Discover the best free and low-cost things to do in Istanbul with our comprehensive guide. Explore historic sites, cultural hotspots, and beautiful views without having to spend a fortune.
Contents
- Introduction
- Getting Around Istanbul on a Budget
- Explore Istanbul’s Historic Landmarks for Free
- Affordable Bosphorus Experience
- Enjoy Stunning Views for Free
- Stroll Through Istanbul’s Beautiful Neighbourhoods
- Low-Cost Cultural Experiences
- Conclusion: Enjoying Istanbul on a Budget
Introduction
Istanbul is home to some of the most incredible historical and cultural attractions in Europe and draws in thousands of tourists every year.
A Large City
The only city to span Europe and Asia, Istanbul is the 16th largest city in the world. With 39 districts – over 16 million people live here.
As you can imagine the vast scale of it makes it impossible to visit the whole city in a short time and if you are only visiting for a couple of days, you are unlikely to see much beyond the historical area, which used to be known as Constantinople. The good news is that there is tons to see and do for free within this area.
| ⭐ Our Top Low-Cost Recommendations: Free Walking Tour with GuruWalk Bosphorus Sunset Cruise with Get Your Guide Best Budget Hotels in Istanbul: Where to Stay for First-Time Visitors |
🔗 Blog to Read: 3 Day Istanbul Itinerary for First Timers
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Since the pandemic, attraction prices in Istanbul have sharply increased. There is a lot of out of date information online and we were shocked at some of the prices for attractions. However, this shouldn’t put off budget travellers because there are plenty of wonderful free and low-cost places to see in Istanbul.
⭐ You can explore historic sites and enjoy cultural experiences for little or no cost at all.
We have put together a selection of free and low-cost places, mostly within walking distance of the old city and added Google Maps links to help you find them – Enjoy!
Getting Around Istanbul on a Budget
Airport Transfer
🚌 There is a public bus service that runs from the airport to the city centre and a metro service. See details here.
🚖 We booked a transfer with Booking.com and found it was the most competitive price for private transfer – £25 each way.
Around the City
🚶Istanbul is not the easiest city to navigate. The majority of attractions mentioned in this article are situated in the Sultanahmet area and can be reached by foot. From Sultanahmet, it is a long but enjoyable walk across the Galata Bridge to Galata Tower area and a little bit further to Istiklal Avenue.
🚇 If you would prefer to use public transport, the most convenient and cheapest way to travel is by tram and metro, which runs from 6am to midnight. You can pay easily by Mastercard payment, or purchase an Istanbul card, which can be topped up.
🚖 We found Uber to be reasonably priced too.
🚢Ferries operate from Eminonu and Karakoy, taking you to the Asian side.
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Explore Istanbul’s Historic Landmarks for Free
Free Walking Tours with GuruWalk
🚶 GuruWalk is a fantastic way for budget travellers to explore and learn about a city. The walking tours are free to book and you pay-what-you-choose at the end of the tour.
We chose the longer tour (3hrs) option called Istanbul Adventure: Old City to Lesser-Known Sites. Our guide took us through Istanbul’s most important and also underrated sites on the same tour.
It was one of our favourite free walking tours that we have been on with GuruWalk. Our guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable and amusing.
Should you choose to book this tour with my link, I will earn a pound for recommending it.
👉 Book Free Walking Tour with GuruWalk
Depending on how long you have, I would recommend taking two tours, one for the historic sites and if you have time, take a tour of the Asian side.
🔗 Blog to Read: Learn more about free walking tours with GuruWalk here.
Sultanahmed Square
Roman Hippodrome
The cobbled square next to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia is the most historical and important square in Istanbul. It also is where everyone meets their guides for walking tours.
It used to be a Roman Hippodrome – (a chariot racing track) but was covered over gradually through the years. While it was a hippodrome, the Romans brought monuments from across the world and had them placed in the centre of the hippodrome to show the power of the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, most of these treasures were looted by the Crusader raids in 1204 and only a few relics remain.
Egyptian Obelisk
One of these relics is the Obelisk of Thutmose III. This column was brought from Egypt and is around 3500 years old. It is made of granite and it is just incredible how they managed to bring it all the way from Egypt to Turkey.
The hippodrome was gradually forgotten, used as a source for building materials and covered over during building excavation work.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the square
Blue Mosque
The most famous mosque in Istanbul, was built as a vanity project by Sultan Ahmet I. It has stunning architecture and beautiful ceramic tiles adorning the walls. The Blue Mosque is called the Blue Mosque in every language, but its actual name is Sultanahmet Mosque.
Unlike Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque is still free to enter.
⭐ Tip: Try to get there early to avoid the crowds because it can take an hour to queue. Opening times vary so it is important to check.
⚠️ Visitors must wear appropriate clothing and women must wear a scarf to cover their hair. Scarves are available at the mosque if you forget. You will take off your shoes to enter.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the Blue Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque
A less busy and free attraction in Istanbul, Suleymaniye Mosque is a little further away from the historic centre (about a 10 minute walk) so not as many tourists visit. They are missing out because this mosque is a masterpiece – beautiful and elegant.
It is the largest Ottoman mosque and has stunning architecture. The surrounding gardens are lovely and there is a fabulous view of the Bosphorus.
