25 MISTAKES Tourists Make in Istanbul

We have guided thousands of people in our many years of guiding and here are some of the most frequent mistakes tourists make every single day when visiting Istanbul. And first mistake is at the airports. So don't change money at the airport immediately. So don't think that in the city center you cannot find exchange offices, you have to go to banks or something. It is not that difficult. It's really easy to change money and you will get better rates in the city center. Leave it for old city for Grand Bazaar or Taksim or Karaköy. You'll find lots of exchange offices everywhere with better rates. Not bringing any cash. Now in Turkey, in Istanbul you can use card pretty much everywhere to buy anything. Museum tickets, food etc. But you may still want to have some cash with you during your travels. If you didn't know and you came to Istanbul to withdraw some money in ATM, some banks to some foreign cards can charge more than 10% commission fee. So not to pay this, it's better to bring some cash with you and change it in the exchange offices. And withdrawing too much cash. You don't need too much cash during day. Because you can use credit card everywhere. Even in small shops, restaurants, public transport, wherever you go, you can use your credit card. You don't need to carry thousands of liras with you every day. Not using public transportation. In some countries, public transportation may not be the most ideal way of transportation. But here in Turkey, it's the best. We locals, we all use public transportation. It's safe, it's efficient, it's fast, it gets you through the traffic queues and so on. And it's cheap, it's affordable, it's everywhere. We all use public transportation. Do the same. Getting Istanbul card before trying your own bank cards. Maybe you don't know but in Istanbul, credit card works everywhere. In public transportation, you can use your credit card. Visa or MasterCard will work in public transportation. You don't need to buy Istanbul card if you will stay in city just one day or two days. You can use your own credit card. But if you will stay longer, I recommend you to buy an Istanbul card. But don't get the wrong cards. So this should be your card. This is Istanbul card. This is the red color one. This is what we locals use in city center. When you arrive at the airport, you will see lots of card options. PTT card, blue card or red color Istanbul card. And this should be the card you will choose. This is red color city card. If you don't know how to buy this and if it is confusing for you, please watch our video about how to buy city card in Istanbul. Accepting fixed rates when using taxi. You don't need to accept fixed rates when using taxi in Istanbul because all the taxis have taxi meter and it automatically calculates the amount of money you need to pay depending on the distance you go. And that's it. So you don't need to accept. Just get on the taxi. Make sure they turn the taxi meter on and pay what it's written on the taxi meter. Sometimes there might be extra fees like for example if you use the Avrasya Tunnel or the Bosphorus Bridge and it is normal that they add this to the fee that is written on the taxi meter but that should be it. Also it is recommended that you use one of these two taxi apps. B-Taxi which is a Turkish taxi app or the international Uber which is also going to bring you a yellow taxi in Istanbul. Not activating e-sim before you arrive to Turkey. If you don't do that, your line will not work here. In that case, you have to buy a physical sim card. Underestimating the size of Istanbul. Istanbul is one of the world's largest cities. It is a massive city with traffic jams, with lines, security controls. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, add 50% more time to it. So for example, you want to see the Basilica system and you think you need one hour, make it one and a half hour just to be on the safe side. Because in this city, it always takes more time to get things done. It always takes more time to go from point A to point B. So just to have a better experience as a visitor in Istanbul, just give more time to everything and you'll be fine. Trying to avoid queues by going early morning. But it is wrong. If you go there, if you go to sites very early morning, 8.30, 9 a.m, it's okay. Maybe it could be less crowded. But if you go there after 9, like 9.30, 10 a.m, 11 a.m, don't think that this is early morning. It's too late. Everywhere will be so crowded. Then another option is visiting afternoon. After 2, 3 or 3.30 p.m, sites are less crowded. Not joining a tour, any tour. Istanbul is one of the world's largest, oldest and most complex cities. To make sure you spend your time in the most efficient way possible and to get a deeper understanding of this city's incredible thousands of years old rich culture and history, book a guided tour. Now you don't need to book a guided tour with us. There are hundreds of options you can choose from. There are private guided tours, there are group tours, there are food tours, there are tours on the European side, tours on the Asian side. There's so many different options. But of course, if you would like to book a guided tour with us, we would be very happy. And for this, we will leave a link in the description down below. But if you decide to book a guided tour with someone else, just make sure that your tour guide is licensed. Look, this