I spent one month exploring Istanbul with Beyoğlu as my home base, and it was a dream. Between the cats, cuisine, the people and the sights, I couldn't have asked for a better trip. The perfect blend of history, culture and modernity in Istanbul allows visitors to have a tapestry of experiences and thus making the city a truly magical destination. In this blog post we'll discuss the top things to do in the district of Beyoğlu.
For the top things to do in the districts of Fatih (the district where the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque and Grand Bazaar are) and Büyükçekmece (a highly underrated district - one that I also spent a month in - on the outskirts of the city center with the BEST food), visit my Full Guide to Istanbul Part One!
Skip to a specific neighborhood: Taksim (Istiklal Caddesi, red tram, restaurants & cafes, nightlife, Taksim square), Galata (Galata tower, restaurants, bars & cafes, iBB Karaköy Sahil Parki), Karaköy (Bosphorus river yacht tour), Vişnezade (Dolmabahce palace).
Beyoğlu District
Millions of visitors come from all over the world to experience the lively culture and entertainment of Istanbul, and the Beyoğlu district is arguably one of the most vibrant areas in the city. This area is one of the hearts of Istanbul (the areas from Sulthanamet to Eminonu being the other) and is considered by many to be Istanbuls cultural center. The district beckons with its bohemian vibes, trendy boutiques and lively atmosphere from its iconic Istiklal Cadessi (Istiklal Avenue) to the charming streets of Galata. There are 45 neighborhoods in Beyoğlu which can seem overwhelming, but the main neighborhoods you won't want to miss are fairly close together; plus, Istanbul has an excellent metro system allowing for easy travel all over the city. Some of the most popular neighborhoods in the district of Beyoğlu to explore include Galata, Karaköy, Taksim and just outside of the Beyoğlu district next to the Karaköy neighborhood, Vişnezade.
Streets and Views of Beyoglu
(Press the arrow on the right to move photos)
Locations: 1) Çiçek Pasaji, 2) Where Sofyali Sk. meets Şehbender Sk., 3) View of Galata neighborhood from Galata Times Boutique Hotel Restaurant, 4) Istiklal Cadessi, 5) Galip Dede Cadessi, 6) Vintage Red Tram outside Clementine Pattiserie, 7) Grand Pera, 8) Side Street near the Galata Tower
a. Taksim Neighborhood
As one of Istanbuls hippest neighborhoods, Taksim is a very busy area full of shopping, street vendors, restaurants and cafes with an extremely bustling nightlife. Taksim also has a very vibrant art scene featuring little galeries run by talented local artists. Beyoğlus most popular street and an iconic pedestrian boulevard of Istanbul is located in Taksim, called Istiklal Caddesi (Istiklal Avenue). The street is lined with gorgeous buildings from the 19th century and has networks of narrow side streets full of boutiques, bars, tiny Turkish cafes and rooftop restaurants with excellent views. We spent a month in Beyoğlu and ended up on this street for a nice walk, meals and some shopping nearly every day! Watch the iconic bright red vintage tram roll by and, if you're feeling adventurous like the local kids, grab a pair of roller skates and hang onto the back of the tram to hitch a fun, free ride down the street! It stops to pick up passengers (and long enough for tourists to take photos) at the end of the street near one of my favorite cafes called Clementine that has delicious lattes and the best strawberry tartlet pastries. Speaking of pastries, getting some baklava and other Turkish delight from the famous Hafiz Mustafa is a must. Some of my other favorite dining spots along Istiklal and it side streets are:
Nargile Cafe Asterya just off Istiklal for Turkish meals and beautiful outdoor seating
Sara Cafe for a Turkish coffee
Patatos for the famous baked potatoes stuffed with your choice of ingredients
Wamas for the basics and good baklava desserts
There are so many more cute cafes and delicious restaurants - these are just a few of our favorites that we went too!
Hafiz Mustafa
For nightlife, I suggest the bars Montreal Shot Bar, Novo, No1 Cocktail Bar and Back Street Club & Rooftop Bar Taksim. At Montreal Shot Bar there is live music every weekend and really fun dancing, Novo is a small, well-decorated and usually very packed club with good music and so much dancing, and No1 Cocktail Bar was such a fun experience with outdoor seating on a bustling street, great music and good vibes. At No1, the owner was the kindest and most friendly man who chatted us up and gave us so many chocolate shots that it was hard to walk home (in the best way possible)! Back Street Club & Rooftop Bar Taksim has terraces, music and dancing with a semi-open roof, as well as a crazy display of the bar top being lit on fire occasionally throughout the night!
You can follow Istiklal Cadessi all the way to Taksim square, which is a newer area of the Taksim neighborhood and thus making it interesting to see the modernity contrasting the more traditional areas. The square is a business hub with lots of higher-end hotels but is also used for public events and government-related demonstrations. Located in the large square is a monument dedicated to the formation of the Turkish republic, the beautiful Taksim mosque and the vibrant flower market selling bouquets, flower crowns and more.
