Imagine a city which is divided into two continents by a stream of waterway, dividing Europe and Asia. A city that comes with legends and myths from the debts of history. A city with wooden ferries and nostalgic ferry landings; a city with bazaars, open markets and street vendors. We are your local connection in Istanbul and offer friendly advice regarding a range of Istanbul Hotels and some fantastic and interesting Istanbul tours!
Istanbul is a great get away place for anybody. Either for a quick weekend get a way from Europe or a beginning point for your extended trip in Turkey!
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with a population that is over nine million. A whopping number of tourists - up to eight million - visit the city at one time! Perhaps this is partly due to the warm welcome accorded to tourists, and the fact that most people here speak some English. Whatever the reason, tourism numbers continue to grow here on a yearly basis, and as it does, so do the number of hotels in Istanbul and her surrounding regions. Located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul has the distinction of being the only city on the world map to connect two continents - Asia and Europe.
Don't miss the great historical attractions in Istanbul - Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the old city of Sultanahmet. This area is rich with monuments and sites from the days of Byzance, Constantinople, and the Ottoman Empire. Here too is the well-known Egyptian and Grand Bazaar. There are many Istanbul tours that visit these monuments introducing you to the rich history of the region and many of the fantastic Istanbul accommodation options are within easy walking distance of these historical monuments.
The river Bosphorus is a beautiful sight, with the villages of Istanbul nestled on its banks. It is a busy waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. Be sure to check-out our great hotels on the Bosphorus and other Istanbul Hotels.
Take a walk through the Taksim district of Istanbul, the place to go for shopping in Taksim and to enjoy nightlife in Istanbul. It even has some important historical sites, since it used to be the Christian section of Istanbul. Today, Taksim is where the embassies are to be found along with many trendy Istanbul hotels. Istanbul is a cosmopolitan city and it becomes obvious when you visit Istiklal Avenue with its old tramway. One million people pass this way every day! If you want to be in the centre of the action, book one of our Istanbul Hotels here!
Since it is a tourist friendly place, and Istanbul maps are available, you won't find it too difficult to find your way around the city. Transportation in Istanbul is efficient and cheap so pick yourself up a city map and take yourself on a private Istanbul tour. If you are looking for public transport in Istanbul, you can travel by bus, taxi or tram, and you can source tram tickets easily from the kiosks on almost every street corner. The only trains in Istanbul is old and slow, and travels outside the city limits.
Istanbul is a shopper's paradise. There are more than 4000 shops in the Grand Covered Bazaar selling Turkish rugs, leather goods, linen with exquisite embroidery, fine jewellery and much more. Also, be sure to visit the partially open-air Spice Market with its brilliant colours and irresistible aromas. Don't be surprised if you end up with a load of things you never intended to buy! The Turks are great businessmen and can beguile you with a refreshing cup of apple tea or black coffee the moment you step inside their store. Bargaining, of course, is key, and can get you really good deals. Check-out our booking portal with its wide-range of hotels in Istanbul in the city centre.
We are a local company we offer a huge selection of Hotels in Istanbul, including several of the top luxury hotels in Istanbul. As locals we can negotiate the latest Istanbul hotel special offers!
You can choose from a wide-range of interesting tours in Istanbul. One of these takes you through the lovely Beylerbeyi Palace, which used to be the summer palace of the Ottoman sultans. The palace was built in 1865, and is located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait. The Toll Bridge which connects Asia to Europe is of course a must see. Then there's the panoramic view you get of the city from the summit of Camlica Hill, and the famous Blue Mosque with its interior walls covered with 20,000 rare Iznik tiles of an unusual blue. The oldest mosque in the city, the Beyazit Mosque, is also a sight worth seeing. We offer a great range of Istanbul Hotels!
Turks love to spend hours wining and dining and have a purist attitude towards food. They believe that natural flavours should be allowed to come through without the interference of sauces and too many herbs or spices. The kebab is king here and can be found in many restaurants in Istanbul. You can eat in air-conditioned comfort, or out on the patios where in the casual atmosphere, it's easy to make new friends. In the evenings street vendors push carts packed with stuffed mussels, meatballs wrapped in barley, even pancakes stuffed with raw meat. There are also all kinds of garden fresh vegetables and nuts. Our hotels in Istanbul are close to some of the best dining in the country!
Istanbul is the place for you if you're looking for an exotic destination where the people are friendly, the crowd cosmopolitan, the climate perfect, the scenery beautiful, historic sites plentiful, and the shopping a delight. When travelling to Istanbul don't forget to book your Istanbul hotels & Istanbul tours and check out our other destinations in Turkey and their hotels, including Marmaris Hotels and Cappadocia Hotels!
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