Istanbul Travel Safety Guide — Turkey

Safety Score: 7/10 · Value: 7.8/10 · Beauty: 8.6/10

Istanbul straddles two continents, a city of extraordinary historical depth where Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires each left their mark. The old city of Sultanahmet packs the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace within easy walking distance, while across the Golden Horn the Beyoğlu side buzzes with rooftop bars, galleries and nightlife. It is a huge, intense and sometimes overwhelming metropolis of 16 million, but generally safe for visitors who keep their wits about them. The main annoyances are persistent carpet and restaurant touts in tourist zones and the occasional taxi that 'forgets' the meter. The Bosphorus ferries are both transport and the city's best cheap sightseeing, gliding between Europe and Asia in 20 minutes. Food is a reason to visit on its own: simit from street carts, slow-cooked kebabs, fresh fish under the Galata Bridge and endless small-plate meze. Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the kindest weather; summers are hot and crowded, winters grey and damp.

Tripvey Score — estimated from travel advisories and publicly available data. Not official safety advice.