Istanbul

Turkey. A city on two continents, four hours away. Mosques, markets and the Bosphorus.

Best time to go

April to June, September to November

Getting there

About 4 hours direct

Currency

Turkish lira (TRY)

Language

Turkish

About Istanbul

Istanbul suits a long weekend or a week, and pairs well with a few days on the Turkish coast. The old city around Sultanahmet holds most of the sights; Galata and Karaköy are good places to stay.

Flights land at Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side.

Worth seeing

• Hagia Sophia
• The Blue Mosque
• Topkapı Palace
• The Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar
• A Bosphorus boat trip

<a href="/flights/turkey">Flights to Turkey</a>