Visiting Turkey

Kempinski Hotel Istanbul

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Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski
Address: Ciragan Caddesi 32 Besiktas, 34349 Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: + 90 212 326 46 46

The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul is arguably the most opulent luxury hotel in Istanbul.

Situated right on the Bosphorus in a Ottoman imperial palace, the Kempinski hotel is one of the top accommodations in Istanbul. The beautiful Besiktas neighborhood in which the hotel is located is full of luxury shops and cafes and is the perfect antidote to the bustling crowds of the Sultanahmet quarter.

With 313 luxury hotel rooms, 16 conference rooms, a luxury shopping arcade, the award-winning Tugra restaurant, and swanky bars and lounges, the Kempinski hotel in Istanbul is worth a visit even if you're not staying as a guest.

Rooms at the Kempinski hotel in Istanbul start at 323.20 EUR per night if you book online in advance with the Early Booker room rate.

Best Time to Visit Istanbul

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Blue Mosque, Istanbul

The best time to visit Istanbul is in the late spring, summer, and early fall.

From April through October, the weather in Istanbul is warm (in the 70's and low 80's F, mid teens to high 20's C) and rain is more scarce than in the wet winter months.

Spring in Istanbul is particularly beautiful because of all of the flowers that are in bloom. Tulips are particularly striking, especially if you visit the Topkapi Palace gardens.

Weather in Istanbul

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Bosphorus cruise - some fortress

Weather in Istanbul follows a "cold winter, hot summer" pattern with mild spring and fall weather.

Winter weather in Istanbul is cold, with lots of rain, wind, and snow. While winter weather temperatures don't fall too far below freezing, it is a good idea to bring heavy winter clothes with you if you are visiting Istanbul in the winter.

Summer weather in Istanbul is hot and humid. Temperatures rise into the 80'sF (high 20'sC) and rainfall is intermittent but not unheard of.

Spring and autumn weather in Istanbul is temperate with rainy periods, so make sure to bring an umbrella when you are visiting Istanbul.

The best time of year to visit Istanbul is April through October.

Best Luxury Hotels Istanbul

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Spice Market, Istanbul, Turkey

With its hip vibe and plethora of historic sights, Istanbul is one of Europe's best cities to visit. And why not visit in style by staying at one of the best luxury hotels in Istanbul?

Here are some of our favorite luxury hotels in Istanbul:

W Hotel Istanbul

Swissotel Istanbul

Kempinski Hotel Istanbul

Swissotel Istanbul

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Istanbul 06 27 09_0378

Swissotel The Bosphorus
Address: Swissotel The Bosphorus, Istanbul, Bayildım Cad. No 2, Macka, Besiktas 34357, Turkey
Phone: 90 212 326 1100

The Swissotel Istanbul is one of the best luxury hotels in Istanbul.

Situated on a hill in the middle of the chic Besiktas district, the Swissotel Istanbul's location is perfect for boutique shopping and offers amazing views of the city.

Rooms at the Swissotel Istanbul feature luxury amenities and the lower floors offer a range of restaurants, a cigar bar, conference rooms, and WI-FI Internet access.

The Swissotel Istanbul also offers an outdoor swimming pool overlooking the Bosphorus, the award winning Amrita Spa and Wellness, and a location that is ideal for visiting the historic sights of Istanbul.

Istanbul Taxi Tips

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Istanbul_Taxi_3

Istanbul taxis are bright yellow and have a "Taksi" sign on top. Don't use any other kind of taxi when you are visiting Istanbul.

All Istanbul taxis have meters. Ask the driver to turn the meter on before you get in the taxi and definitely before they start driving. Otherwise they might not use it and will charge you whatever they want to when you arrive at your destination.

Don't try to agree on a price up front instead of using a meter. No "deal" they will offer you will be better than the price from the meter, and often Istanbul taxi drivers will lie to you about the distance from one place to another in order to get more money from you.

