Cheap things to do in Istanbul
Street food, free parks, and great-value dinners across the city's best neighbourhoods.
This is Istanbul for people who'd rather spend money on a third plate of meze than on a hotel breakfast. Day one works through Karaköy and Taksim, day two walks the Old City from the Blue Mosque to Süleymaniye, and day three crosses to the Asian side, with cheap, excellent cooking all the way. You don't need a big budget here, just a willingness to eat where locals eat and walk where locals walk.
Day 1: Karaköy, Tophane and Taksim
Start at the iconic square before drifting downhill to the Bosphorus, bookending the day with two of the city's best cheap Turkish kitchens.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Taksim Meydanı
Free iconic square, soak up the buzz and snap the monuments before the crowds build.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Tophane Parkı
Waterfront park a short stroll downhill, great Bosphorus views, totally free, perfect post-lunch wander.
Map - 7:30 PM
Karaköy Lokantası
Tiled lokanta by day and meyhane by night: mezes, grilled fish and rakı a few steps from the ferry.
Map
Day 2: Old City on foot
The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia first, köfte at Selim Usta, the Grand Bazaar, Süleymaniye's terrace, then kebabs at Hamdi.
- 9:00 AM
Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
Free; come at opening for the blue İznik tiles before the queues. Shut to visitors at prayers and Friday noon.
Map - 9:45 AM
Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia)
The upper gallery is ticketed for foreign visitors and holds the Deesis mosaic; cover shoulders and hair.
Map - 12:00 PM
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
Grilled köfte, piyaz bean salad and ayran at the Divanyolu köfte house that opened in 1920.
Map - 1:15 PM
Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar)
Free to wander; find the old Cevahir Bedesten at its core and the hans off the back lanes. Closed Sundays.
Map - 2:45 PM
Süleymaniye Camii
Sinan's 1557 mosque, free; walk round to the back terrace for the Golden Horn. Closed at prayer times.
Map - 7:00 PM
Hamdi Restaurant - Eminönü
Eminönü kebab house; order the pistachio kebab and ask for an upstairs table facing the Golden Horn.
Map
Day 3: Kalamış marina and the Asian side
Cross to Kadıköy for a free marina walk, a legendary Anatolian lunch at Ciya, and a neighbourhood dinner that rewards the trip entirely.
- 10:15 AM
Kalamış Parkı
Free stroll through Kalamış Parkı hugging the marina, a classic local morning walk, costs nothing.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ciya Sofrasi
Kadıköy kitchen of regional Anatolian dishes; build a plate from the counter, it's priced by the portion.
Map - 2:30 PM
Yoğurtçu Parkı
Digest lunch with a lap around Yoğurtçu Parkı, a lively neighbourhood park popular with locals, totally free.
Map - 7:30 PM
Yanyalı Fehmi Lokantası
Yanyalı Fehmi Lokantası for a great-value Turkish dinner, honest lokanta food at neighbourhood prices.
Map
Where to stay
Louis Appartements Galata
Serviced apartments in Galata: more than a hostel, but a kitchen keeps the rest of the trip cheap.
Make Istanbul your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Hagia Sophia: a few days ahead
- Basilica Cistern: a few days ahead
- Topkapı Palace: a few days ahead
- Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour: a few days ahead
- Galata Tower: a few days ahead
- Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Skip Bosphorus dinner cruises with a dance show. Take the public long ferry and a fish lunch instead.
- Avoid restaurants on Sultanahmet Square, Divan Yolu touts and under Galata Bridge with picture menus.
- Never follow a stranger to a bar they pick. That is the drink scam, and the bill can be huge.
- Ignore the shoe shine brush drop, the mosque is closed pitch, and free guides who lead to carpet shops.
The full Istanbul travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around