Airports — You can easily connect to Atatürk airport via the Metro (possibly with a tram transfer. However, if your flight is before when the Metro starts working, you can use the Havaş airport shuttle which departs from various points of the city from as early as 04:00. Scheduling information can be found here and clicking on the airport you need: . An example would be from Taksim Square, which leaves as early as 04:00, costs 10 TL, and takes 40 min.
Kilyos — Located by the Black-sea shore on the European side, Kilyos is a half-hour drive from Taksim under normal circumstances. The village has more than a dozen private and public beaches, some of which require membership to enter. Though there are ways to get to Kilyos with buses and dolmus, the best way is to use a private car, since the journey will take longer than usual during summer. Note, that the sea is rough, and high waves and currents make it difficult and somewhat dangerous to swim for people who are not expert and cautious. Drownings occur every year. For your safety, do not swim outside the limits of the designated swimming area, which are marked by buoys.
Atatürk Arboretum (living tree museum) is the place for nature lovers. Easily accessible by public buses from various locations in the city, the arboretum near the Black Sea coast in a verdant forest offers gorgeous scenery—which reaches its zenith in autumn as the leaves change to crimson, golden, purple, or anywhere inbetween—and a spectacular view of Bosphorus, which is seen like a turquoise lake from an observation tower, which also serves well as a spot for birdwatching.
Anadolu Kavağı with Yoros Castle to the upper left
Anadolu Kavağı — While officially the northernmost district of the city, Anadolu Kavağı (also known simply as Kavak) on the Asian bank of Bosporus is in reality a separate town, accessible only by a windy and narrow road through the forest, by infrequent public buses, or by ferries (the best way to go there). Ferries depart from Eminönü (once or twice a day, from the pier named Boğaz İskelesi) and Sariyer (much more frequently), which is the northernmost district on European side (to get to Sariyer, you should take public bus #40 from Taksim). While in Anadolu Kavağı, climb up to the citadel on the hill (follow the signs starting from the square near the quay, it takes about 20 minutes on foot, free admission). The citadel is named Yoros and it’s unclear who built it, maybe Byzantines or the Genoese perhaps, but it’s pretty obvious that it was built to protect the northern entrance of Bosphorus. The castle offers a perfect view of the entrance of Bosporus and the Black Sea beyond, as if not much has changed since Jason and the Argonauts sailed through here in pursuit of Golden Fleece. When you turn your back to Black Sea on the other hand, you’ll have a distant view of business district of the city, full of skyscrapers. When you’re done in the castle, return back to town centre, and before boarding the ship that will take you back to the city, have a waffle and a hot coffee in one of the cafés near the shore if it’s winter. Recently a number of open-air cafes just across the street from the citadel has been opened as well, overlooking the pleasant wooded vale, the village, and the Bosphorus below. (Note: Citadel and surrounding areas get really crowded at weekends during summer months, which makes falling into mythical dreams a little difficult. Also avoid staying around the castle after the night falls in winter, as scarily large dogs occupy all over the place.)
Polonezköy — A village in the Asian side of Istanbul, about 20 km away from central parts of the city. It was founded by Polish settlers in 19th century.
Şile — Located by the Black-Sea shore on the Anatolian side, Şile is a 45 minutes drive to Taksim. Though, it will take ca. 1.5-2 hours to get there if you take the bus from Üsküdar. It is a village growing rapidly, famous for its fish and special cotton fabric Şile Bezi (cloth of Şile). Similar to Kilyos, Şile also has its own private and public beaches. Note, that the sea is rough, and high waves and currents as well as the dangerous sand type of the sea, make it difficult and somewhat dangerous to swim for people who are not expert and cautious. Drownings occur every year. For your safety, do not swim outside the limits of the designated swimming area, which are marked by buoys.
Coastline near Ağva
Ağva — Lying to the east of Şile, you can get to Ağva by bus or car. By car, it will take 20-30' and by bus ca. 1 hour. Ağva is a tourist-attracting, small holiday village. It has less make-up for tourist. You can observe the local life. Although it is less crowded than Kilyos and Şile due their relative proximity to Istanbul, its beach became due to the increase of visitors dirty recently. But if you ask locals, you can find wonderful, hidden beaches (such as "Kilimli"). Note, that the sea is rough, and high waves and currents make it difficult and somewhat dangerous to swim for people who are not expert and cautious. Drownings occur every year. For your safety, do not swim outside the limits of the designated swimming area, which are marked by buoys.
The Princes' Islands — A group of islands off the southern coast of the Asian Side of Istanbul. "Büyükada", the biggest and most famous of them all, has fairly frequent ferry connections to Eminönü and Kabatas (on the European side) and Bostanci and Kadikoy (on the Asian side) (depending on the time of year - check out the IDO and Mavi Marmara ferry services. Out of season it might be necessary to travel via Bostanci using the Mavi Marmara ferries). At Büyükada you can rent bikes and find some very secluded spots perfect for a picnic, highly recommended for when you're tired of being in a huge city with millions of people.
Marmara Islands further out in the Sea of Marmara is a less urban alternative to Princes' Islands, and with connections to Asian mainland (to Bandırma via Erdek) can be a stopover on the longer route to Izmir.
Silivri — It's a place of choice for people to relax & take a break from their hectic lives. Silivri is a 45 minutes drive to Levent. The best way to commute is to use a private car, since the journey will take longer than usual during summer. The summer is a popular time when people move into their summer homes in Silivri and enjoy beach activities. In fact, many new and spectacular villages have also been built there.
Edirne in the west/northwest is a two-hour car drive or bus ride away (train is also an option but it takes much longer). This beautiful city served as the capital city of Ottoman Empire before the capital was moved to Istanbul, thus is full of history. Visiting this city can be a long day trip if you have a car at your disposal, or if you can get up very early and catch, say, 7 o’clock in the morning bus. It’s better to stay overnight to see all the sights though. If you have one more day to spare, instead of taking the shortest route, you can head to Edirne via the slightly longer northern route and visit Kıyıköy—ancient Medea, nowadays a fishing village on the Black Sea with some traditional architecture, preserved city walls, and rock-cut St Nicholas Monastery—and Vize (site of a very well preserved Byzantine cathedral, 20 km west of Kıyıköy) on the way.
Bursa to the south/southeast, about the exact opposite direction of Edirne, can be another long day-trip, possibly combined with a de-tour to İznik on the way. Bursa is another former Ottoman capital with many earlier historical sights, as well as Uludağ National Park just south of the city.
Çanakkale, about six hours away in the southwest, is a pleasant city on the banks of the Straits of Dardanelles, and is the hub for visiting many nearby sites, such as Gallipoli World War I memorials, ancient Troy, and charming island of Bozcaada.
Sofia, Bulgaria, Using a night bus each way could even make this an interesting (if tiring) day trip to the capital of Bulgaria.
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Istanbul - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Istanbul hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Istanbul Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