Make sure to look at the meter in your taxi when it starts running. During the day and evening it should say "Gunduz", which means daytime. At night it should say "Gece". The night meters are only supposed to run between 12am and 6am and the night tariff has a 50% premium.

Many Istanbul taxi drivers will try to set the meter to "Gece" even during the day, so be very careful that you check the meter when you get into the taxi. Watch the meter for the entire duration of the taxi ride, as some drivers will try to switch it from "Gunduz" to "Gece" when you're not paying attention.

If you cross the bridges while in an Instanbul taxi, you will have to pay the toll. This is true even if you cross a bridge in the no toll direction.

The last Istanbul taxi tip is to wear your seatbelt at all times while in the taxi. Drivers are often aggressive and minor accidents are common.

Top 10 Things to Do in Istanbul

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Spice Market (Mısır Çarşısı) Istanbul

10. Istanbul Nightlife

With great bars, clubs, and lounges that stay open late, Istanbul's nightlife scene is something that must be experienced on any visit to the city.

9. Basilica Cisterns

Underground and with eerie music playing throughout your visit, the Basilica Cisterns are a great way to escape the heat and see an amazing feat of historic engineering. The visit takes around 30 minutes.

8. Hammams

Turkish baths are known throughout the world, so why not experience a hammam when you're in the birthplace?

7. Sultanahmet Camii (aka Blue mosque)

The Sultanahmet Camii (Blue mosque) is a stunning mosque across the plaza from the Aya Sofia. The visit takes around 30 minutes.

6. Suleymaniye Camii (Suleyman Mosque)

The Suleymaniye Camii (Suleyman Mosque) is the second largest mosque in Istanbul. The visit takes around 30 minutes.

5. Dolmabahce Sarayi (Dolmabahce palace)

The Dolmabahce Sarayi (Dolmabahce palace) is a neo-modern palace that the emperor lived in. The palace is situated right on the Bosphorus. The visit takes around an hour.

4. Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)

The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is one of Istanbul's most famous attractions. An old style bazaar, it used to be horse stables during the empire, and now houses countless shops. Make sure to bargain when making a purchase!

3. Istanbul Modern Art Museum

The Istanbul Modern Art Museum is a great new museum right on the Bosphorus. Featuring works from Istanbul's prominent artists as well as artists from around the world, the museum is well worth a trip. The visit takes 1-2 hours, and there is a great cafe in the museum.

2. Aya Sofya (Hagia Sofia)

The Aya Sofya (Hagia Sofia) is a historic Byzantine church dating back over 1500 years. After the fall of the Byzantine empire, the Aya Sofia was converted into a mosque. The church has weathered fires and earthquakes and still retains many of the original mosaics and murals. The visit takes around an hour.

1. Topkapi Palace
The Topkapi Palace is the former Ottoman Palace where the emperor lived. The Topkapi Palace is historic and has several small museums within its walls. The visit takes 2-3 hours.

Best Turkey Guidebooks

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Fragrant and colorful spices at the Spice Market, Istanbul, Turkey

Every major guidebook company from Lonely Planet to Let's Go makes at least one Turkey guidebook.

Most guidebook companies make a book on Turkey as a whole, but the country's territory and diversity of places to visit make for enough material for a full guidebook on specific regions and cities like Istanbul.

If you're only planning on visiting one city, getting a specific guidebook for the city is a good idea. For example, Lonely Planet's book on Istanbul gives good in-depth coverage of Istanbul and the surrounding area.

If you'll be visiting lots of places in Turkey, getting a larger guidebook like The Rough Guide to Turkey is a good idea. If you're handy with scissors, you can cut out the chapters you need and leave the rest of the guidebook at home to save room as you pack your bags.

Once you know what size Turkey guidebook you need, shop around for a guidebook that fits your travel style. If you're backpacking, Lonely Planet, Let's Go, and the Rough Guide are some of the best Turkey guidebooks.

