12 things not to do in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is an absolutely amazing city! I fell in love with it the moment I got out of the bus: friendly people, vibrant atmosphere, delicious food, interesting history and culture make the visit to the city an unforgettable experience. Probably, in my case one of the reasons is the fact that I have some Turkic blood in my veins 🙂 But as many other touristic places it has its traps, so here are my travel tips on the things not to do in Istanbul in order to have a really enjoyable experience!

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1. Don’t stay close to the sights.

Of course, it is much more convenient to stay closer to the sights, when you do not have to spend time and money to get to an attraction. But by doing this you will miss the real Istanbul and the authentic local life. If you stay in Sultanahmet close to the Blue Mosque or in Taksim near Istiklal, you will see crowds of tourists and locals alike. And it will be noisy. We stayed at Çapa, reasonably not far from Sultanahmet, and really enjoyed the neighbourhood. And it is cheaper 🙂

2. Don’t take the tram on Istiklal.

I know how tempting it sounds: to take a ride in the historical tram in the center of Istanbul in its most famous street. Well, it was not that dashing when I had to stand in the tram packed with people and not being able to see a glimpse of Istiklal. So, don’t do it, especially if you intend to actually see this wonderful street. Frankly, many people just take photos of themselves in front of the tram without getting in.

But if you are tired – and you will be, if you are going to peek into all the shops, of which there are plenty – it is even advisable to take the tram to get to the other side of Istiklal.

3. Don’t shop on Istiklal.

Continuing with Istiklal, here comes my next tip in the list of things not to do in Istanbul: don’t shop there. I have to admit, I am guilty of this one. There are many shops on Istiklal, especially lots of not-so-expensive European brands as Mango, Bershka, H&M, and local Turkish ones, and it is difficult not to fall to the temptation of buying a fancy dress or a T-shirt. But people who travel to Istanbul frequently advise to go to big shopping centers, which are not touristic, and the prices are lower.

More on Istanbul:

• Based on my personal experience: travel tips for Istanbul
• Is Istanbul safe to travel?
• 30 places to visit in Istanbul
• Best time to visit Istanbul: weather by season

4. Don’t think there will be no queues.

There will always be queues in Istanbul to all the major sights, so consider this when planning your itinerary. Of course, if you go there off season, it won’t be that bad, but if you visit Istanbul during popular times, expect to wait hours (sometimes) before you can get in.

I remember we had to wait for a long time at Topkapi: first to buy the tickets, and then again inside at the Treasury. The Treasury is quite small, so they can’t let many people inside at once. But, nevertheless, it was extremely crowded when we finally got in, and we could barely see the exhibits. If you want to skip the queues, you will have to pay for an organised tour (click here to see it).

Dolmabahce is another place where queues can be endless and, considering that the number of visitors is limited, tourists have to come there very early to ensure they get a place. When we were there, we managed to buy the last tickets 🙂 If you want to be sure that you will have a ticket and dread waiting in the line, opt for a skip-the-line tour of the palace (click here for more info). Just keep in mind that it’s not likely your guide will do a tour of the palace itself as they at Dolmabahce have their own guides.

If you just don’t need the hassle of waiting in lines at every major tourist attraction, opt for a 1 day tour that offers guided entrance to a couple of locations like Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, etc. (click here for more info: the price of this tour includes the services of a guide and all entrance tickets).

What you have to remember is that these skip-the-line tours are more expensive than simply buying entrance tickets, but you will get a guide and won’t have to wait for hours. Personally, I prefer to wait as I am quite frugal when I travel 🙂

5. Don’t buy apple tea.

I am one of those people who love tea: waiters in Istanbul ask me if I am Russian when I order it 🙂 After hearing so much about the Turkish apple tea, I decided to try it. Well, no offence to apple tea lovers, but it is far from being the best beverage I have ever had. And that powder the tea is made of looks totally artificial. Better buy authentic Turkish tea: I think Çaykur is the most popular one of them.

