Best Things To Do in Istanbul Turkey 2025 4K

Best Things To Do in Istanbul Turkey 2025 4K

[Music] What’s going on everybody? This is Island Hopper 
TV and today we’re going to show you the best things to do in Istanbul, Turkey. Let’s do it. 
It’s officially one of the most visited cities in the world right now and you’re about to find 
out why in this Istanbul travel guide. First up, here we are at Topkapi Palace. The name in 
Turkish means cannon gate palace officially commissioned in 1459 by Sultan Mehmed the 
Conqueror. Just six years after Ottoman’s conquest of Constantinople, it was erected. It sits 
on the peninsula overlooking the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara. Here 
you will find an old sandal worn by Muhammad. The ticket price is 2400 Turkish Lira. That’s 
$58. And just next door is Hagi Sophia. This was built in 537 by the Byzantine Emperor 
Justinian. It was the center of Eastern Orthodox Church before becoming an imperial 
mosque under the Ottomans after they stormed Constantinople in 1453. It is a mosque that is 
open to people of all faiths who can come visit here. There’s still mosaics of the old church 
that was here under Justinian as well as many Islamic calligraphy and the beautiful dome that 
is considered an engineering marvel. It is free to enter and closes at 700 p.m. The area we’re 
at now is called Sultan Att and it’s a square, but it’s also the Blue Mosque. We’ll talk about 
that in a moment. But this whole area right here is where you can catch hop- on hop off bus tours 
and it’s really a center meeting point right here in the heart of Istanbul. I would say try and get 
a hotel around this area. Yep. And here we are now at the Sisterna. It’s 1,500 years old. Originally 
built by the Romans underwater tank like an aquifer. They used to bring the water in from 
the mountains. Really cool. Let’s take a look. Built in the sixth century under Emperor Justinian 
around the same time as Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cisterna is constructed beneath a large basilica 
that once stood on the site. It was the Byzantine water supply system bringing in water from the 
Bgrade forest. The ticket price is 900 Turkish Lira. If you arrive early, you can skip the 
lines, but if you want to pay for fasttrack, that does exist. Also, it’s around 40 US, which 
is about 2400 Turkish Lira. Just for reference, $1 US equals 41.2 Turkish LRA at the time of 
making this video. I would recommend arriving with Turkish Lira in your pocket by exchanging 
at your local bank. This here is the Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616 under the ruler Sultan 
Ahmed, who wanted to leave a great legacy. It is still an active mosque and it’s called the 
Blue Mosque because of over 20,000 handmade Isnik tiles that decorate the interior and blue floral 
of the geometric patterns. Both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque were undergoing renovations while 
I was here in summer 2025. Just outside of Sultan Ahmed is the Oldtown area. This is actually where 
I got my hotel. By the way, if you’re coming to Istanbul and you’re not sure where you want to 
stay, we did make a video about the top 10 places to stay in Istanbul. I’ll put a link down below in 
the description. But this Oldtown area is a place where you can get good eats at reasonable prices 
and you’re right there in the middle of Istanbul. Now, let’s do some shopping. Come on inside, 
please. I make it a good price. We have better price here. Turkish rugs are world famous. People 
come here and they order their rugs directly from the retailer or wholesale. I came here to El Rincon. They have a huge selection of Turkish rugs. They have wool rugs, silk rugs. The way you can 
tell if it’s a high quality rug is if it’s thin. The thinner the rug, the better the quality. 
Check the knots on the back side for tightness. The closer the better. Here’s the details for El 
Rincon on the card. You can actually pause the video there and just contact them if you have any 
questions about getting a Turkish rug. I was just blown away by the selection and the variety of 
patterns. Had to get one for my mom. So, I came to the Grand Bazaar and I got some silver earrings. 
It’s uh about $30 for a pair of silver earrings. The Grand Bazaar can be a bit of a shopping 
overload just because when you go in there, you’re going to see so many things that you may want to 
buy. People are going to be asking you if you want to come in their shop. Along with the silver, I 
personally got my mom some stuff. I got her some saffron and other spices, some teas, and I sent 
those home to her along with the rugs in a package that went on DHL. Main reason I sent them home 
instead of taking them in my suitcase is because it was a lot, but also I don’t want to deal with 
customs. So, paying that extra $70 to have a whole shipment sent back to the United States was just 
worth it for me. Outside of the Grand Bazaar is the District of Faith shopping area. And I don’t 
see how you come to Istanbul without doing some sort of shopping. It’s really something that 
people come here to do. So I would probably bake that into the cake of your vacation to Istanbul. 
Now here we are at the Egyptian spice market. This is another awesome market. Some people prefer 
this over the Grand Bazaar. Here’s the thing. Unless you live in the Middle East, you’re not 
going to come across this kind of variety of teas, spices, and just things that are so exotic 
that are truly unique to the Middle East. So, take that into consideration, prepare yourself, 
and study up on some of the spices and teas they have here. A short walk away from this area is the 
Golden Horn waterfront area. The Golden Horn is an estuary that stems off of the Bosphorus. Also 
a place where you can catch a ferry across the water to go over to Galata. Walk across the bridge 
where you’ll see people fishing or even take the tram. But I like this bridge area on the Golden 
Horn during sunset. After you cross the bridge, you’re here in Galata. This is the Galata Tower 
built in 1348 during the Guin colony period of Constantinople. Originally named the Tower of 
Christ, it replaced an earlier Byzantine tower that was destroyed during the fourth crusade. The 
tower stands 220 ft tall and it is the tallest structure in medieval Istanbul. You can actually 
walk up to the top and get great views. You can walk up the 148 steps leading to the top, but 
there is also an elevator that takes you up to the seventh floor. Now then you just climb the 
final two floors by stairs. The road outside is probably one of the most photographed places in 
Istanbul. Now, let’s talk about food and drink. Turkish coffee is served everywhere. So is Turkish 