If you're going upscale, look into guides like the Hg2 Istanbul (A Hedonist's Guide to Istanbul), the Wallpaper Guide to Istanbul, or the LUXE guide to Istanbul that offer more high-end suggestions for hotels, restaurants, and shopping.

If you love sightseeing, consider picking up the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Turkey. With photos and illustrations on every page, the Eyewitness Turkey guidebook is great for explaining the details of Turkey's many historic buildings and landmarks.

On a budget? A lot of the best deals on Turkey guidebooks can be found on websites where travelers that have just returned from Turkey are selling their books. If you're lucky you can get a copy with good notes and suggestions written in!

One last tip on finding the best Turkey guidebooks: check the date the guidebook was published. If it is more than a year old, don't buy it. Things change so quickly in Turkey that an old guidebook will be of little use to you today.

Turkish Currency

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Yeni Turkish Lira

Turkish Currency: the Lira

The Turkish currency is the Turkish lira.

For currency exchange purposes, the Turkish lira's code is TRY, while prices in most places in Turkey use the symbol TL.

The Turkish currency is divided into 100 kurus.

Turkish currency bills come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 lira.

Turkish currency coins come in denominations of 1 lira as well as 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and fils.

Turkish Currency Tips for Travelers

Before you travel to Turkey, you can get Turkish money at most foreign exchange businesses.

When you are visiting Turkey, you can use ATMs, which are common throughout cities. While most ATMs give large denominations of bills, make sure to carry some small bills with you.

NB: Turkey revalued its currency in 2005 and replaced old bills and coins with new ones. A common trick of taxi drivers is to give you your change in old lira notes. Make sure to check any change you receive to make sure that it is in the new Turkish currency, as old currency is no longer accepted.

Google Maps Turkey

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Google Maps is available for Turkey. Google has free maps of Turkey inside Google Maps. These include road and street maps of major and minor cities, towns, and rural areas of Turkey. Check out Google maps of Turkey here:

View Larger Map

How to Get from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City Center

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Istanbul Airport

There are several ways to get from Istanbul Ataturk airport to the Istanbul city center. Below are some of the most common ways to get from Istanbul airport to the city center:

Metro from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City Center

From Istanbul airport, take the metro to Zeytinburnu. At Zeytinburnu, you can take a tram to Sultanahmet and other locations in the Istanbul city center.

The metro from Istanbul airport to the Istanbul city center takes less than an hour and costs 2.80 TRL.

Taxi from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City Center

From Istanbul airport you can take a taxi to the Istanbul city center.

The cost of a taxi from Istanbul airport to the Istanbul city center varies depending on your destination and the time of day. At night, taxis in Istanbul charge 1.5 times the day rate, so taxis from Istanbul airport are much more expensive if your flight to Istanbul lands between midnight and 6am.

European Capital of Culture 2010 is Istanbul

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Istanbul

Istanbul has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2010.

As the European Capital of Culture, Istanbul will feature special art, music, performance, literature, cinema, museums and other events to celebrate its place as the center of the continent's culture.

Visit www.istanbul2010.org for more information about Istanbul as the European Capital of Culture 2010.

Best Restaurants in Istanbul

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Halat Restaurant, Istanbul

Istanbul has no shortage of great food and hip restaurants.

Based on many dining experiences in the city, our favorite restaurants in Istanbul are the following:

Galata House Restaurant

Mikla Restaurant

Ulus 29 Restaurant

Refik Restaurant

Lebi Derya Restaurant

Istanbul Modern Cafe

Mikla Restaurant, Istanbul

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21_09

Mikla Restaurant
Address: Marmara Pera Hotel, Mesrutiyet Caddesi 167/185 Tepebasi, Istanbul
Phone: +90 212 251 4646

Mikla restaurant, the Marmara Pera Hotel's top floor gem, is the perfect place for a romantic dinner in Istanbul.

With great views over the Bosphorus and inventive Turkish cuisine served up nightly, Mikla is one of the best restaurants in Istanbul.

