Istanbul
Two continents, two airports, and a holiday that changes completely with the side your hotel is on.
Airport meet and greet
IST · SAW · AYT · BJV · TZX
Fixed-price guarantee
No surprise charges
Arabic-speaking driver
Professional team
24/7 support
Our team is always reachable
The first decision that shapes a holiday in Istanbul is not which mosque you will see but which district you sleep in. The city spreads over two continents, fifteen million people live in it, and the same drive takes twenty minutes or an hour and a half depending on the hour. A guest staying in Sultanahmet walks out of the hotel and reaches Hagia Sophia on foot; a guest in Şişli sets out every day to see the same thing. This page gathers that decision and the questions behind it — which airport, how many days, when to come — in one place.
- Airport
- Istanbul (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
- City tour
- 8 hours, private car and Arabic guide
- Most balanced months
- April–May, September–October
- Enough time
- Three full days minimum
Which district to stay in
Sultanahmet is the heart of the historic peninsula: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern are all walkable, the evenings are quiet and it is the easiest area for a family — but there is no nightlife and the hotels are mostly small boutique buildings. Taksim and Beyoğlu suit those who want movement; İstiklal Street, the restaurants and the metro are at the door, and the price is noise. Şişli and Nişantaşı are for guests who come to shop: the labels are walkable and the historic peninsula is forty minutes by metro. The Bosphorus line — Beşiktaş, Ortaköy, Bebek — has the best views and suits people who would rather sit and look than walk. Kadıköy and Üsküdar are on the Asian side: a larger room for the same money and fewer tourists, but a bridge or a ferry every morning.
Two airports, two different sums
Istanbul Airport (IST) sits in the north-west of the European side: about forty kilometres from Taksim, forty-five minutes clear and an hour and a half in the late afternoon. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side: forty kilometres from Kadıköy, but fifty-five to Taksim across a bridge and up to two hours at peak. The choice should follow the side your hotel is on rather than the ticket price — on the European side, IST; on the Asian side, SAW halves the drive. At both airports you are met at the arrivals gate with a name board, the flight is tracked by its number, and a delay costs nothing extra.
Three ways to see the Bosphorus
The cheapest is the municipal ferry: it leaves from Eminönü, the fare is a few lira and it passes close to both shores — crowded and tied to a timetable. The second is a tour boat; two-hour trips from the Eminönü and Kabataş piers run up to Rumeli Fortress and back, the deck is open and it is the easiest for photographs. The third is from land: walk the shore road from Ortaköy to Bebek and you see the waterfront mansions and the bridge at eye level. Our city tour includes the boat trip; if you would rather go separately we collect you from the hotel and drop you at the pier.
Bazaars and shopping
The Grand Bazaar, with nearly four thousand shops, is one of the oldest covered markets in the world; carpets, gold, leather and souvenirs are gathered here and haggling is expected. The Spice Bazaar is in Eminönü: spices, Turkish delight and nuts. Modern shopping is around İstinye Park and Zorlu, while Nişantaşı is a label district you walk along the street. The two things Arabic-speaking guests ask most are whether prices are fixed and where it is safe to buy. Our driver drops you and waits without joining the bargaining — and we take commission from no shop, so we will not steer you into a particular store.
What we do in Istanbul
Meet-and-greet at both airports and transfer to the hotel, a car and driver at your disposal by the day, an eight-hour private city tour, a four-day Istanbul programme and day trips to Bursa and Sapanca. Tours are private: you do not join a group, we collect you from your hotel and return you there, and the driver speaks Arabic. We book the hotel in your name; we have no list of partner hotels, you choose the hotel and we add nothing to the price. And let us write down what we do not do: no yacht charter, no serviced apartments, no wedding cars.
What we offer in Istanbul
Travel Guides
Where to stay in Istanbul: a district guide
Travel Guides
How to get from Istanbul Airport into the city
Travel Guides
A Bosphorus cruise guide: which boat, how long
Common questions about Istanbul
If it is your first visit and you want the historic sights, Sultanahmet — the great monuments are all within walking distance. If the trip is mainly shopping, Şişli or Nişantaşı. If views and quiet come first, the Bosphorus line. If you want your budget to stretch, the Kadıköy side gives a larger room for the same money, in exchange for crossing over every day.
It depends on the side your hotel is on. Staying on the European side (Sultanahmet, Taksim, Şişli, Beşiktaş), Istanbul Airport; on the Asian side (Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Ataşehir), Sabiha Gökçen. The wrong airport can add an hour to the drive, and that difference usually costs more than the fare difference. We transfer from both, at a fixed price set by distance.
Three full days cover the headlines: one for the historic peninsula, one for the Bosphorus and Beyoğlu, one for the bazaars and shopping. With four or five you can add the Princes' Islands, Emirgan or the Asian side without rushing through the day. Under three days it stops being sightseeing and becomes a scramble; better then to narrow the plan and see two places properly.
Let us plan your trip today
Send us your dates and party size, and we will come back the same day with a fixed price and a draft programme.
Message on WhatsAppKeep exploring
If your answer is not here, these pages will help.
Travel agency licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Licence No: 12539
Verify in the TÜRSAB registerEvery transfer is licensed, insured and registered.