tea. Turkish delight is another thing you’ll see everywhere if fresh fruit is my favorite source of 
hydration on a hot day. Then you’ve got, believe it or not, corn and nuts. You’ve also got plenty 
of desserts to enjoy after your meal, which for me was usually donner kebab or even schwarma. Lots 
of varieties. Lamb, chicken, beef. That’s what you’re going to find here. So delicious. I love 
the barbecue. These are a good look at the Turkish delights. This is a very famous treat. At least 
try one Turkish delight while you’re in Istanbul, if not many more. From Galata, you’ll notice 
the area is called Taxsim. Now, Taxism is a famous neighborhood. Also considered a really affordable 
area to get a hotel if you’re looking for another spot outside of Sultan Ahmed Galata or Taxsim. Very 
good choice. This is Taxsim Square. They have a metro link right here. And then it connects to a 
very famous road called Istyle, which basically means independence. Now, Istikal s a place you 
can get shopping done. You you can get plenty of food options here. Whether you’re looking for ice 
cream or donor kebab, I personally came here and got a haircut. Both times I visited Istanbul. 
It’s funny, this is where I get my haircut, right install area. Now, I will say if you can get 
one of the hotels just off the road, it’s going to be a real charming area. That’s what I would say. 
They got little micro pubs around here. Let’s talk more about that Turkish haircut. So, Turkish 
haircuts are going to be very unique. You know, depending on where you go around the world, you’re 
going to get a different experience here. They get going with some lighters and some fire. They 
also like to pull hairs with wax. It’s a real experience. I mean, getting a straight razor, I 
would say if you’re looking for a haircut while you’re in the region, just go in there and ask for 
a traditional Turkish haircut. And nearby Taxsim is going to be Nissan Tani. Now, this is where 
the high-end resorts are if you’re looking for high-end shopping and hotels. We’ll explore around 
Ortcoy Waterfront. This is up along the Bosphorus, and you’re going to have plenty of restaurants 
here. nice little waterfront vibe for you to get a coffee in the morning or some dinner in the 
daytime. You can also come over here, catch a ferry or is a nice area. You can also get a hotel 
in this region. If you guys are enjoying this Istanbul video so far, please consider liking the 
video and subscribing to the channel. Now, here we are doing a Bosphorus cruise. This is where 
you get to learn all about the history and also see these amazing bridges that span the Bosphorus 
that connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, a very famous waterway throughout history. By 
the way, if you’re planning on visiting Turkey, we did make a full Turkey travel guide. I will put 
a link to that down below so you can watch that. I highly recommend watching after this. A Bosphorus 
cruise is usually around 400 LRA and takes around an hour to an hour and a half. If you don’t want 
to do the cruise, just taking a ferry around from destination to destination can be just about as 
good. The benefit of the actual ferry cruise is you get to go a little bit further and more 
relaxed because you’ll see so much along the Bosphorus. remember how much history between 
the Byzantines of Rome and then you had the Ottoman Turks just so much history even with 
modern Istanbul and the development between the Eurasian the European side and the Anatolia Asian 
side you’ll see the ruins of the fortresses and you’ll see moss and all sorts of palaces on either 
side like this here Romeli fortress it looks like something straight out of a movie originally built 
in 1452 by the Ottoman Sultan Mamemed II just one year before his conquest of Constantinople. Its 
original purpose was to cut off the supplies to Constantinople from all of the Black Sea empires. 
Now here we are at the Dolmabahçe Palace. This was built in 1856 by Sultan Abdul Hamid as the new 
administrative center for the Ottoman Empire. Before the palace, it was actually the site of 
a royal garden and bay, but it was designed to replace top copy palace. This place is amazing. 
You can go inside here. I was not able to take any videos or pictures because it’s not permitted 
to. You have to see it for yourself anyway. And my favorite area was the grand ballroom 
area. This place was absolutely spectacular. I wish I could show you. The entrance fee is 
1,500 Turkish Lira. Just outside the palace, you will see a large stadium. This is where 
they do football games and concerts. Really a big beautiful stadium right along the waterfront. 
They also have a main transit area for fairies right here. Here we are across the Bosphorus. This 
is the Kamika Tower. They also have a mosque here. This is on the Anatolia side, which is the Asian 
side of Istanbul. You get great views up on this big tower. After a long day playing tourist, 
you may consider getting a Turkish bath. These are famous all across Turkey, including here in 
Istanbul. If you’ve never done a Turkish bath, well, you’re in for a treat. It usually combines 
steam, cleansing, exfoliation, a massage. These bath houses were a part of Ottoman culture and 
used for relaxation and purification. A good way to unwind after a long day exploring. The 
treatment is usually around 600 to 700 Turkish LIRA. That’s about $17 to $20. You This Here’s a 
look at the Maidens Tower. This is a historical landmark originally built by the Byzantines, but 
then renovated by the Ottomans. It’s about 75 ft tall. It was a watchtowwer, lighthouse, and 
served as a customs outpost, defense tower. So many uses of this. It also has many legends and 
myths associated. I would also like to recommend going to rooftops. You can get rooftops for photo 
ops. You can get rooftops for vibes. You can get rooftops with views or dinner and drinks. Now, 
here we are. Speaking of viewpoints, you can head up to Pierre Latti. This is a famous Istanbul 
viewpoint. And from this famous hill, there’s cafes up here and good views of the Golden Horn. 
It’s named after a French novelist who’s said to have written many of his stories up here. Now for 
my final thoughts on visiting Istanbul. It is one of my top five favorite cities for being a tourist 
or playing tourist and you’ll see why when you get here. Great food. It does have a little bit of an 
adventurous wild side. You have to be careful when negotiating prices because it’s easy to overpay 
here. That’s one thing I want you to pay attention to. Always talk about the pre-arranged price 
before getting in a taxi or buying something. See you on the next one. With everything you 
need to know about Turkey, click the link here. [Music]

