The vast and beautiful city has never been more accessible. Istanbul is easy to enjoy and enriching for the soul. Stay, dine and explore in one of the world’s greatest hubs of culture and history.
Touch down
Istanbul’s new airport, about 30km west of the city, receives more than 100 direct flights from the UK each week. Turkish Airlines flies in six times a day from London Heathrow and also from Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. British Airways also flies from Heathrow. Wizz Air arrives from Luton and Gatwick.
Istanbul airport was the busiest in Europe in 2022, yet because it has only a single terminal you certainly don’t feel overwhelmed. From the airport, the new Metro link on line M11 runs frequently to Kâğıthane in northwest Istanbul, from which onward connections by Metro, bus and taxi are available. The journey takes only 24 minutes and costs 10 lire (under £1). The Metro is being extended to Gayrettepe, closer to the city centre.
A wide range of express buses are also available, serving all the key areas of the city.
On the Asian side of the Bosphorus, Sabiha Gokcen airport has links from Stansted on Pegasus and AnadoluJet, and will soon be served from London Heathrow by BA.
Buses cover the 35km from Sabiha Gokcen to city centre locations.
Get your bearings
The tourism hub is Sultanahmet occupies the peninsula where the Sea of Marmara meets the Bosphorus. It is location for the original site of Istanbul and full of monuments: the bulky, beautiful Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and the expansive complex containing Topkapı Palace. Galata Bridge leads north across the Golden Horn – a broad inlet – to what was once the ancient coastal town of Galata but is now known as Beyoğlu. The waterside area facing the Bosphorus is Tophane, and a string of attractive locations pop up along the western shore of the waterway. On the Asian side, Üsküdar is the main centre and destination for intercontinental ferries.
Istanbul’s integrated transport network allows effortless exploration. Either buy a carnet of 10 tickets which will get you on any form of transport – or invest a couple of pounds in an Istanbulkart (Istanbul card) and top it up as you go.
Check in
Pera, on the western side of Beyoğlu, is a good choice of location, with easy road and public transport access to most places of interest – and well placed for excellent nearby restaurants.. It also has Istanbul’s signature hotel: the Pera Palace – the epitome of 19th-century style with…
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