Ulus 29 Restaurant, Istanbul

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istanbul via bridge

Ulus 29 Restaurant
Address: Kirechane Sokak 1, Adnan Saygun Caddesi, Ulus Park, Istanbul
Phone: +90 212 358 2929

Ulus 29 restaurant is a trendy restaurant on the European side of Istanbul.

Situated in a park with amazing views over the Bosphorus, Ulus 29 has a menu that ranges from traditional Turkish to inventive Mediterranean to delicious sushi.

Ulus 29 is among the best restaurants in Istanbul, both for its food and its atmosphere.

Istanbul Modern Art Museum

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Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern
Address: Meclis-i Mebusan Ave. Liman Isletmeleri
Sahası Antrepo No:4 Karakoy Istanbul
Phone: 0 212 334 73 00

Istanbul Modern Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Istanbul Modern is closed Mondays, January 1st, and the first day of religious holidays.

Istanbul Modern Admission Price:

Adults: 7 lira (free on Thursdays)

The Istanbul Modern is Istanbul's fantastic waterfront modern art museum. Situated in a former dockyard warehouse on the Bosphorous, the Istanbul Modern is a large, airy space full of modern and contemporary art by Turkish and international artists.

The Istanbul Modern's restaurant is one of the non-artistic highlights of the museum. With a terrace on the Bosphorus, the restaurant serves up light meals, desserts, and drinks for you to enjoy while you overlook the water.

Lebi Derya Bar and Restaurant, Istanbul

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Istanbul135

Lebi Derya Restaurant
Address: Kumbaracı Yokusu, Kumbaracı is Hani, No: 57/6 Tunel, Beyoglu Istanbul
Phone: +90 (0) 212 293 4989

Lebi Derya Hours:
Mon - Thu: 5:00pm - 2:00am
Friday: 5:00pm - 3:00am
Saturday: 10:00am - 3:00am
Sunday: 10:00am - 2:00am

Cool and sleek, Lebi Derya bar and restaurant is a hidden gem with one of the best views in Istanbul. It is definitely among Istanbul's best restaurants.

Located on a side street in Beyoglu, it's easy to pass by Lebi Derya without even knowing it's there. But if you do know it's there, it's worth stopping by.

On the top floor of a building that overlooks the Bosphorus, Lebi Derya is a great spot for brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks. Serving up international cuisine and excellent cocktails, Lebi Derya is a popular restaurant and bar for locals and visitors alike.

In the summer, the wide windows open to make for an al-fresco feeling to the dining room and bar, so get to Lebi Derya early or book ahead to get the table with the best view.

Galata House Restaurant, Istanbul

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Meat-ravioli with tartar sauce

Galata House Restaurant
Address: Galata Kulesi Sokak 15, Galata, Istanbul
Phone: 0112 245 1861

Located 100m down a quiet residential street from the famous Galata Tower, Galata House restaurant is a hidden gem in Istanbul's restaurant scene, and is one of the best restaurants in Istanbul.

A former British civil prison, Galata House restaurant was purchased and renovated by architects Mete and Nadire Goktug, who turned the house into a restaurant that serves up authentic Russian and Georgian food.

Galata House restaurant has two main dining rooms, one at the front of the house that has cozy window-side tables, and one at the back of the house that has room for large parties. In the summer you can dine al fresco on the terrace, which is a real treat.

The food at Galata House restaurant is excellent. To start, try the mixed appetizer plate, which features yogurt with squash, walnut spread, walnut-stuffed eggplant, and beet salad.

For your main, choose from veal goulash, Tatar meat ravioli with cream (Nadire's mother's recipe!), lamb with plum sauce, or another of the many delicious Russian and Georgian dishes.

While you dine, Mete, an Istanbul native and polyglot (equally fluent in English, French, and Danish, as I witnessed last time I was there), will tell you all about the history of the building. He'll even give you a tour after dinner if you ask.

