I’d love to tell you my first trip to Istanbul was flawless. That I glided through this magnificent city with the effortless grace of someone who’d done their research. But the truth is, I made every rookie mistake in the book — and a few that weren’t even in the book yet. The good news? You don’t have to. Here are the 10 mistakes I made as a tourist in Istanbul, so you can skip the learning curve and get straight to the good stuff.
Mistake #1: Taking a Taxi from the Airport
My very first act in Istanbul was getting into a taxi at the airport. The driver smiled, said something I didn’t understand, and proceeded to take what I now know was a route roughly twice the necessary distance. The meter climbed. I sweated. I paid about 2,500 TL for a trip that should have cost half that — and I still had the audacity to tip.
The Fix: Take the M11 metro line from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Gayrettepe, then transfer to the M2 into the city center. It costs about 27 TL with an Istanbulkart and takes roughly 45 minutes. If you prefer door-to-door service, book a private transfer online before you arrive, or use the Havaist shuttle bus (around 275 TL) to various city points. Just don’t get into a random taxi at the arrivals terminal. Your wallet will thank you.
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💡 Pro Tip: Buy your Istanbulkart immediately at the airport — the yellow vending machines are in the arrivals hall and have an English-language option. Get the RED card. Do NOT buy the blue card from anyone approaching you — it’s a known scam.
Mistake #2: Staying in Sultanahmet for My Entire Trip
I booked five nights in Sultanahmet because it was close to the big sights. And yes, walking to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in two minutes was convenient. But after dark, the neighborhood died. The restaurants were tourist traps charging €15 for a mediocre kebab. The atmosphere was… hotel lobbies and carpet shop owners asking where I was from. For five nights, I saw zero percent of what makes Istanbul actually alive.
⚠️ Restoration note (2026): Hagia Sophia is undergoing a multi-year structural restoration. Significant interior areas may be covered with scaffolding during your visit. The site remains open and the entrance fee is unchanged.
The Fix: Stay in Sultanahmet for two nights max (enough to hit the major sights), then move to Karaköy, Cihangir, Kadıköy, or Beşiktaş. These neighborhoods have actual nightlife, actual restaurants where locals eat, actual energy. The difference is night and day — literally.
Mistake #3: Not Getting an Istanbulkart on Day One
I spent my first two days buying individual tickets for the tram. Each ticket cost about 60 TL. The exact same ride with an Istanbulkart costs 27 TL. Over two days, I probably spent triple what I needed to on transport. And I couldn’t use buses at all — they don’t accept cash. I stood at a bus stop watching buses sail past me like I didn’t exist.
The Fix: Get the Istanbulkart at the airport (see Mistake #1). It works on everything — tram, metro, bus, ferry, funicular. One card works for multiple people too: tap, wait for the beep, next person taps. Top it up at metro stations or at small kiosks throughout the city.
Mistake #4: Eating Next to the Major Sights
My first dinner in Istanbul was at a restaurant 50 meters from Hagia Sophia. The menu was in six languages. There were photos of the food laminated onto the table. A man in a suit greeted me at the door. The bill was 800 TL for a mediocre meal — and the pricing was in euros without me realizing it until the check arrived.
The Fix: Walk at least two blocks away from any major tourist attraction before eating. Three blocks is better. Five blocks and you’ll find a lokanta where a full meal costs 150–200 TL, the food is exponentially better, and you’ll be eating where actual Istanbullus eat. The golden rule: if there’s no visible menu with TL prices at the entrance, keep walking.
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💡 Pro Tip: The Sirkeci/Hocapaşa area (just behind the train station) has excellent cheap food — try Şehzade Cağ Kebabı. And across the Golden Horn, Karaköy has Güllüoğlu (Istanbul’s original baklava shop) and Mangal Kokoreç (the city’s best grilled intestines, if you’re brave).
Mistake #5: Skipping the Asian Side
I spent five days in Istanbul and never crossed the Bosphorus. Five days, and I saw half a city. This is my single biggest regret. The Asian side — especially Kadıköy, Moda, and Üsküdar — is where you find the Istanbul that locals live in. The food is better, the prices are lower, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and the experience feels fundamentally more authentic.
The Fix: Take a ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy (20 minutes, costs pennies). Spend a day exploring the market, eating at Çiya (featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table), walking the Moda waterfront, and drinking a beer at Bira Fabrikası. Then take another ferry to Üsküdar for the best sunset views of the European skyline you’ll ever see. This is not optional — it’s essential.
Mistake #6: Trusting the “Friendly Local” with the Restaurant Recommendation
On İstiklal Avenue, a charming man struck up a conversation. Where was I from? First time in Istanbul? He knew a “great little bar” just around the corner — “not a tourist place, a real local spot.” Reader, it was neither local nor great. It was a dimly lit bar where my two beers somehow cost 1,200 TL. The staff became very attentive when I expressed surprise at the bill.
