Old City Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Topkapi Palace which includes a bay or harbour, a city and a river or creek
Suleymaniye Mosque showing interior views and a mosque
Grand Bazaar which includes markets, shopping and interior views
Topkapi Palace featuring a castle and heritage architecture
Suleymaniye Mosque featuring a mosque

Popular places to visit

Blue Mosque featuring religious elements, heritage architecture and a mosque

Blue Mosque

Named for its dazzling interior covered in blue tiles, this is a hub of Istanbul's religious life.

Blue Mosque
Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

A world famous monument to the ever-changing history of Istanbul, and one of the largest churches in the world.

Hagia Sophia
Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar

Visit one of the biggest and oldest covered markets in the world, a real taste (and smell and sound!) of the diversity that Turkey has to offer.

Grand Bazaar
Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace

Stately home to the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years with an array of Turkish design and foreign art.

Topkapi Palace
Sultanahmet Square

Sultanahmet Square

You can find out about the history of Istanbul with a stop at Sultanahmet Square. Add the area's notable monuments or shops to your travel plans.

Sultanahmet Square
Basilica Cistern featuring religious aspects, interior views and a church or cathedral

Basilica Cistern

'The Sunken Palace' is the biggest of the hundreds of underground reservoirs underneath the streets of Istanbul, dating from Byzantine Constantinople.

Basilica Cistern

Activities

Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table

Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table

AU$36
per adult
90% of travellers recommend
Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table
Blue Mosque

Istanbul Highlights: Small-Group Tour with a Local Expert

AU$130
per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Istanbul Highlights: Small-Group Tour with a Local Expert
Istanbul: Full-Day Highlights Tour with Guide and Lunch

Istanbul: Full-Day Highlights Tour with Guide and Lunch

AU$74
per adult
80% of travellers recommend
Istanbul: Full-Day Highlights Tour with Guide and Lunch
Picture 1 for Activity Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Option

Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Option

AU$14
per adult
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Option
Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar Tour

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar Tour

AU$54
per adult
Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar Tour
Istanbul: Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table

Istanbul: Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table

AU$43
per adult
90% of travellers recommend
Istanbul: Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table
See all activities in Istanbul

Our pick of the best Old City Hotel Deals

Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class

Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class

Piyer Loti Cad No:7, Istanbul, Istanbul
The price is AU$791 per night from 18 Aug to 19 Aug
AU$791
18 Aug - 19 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this spa hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the breakfast and the restaurant in our reviews. ...
9/10 Wonderful! (2,051 reviews)
"This was my first time in Turkey and we stayed about 9 days. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this hotel so close to everything. We walked almost everywhere: Hagia Sophia, Blue Dome Mosque, Basilica (which were 20 feet from the hotel), Grand Bazaar, and close by to restaurants that you did ..."

Reviewed on 14 Aug. 2025

Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class
Carina Gold Hotel and Restaurant

Carina Gold Hotel and Restaurant

4 out of 5
Türbedar Sk. 20, Istanbul, Istanbul
The price is AU$203 per night from 18 Aug to 19 Aug
AU$203
18 Aug - 19 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and valet parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (505 reviews)
Ideally located hotel
"This hotel is ideally located for exploring and the sights are in walking distance. Our room was lovely and had everything we needed. Staff at the hotel were friendly and helpful. We did not have breakfast at the hotel as we tend to eat later when on holiday, so cannot comment on that. The beds were ..."

Reviewed on 9 Aug. 2025

Carina Gold Hotel and Restaurant
Seven Hills Hotel - Special Class

Seven Hills Hotel - Special Class

Cankurtaran Mh., Tevkifhane Sokak 8, Istanbul, Istanbul
The price is AU$216 per night from 18 Aug to 19 Aug
AU$216
18 Aug - 19 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 24-hour room service. Our guests praise the breakfast and the restaurant ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (1,009 reviews)
"Great position and excellent reception staff (Fatma in particular and Sinan). Too much food for breakfast until we realised we could choose and not have it all. In addition to didn't like (above) the lift to our 3rd floor didn't work sometimes and there was a nasty smell when we entered the room ..."

Reviewed on 14 Aug. 2025

Seven Hills Hotel - Special Class
Seven Hills Palace & Spa

Seven Hills Palace & Spa

Sultanahmet Mahallesi Kadi Cikmazi Sok., No 11 1 Fatih, Istanbul
The price is AU$324 per night from 18 Aug to 19 Aug
AU$324
18 Aug - 19 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this spa hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (870 reviews)
"Nice hotel with friendly and helpful staff. Thanks"

Reviewed on 15 Aug. 2025

Seven Hills Palace & Spa
Legacy Ottoman Hotel

Legacy Ottoman Hotel

5 out of 5
Hobyar Mahallesi Hamidiye Cad. No: 16, Sirkeci, Istanbul, Istanbul
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy a full-service spa, 2 restaurants, and 2 bars/lounges. Popular attractions Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace ...
7.2/10 Good! (924 reviews)
"Very good Hotel"

Reviewed on 13 Aug. 2025

Get rates
Legacy Ottoman Hotel
AJWA Sultanahmet

AJWA Sultanahmet

5 out of 5
Emin Sinan Mah Piyerloti Cad No: 30, Sultanahmet, Istanbul
The price is AU$559 per night from 18 Aug to 19 Aug
AU$559
18 Aug - 19 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Istanbul. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property condition ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (829 reviews)
"The staff make the experience here fabulous, the majority of the time the staff were amazing. There were a few language barriers which meant we were overcharged for in room service but nothing too much. The whole decor and atmosphere of the whole was wonderful. We regretted not using the restaurant ..."

Reviewed on 13 Aug. 2025

AJWA Sultanahmet
See all 1,060 properties in Old City
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Old City

Default Image

Sirkeci

Travellers choose Sirkeci for its ample dining options. Hop aboard the metro at Sirkeci Station or Eminonu Station and check out top sights like Topkapi Palace.

Sirkeci
Blue Mosque which includes a pond, a mosque and a fountain

Sultanahmet

Gourmet restaurants interesting history and top sights from Blue Mosque to Hagia Sophia – discover Sultanahmet, a destination also famous for its shopping.

Sultanahmet
Default Image

Eminönü

Known for its breathtaking beach views and popular shops, there's plenty to explore in Eminönü. Check out top attractions like Grand Bazaar and Eminönü Square, and jump on the metro at Eminonu Station or Beyazit Station to see more of the city.

Eminönü
Galata Tower featuring night scenes, a bay or harbour and a ferry

Karaköy

Spend some time visiting places like Galata Tower while getting to know Karaköy, and be sure to check out the abundant dining options. You can hop aboard the metro at Karakoy Station or Karakoy Tünel Station to see more of the area.

Karaköy
Galata Tower featuring a city, cruising and general coastal views

Galata

Travellers choose Galata for its abundant dining options. Hop aboard the metro at Sishane-Zemin Metro Station or Karakoy Tünel Station and check out top sights like Galata Tower.

Galata
Galata Tower featuring night scenes, a bay or harbour and a ferry

Beyoğlu

Enjoy the popular shops in Beyoğlu. Taksim Square is a worthwhile stop, and you can jump on the metro at Sishane-Zemin Metro Station or Tophane Station to see more of Istanbul.

Beyoğlu

Old City Travel Guide

Choose two or more items and save on your trip: