Last Updated: Dec 2023
The classic east-meets-west destination, Istanbul is absolutely one of the world’s most interesting and most historic cities. Famous divided by the Bosphorous Straight, Istanbul has a huge section in Asia and a smaller and more important section in Europe.
Travel Costs to Istanbul
Population | 12,800,000 |
Area | 12,800,000 |
Timezone | UTC+2 |
Currency | Turkish lira |
BACKPACKER INDEX: US$56.73
1 USD = 33.9000 TRY
133 World cities ranked cheapest to most expensive: Backpacker Index for 2024
What is the Average Price of a Hotel in Istanbul?
Hotels in Istanbul are more expensive than you might have guessed, at least during prime tourism season in the warm months. Hostel beds continue to be a great deal, as do private rooms at many of these hostels, so that’s an area where you can keep costs lower. For some great bargains with excellent central locations check out our recommended Istanbul hotels list.
Check Istanbul hotels
Istanbul Hotel Seasons
The high season generally lasts from sometime in March through sometime in November, and also includes the time around the Christmas holidays. The low season starts sometime in November and goes through most of March, and during this period prices can be nearly cut in half. The peak is July and August, and outside of those months you can often find good prices on hotel-booking sites.
Istanbul Hotel Prices
Rating | Price(USD) |
---|---|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 34.44 - 46.67 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 57.78 - 150.00 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 77.78 - 375.56 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 133.33 - 430.00 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | 213.33 - 722.22 |
Recommended Hotels
Kupeli Hotel Doubles from €30/night | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Our pick: The best cheap and central 3-star hotel in Istanbul |
Istanbul Hostels Prices
Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|
Hostel Bed | 25.56 - 38.89 |
Recommended Hostels
Chambers of the Boheme Beds from €6/night | |
Our pick: The best cheap and central hostel in Istanbul |
How much does it cost to visit top attractions in Istanbul?
The Grand Bazaar is an enormous marketplace that is mostly indoors and sells just about everything you could imagine, including Turkish rugs from high-pressure salespeople.
The Hagia Sophia mosque is one of the most impressive structures you’ll ever see, and it’s a short walk away from the almost-as-impressive Blue Mosque.
Best tours in Istanbul
Istanbul is huge, but the key sights are mostly clustered in the Sultanahmet district. Walking tours of this area are highly recommended.
The hop-on, hop-off bus tours are also quite good and obviously can take you to some areas that you wouldn’t see on foot.
Boat tours on the Bosphorous are also a great way to see the highlights and learn a lot more about Istanbul.
Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|---|---|
Hagia Sophia | This 6th century temple is the city's most famous attraction. It's now a mosque again, and free to enter. | adults | 0.00 |
Museum of Archeology | This popular museum is a look into the numerous ancient specimens in the region. | adults | 10.03 |
Topkapi Palace | This wonderfully decorated Ottoman palace is a top draw. | adults | 22.12 |
What’s the average price of food and drink in Istanbul?
There are pretty good restaurants all over the tourist areas of Istanbul and you can get a doner sandwich or something similar at many stalls. Plan on having at least one proper Turkish breakfast, hopefully included with your hotel. They serve a large sampler of excellent and traditional items that is unlike what you’ll find almost anywhere else.
Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
---|---|---|
Budget breakfast | Your hotel will likely include breakfast, but if it doesn't you'll have many options of local favorites nearby. | 3.54 - 7.08 |
Budget lunch | Sandwiches and other Mediterranean dishes are usually good bargains in local shops. | 4.72 - 8.85 |
Budget dinner | Avoiding the most touristy places should find you with high quality at reasonable prices. | 6.19 - 10.32 |
Beer (pint) | Restaurants and local pubs will be cheaper than night clubs for beer in Istanbul. | 4.72 - 6.78 |
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What are the costs of transportation in Istanbul?
Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|
Taxi from airport to city center | 5.75 - 6.78 |
Express bus from airport to city center | 2.06 - 3.01 |
3km taxi ride in Istanbul | 2.06 - 3.54 |
Metro ride in Istanbul | 0.44 |
Tram ride in Istanbul | 0.44 |
Getting to Istanbul
Istanbul has two huge airports that are key hubs for the region. Istanbul Airport (IST), which just opened in 2019, is the larger of the two and it is where most of the long-haul flights land.
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is also huge and it’s where many of the low-cost-carrier flights land. It’s located on the Asia side of town and it’s a longer ride if you are staying in the tourist center.
You can reach Istanbul by train from Europe, but the service is kind of slow so flying in is a better option for most people.
Getting around Istanbul
Most of the tourist area of Istanbul is within a pleasant walking zone, but the city also has cheap tram service and also fairly cheap taxis.
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When to visit Istanbul
Temperature and rainfall
Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
---|---|---|---|
January | 48 | 37 | 3.4 |
February | 48 | 37 | 2.8 |
March | 52 | 39 | 2.5 |
April | 62 | 46 | 1.8 |
May | 71 | 54 | 1.3 |
June | 79 | 61 | 1.0 |
July | 83 | 65 | 0.9 |
August | 83 | 66 | 0.9 |
September | 77 | 60 | 1.7 |
October | 68 | 54 | 2.8 |
November | 60 | 47 | 3.3 |
December | 52 | 42 | 4.2 |
Istanbul Weather advice
The weather in Istanbul is usually rather pleasant all summer, as long as you don’t mind a bit of humidity. There’s almost no rain between May and September, so it’s generally the best time to visit, though it’s also the most crowded time.
Things can get cool and wet from December through March so this period is not ideal for the many outdoor attractions in the city. April, October, and November are recommended for shoulder season travelers who want smaller crowds and slightly lower prices.
Sunrise and sunset
21 Mar | 6:06am | 6:17pm |
21 Jun | 5:32am | 8:40pm |
21 Sep | 6:50am | 7:04pm |
21 Dec | 7:26am | 4:39pm |
Where to go before and after
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