⚠️ Again, appropriate clothing and a head scarf for women is required and shoes are not allowed to be worn inside the mosque.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the mosque
Grand Bazaar
Dating back to 1461, the Grand Bazaar is the world’s oldest undercover bazaar, basically the first shopping mall. There are 2500 stalls here selling everything from clothes to rugs and antiques.
The Grand Bazaar is how you imagine Eastern opulence with painted arches, carpets and lanterns. A must-see for any visitor to Istanbul.
⚠️Please note: it is closed on Sundays.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the Bazaar
Spice Bazaar
Much smaller than the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar sells spices, teas and a lot of Turkish delight.
I bought some Turkish delight at my dad’s request. We had the opportunity to try different teas and superb varieties of Turkish delight. I had no idea there were so many flavours, with fruits and nuts – it was a real treat.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the Spice Bazaar
Affordable Bosphorus Experience
Bosphorus Sunset Cruise
🚢 You can take a ferry across the Bosphorus, which is a low-cost option to see Istanbul from the water.
🛳️ Alternatively, if you would prefer a cruise, this low-cost tour is great value for money. We only paid £7 each for a 2 1/2 hour cruise with an audio guide, and free soft drinks. It was really cold on the top deck as we were here in March but you do have the option to sit inside.
This cruise departs from Galataport and was the best value for money.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Galataport
Enjoy Stunning Views for Free
Seven Hills Restaurant
Close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, Seven Hills Restaurant has an open top roof with a viewing area where tourists can go up for free.
📸You get a great view of the historic area and can take fantastic pictures of Istanbul’s most famous, historic landmarks.
🗺️Google Maps link for Seven Hills Restaurant
Walk across Galata Bridge
The Galata Bridge spans across the Golden Horn and faces the Bosphorus. It connects Eminonu and Karakoy. It’s a very busy bridge with public transport, traffic, pedestrians and restaurants and shops underneath. It attracts hundreds of fishermen and they are literally lined up along the pedestrian walk way.
The views as you walk across are fantastic but be warned if you are sensitive to odours; it is quite pungent. There is a strong smell because of the hundreds of fisherman. It is fascinating to see them all and the views are outstanding.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Galata Bridge
Stroll Through Istanbul’s Beautiful Neighbourhoods
Galata Tower Area
Built in 1348, Galata Tower is a significant historic landmark but it is expensive to enter. The area around the tower is a colourful and lively area, buzzing with tourists and locals.
🍽️ There are lots of cafes and bars and it is definitely a fantastic area to hangout even if you don’t enter the tower.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Galata Tower
Istiklal Avenue
The main shopping area for high street brands.
⭐ Tip: You will see the iconic red tram here.
🍽️The area around this avenue has lots of bars, restaurants and cafes. We enjoyed a few beers in a backstreet bar and found a cosy Italian restaurant.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Istiklal red tram
Kadikoy – Asian Side
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to explore the Asian side but it will be first on our list when we come back.
⭐ If you have enough time, take the ferry to Kadikoy. This is a lively district with colourful streets, food markets, boutique cafes, shops and the best sunset view in Istanbul apparently.
Another place that was recommended was the Princes Islands or just the Islands as the locals call them. Very pretty but cooler than the rest of Istanbul so better in warmer weather.
Low-Cost Cultural Experiences
Shisha Bar
For a low cost shisha bar, where the locals go, try Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi. This shisha place is the oldest shisha place in Istanbul. It is well hidden and not advertised. Walking past you would think it is just an old cemetery. The Shisha pipes are reasonably priced and you can drink flavoured tea too.
The smoking of shisha is declining in Turkey since the indoor smoking ban. Not that smoking indoors has stopped. It seemed to go on everywhere we went but officially you’re not allowed to smoke indoors.
🗺️ Google Maps link for shisha bar
Turkish Spa
🛁Originally, Turkish baths were basically a big bath for ordinary citizens so they could wash. Rich people had their own baths and would not have used the public ones, a bit like having your own swimming pool and not going to the local leisure centre!
Nowadays, these baths are luxury spa experiences. If you would like to try out a Turkish bath spa, our guide recommended Cemberlitas Hammam.
⭐ Tip: It is the oldest hammam and an authentic experience and not as expensive as other spas.
🗺️ Google Maps link for hammam
Conclusion: Enjoying Istanbul on a Budget
Istanbul is a great city to visit on a budget because there is so much to see, without even entering an attraction. If you’re like me and enjoy just wandering around and enjoying the vibe of a city, you will love it.
Istanbul is a major city so there are lots of expensive hotels and restaurants but there are reasonably priced hotels available, and you can get fantastic food on a budget as long as you avoid the tourist traps.
How to tell if it is a tourist trap
Our rule of thumb is: if there is someone outside calling across to you and there are menu pictures outside, it is going to cost more than it should.
The further away you get from the main tourist areas the cheaper the food.
If you take a tour with GuruWalk, your guide will give you some good recommendations for places to eat.
Overall, we found that it is a great city for the budget traveller and you will find many free things to do in Istanbul.
Looking for the best budget stays for your trip to Istanbul? See our recommendations here 👉 Best Budget Hotels in Istanbul: Where to Stay for First-Time Visitors.
Have you been to Istanbul? What free places would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.
✨ This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Istanbul.
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