based on 112 experiences from female travelers
I spent like around 1K in five days and overall experience was great but it’s a very expensive city. I’d love tourist attractions like Topkapi Palace, it was amazing. So in my opinion the city is very safe because me and my friend we hang out like till night even and not some tourist areas of the city but still we we felt safe
Posted: July 11, 2025Silvia
Germany
Features everything you could ever want to vist, good food, nice buildings, good transport. Problem, I didn't feel very safe. People there try to profit off the fact that youre not from around. But otherwise nice. Bring water
Posted: June 24, 2025Experienced: May, 2024Safe place for solo travelers. However, the taxi guys are ruthless if they see you are traveling alone as a woman or with a female friend. The biggest turn off was that taxi drivers dropped me off me and my friend in some place that we didn't ask to be dropped off. And when we asked them to take us to our actual destination, one of the drivers got aggressive and opened the door asking us to get out. We wanted to visit the Haggia Sophia instead we ended up in a different mosque in a strange part of the city. Trying to find our way back same and the issue occurred. We got dropped off at a bridge that had no sidewalk for pedestrians and had to walk on the shoulder of the road. After this experience, we decided to only explore places we could reach by foot.
Posted: June 24, 2025Experienced: December, 2021Katie
Ireland
I’ve been to many cities before and I can honestly say I’ve never felt anywhere near as safe as I felt in Istanbul. Petty crime is a big no no here and heavily punished so people just don’t do it. At cafés, people would leave their phones and bags on the table while going to the bathroom and no one would touch it. It was really refreshing to not have to worry about getting your stuff stolen. Everyone was also super kind and welcoming. Hotel’s are very cheap and public transport is simple and inexpensive and there are many different options for transport. You can take the subway from the airport into the city and between the European and Asian sides (I’d recommend seeing both, as they are very different) Food is generally cheap, but research places before hand as certain restaurants, particularly in Sultanahmet (touristy area) can be incredible experience.
Posted: June 18, 2025Experienced: June, 2025Reem
Jordan
I stayed near taksim square. It was a nice and clean hotel. The food was okay but mostly the kabab and bbq is delicious. I recommend the historical places and museums. Some areas didn't feel safe to walk around especially after dark.
Posted: June 12, 2025Experienced: September, 2019Esranur
Turkey
I didn't feel safe, people are so strange and complicated. Everywhere is very crowded and dangerous. It is not a place to live, it is a very beautiful city but even getting around is very difficult.
Posted: June 10, 2025Experienced: May, 2025Based on 347 local experiences
Based on 347 local experiences
Istanbul is not safe. Any event can happen at any time. Be careful. I don't go out alone in the dark. I don't trust people. There are theft incidents. Your bag can be stolen outside. Someone can try to enter your house.
Posted: July 7, 2025tanbul is mostly a safe city, but it depends on where exactly you are. For example, tourist areas are generally safe, there are always police around, but you still need to be careful. You should be aware of scams (there are quite a few). Other than that, I’d say Istanbul is as safe as any other major city. Just try not to look too much like a tourist!
Posted: July 7, 2025