While Mete talks, Nadire will sit down at the piano and play and sing Russian folk songs. An authentic touch that adds a special ending to an already authentic meal!

Refik Restaurant, Istanbul

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Dinner@ Refik in Beyoglu

Refik Restaurant
Address: Istiklal Caddesi Sofyali Sokak 6-8, Beyoglu
Phone: (0212) 243 28 34
Opening Hours: Daily from 12:00pm-2:00am

Situated right on a beautiful little pedestrian walkway in Beyoglu, Refik is one of the best restaurants in Istanbul for authentic Turkish food and good local atmosphere.

65 years old, Refik restaurant buzzes with people eating helping after helping of mezze (Turkish small plates), koefta, kagitta pastirma (pastrami), lamb kebabs, arnavut cigeri (liver), and of course Turkish raki.

Refik is decorated with photos and newspaper clippings detailing the restaurant's long history and success. Both visitors and locals frequent Refik for its authentic atmosphere and delicious Turkish food.

In the summer when the weather is nice, it's perfect to stroll along the narrow streets and enjoy a drink at a nearby bar or cafe before you head to Refik for lunch or dinner.

NB: Reservations at Refik are recommended, as it gets busy throughout the year. If you want outside seating at Refik in the summer, make sure to book a table well in advance.

Flights to Istanbul

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Istanbul Airport

International flights to Istanbul fly into Ataturk International Airport, which is located 15 km southwest of the Istanbul city center.

Below is a list of international airlines with flights to Istanbul:

Adria Airways
Adria Airways has flights to Istanbul from Ljubljana

Aeroflot
Aeroflot has flights to Istanbul from Moscow, Sochi, Rostov

Aerosvit Airlines
Aerosvit Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Kiev

Air Algerie
Air Algerie has flights to Istanbul from Algiers

Air France
Air France has flights to Istanbul from Paris

Air Malta
Air Malta has flights to Istanbul from Malta

Air Moldova
Air Moldova has flights to Istanbul from Chisinau

airBaltic
airBaltic has flights to Istanbul from Riga

Albanian
Albanian Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Tirana

Alitalia
Alitalia has flights to Istanbul from Milan, Rome

Armavia
Armavia has flights to Istanbul from Yerevan

AtlasJet
AtlasJet has flights to Istanbul from Erbil, Kavala, Mykonos, Nis, Pristinia

Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Vienna

British Airways
British Airways has flights to Istanbul from London

Bulgaria Air
Bulgaria Air has flights to Istanbul from Sofia

Buraq Air
Buraq Air has flights to Istanbul from Tripoli

Cyprus Turkish Airlines
Cyprus Turkish Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Ercan, Frankfurt

Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines has flights to Istanbul from New York

EgyptAir
EgyptAir has flights to Istanbul from Cairo

Emirates
Emirates has flights to Istanbul from Dubai

Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways has flights to Istanbul from Abu Dhabi

Finnair
Finnair has flights to Istanbul from Helsinki

Gulf Air
Gulf Air has flights to Istanbul from Bahrain

Iberia
Iberia has flights to Istanbul from Barcelona, Madrid

Jat Airways
Jat Airways has flights to Istanbul from Belgrade

KLM
KLM has flights to Istanbul from Amsterdam

Korean Air
Korean Air has flights to Istanbul from Seoul

LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Warsaw

Lufthansa
Lufthansa has flights to Istanbul from Frankfurt, Munich

Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Kuala Lumpur

Malev Hungarian Airlines
Malev Hungarian Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Budapest

MAT Macedonian Airlines
MAT Macedonian Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Skopje

Middle East Airlines
Middle East Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Beirut

Olympic Airlines
Olympic Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Athens, Thessaloniki

Onur Air Amsterdam
Onur Air has flights to Istanbul from Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich

Red Wings Airlines
Red Wings Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Moscow

