Solo Female Travel in Istanbul

Solo travel experience

I felt very safe (wearing hijab). I do not speak the language and they do not speak much English. I loved the shopping and beautiful mosques but the food was not good other than the Lebanese food which was amazing. Loved all the cats everywhere. Transportation was expensive in my experience.

Solo travel experience

I travelled in Istanbul in 2022 it was a solo trip. Actually it was an amazing experience which change me a lot. That was my first time to travel alone. Turkey in general is a country. It has a diversity in nature, activity, food. I recommend Turkish delights so much. I really loved them. Also the prices is ok and the people are friendly. I also enjoyed the see tour in Istanbul so much. I went to princess island. I stayed there two weeks and I really recommend people to visit Istanbul

Solo travel experience

I stayed at my friend's house in Istanbul. I felt safe in the house. But I was a little scared on my own outside because it was very crowded. If you go, ride a bicycle and fish on Büyükada. I used appetizing things to eat. Restaurants are very expensive. If you want to rent a car for transportation, the traffic is very heavy. It can take hours. I think using the metro and other fast transportation will get you to your target quickly.

Family travel experience

Istanbul is very beautiful and amazing but I had a bad experience in hotel, I highly recommend don't take your valuable things in hotel's safe box. Our money was lost in safe box and no one was not respond even hotel responsible and police had very bad and unsecure behaviour

Solo travel experience

I took air arabia from morocco for 4500dhs and airbnb for rent 260dhs/might Ana food is available every where with good price You can spend as much as you want and can I recomand for people who wants to do shopping to see dates of local souks

Solo travel experience

Istanbul is a beautiful place with historic, but also modern places. I felt very safe traveling solo, even during the night. As an Asian, I did feel like they stare a bit more, but it’s only because they watch a lot of Korean dramas and are curious about us. Nothing too alarming. They’re all really nice and just want to get to know your culture

Group travel experience

It was very safe to travel, we took train, spent 200 dollars for 1 week, stayed in airbnb, had local food like kebabs. Booked a tour for 10 dollars and went to kars Armenia border and to Erzurum and went for skiing. Overall amazing trip

Group travel experience

Before starting this trip I had preconceptions about men’s culture and way to be there. But, surprisingly (and I am so grateful) everybody was so respectful, welcoming and warm. I think that is one of my best trip ever. The food was extraordinary, vegetables could be eaten without seasoning, market were so colourful… So, obviously, in being a french person, life was not expansive at all. The most expansive restaurant we ever went to cost around 20 euros for three. You should eat “menemen” (best dishes ever).

Family travel experience

We stayed on the European side of Istanbul. It definitely felt safe at the time but we were also very conscious of our belongings, watching around us, etc. food was marvelous but at times hard to find vegetarian options. Very budget friendly and something for everyone! One of my favorite cities

Couple travel experience

We went to Istanbul on a holiday time (bayram) so it was quite busy at the time, the hotel we reserved was from booking app, it was fine since we spend most of the time outside, food was overpriced and not that good because we eat at "touristic" place but we found other options on Taqsim, for the activities we went to a cruise trip to the islands near by and it was really fun, and those islands are very cheap for souvenir, u can rent a bike per hour in Büyük Ada also called princess Island, for the other island I forgot the name but it was so small and the beach side is full of longue chaises for rent only and they wouldn't allow u to even take a picture on thier side of the beach, we had lunch included it had beryani and it was good and the trip price was very fair. We also went for a night cruise party and it was fun they had dinner drinks, and shows, belly dancers, sufis performance and some performance with swords ⚔️. We also visited the regular touristic sites Galata tour and the famous coffeeshop to try the Sebastian Cheesecake.

Istanbul is a very crowded city. It's not very safe for a woman at night. You must have someone with you who knows Istanbul. There are many ways to travel in Istanbul. You can use Marmaray or metro. You can find many cultural activities. It also hosts many tourists with its rich historical structure.

Istanbul is generally safe, but some regions can be dangerous. Some local restaurants aim to earn too much money from tourists, and taxi drivers also try to do the same. Travellers should use public transportation and they should not prefer small restaurants for dining. Instead, they can opt for chain restaurants.

Istanbul is pretty crowded city and sometimes it can be dangerous you need to protect your bag in crowded areas. The transportation is really good here. There have lots of options and you can take it easily.

I am Turkish and i was born and raised in Istanbul. I have always been interested in travelling since my childhood and my mother used to take me to historical and cultural tours in Istanbul. So I can definitely say that I’m an expert. To me Istanbul is the most beautiful place on earth for many reasons. First, you have to know about Istanbul’s history and geography. Istanbul has a population of near 20 millions and is the largest city in Türkiye and has been one of the most important cities ever since. It was the capital of Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire. Many nations, religions and cultures lived in Istanbul and currently living in Istanbul as well. For example Istanbul has many mosques, churches and synagogues. Istanbul’s neigborhoods differs from each other. Meanwhile Kadiköy is a very modern place, Eminönü is quite different from that. Istanbul is located in 2 continents -Europe and Asia- and you can change continents easily! You can cross the Bosphorus with one of 3 bridges, a tunnel, marmaray (a public transport like subway but it goes under the Bosphorus) and -the best one- ferries. Ferries are a big part of Istanbul’s public transport and can be used with a card called ‘Istanbulkart’. You can even use Mastercards at some public transports. An advice: Instead of paying a ton of money on private Bosphorus tours and crossings, use the public ones and you can check the routes online. These can be found on many docks. Just simply ask them but remember if you will purchase an Istanbulkart, you can’t buy them on docks. There are machines for that in subways and metrobuses. Remember one more thing: don’t use taxis in Istanbul. You will probably get scammed. I even got scammed a couple of times. Istanbul’s traffic is the worst and you will probably get to places more easily with public transports. You can use Uber if you want. You probably won’t get scammed. There are many places to go in Istanbul. You can check them on Yelp and basically in many websites. But if i have to recommend something, just walk on the coast. It’s the best in sunrise and sunset but i recommend go before sunset and walk a little in daylight then watch the sunset. Both Asia and Europe has splendid views. Especially walk somewhere between 1st and 2nd bridge. For example you can walk in Üsküdar, Kadıköy, Moda, Kuzguncuk etc. in Asia and Ortaköy, Bebek, Beşiktaş and Rumeli Hisarı (this is also kind of like castle). The coast is amazing and you can enjoy both the views and the smell of Bosphorus. Istanbul is a relatively safe place. Be careful in public transportation and don’t go remote places after dark if you are alone. You can go many nightclubs, pubs etc. but make sure you won’t go through somewhere remote and dangerous. I hope you’ll enjoy your time there!!!