6. Don’t buy everything you see in the bazaars.

Yes, the Egyptian and Grand Bazaars are cool, and you can buy lots of things there, but they are intended for tourists primarily, and are very expensive. If you want to buy Turkish delights or tea, better go to a local bakery or a supermarket.

Just an example: my friend wanted to buy Çaykur tea in the Egyptian bazaar, because, as the rumor has it, it is cheaper there than in the Grand Bazaar. In one shop it cost 15 Turkish liras, in the second one 30(!) Turkish liras, and in the supermarket – 12 Turkish liras only (or might be even less depending on the tea type).

7. Don’t buy in bazaars without haggling.

Haggling is crucial! You can cut the price by half. The items in the bazaars are overpriced, and you can’t buy everything in supermarkets or local shops. If you really want that amazingly colorful scarf or those wonderful tulip-shaped glasses, then don’t be afraid to bargain.

When the seller tells the price, say that it is too expensive. They lower the price a bit, but you go on with saying that it is still too expensive, and turn to go away. Usually they stop you and ask to set your own price. Don’t be too immodest, give it a reasonable price, and you will strike a deal.

A story again: on my first trip to Istanbul I did not know any of these, but managed to cut the price of a scarf from 60 Turkish liras to 25.

8. Don’t be afraid to try street food.

Turkey has an amazing national cuisine, and you don’t even have to go to a restaurant to try it. Get yourself a kumpir (a baked potato with filling), balik ekmek (fish and bread), tombik (it is similar to burgers, but tastes much better), simit (a bread with sesame seeds), and baked chestnuts. And freshly squeezed pomegranate and orange juices! I think street vendors are everywhere in Istanbul, so consider yourself safe from starvation 🙂 If you are not a fan of street food, and don’t think it is hygienic enough, go to small Turkish restaurants.

And, obviously, don’t go to McDonald’s or Burger King 🙂 The Turkish cuisine is not limited to street food, so go to restaurants that serve traditional kebabs and delights. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

9. Don’t eat close to touristic places.

This one is a very strong don’t, and it’s true not only for Istanbul. We had a dinner in a very small restaurant just next to the Topkapi palace: unfortunately, I don’t remember its name, but it was overpriced and the food was awful. Actually, it was our worst meal in the city. Just go a bit farther from the sights and you will find really nice places to eat.

10. Don’t wear revealing clothes or short dresses.

Turkey is a country with a Muslim majority, and it means that a dress code should be respected. I strongly advise women not to wear short dresses or skirts or clothes that reveal a lot of cleavage. I do not think many of us need so much unwanted attention.

I’ve already received some nasty comments from people who claim that I am wrong and women can wear whatever they want. My personal experience is different: I wore once a long above-knee shirt with thick black tights and too many people paid attention to me, while older ladies kept rolling their eyes 🙂

11. Don’t assume Istanbul isn’t safe.

Some of my readers ask whether Istanbul is safe, so I feel that I should address this question. In my opinion, Istanbul is as safe as any other city I have visited. When in Istanbul, I take general precautions, like I do in any other place: I don’t walk late at night in distant neighbourhoods, I keep my belongings close to myself and don’t flash anything expensive.

I went to Istanbul often on business trips, meaning I would walk the city alone when my work for the day was done. In other cases I travelled there with my female friend and we walked around many areas, some much farther than Sultanahmet and Taksim. We had to wait for buses/ferries in some distant and empty places, we stayed at a hotel that was managed by men only, walked the tourist areas at night and we are still alive and kicking 🙂

I have a longer post on safety, where I share my experience and impressions about Istanbul as a female traveller: click here to read it.

12. Don’t try to get to everywhere on foot.

When I looked at the map of Istanbul, some sights seemed to be really close to each other, while in reality it takes a lot of time to get there. When we went to Yildiz Palace – an amazing place, by the way, I thought that Dolmabahce is not really far from there. Trust me, it is, and I am glad we took the bus. If you like long walks, then it is not a huge distance for you, but for us, who attempted to get everywhere on foot as much as possible, it was quite an ordeal.

Do you know any other things not to do in Istanbul you would like to share? Your comments are more than welcome!