In this best things to do in Istanbul Turkey travel guide we show you all around this Turkish gem. We show you 25 things to see and do while you visit Istanbul. If you plan to travel to Istanbul, you will want to watch this Istanbul vlog. You can do this Istanbul travel guide in 3 to 5 days. Istanbul is a big city with both the European and Asian sides. The European side is where most of the Istanbul tourist places are located. While the Asian side of Istanbul known as Anatolia is more for business and living like a local. In this Istanbul video we take you to Sultan Ahmed, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, Galata, Istikal Street, Dolmabahce Palace and much more in this Istanbul itinerary.

Istanbul is one of the most famous cities in the world and among the most visited cities in the world. In this Istanbul video, we’ll show you the best things to do in Istanbul in 2025, including attractions, museums, transportation, ferry and cruises and the amazing old town and Grand Bazaar.

If you’re planning a trip to Istanbul in the next few years, make sure to check out this vlog! We’ll guide you through everything you need to know about the city, from the best attractions to the best restaurants. We even have a 4K video tour of some of the best sights in Istanbul! So make sure to bookmark this page and check back soon!

More Istanbul Videos:
Full Turkey travel guide and Travel Tips: https://youtu.be/R9Lze5TEyQ4
Best Places to Stay Istanbul Turkey: https://youtu.be/5rw_vLZubGI

Istanbul Travel Guide
( Chapters)
0:00 Istanbul Turkey Intro
0:25 Topkapi Palace
0:52 Hagia Sophia
1:30 Sultan Ahmet
1:54 Cisterna
2:47 Blue Mosque
3:19 Old Town
3:42 Turkish Rugs
4:26 Grand Bazaar
5:07 District of Faith Shopping
5:28 Egyptian Bazaar
5:57 Golden Horn
6:16 Galata Tower
7:01 Food & Drink
7:38 Taksim
8:01 Istikal
8:30 Turkish Haircut
8:56 Nisantani
9:06 Ortakoy
9:31 Bosphorus Cruise
10:41 Rumeli Fortress
11:07 Dolmabahce Palace
12:03 Camlica Tower
12:17 Turkish Bath
12:48 Maiden Tower
13:10 Rooftops
13:23 Pierre Loti
14:07 Outro

#Istanbul #Turkey

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