I love this city. It’s very big city. It’s have many historical places. You can visit many museums. You can find turkish cookery. All the food is delicious. Nightlife is colorful and funny. Be careful this city

Hello, I am Başak. I was born and raised in Türkiye and currently living in İstanbul for almost 5 years now.Unfortunately, from what I experienced for all my life, Turkey is not a safe place for woman at all compared to decent europian countries.Because crime rates (murdering,hijacking’s,verbal or physical assaults etc.)is very common in here especially If you are traveling alone as a woman.In the day time and in general,I strongly recommend you to travel touristic places because they are very safe for everyone including locals.But at nights you should be careful for your safety and prefer crowded areas.

Hello everyone, I have been living in Istanbul for 4 years now. I am a student living on the Anatolian side, so I will do my best to give you good advice:') If you are planning to see old mosques, churches or synagogues, I recommend Kadıköy and Üsküdar districts, which are on the Bosphorus line. These areas also fulfil your need for nature with their gardens. But it should be noted that this is a city with too many buildings. These areas also offer different country cuisines in terms of food. I recommend the small restaurants on the side streets for the most suitable places to eat. Especially when you get away from the crowd in Kadıköy and cross the Bull Statue, the tiny restaurants you find on the side streets can add new flavours to you. I would like to point out that most of the popular places with queues are pointless, they are not price/performance products. I recommend you to examine the street before deciding where to stay, most places have 2024 shots on Google maps. Unfortunately, the ?strange? neighbourhoods found in every district are also found here, examining the street can give you an idea. There are vehicles such as Uber, Tag, you can call them according to their scores through the application, you can also provide transportation with scooters and tiny motors that you will find everywhere. There are public transport cards, these are sold with the number of prints. It should not be forgotten that since the fares of the means of transport are different, the number rights also change. Currently in 2024, metro and bus 1, metrobus 2, marmaray 3-4 rights. I recommend that you should prefer more public transport and less vehicles that still work with money such as taxis, minibuses, yellowbuses. Since it is a crowded city, public transport is usually used with many people, I did not have any problems, but you can put important documents such as passports in your inner pockets. You can find metrobus every hour on weeknights, but the rest of the public transport ends at 00.00 and starts at 05.30. At the weekend the metro also leaves every hour. Not everyone from the local people may speak English, but I can say that we are a good country in terms of dealing with hand signs :D Since there are many people of different nationalities living in Kadıköy, there are English speaking cafes on some streets. Most workplaces may be closed on Sundays and Google maps may mislead you, pay attention to this. If you have a telephone line or WhatsApp application, you can reach the companies here and ask questions. If you have come here for a touristic trip, districts such as Kartal, Pendik or Tuzla will make you spend a lot of time on the road, as you will want to see more historical places and nightlife on the European side. But if you still want to stay there, I recommend you to go somewhere close to the metro line. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you're going to have a great trip<3

Hello, I wanted to give advice for anyone who wants go stay in Istanbul:) First of all, the food is AMAZING here. You should definitely try our local goods like döner, baklava, ayran or even REALLY traditional ones like imambayıldı. For your stay and satisfaction, it would be best to visit İstanbul in spring or summer. The weather is beautiful, it's colorful outside and you can enjoy beach. Sometimes, it can be dangerous for women so I wouldn't advice to travel alone. It would be best for you if you have a friend with you.

If you do not speak Turkish or do not know someone who does, stay in the tourist areas, otherwise it may be difficult. The average Turk knows little or no English. I strongly suggest learning a few basic phrases before visiting. Do not smile at strangers, especially men. Most men will take this as interest. Try to meet and walk at night with other women, this is a typical Turkish women's practice. Many men want to seduce foreign women, keep this in mind. Dress modestly to avoid attracting attention. I do not recommend using taxis if you do not speak Turkish. If you do, always sit in the back. Make sure you know the exchange rate of your currency to lira, so you can make conversions. Men will look at you. Many times. Just ignore them and go your own way.

Istanbul is a very safe city. I often visit there and I truly love it. The people are kind and welcoming. When you are in Istanbul, especially in tourist places, you will be pestered by men trying to draw you into their stores or restaurants. This usually happens around Sultanahmet, on the lower level of the Galata Bridge where the restaurants are, and at the Grand Bazaar. I avoid these places for this reason. Taxi drivers will always try to scam you. Always make sure the meter is turned on. They will pretend that they forgot or don't understand you, but fortunately tourism is protected by the government, so if there are ever situations where the taxi driver doesn't turn on the meter or demands charges that you never agreed to, simply tell him that you will call the police, and they will support you. Public transport is also easy to use. Istanbul is very hilly, so make sure you have good shoes for walking. Be sure to visit Kadikoy on the Asian side. Cihangir and Çukurcuma are two of my favorite districts on the European side, where the residents live and spend time, it's not a typical tourist spot.