Rossiya
Rossiya has flights to Istanbul from St Petersburg

Royal Air Maroc
Royal Air Maroc has flights to Istanbul from Casablanca

Royal Jordanian Airlines
Royal Jordanian Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Amman

Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways has flights to Istanbul from Doha

SAS
SAS has flights to Istanbul from Stockholm

Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Dubai, Singapore

Swiss
Swiss has flights to Istanbul from Geneva, Zurich

TAROM
TAROM has flights to Istanbul from Bucharest

Thomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Brussels

Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Amsterdam, Athens, Bahrain, Bangkok, Barcelona, Basel, Beijing, Beirut, Belgrade, Berlin, Birmingham, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Cairo, Cape Town, Casablanca, Chicago, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dakar, Damascus, Delhi, Doha, Dubai, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Lyons, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nairobi, New York, Nice, Nuremberg, Osaka, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Riga, Rome, Sao Paulo, Sarajevo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sofia, Stockholm, St Petersburg, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv, Tirana, Tokyo, Toronto, Tripoli, Tunis, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw, Zagreb, Zurich

VIM Airlines
VIM Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Moscow

Below is a list of domestic Turkish airlines that fly to Istanbul:

AtlasJet
AtlasJet has flights to Istanbul from Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul, Izmir

Onur Air
Onur Air has flights to Istanbul from Adana, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Izmir, Kayseri, Konya, Malatya, Mardin

Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has flights to Istanbul from Adana, Adiyaman, Agri, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Batman, Bodrum, Bursa, Canakkale, Dalaman, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul-Atatürk, Istanbul-Sabiha Gokcen, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Kars, Kayseri, Konya, Malatya, Mardin, Mus, Nevsehir, Samsun, Sinop, Sivas, Sanliurfa, Trabzon, Usak, Van

Turkey Passport and Visa Requirements

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Turkey20187
Originally uploaded by thisyearsboy

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for U.S. Citizens:

Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required. Visa required. For tourist/business stay of up to 90 days in Turkey a sticker visa can be purchased for around 20 USD at port of entry in Turkey.

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for Canadian Citizens: Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required. Visa required. For tourist/business stay of up to 90 days in Turkey a sticker visa can be purchased for around 20 USD at port of entry in Turkey.

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for EU Citizens:

Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required for most EU countries.* Visa required (except for Bulgarian citizens). For tourist/business stay of up to 30 or 90 days** in Turkey a sticker visa can be purchased for around 20 USD at port of entry in Turkey.

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for New Zealand Citizens:

Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required. Visa not required for stay of up to 90 days.

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for South African Citizens:

Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required. Visa required. For tourist/business stay of up to 30 days in Turkey a multiple-entry sticker visa can be purchased for around 20 USD at port of entry in Turkey. South African citizens may be asked to show proof of funds upon arrival (50USD/day).

Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for UK Citizens:

Passport with six months' validity from arrival date required. Visa required. For tourist/business stay of up to 90 days in Turkey a sticker visa can be purchased for around 20 USD at port of entry in Turkey. British National Overseas passport holders outside of Hong Kong must obtain a visa from an overseas Turkish mission prior to arrival in Turkey.

*Passport not required for citizens of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, and Spain. Nationals from these EU countries are permitted to enter Turkey with a national ID card with validity of one year from arrival date.

**30 days for nationals some EU countries, including Greek Cypriot AR, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovak Republic. 90 days for nationals of some EU countries, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK.

NB: Requirements are subject to change, so be sure to check the website of your country's embassy or consulate before you travel.

W Hotel Istanbul

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W Hotel Istanbul
Originally uploaded by pdbreen

The W Hotel, Istanbul
Address: Suleyman Seba Cad No: 22, Akaretler, Besiktas, Istanbul 34357, Turkey
Phone: (90)(212) 381 2121

The W Hotel is one of the best hotels in Istanbul.

Situated in the middle of the historic 19th century Akaretler Row Houses in chic Besiktas, the W Hotel's location is perfect for boutique shopping, cafe dwelling, and reveling in Istanbul's good life.