Taksim Mosque in Taksim Square
b. Galata Neighborhood
One of the main attractions of the Galata neighborhood is of course to visit the Galata tower. It was once built as a watchtower and is currently a museum - tickets are just over 20 euros and after climbing to the top you have panoramic views of Istanbul! At night you can see a light show take place using projectors that depict colorful images over the tower.
For a restaurant with incredible views of the galata tower, the bosphorus river and Fatih district across the river, visit the Galata Times Botique Hotel Restaurant. This rooftop restaurant has a large terrace with perfect sunset views, and you can see the tops of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosques in the distance. On the road that leads to the Galata tower is the Rose Papillon cafe; visit for the delicious Turkish teas and famous san sebastian cheesecake (cheesecake covered with warm melted chocolate). A few streets down, visit Balkon Restaurant & Bar for rooftop dinner and cocktails (The pasta was delicious)
Pictured: (L-R) Galata Times Botique Hotel Restaurant, Rose Papillon (San Sebastian Cheesecake), Balkon Restaurant & Bar
A lovely outdoor attraction is to visit iBB Karaköy Sahil Parki - while it has the name Karaköy in its title, it's still technically in the Galata neighborhood. The park begins right after the Golden Horn bridge and ends just before the Galata bridge; the Karaköy neighborhood doesn't start until after the Galata bridge after the park ends. Sahil Park has a large and wide promenade, a lot of green grasses for picnicking and relaxing, a running path and a large historical statue. The park itself, since it is river-side, has great views across the bosphorus of the Fatih district. It's the perfect stop to get away from the hustle of the city and soak up some sun!
c. Karaköy Neighborhood
Karaköy is a little harborside neighborhood next to Galata with a lot of traditional bakeries and family-owned shops mixed with antique stores, cool cafes and art galleries. Head towards the Karaköy pier to catch a cruise on the bosphorus river - there are plenty available to book on the spot, or book one such as this bosphorus yacht tour that we did through Airbnb experiences! The tour began at the Karaköy pier and took us down the European side of the bosphorus towards the black sea, where we turned around and headed next to the Asian side towards the Marmara sea until the sun had set and we went back to Karaköy. We were given snacks and wine, listened to music, learned about some of the history of Istanbul, made some friends and had a lot of fun! The sunset was extremely beautiful - watching from the water as the sky turned orange and red over the gorgeous mosques and buildings was such a great experience.
d. Vişnezade Neighborhood
Vişnezade is another artsy, harborside neighborhood next to Karakoy on the southern side of Beyoglu (just outside of the district). Vişnezade has a lot of art museums throughout the neighborhood that makes it worth wandering around, going in and out of them. Here, one of the top things to do is visit the Dolmabahce palace located along the bosphorus coast. The palace, built in the 19th century, is one of the largest and most luxurious ottoman palaces in Türkiye; a true picture of architectural brilliance and historicl grandeur. At 11.1 acres and designed with the intention of rivaling the European royals of the time, the palace was built to be the residence for Ottoman Sultans and served as the main administrative center during the Ottoman Empire. In the palace there are 285 rooms, 44 halls, 6 hamams (Turkish baths) and 68 toilets. The rooms and the grounds surrounding the palace are all so beautiful - I had never seen such a large place where every single room is so intricately decorated; it's easy to tell it cost the Ottomans around 35 tons of gold to construct! Walking through the palace and its grounds takes around an hour and a half, and there is a cafe between the painting museum and Harem that you can grab some coffee or snacks from. Tickets are $450 Turkish Lira ($24 USD) per person and includes access to the Selamlik and Harem sections as well as the Resim Muzesi (painting museum).
Overall, there are so many things to do, see and try when in Istanbul. Before the conclusion of this post I have a few tips and advice for you:
1) When you are taking the metro, it is much cheaper and easier to get a reloadable Istanbul Kart pass, especially if you know you'll be using it often to get around the city. These can be purchased and refilled in the metro stations at the same kiosks where regular tickets are purchased.
2) Make friends with the abundance of adorable and friendly cats. The locals of Istanbul tend to take good care of their strays; while walking the streets it's common to walk past large piles of dry cat food or small bowls of water. I carried around treats with me that I purchased from a local market and the cats loved me for it! They are extremely friendly and don't know what personal space is (in the best way). When petting them they will rub against you and try to climb into your lap! I was sitting outside at a cafe in Beyoglu once when a cat just jumped into my lap, accepted some pets and treats and fell asleep on me! Enjoy this video compilation I made of the cats of Istanbul:
3) It depends where exactly you stay, but if you visit during Ramadan (taking place for 29-30 days around March and April) and you're staying near a mosque you may be woken up daily around 4am to singing coming from the speakers around the mosques. Also, between around 2:30-3:30am during this period, Turkish men went around our neighborhood from street to street singing and playing the drums loudly. This is to wake up sleepers to prepare for the large morning feast prior to the beginning of fasting at sunrise. We had no complaints as we love experiencing different cultures from around the world and found it fascinating, but just keep it in mind and be prepared by closing windows or bringing earplugs.
In case you missed it, for more top things to do in Istanbul visit Part One of my Istanbul series for the top things to do in the districts of Fatih and Büyükçekmece!