Istanbul Neighborhoods: Where to Wander (and Where to Skip)

The neighborhoods that matter

Istanbul is really a dozen cities. Here are the six every first-time visitor should know.

Sultanahmet

The old city, the monuments, the tourist heart. Beautiful and busy. Base yourself here for a two- to three-day trip focused on Byzantine and Ottoman sights.

Karaköy

Old port district reinvented. Cool cafés, design shops, third-wave coffee. Walk here after a Sultanahmet morning.

Galata & Beyoğlu

Up the hill from Karaköy. Galata Tower, İstiklal Avenue, meyhanes on Nevizade Sokak. Good hotel neighborhood for a second visit.

Cihangir

Bohemian residential. Cafés, bookshops, expat crowd. Best breakfast neighborhood.

Balat

Old Jewish and Greek quarter. Painted houses, antique shops, church-then-mosque-then-museum layers. Best for a slow morning walk.

Kadıköy (Asian side)

Where locals actually live and eat. Ferry over for lunch and stay for the afternoon. Moda promenade, Salı Pazarı market, endless kebab and coffee.

The neighborhoods to skip

Taksim Square is transit hub, not destination. Laleli is wholesale shopping district. Ortaköy has one photogenic mosque and forty tacky restaurants.