is a tour guide license here in Turkey. Just make sure that your tour guide has one of these. Judging all of Istanbul just by the old city. The old city of Istanbul refers to the Fatih district which is only one out of 39 districts of Istanbul. Istanbul is so much bigger than that. There is so much to see, there's so much complexity, diversity in this city. So for example, going to Beşiktaş, going to Kadıköy, Üsküdar or Beyoğlu is a whole other experience than the old city. Of course, you should start with the old city. Of course, you should see the historic sites of Istanbul. Of course, you should go to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar. But if you have time, make sure you see more of what Istanbul has to offer. Make sure you see newer parts of the city, the Asian side, the princess islands. Istanbul is such a beautiful city. There's so much to see. And don't judge all of the city just by your experience in the old city. Removing or wearing shoes too early when entering and leaving the mosque. Before you enter the mosque, you have to take off your shoes to keep the carpet clean inside. You already know this. But we see tourists make this mistake every day before they enter the mosque. They take off their shoes too early. They step on the street. Then with dirty socks, they go inside the mosque and actually it is the same thing. So, you make carpet dirty. That's why you shouldn't take off your shoes too early. You should go inside with clean socks. And same thing when you're leaving the mosque. Don't put your shoes on the carpet quickly. Carry your shoes till exit and when you see the dirty ground, wear your shoes over there. Never on the carpets. Going to Blue Mosque without checking the visiting hours. Blue Mosque is one of the most famous mosques in Turkey. Moreover, it's a functional mosque. It's open for visitors and prayers. If you like to visit Blue Mosque as a visitor, then you should check visiting hours. But if you are a Muslim, if you like to pray in Blue Mosque, you can go there during visiting hours or during praying hours to pray in Blue Mosque. And you should also know that on Fridays, Blue Mosque will be closed for visitors till 2.30 pm. And it will be open for prayers morning and afternoon will be open for visitors. Not seeing Istanbul from above. Istanbul is where Europe meets Asia. This was the capital of three great empires. There's so much to see in the city and you should definitely see it from a higher viewing point. Now, luckily, Istanbul has hundreds of natural viewing points. This is a very hilly city and moreover, there are hundreds of rooftop cafes and restaurants from which you can get a stunning view of what Istanbul has to offer. Go to places like Galata Tower, Topkapi Palace, Nakkaştepe, Çamlıca and there's so many more places from where you can see the city from above. You should definitely not miss out on this opportunity. Only visiting the European side. Guys, come on! Istanbul is on two continents. You have to see the other half of the city as well. The Asian side of Istanbul alone is home to nearly six million people. There are 13 districts including the Princess Islands. When you're visiting Istanbul, of course, you should start with the old city and see all the, you know, the world famous historic sites like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar for sure. But if you have more than a few days, definitely check out the Asian side of Istanbul. Go to Üsküdar, go to Kadıköy, go to the Princess Islands. Especially when the weather is nice, it's lovely to go on a walk on the Princess Islands. And even in winter, it's still worth going to the central districts and neighborhoods of the Asian side. You should definitely check out the other side of the city. Avoiding Grand Bazaar, Çenken, it's too touristy. Yes, you are right. Grand Bazaar is one of the most famous touristy destinations in Istanbul. But you should know this. Grand Bazaar is not only a bazaar. Grand Bazaar is a historical building. This is from 1461. And this is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. And it is still functional. And look at this, how huge. Grand Bazaar has 60 streets, more than 2,400 shops. And it's a kind of small town. Regardless of shopping, you should come here. You should see this bazaar, this beautiful shopping culture, and handicrafts. Çenken, you can haggle everywhere. This is one of the biggest mistakes you make in Istanbul. Haggling is a culture in Turkey. I accept this. But not everywhere. Especially in this kind of bazaars. Look around. Right now, I am in Grand Bazaar. And this is one of the most traditional bazaars in Istanbul. You can haggle in Grand Bazaar. You can haggle in Spice Bazaar. Or in the other traditional bazaars in the old city, you can ask discount. But don't think that we do it everywhere. We don't haggle in shopping streets, shopping malls. We don't haggle in brands. We don't do it all around the city. This is the culture only in old city and in farmers markets. And thinking that everywhere is closed on Sunday. Guys, this is Istanbul. It's a metropole. Almost 20 million people live in this city. It's a huge city. And life never stops in Istanbul. And Saturday, Sundays, or Fridays, doesn't matter. You will always see places will be open. Of course, there are some places closed on some days. But they are never closed on the same day. Let's say, if you go to Topkapi Palace, it will