Welcome To Istanbul

Majestic Istanbul - the largest city in Europe, the cradle of civilization, the magical place where East meets West. Thousands of years of history, tradition, culture and art come together in this mighty city. This magnificent melting pot is a must-see at least once in a lifetime, and we bring you a guide to what to see and do in Istanbul.

Flying to Istanbul from most major European cities is the easiest and quickest way, and you have a choice of two airports serving the city. Istanbul Airport is the busiest airport where most planes arrive and is located on the European side of the city. You can get to the city center in about an hour with a regular shuttle bus, but you can also use public transport. Another airport, Sabiha Gökçen, is on the Asian side and is a hub for low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines. From there you can reach the city in about an hour by shuttle bus or a combination of several public transports such as buses and ferries.

Generally speaking, there are two railway stations, Sirkeci railway station on the European side and Haydarpaşa railway station on the Asian side. Depending on where you come from (West or East), the train arrives at one of these two stations. Although Istanbul is well connected to many European cities via Sofia or Bucharest, keep in mind that many routes are currently suspended due to the Marmara project and other upcoming works in Bulgaria. Istanbul's main bus station is 10 km west of Sultanahmet, also known as Büyük Otogar or Esenler Otogar. It serves all Turkey and numerous European countries and cities (mainly the Balkans and Central Europe) and also serves the Middle East.