Rooms at the W Hotel in Istanbul feature WI-FI, luxurious W beds, flat screen TVs, a Munchie Box full of snacks, and all the luxury amenities you would expect from a W.

The W Hotel also offers the chic W Lounge, gorgeous spa treatment rooms, Jean-Georges’s Spice Market restaurant, a top-notch fitness center, and a beautiful roof deck with views over Istanbul.

Besiktas, Istanbul

2008-10-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

Besiktas

Newly Chic in Istanbul

The New York Times' latest article on Istanbul focuses on the up and coming Besiktas neighborhood. Highlights include the W Hotel Istanbul, the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel, 1897 Konyali restaurant in Istanbul, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo boutiques, and Kaymakci Pando restaurant in Istanbul.

Newly Chic in Istanbul
By GISELA WILLIAMS

THE old Istanbul neighborhood of Besiktas, which runs along the European side of the Bosphorus, has long betrayed a blue-collar state of mind. Its bustling markets, schools and ferry stations have been home to fishermen, off-duty cabdrivers, teenage students and Besiktas soccer fans.

But suddenly the area, pockets of it at least, are going seriously cosmopolitan, with names like Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo and Jean-Georges Vongerichten now near cramped vegetable stands and rickety tobacco shops.

At the heart of this metamorphosis is the historic Akaretler Row Houses, a two-block cluster of landmark town houses built by a 19th-century sultan to house his workers. As recently as a decade ago, it was a sinking eyesore. But in 2005, Serdar Bilgili, a developer and former Besiktas soccer club president, bought the complex and transformed it into one of Istanbul’s trendiest areas, with upscale apartments, international boutiques and elegant cafes.

At its center is a shiny new W Hotel (Suleyman Seba Caddesi 22; 90-212-381-2121; www.whotels.com/istanbul), the chain’s first in Europe. The lobby, with its mirrored surfaces, billowing curtains and colored lighting, could serve as the fictional set of “Real World Istanbul.” On the third floor is an outpost of Mr. Vongerichten’s Spice Market.

Continued on nytimes.com

Luxury Hammams in Istanbul

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Bains de Roxelanne

Luxury Hammams in Istanbul

For a Sultan or His Consort
By SUSANNE FOWLER

HIGH-END hotels are proliferating in Istanbul, and with them come ever more upscale spa services in the guise of traditional hammams, a welcome addition for anyone who has ever felt trepidation about entering a Turkish bath.

After all, hammams are places of steamy intrigue, full of shadowy movement and unreliable light, where an assembly line of large, damp attendants wearing only bikini underwear vigorously uses well-worn kese cloths to scrub dead skin off strangers. It is an intriguing scene to be sure, but one with a certain “eeew” factor.

Even so, a Turkish bath is an unforgettable experience and that’s why tourists in the Old City line up to pay anywhere from the equivalents of $35 to $65 to pour themselves into a musty beauty called Cagaloglu (Yerebatan Caddesi 34, Cagaloglu; 90-212-522-2424; www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr), or to squeeze into the smaller but charming Cemberlitas (Vezirhan Caddesi 8, Cemberlitas; 90-212-522-7974; www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr), just steps from the Grand Bazaar.

While relatively inexpensive, their popularity brings other costs. In these tourist hammams, service can feel rushed, the massage perfunctory and the facility so crowded that it can be difficult to carve out enough space to lie down on the central navel stone. But it’s worth asking: At several times the cost, are luxury hammams worth the price?

Continued on nytimes.com

Best Shopping in Istanbul

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Color Bazaar

Istanbul is notable for its grand markets, colorful bazaars and increasingly trendy boutiques.

Here are a few of my top picks for the best shopping in Istanbul:

Best Market in Istanbul:

Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Best Food Shop in Istanbul:

Laleli Olive Oil Shop

Best Clothing Boutique in Istanbul:

Ece Sukan Vintage Shop