be closed on Tuesday. But at that day, Dolmabahce Palace will be open. And if you go to Dolmabahce Palace, it will be closed on Monday. Then Topkapi Palace will be open. There will be always an option around you. But this is about the museums and sites, restaurants, shops, pubs. Everywhere is open. Shopping malls, they are not closed on Sunday. Life is going on seven days in a week. Only major site which is closed on Sunday is Grand Bazaar. But as an alternative, Egyptian Bazaar or Arasta Bazaar will be open on Sunday. Underestimating the size of the palaces in Istanbul. There are five palaces in Istanbul. However, the two biggest ones, the two main ones, the Dolmabahce Palace and Topkapi Palace, both take hours and hours to finish. These palaces are so huge, you might have to spend half a day or even a full day to be able to see all of these places. Now, especially the Topkapi Palace, because it has hundreds of rooms and exhibitions inside, it might take you a full day to finish. So, if you are planning on visiting the Topkapi Palace and you think having one or two hours inside the palace is enough, think again and make sure you plan your day accordingly. Not doing a Bosphorus tour because it's too touristic. Guys, you have to do a Bosphorus tour when you come to Istanbul, especially if the weather is nice. But regardless of the weather, 12 months a year there are Bosphorus tours and I highly recommend you do a Bosphorus tour. Why? Because this is not an ordinary waterway. This is where two continents meet. Europe meets Asia. It is one of the most special cities, one of the most special waterways in the world. Moreover, Istanbul's Bosphorus has so many beautiful, stunning historical buildings. There are palaces, there is the Maiden's Tower, there is the Galata Tower. You get to see the old city, the new city, the skyscrapers, the hilly, foresty areas. You get to see so much of the city in such a short time. A Bosphorus tour maybe may just be the most efficient way to see the most of the city in the shortest period of time. Definitely don't miss out on the Bosphorus tour. Even if you're not gonna do a Bosphorus tour, at least get on a ferry and cross over to the Asian side and come back to see the Bosphorus. Now the options when it comes to Bosphorus tours can be overwhelming as there are many different types of Bosphorus tours. Short ones, long ones, sunset ones, stop on the Asian side, dinner cruise, private cruise. I know I get it but for this we will leave some links in the description down below so you can check and decide for yourself. Drinking in public. Now this is a mistake I especially see European tourists are making when they're visiting Turkey and not just in Istanbul but also in some other coastal cities during their travels. Now I know that it is legal and also socially acceptable to drink in public in some countries especially in Europe but this is not the case in Turkey. So make sure you only drink your alcohol in places where it is legally sold like in bars, pubs or some restaurants or hotels. Underestimating walking distances in Istanbul. Now this one is huge because here in Istanbul when you see a place which is like 20 minute walking distance it may be 20 minutes in reality but Istanbul is a very hilly city which means that 20 minute might be ups and downs and mostly ups and it might not be an easy 20 minute walk. You may end up spending more energy than like a two hour walk in just a 20 minute walk. For example walking from Karaköy to Galata it takes 10 minutes or so but it's so steep that you especially if you try to do that in summer you'll end up sweating so much that you will instantly regret. Instead look for ways to go the same distance easier by using public transport. For example you can go from Karaköy to the top of Istiklal street in just two minutes using a funicular line called F2 and it only costs less than a euro with the Istanbul card. So don't accept every challenge when it comes to walking in Istanbul. Make sure you check the way first and don't underestimate the walking distances. Only eating kebabs and baklava look of course I get it these are the most famous dishes that came from Turkey however Turkish cuisine is one of the richest cuisines in the world. We have seafood, we have pastry, we have meat. Try eating at home food canteens, try eating at restaurants that offer regional dishes, try street food and make sure you watch our food videos because we have made plenty of food videos and you will learn so much more about Turkish cuisine and be adventurous just try new things and you will not regret it. Blowing your nose in public but especially in a restaurant. Here in Turkey blowing your nose especially loudly but especially in a place where people are eating is considered very rude. We don't do this. If you need to do this at a restaurant go to the washroom or even leave the restaurant and come back. We actually made a more detailed video on this topic and it's called restaurant etiquette right. We made an entire video dedicated to restaurant etiquette in Turkey so make sure you watch that. We will leave a link for that video in the description down below. Thank you so much for watching today's video. All the related videos we will put the links down in the description and also on the screen so you can watch those videos as well. Thanks again for watching and follow us for more useful tips when it comes to visiting Istanbul.