Nearest Airport
: Ataturk AirPort
at 21
Kilometres
Nearest Ferry
: Karakoy SeaPort
at 500
Metres
Nearest Train
: Sirkeci Train Station
at 3
Kilometres
Nearest Motorway
: TEM
at 10
Kilometres
Nearest Beach
: Buyukada (Island)
at 50
Kilometres
Nearest Barpub
: Nardis Jaz Bar
at 100
Metres
Nearest Ski
: Uludag Bursa
at 280
Kilometres
Nearest Golf
: Kemer Golf & Country Club
at 27
Kilometres
Nearest Restaurant
: Kiva Han (Traditional Anatolian Cuisine)
at 50
Metres
Car: not necessary
Istanbul is a city where not only continents meet, but many traces from different cultures and old civilizations can be found and history is preserved . A synagogue, a church, a mosque all can be found in the same quarter.
A part of Istanbul over Europe another part being in Asia where you can find unique beauty, interesting nature and straits of Bosphorus for sightseeing.
Galata area being around Galata Tower is the most popular and cosmopolitan neighborhood of Istanbul. Actually it is the old and now popular retro downtown offering a wide variety of choices for shopping, design ateliers, entertainment, art galleries and dining, cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars...
A magnificient panaromic view from the Galata Tower towards the Old City, Golden Horn & the Bosphorus is a rare find view to see with bare eyes.
Imperial buildings, aqueducts, churches with preserved fresques and mozaics like St. Sophia, Chora Museum, Basilica Cistern from the Byzantian Romans, again Ottoman Imperial mosques, compunds, palaces, bazaars, buildings like Suleymaniye, Fatih, Bayazit and Sultanahmet mosques and compunds, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar is worth to see.
A Bosphorus Cruise to see the old castles and pavillons of Istanbul and a ferry cruise to Princess Islands, namely the last stop Buyukada just 1 1/2 hour outside the city where motor vehicles are prohibited is 'a must to experience'.
In Buyukada; it is as If the time has stopped, you can go around the Island with a horsecar to enjoy the greenwood pinery nature and old pavillons, swim in the sea, biking or hiking around the island are your other alternatives.
The city is alive 24 hours, especially Galata Neighborhood lots of cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, art galleries, museums, cultural sites, heritage exists.
We are not mentioning the Turkish Cuisine, you may not want to leave Istanbul because of that.
Briefly, you will eat one of the most tasteful fish, meat, vegetable and fruits that you have eaten in your life as well as sweets like baklava with pistacho and wallnut ...
Modern life is easy accessible thru metro, many alternatives to have fun especially for kids including big aquariums and dolphinariums, toy museum and zoo.
You will get lost for sure ! always will find your way because you will have someone on the street maybe not speaking your language but understanding your problem, eventually helping you. This, you will remember more than everything you see in Istanbul.
