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Travel guide · Türkiye
Istanbul
Explore the mosques, palaces and markets of a city spanning two continents.
Istanbul lies on the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, bringing together a long Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history with Turkey’s present-day cultural and commercial life. It suits you if you want to explore historic buildings, museums and lively districts on foot.
Visit Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) and Topkapı Palace; the Süleymaniye Mosque and Galata Tower are also landmarks. In the Grand Bazaar, wander the covered lanes, then walk downhill through the open-air market district. A walk from Hagia Sophia to Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and At Meydanı, the square with the obelisks, links several of the major sights.
Pleasant from April to June and from September to October
Orange means: 18 to 28 °C by day and rain on at most 3 days in 10. For the beach it may be warmer.
April: 10 to 18 °C, rain on 2 days in 10
All months as a table
| Month | Low to high | Rain |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4 – 10 °C | 3 in 10 |
| February | 4 – 11 °C | 3 in 10 |
| March | 6 – 13 °C | 3 in 10 |
| April | 10 – 18 °C | 2 in 10 |
| May | 14 – 22 °C | 2 in 10 |
| June | 19 – 27 °C | 2 in 10 |
| July | 22 – 31 °C | 1 in 10 |
| August | 23 – 31 °C | 1 in 10 |
| September | 19 – 27 °C | 2 in 10 |
| October | 14 – 21 °C | 2 in 10 |
| November | 10 – 17 °C | 2 in 10 |
| December | 7 – 13 °C | 3 in 10 |
Getting there
From Frankfurt about 3 hrs by schedule. You land in Istanbul (SAW), 31 km from the centre.
Where to stay in Istanbul?
The best-known hotels
tripbot shows prices once your days are set.
8.0Ramada By Wyndham Istanbul Pera★★★★ · 14,505 reviews
9.4CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul★★★★★ · 10,431 reviews
8.8Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel★★★★★ · 8,978 reviews
8.4Wyndham Istanbul Old City★★★★★ · 8,239 reviews
8.8Grand Hotel Gulsoy Old City★★★★ · 8,215 reviews- 8.8Grand Hotel Gulsoy Old City★★★★ · 8,128 reviews
8.7AHC Old City Hotel★★★★ · 7,772 reviews
8.8Dosso Dossi Hotels & SPA Downtown★★★★★ · 5,769 reviews
Worth seeing
Food and drink
Istanbul’s cuisine brings together dishes from many regions of Turkey, from kebabs of the south-east to pastries from Thrace. Expect vegetables prepared in many ways, yoghurt, and meat from poultry, lamb or beef. On the street you’ll find döner kebab, freshly pressed pomegranate juice, grilled corn on the cob and, near the Golden Horn, mussels and fish sandwiches.
What travellers ask
It is pleasant to be out from April to June and from September to October: 18 to 28 °C by day and rain on at most 3 days in 10. The warmest month is July at about 31 °C; it rains most often in January.
From Frankfurt about 3 hrs by schedule. You land in Istanbul (SAW), 31 km from the centre.
Start with Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Constantinople, Bosporus Strait, and Topkapı Palace.
Not really. There are sea baths, but the water quality is nowhere really good, and there are very dangerous currents for swimmers.
Yes, Istanbul is a very safe city: violent crime is rare, though pickpocketing happens. If no prices are displayed, ask before you order, and don’t follow strangers’ invitations to bars or clubs.
As of October 19, 2026. Climate: usual values from ten years, temperatures mostly from the nearest weather station (NOAA), rain from NASA POWER. Places to stay: tripbot’s hotel catalogue (LiteAPI). Places: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap and Wikivoyage. Text written by tripbot’s AI from the articles below; every number and every tip stands there.
Articles: Wikipedia: Istanbul (de), Wikivoyage: Istanbul (de), Wikipedia: Istanbul (en), Wikivoyage: Istanbul (en). The text adapts these articles and, like them, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.