Where to go in Istanbul

I have recently been receiving the following question very frequently: “I’ll be in Istanbul soon. Do you have any recommendations for restaurants, places to see, or things to do?” I figured that sending an article is easier than writing similar things over and over again.

The historical peninsula is obviously the most popular destination for tourists, which is also why you can find very detailed trip plans for that region. In this article I will be sharing the places that are not as frequently mentioned in tourist guides.

Before we start, some suggestions:

• Unfortunately, regular taxis are known to scam foreigners. Also, I was recently (May 2023) told that if you call an Uber, a regular taxi comes.
• Public transport is extensive and reliable. I use public transport whenever possible.

Here is a map I made using Google Maps. Below are explanations for each place. I’m using the (sometimes non-descriptive) names that were on Google Maps:

Museum

• Barış Manço Evi: Former home of Barış Manço, Anatolian rock legend, eccentric character. There are giant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the garden, inspired by his song titled Domates, Biber, Patlıcan, which literally translates to Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant. Also check out Arkadaşım Eşek (Donkey, My Friend), and Ayı (Bear).
• Miniatürk: Miniature versions of places around Turkey.
• Rahmi M. Koç Müzesi: Industrial museum, contains a car used in Harry Potter. Fighter planes, ships, submarines, motorbikes, computers, racing cars, trains. There are regular Golden Horn tours with an old ship. Leaves near the restaurant inside the museum. It is fun!
• Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi: Bougie art museum. Contains a restaurant that has a good view of the Bosphorus.
• Sait Faik Abasıyanık Müzesi: Former home of a short story writer, in Burgazada, one of the Princes’ Islands. If you go there, you should spend time walking around the island. The museum is just part of the package. There is a walking trail that goes around the island. I recall the ice cream shops on the island being pretty good.
• Deniz Müzesi: Naval museum. Lots of royal ships from the Ottoman Empire.

Food

• Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta: Ice cream shop. From real milk and real fruits, as far as I know. Sakız is a flavor made from resin, try it if it is offered that day.
• Kumpir shops: Kumpir = whole potato cooked for a long time, then stuffed with many ingredients. The pin shows an open space that is covered with kumpir shops from two sides. All of these shops look, and are, the same. A random number generator might help you decide which one to go to.
• Çiya Sofrası: Chill Turkish food, a bit pricey. If you go to this restaurant, it is almost certain that you will discover new dishes.
• Kebapçı İskender: Popular heavy meat dish. It’s not something made at home, only eaten outside. The name of the dish is İskender, literally translates to Alexander. After you receive the main dish, a waiter will offer to pour some melted butter over the plate. I don’t like it, but your choice.
• Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir: You can buy sweets here. Turkish delight (we call it lokum). There are two types of pistachio-based lokum: “pistachio,” and “doubly roasted.” The doubly-roasted lokum is seen as higher quality, but the other one has bigger pieces.

Park

• Çocuk Parkı: It’s a park, but what I’m really trying to point to is the walking path that is right next to the park. The walking path starts from near the pier and goes until the Moda Deniz Kulübü. The rocks between the water and the walking path are a good place to chill.
• Moda Sahil Parkı ve Yürüyüş Yolu: This is sort of the next section of the walking path. There is a basketball court and a tennis court.
• Dalyan Parkı: Another, longer walking path. Great for riding bikes.
• Fenerbahçe Bostanı: A smaller park, great for romantic excursions. You can watch the waves together <3

Book

• Tarih Edebiyat Sanat Kütüphanesi (TESAK): Library and study space. Very close to the pier.
• Kadıköy: The pin shows the pier, but I’m meaning the library above the pier building.
• Özgen Berkol Doğan Eğitim, Kültür ve Dayanışma Derneği: Science fiction library in an old wooden building. Contains many non-Turkish books, too. They have cheap yearly subscriptions. Can be useful if you’ll be staying in Istanbul for a while.
• Akmar kadıköy sahaf: A semi-underground complex of bookstores, selling both old and new books. There are a few vinyl shops as well.
• Moda İskelesi: Library and study space in a fantastic location. Definitely check it out.

Other

• Ayazma: This is the most unique and rarely-known place on this list. Aya Ekaterini Ayazması is a small chapel surrounded by a seafood restaurant named Koço. Directions: when you arrive at the entrance of Koço, walk up the street, away from the Moda pier (“Moda İskelesi” on this list). To your right, there will be a metal door with the text “AYAZMA” above it. Enter there, then turn right.
• Beylerbeyi: Nice cafes. You can also check out the Beylerbeyi Palace.
• Kuzguncuk: The pier and the surrounding areas. Kuzguncuk is known as a tight-knit neighborhood, and people are very friendly. Nail Kitabevi & Cafe has a nice building and good vibes.
• Rum Yetimhanesi: Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage, second largest wooden building in the world.