Review of Istanbul
Istanbul
Take flights to Istanbul for soaring minarets, Byzantine churches and meze in rooftop restaurants.
Things to do
On your Istanbul holiday, walk across Galata Bridge past fishermen casting off into the Bosphorus. Look up to see the pigeons flocking above the elegant minarets of Yeni Camii mosque which dominate Istanbul’s Old City skyline.
Shopping
At the labyrinthine medieval Grand Bazaar, where arched alleys are packed with dazzling stalls, join the crowds and haggle for your inlaid backgammon set, made from wood, brass and translucent mother-of-pearl. It makes a great souvenir from your Istanbul city break.
Restaurants
Feast on freshly grilled fish with aniseed drink raki at traditional meyhane taverns on crowded Nevizade street. Local musicians entertain you at your table, with traditional music on violin and the reedy zurna.
Nightlife
Cool evening breezes and laid-back local DJs make the city’s rooftop bars the perfect place to relax after your flights to Istanbul. With a cocktail in hand, gaze out over the twinkling lights of the boats on the ink-black Bosphorus.
When to go
KLM has frequent flights to Istanbul. Choose your city break to catch top events, like July’s International Istanbul Jazz Festival, or the arty Contemporary Istanbul in October/November.
Review of Istanbul
Filter the reviews
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Istanbul Istanbul17 Jun 13
Before I fell in love with any girl I was already in love with Istanbul. Simply amazing, magical city and the one you should see.tiger - usa
Leisure, Family, No member
General impression 5 Restaurants 4 Activities 5 Shopping 5 Events 5 Average grade 4.8 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Bosphorus and ancient peninsula.
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Mixed experience06 Jun 13
We experienced both good and bad. Some of the service and product we recieved was of a good quality and reasonably priced. However we had some bad experiences of being cheated by restaurants (no prices for drinks on their menu meant that we paid more for a glass of wine and a raki that we did for our main courses), a taxi driver who switched a 50 lira note that I handed him as stepping out of the taxi for a 5 lira and then getting aggresive and threatening when I refused to give him more money. Also one of the receptionists at the hotel took money for a bottle of water from the mini bar without giving us a reciept making me think he pocketed the money. The old part of the city (Sultanahmed) was pretty enough but massively crowded during the day. Topkapi palace needs a full day to see, not because it's so big but because some of the displays need a wait of almost an hour to see. The green areas next to the coastal road are pretty and nice to walk along. And once you move away from the touristic areas, prices come down significantly.Theos -
Leisure, Partner, No member
General impression 3 Hotels 4 Restaurants 2 Activities 3 Shopping 4 Average grade 3.2 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Be very aware when paying money (switching 50 lira notes for 5 lira is apparently very common). Make sure you check prices on menus (insist on keeping a menu at your table for the duration of your meal). Do not be fooled by businesses who will allow you to pay in other currencies ; their exchange rates are horrible. If you want to see the most common sites be there as early in the day as possible.
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Wonderful Istanbul!29 Apr 13
Stayed in Old Istanbul for one of my best vacations ever. Did a full day walking tour of Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar - words cannot begin to describe it. Visited Spice and Arasta Bazaars as well. Lovely city overall.al_from_alberta - Canada
Leisure, Alone, No member
General impression 4 Hotels 4 Restaurants 4 Activities 5 Shopping 5 Going Out 4 Events 5 Average grade 4.4 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Figure out transportation and hotels prior to getting there. Istanbul Card is great and cheaper for using the tram if frequent travel is required. One can do a self tour but using a guide really adds perspective.
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Turkey - An Adventure of a Life Time.12 Apr 13
I planned my trip through KLM because of the once-in-a-lifetime promotion they had. I travelled with my husband and I must say neither one of us expected Turkey to be as beautiful as it was. We explored Istanbul, where the streets are packed, the people are freindly, the food is amazing, the nightlife is fanatastic and the shopping is wonderful! Istanbul has alot of diversity, which was shocking to us. We also explored Selcuk (Ephesus), Goreme (Cappadocia), Pamukalle, Bodrum and finally Antalya. Each city brought a new experience and sight with it. I would recommented Turkey is everyone!sarap - Canada
Leisure, Partner, No member
General impression 4 Hotels 5 Restaurants 5 Activities 4 Shopping 3 Going Out 4 Events 4 Average grade 4.1 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Visit: Istanbul, Selcuk (Ephesus), Goreme, Pamukalle, Bodrum and Antalya!
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We loved Istanbul18 Feb 13
It was our first trip to Europe and Istanbul was spectacular. My daughter has been living there and we decided to visit her. Istanbul would have not been my first choice to visit in Europe but with her there off we went. Istanbul is a fantastic destination. The history in Turkey is amazing. I would highly recommend Turkey for a destination. Besides Istanbul we toured Cappadocia and Ephesis. All I can say is WOW! The tours were great. What history. Inside Turkey we used Turkish Airlines and they were great. KLM was great for travel. The flight was great. Food and drinks were provided and was very good. If I had to choose a airline for our next trip KLM would be great.1ranger - Usa
Leisure, Family, Ivory
General impression 5 Hotels 5 Restaurants 4 Activities 5 Shopping 5 Going Out 5 Events 4 Average grade 4.7 Report abuseReviewer's tip
See all the sites of the city. We really enjoyed to people of Turkey. They were all very friendly. Transportation was great in the city as we used public transportation to get around and when we used taxis they were very inexpensive. Lastly the food was great. Lots of sidewalk cafes and restaurants.
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Great city with a big history09 Jan 13
Istanbul is a city that would take a whole book to describe. It played an important role in ottoman history. It's landmarks are a reflection of it's past. I love this city, and would recommend anyone visitey35 - 34
Leisure, Family, No member
General impression 5 Hotels 3 Restaurants 5 Activities 5 Shopping 5 Going Out 5 Events 5 Average grade 4.7 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Istanbul is very big city. Be careful when trying to get around the city. also I recombine visiting the grand bazar which is the oldest mall in world
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A memorable trip03 Jan 13
It was a wonderful,historical city.people were welcoming.klm flights were good but I must appreciate klm for keeping travellers well informed and updated about their flights.shazo - UK
Leisure, Family, No member
General impression 5 Hotels 5 Restaurants 4 Activities 5 Shopping 5 Events 5 Average grade 4.8 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Must visit Istanbul
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FIRST IMPRESSION26 Nov 12
CITY HUGE AND STEEPED IN HISTORY, COULD NOT GET OVER THE SIZE AND AMMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT ISTANBULHAVING FUN - SCOTLAND
Leisure, Partner, Ivory
General impression 4 Hotels 4 Restaurants 4 Activities 4 Shopping 4 Going Out 3 Events 3 Average grade 3.7 Report abuseReviewer's tip
NEED 4 DAYS TO SEE ALL THE AREAS OF INTEREST
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Great city trip destination10 Feb 12
Istanbul is a great city to spend some days. A visit to the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque is recommendable (be properly dressed for the Blue Mosque!!). Avoid the touristic places when eating out. The small, more obscure looking restaurants in the side streets serve far better and authentic food than the big tourist restaurants.Ineke - Netherlands
Leisure, Family, No member
General impression 5 Hotels 4 Restaurants 4 Activities 5 Shopping 4 Going Out 5 Average grade 4.5 Report abuseReviewer's tip
Pay a visit to the Basilica Cistern. This is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. It is located 500 meters from the Hagia Sofia.
