Where to Stay in Istanbul: A Neighbourhood Guide

Short answer: on a first visit, stay in Sultanahmet if the monuments are your priority and you like quiet evenings, or in Karaköy or Galata if you care more about food and a lively street outside. Both are on the T1 tram, so either works for the other half of the trip.

Sultanahmet and Sirkeci

You can walk to Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Blue Mosque in minutes, and many small hotels have roof terraces looking over the Sea of Marmara. The downsides: most restaurants cater to visitors, the streets go quiet after about 10pm, and carpet sellers will greet you by name after two days. The dawn call to prayer from half a dozen minarets is part of the experience. Light sleepers should pack earplugs. Sirkeci, just downhill, is a little cheaper and closer to the Marmaray and the ferries.

Karaköy and Galata

Just across the Galata Bridge. Karaköy has the tram, the ferry piers, Istanbul Modern, and some of the city's best breakfast cafés and baklava shops. Galata climbs the hill above it, with narrow streets around the tower. It's lively late into the night, so ask for a room at the back.

Beyoğlu, Cihangir and Taksim

Beyoğlu is the nightlife and İstiklal Avenue. Cihangir, on the slope towards the Bosphorus, is leafier and full of cafés and old apartment buildings, with a steep walk home. Taksim itself is convenient for airport buses and the M2, but it's mostly chain hotels and traffic.

Kadıköy and Moda

The Asian side, and our pick for a second trip. Kadıköy has the city's best food market streets and a young, local bar scene. Moda has a seafront promenade and sunset views back to the old city. It's twenty minutes by ferry to Eminönü or Karaköy, and the M4 comes straight from Sabiha Gökçen. The catch is that you'll be timing your evenings around the last ferries.

Beşiktaş

A busy, student-heavy district on the Bosphorus with a fish market, cheap eats and ferries in every direction. Very local, a little chaotic, and loud when the football club plays at home.

Before booking anywhere, check the hill. A hotel "five minutes from the tram" can mean five minutes straight up. Look for air conditioning in summer and a lift if you have heavy luggage, because plenty of converted townhouses don't have one.