Istanbul Travel Guide: Flights, eSIM, Transfers & Things to Do

Istanbul is not a city you simply visit; it is a city you negotiate with — joyfully. It sprawls across two continents, layers Byzantine churches under Ottoman mosques under a modern metropolis, and rewards travellers who plan the logistics and improvise the rest. This guide covers the practical skeleton of a first trip: getting there, getting connected, getting from the airport, and seeing the essentials well.

Flights: two airports, one decision

Istanbul has two international airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, the main long-haul hub, and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side, used heavily by regional and low-cost carriers. Before booking, check which airport a fare uses — a cheap ticket into the "wrong" side can add a long cross-city journey to your first evening. Compare both on Kiwi.com, which searches hundreds of airlines and shows the airport clearly before you pay. Judge fares on the total journey: flight plus the transfer to your hotel, not the flight alone.

eSIM: Istanbul is a city you explore by phone

You will use your phone constantly in Istanbul — metro and ferry maps, translation, finding a tucked-away restaurant in a lane of Beyoğlu. Set up data before you arrive. An eSIM from Yesim can be bought in the app and installed by QR code at home, so the phone simply works when you land. Keep your home number active for bank codes and use the eSIM for data. Many nationalities enter Türkiye visa-free or with a quick eVisa — check the current rule for your passport on the official eVisa site before travelling, not after.

Airport transfers: when a driver is worth it

Istanbul's airports are far from the historic centre, and traffic decides journey times more than distance does. The metro and airport buses are good-value options if you travel light and arrive in daytime. A pre-booked transfer earns its price when you land late, travel with family or luggage, or simply want your first hour in a famously intense city to be calm: a fixed fare, and a driver waiting at arrivals. Kiwitaxi lets you book that pickup in advance for both IST and SAW — state your flight number so the driver can track delays.

Where to base yourself

• Sultanahmet — the old city: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace on your doorstep. Touristy, yes — and unbeatable for a short first trip.
• Beyoğlu / Galata — across the Golden Horn: livelier evenings, restaurants, the Galata Tower, and the city's café culture.
• Kadıköy — on the Asian side: local, food-obsessed and cheaper, with a scenic ferry commute to the sights. Wonderful if you have extra days.

Seeing the great sights well

The headline monuments cluster in Sultanahmet, and the classic mistake is queueing for all of them in one exhausting day. Spread them: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque (dress respectfully; the mosque closes to visitors during prayer times) on one morning, Topkapı Palace — genuinely worth its ticket — on another. The Basilica Cistern, cool and atmospheric, is the perfect hot-afternoon visit.

Then do what Istanbulites do: take the ferry. The public ferry between Eminönü and Kadıköy or Üsküdar costs little more than a metro ride and delivers a Bosphorus cruise's worth of views — skyline, palaces, gulls, tea in a tulip glass from the onboard seller. Go at golden hour.

A brilliant way to fill the gaps between the great sights is a self-guided audio walk: WeGoTrip offers audio tours that play from your own phone, so you can wander a neighbourhood with a guide in your ear and stop for coffee whenever you like — no group, no fixed schedule.

Getting around

Buy an Istanbulkart, the city's rechargeable transport card, and trams, metros, buses and ferries all become simple taps. The tram line through Sultanahmet to Kabataş covers most visitor ground; ferries handle the cross-continent magic. Taxis are best taken through apps or with the meter running — agree on the meter, not a price, before setting off.

Eating notes

Eat where the queue is local. Try a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) by the Galata Bridge, a proper Turkish breakfast when you have a slow morning, and at least one meyhane-style dinner of meze in Beyoğlu. Turkish tea will appear constantly; accept it — it is the city's social lubricant.

The one-paragraph plan

Fly into the airport that suits your hotel side, land connected with an eSIM, ride in calm with a booked transfer if you arrive tired, sleep in Sultanahmet for a first trip, do one great sight per morning, cross the Bosphorus by ferry at golden hour, and let the evenings wander. Istanbul does the rest.

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