahçe Palace is in Beşiktaş, on the European Bosphorus shore. Ortaköy, which the official portal calls one of Istanbul's hippest and most cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, has the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque of 1853 (by the Balyan architects who also worked on Dolmabahçe), galleries, cafes, boutiques, Turkish baths, synagogues and churches, and weekend artists' markets, all under the first Bosphorus bridge.
A ferry district on the Asian shore. Maiden's Tower lies off its Salacak shore, and the Çamlıca Tower operator's address is Küçük Çamlıca in Üsküdar, with buses 129T, 34AZ and 34Z, Marmaray, the M5 metro and D-36 and D-61 dolmus routes listed as ways to reach it. Beylerbeyi Palace, a summer palace of Sultan Abdülaziz built in 1863 to 1865, is in Beylerbeyi in Üsküdar; only its Mabeyn and Harem sections are open, and it is closed on Mondays.
Best for
Maiden's TowerPalace on the Asian shoreMarmaray and M5 connections
Metro İstanbul lists Marmaray, Istanbul bus and ferry connections at Üsküdar station, the western end of the M5 metro line.
06
Kadıköy (with Moda and Yeldeğirmeni)
The official portal calls Kadıköy 'the King of Cool': Yeldeğirmeni to the north is described as grungy and bohemian with narrow uncrowded streets, Moda to the south as an established kind of cool, and the district has third-wave coffee shops, cafe-bookshops, art centres, bars and a street-art trail from the Mural Istanbul festival begun in 2012, with Recaizade Street named for its shops.
Best for
Cafes and breakfastStreet artEvenings out on the Asian side
On the M4 metro line to Sabiha Gökçen Airport, with the T3 tram and ferries, and a Marmaray interchange at Ayrılık Çeşmesi.