Istanbulplandiscoverunderstandfeel
Practical travel tips from real experience and more than 95 stories about sights, neighborhoods and hidden gems.
Discover Istanbul with Amra
To me, Istanbul isn't a city you just visit. When I'm standing on a ferry on the Bosphorus, it feels like the city takes the weight of everyday life off my shoulders, if only for a moment. That's why on Istanbul-ID I don't just share sights — I share personal experiences, stories and all the small things you usually won't find in an ordinary guidebook.
What are you looking for?
Trip Planning & Real Experience
Plan Istanbul — before it gets expensive or unnecessarily complicated.
eSIM, airport transfer, accommodation, tickets and real experience from our Istanbul trips.
eSIM for Istanbul: Our Experience after Almost 300 Euros in Roaming Costs
Read more
From Istanbul Airport IST to the City Center: Metro, Havaist, Taxi, or Private Transfer?
Read more
From Sabiha Gökçen Airport SAW to the City Center: How I'd Travel Today
Read more
Where to Stay in Istanbul? Neighbourhood Comparison with Tested Hotels
Read more
Istanbul Tourist Pass or MuseumPass? Comparing Benefits and Costs
Read more
Istanbulkart and Public Transport in Istanbul: How to Get Around Without a Taxi
Read more
Money in Istanbul: Cash, Credit Card and Exchanging – What You Really Need
Read moreIstanbul Airports: IST or SAW – Which One Suits Your Trip?
Read moreUnderstanding Istanbul
95+ Sights, Neighborhoods & Stories
From the big landmarks to places most visitors simply walk past.
Hagia Sophia: 1,500 Years of Power, Faith, and a Dome That Was Far Too Bold for Its Time
Read more
Galata Tower: A Genoese Fortress, a Fire Watch, and the One Tower I Apparently Can Never Photograph Enough
Read more
Topkapı Palace: 400 Years of Power Behind Gates, Courtyards, and Controlled Access to the Sultan
Read more
Blue Mosque: Six Minarets, Thousands of İznik Tiles, and a Young Sultan Facing the Hagia Sophia
Read more
Basilica Cistern: 336 Columns, Two Medusa Heads, and the Water System Beneath Constantinople
Read more
Süleymaniye Mosque: Süleyman, Mimar Sinan, and an Entire Social City on a Hill
Read more
Fatih Mosque: The Church of the Holy Apostles, Plundered Imperial Tombs, and Mehmed's New Capital on Byzantine Ground
Read moreGrand Bazaar: Bedestens, Guilds, Money, and a Trading City Under One Roof
Read more
Spice Bazaar: Why It's Called Mısır Çarşısı, and What Egypt Has to Do With a Mosque Foundation
Read more
Sirkeci Station: The Orient Express, Tearful Goodbyes, and Where Europe Arrived in Constantinople
Read more
Galata Bridge: Leonardo da Vinci, Tolls, Fishermen, and the Bridge That Joined Two Istanbul Worlds
Read more
The Golden Horn: The Natural Harbour That Crusaders, Emperors, and Mehmed II Fought Over
Read more
Yeraltı Camii: The Underground Mosque of Karaköy and the Story of the Golden Horn Chain
Read more
İstiklal Avenue: Churches, Arcades, Embassies, and the Street Where Pera Reinvented Itself
Read more