The Fix: Do not accept unsolicited restaurant or bar recommendations from strangers who approach you on the street. Full stop. If someone you didn’t seek out is steering you somewhere, that somewhere has a financial arrangement with them. Find your own restaurants through Google Maps reviews, the recommendations in this guide, or by simply walking into busy places full of Turkish people.
Mistake #7: Not Removing My Shoes at the Mosque (and Other Cultural Blunders)
I didn’t actually walk onto the carpet in my shoes — the horrified expressions of everyone around me stopped me at the threshold. But I came close. And I also committed the secondary sin of showing up at the Blue Mosque in shorts and a tank top, only to be turned away at the entrance.
The Fix:
- Mosques: Remove shoes before stepping on the carpet. Women should cover shoulders, legs (below the knee), and hair. Men should cover knees and shoulders. Major mosques provide coverings, but carrying your own scarf is easier and faster.
- Photography: Don’t photograph people (especially women) without asking, especially in conservative neighborhoods. Don’t use flash inside mosques.
- Greetings: A small “merhaba” (hello) or “teşekkür ederim” (thank you) in Turkish goes incredibly far. People light up when visitors make the effort.
Mistake #8: Paying Full Price at the Grand Bazaar
I bought a “handmade” ceramic bowl at the Grand Bazaar for 500 TL. It was probably worth 150. I know this because I found identical bowls the next day at a shop in Kadıköy for exactly 150 TL. The Grand Bazaar is an incredible experience, but it is absolutely not where you go for fair prices on your first visit.
The Fix: Everything in the Grand Bazaar is negotiable. Start at roughly half the asking price and work from there. Walk away if the price doesn’t feel right — the vendor will often call you back with a lower offer. Better yet, use the Grand Bazaar for the experience (the architecture, the energy, the history) and do your actual shopping in neighborhoods like Kadıköy, Çukurcuma, or at the Feriköy Antika Pazarı flea market where prices are more honest.
Mistake #9: Trying to See Everything in Three Days
I crammed Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, the Basilica Cistern, a Bosphorus cruise, and Galata Tower into three days. By the end, I was sunburnt, footsore, and couldn’t tell you the difference between any of the things I’d seen. It was like speed-reading a novel — technically complete, entirely pointless.
The Fix: Istanbul rewards slow travel. Pick 2–3 things per day maximum. Spend the in-between time getting lost in neighborhoods, sitting in tea gardens, eating street food, and watching the city do its thing. The best moments in Istanbul aren’t scheduled — they’re the cat that climbs into your lap at a café, the sunset you catch from a random street corner, the conversation with a simit seller who speaks three words of English and communicates everything with hand gestures.
If you only have three days, check out our detailed itinerary that balances the must-sees with space to breathe:
Mistake #10: Not Checking Prices Before Ordering
This is the mistake that keeps on giving. I ordered a fish dinner at a restaurant on Galata Bridge without checking the price. Menu was in Turkish, waiter pointed at something, I nodded enthusiastically. The fish was delicious. The bill was 1,800 TL. For one fish.
This isn’t a scam, exactly — the price was technically on the menu, in tiny print, in Turkish, by the kilogram. But it felt like one.
The Fix: Always. Check. Prices. Before. You. Order.
- If a restaurant has no menu with prices displayed, leave
- If prices are listed per kilogram (common for fish restaurants), ask the waiter to tell you the total cost before they cook it
- If the menu is only in Turkish, use Google Translate’s camera feature — point your phone at the menu and it’ll translate in real time
- If anything feels off — the waiter is vague about prices, the menu is oddly empty of numbers — trust your instinct and eat somewhere else
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💡 Pro Tip: Fish restaurants along the Bosphorus and Galata Bridge price fish by weight. A 400g sea bass at 4,500 TL/kg is an 1,800 TL fish. Always ask “Toplam ne kadar?” (how much total?) before confirming your order.
The Bonus Mistake: Not Coming Back
My biggest mistake wasn’t anything I did wrong during my first trip — it was waiting two years before returning. Istanbul isn’t a one-visit city. It’s a city that reveals itself in layers, season by season, neighborhood by neighborhood, plate by plate. The second visit is better than the first. The third is better than the second. And by the fourth, you’re looking at apartments.
Don’t make my mistakes. But definitely make the trip.
What was your biggest Istanbul mistake? I guarantee there’s a story there — share it in the comments. We’ve all been the tourist who paid too much for that fish.
Useful links: Go Türkiye – Istanbul Tourism · Turkish Museums Portal
Prices last updated: March 2026. Exchange rate used: 1 USD ≈ 45 TL. Prices in Turkish lira can change frequently due to inflation. Attraction fees set in euros (€) are more stable. Always check official websites for the latest prices before your visit.
