Practical
Before you land
The money-and-timing details that make a trip work, taken from the operators' own pages and dated.
Your first 24 hours
Day one in order: getting into town, 112, what is open today and the Museum Pass.
checked 30 Sep 2026Museum Pass & MüzeKart
Five regional passes for foreign visitors, prices in euro, and the MüzeKart for citizens.
checked 30 Sep 2026Ticket price changes
New prices from 1 April 2027 and every change we have recorded.
checked 20 Oct 2026What sightseeing costs
Tickets added up per route and destination, and when a pass saves money.
checked 20 Oct 2026From the airport into town
Metro, airport buses and council-set taxi fares from eight airports.
checked 19 Oct 2026Getting between cities
Bus times and lowest fares, flight times, trains and ferries for 12 routes.
checked 19 Oct 2026Tax-free shopping
Who can reclaim VAT, the minimum per invoice and the airport steps.
checked 20 Oct 2026İstanbulkart
Card price, single fare, limited-use tickets and contactless bank cards.
checked 30 Sep 2026Istanbul ferries
Cross-Bosphorus fares, Bosphorus tours and the Islands boats.
checked 30 Sep 2026Public holidays
Holiday dates to the end of 2027 and what palaces and museums do.
checked 30 Sep 2026Health & emergencies
112, tonight's pharmacies, hospitals, consulates and a lost passport.
checked 1 Oct 2026Licensed travel agencies
Check a tour seller's Ministry licence, what A/B/C mean, and where to complain.
checked 1 Oct 2026Renting a car
Foreign licence (6 months), HGS tolls, fines and offices at the airports.
checked 1 Oct 2026