When I first visited Istanbul in 2013, I found it very cheap. On my last visit in April 2026, however, I was in for a shock.

Hotels and food are more expensive, but prices are more or less on a par with the rest of Europe – no big deal.

But admission to most of the main attractions costs tens of euros. More than I’ve ever paid anywhere else in the world!

Find the cheapest hotel in Istanbul

Why are prices in Istanbul so high these days?

Just a few years ago, Istanbul was one of the best-value cities for travellers. The weak Turkish lira meant cheap hotels, restaurants and attractions.

However, the situation has changed significantly in recent years.

Although Turkey continues to be plagued by high inflation and the lira is weakening against both the euro and the dollar, the government has also begun to significantly increase admission prices for foreign visitors at its most important tourist attractions.

The aim is to generate more revenue from a record number of tourists and to partially fund the costly maintenance of historical monuments.

The result? Some admission fees now cost more than in many Western European cities.

To give you an idea:

Attraction	Price
Hagia Sophia	approx. 25 eur
Topkapi Palace	approx. 52 eur
Basilica Cistern	approx. 37 eur
Galata Tower	approx. 30 eur
Maiden’s Tower	approx. 35 eur
Dolmabahçe Palace	approx. 37 eur

By way of comparison. For example, admission to the famous Statue of Liberty in New York costs around 23 eur, to the vast Palace of Versailles in Paris around 35 eur, and to the Colosseumin Rome just 18 eur.

If you were to visit just four attractions in a single day, you would pay approximately 150 eurper person.

That’s enough to easily buy a return flight from Europe to Istanbul for two people during a special offer.

That’s precisely why it makes sense to combine several paid attractions with places that are free.

And fortunately, Istanbul has quite a few of those.

What did I visit for free in Istanbul?

In the end, even without paying for expensive entrance fees, I still enjoyed Istanbul.

1. The most beautiful mosques

This is where Istanbul beats most European cities.

Whilst admission to many churches and cathedrals is now charged, most of Istanbul’s major mosques remain free to enter.

Be sure not to miss the Blue Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque or the modern Çamlıca Mosque on the Asian side of the city.

Each one is completely different and each is well worth a visit.

2. Historic neighbourhoods full of atmosphere

When people think of Istanbul, most tourists picture the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.

But much of the city’s charm lies away from the main attractions.

I particularly enjoyed wandering through the neighbourhoods of Balat, Fener and Karaköy. A very local atmosphere, traditional wooden houses, and lots of cats.

And no entrance fees.

3. The Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar

You don’t have to buy anything.

Just visiting the bazaars is one of the experiences that people fly to Istanbul for.

The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest covered markets in the world, whilst the Egyptian Bazaar offers one of the finest concentrations of the scents of spices, teas and Turkish sweets that we have ever experienced.

If you can resist the temptation to shop, you can visit both for free.

4. Viewpoints with no admission fee

Many tourists automatically head for the Galata Tower.

But Istanbul offers dozens of places with free views.

Among the best are the area around the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Galata Bridge.

I also really liked the view from the Asian waterfront in Üsküdar, where you can see the Maiden’s Tower beautifully – and for free.

5. The ferry between Europe and Asia

OK, technically speaking, it isn’t free.

But for the price of a standard public transport ticket, you get an experience that tourists on organised cruises pay tens of euros for.

In my opinion, the boat trip between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul is one of the best ways to spend a few lira in the whole city.

Fare prices are constantly changing, but they are generally around 2 eur.

We regularly update the prices in the article ‘Transport in Istanbul’.

What other ways are there to save money in Istanbul?

In terms of prices, I would now compare Istanbul to Western Europe.

Discounted admission

If you want to visit paid attractions, there aren’t many ways to save money.

Online tickets aren’t any cheaper than those bought at the door, and discounted combined tickets aren’t usually available here either.

The exception is the combination of the Galata Tower and the Maiden’s Tower, where a combined ticket will save you around 2 eur.

Hotels

Accommodation prices in Istanbul are still slightly lower than in Western Europe or America.

Whilst the large hotels now charge ‘European’ prices, you’ll find a large number of very cheap apartments, particularly in the historic Sultanahmet district, with prices starting from 20 eur per night.

The 10 cheapest hotels in Istanbul

Flights

Ultra-low-cost airlines such as Ryanair or Wizz Air do not fly to Istanbul on a large scale, so it is even more worthwhile than for other European cities to keep an eye out for special offers.

Pegasus Airlines, in particular, usually offers very attractive special deals from many European cities on average 3–5 times a year, when you can easily pay less than 80 eur for a return ticket.

We regularly publish these special offers on the homepage of our website.

You can also set up our special offer alert so you don’t miss out on great-value flights to Istanbul.

Food

You can save quite a bit on food if you steer clear of the tourist restaurants near the main sights or on the Galata Bridge.

In these places, you could easily spend over 30 eur on a standard dinner, whereas in local bistros and restaurants (for example, in the Karaköy district, which is right in the centre) you’ll pay between 10 eur for a meal.

Transport

Whilst taxis are expensive in Istanbul, public transport isn’t so much.

Although there are no discounted time-based or all-day tickets, a single metro journey with an IstanbulKart, for example, costs just 42 try.

You’ll pay the most for a ferry if you pay with your own contactless card, at around 110 try. Which is still relatively cheap compared to other cities.

We describe how the metro, ferries and buses work in the article‘Transport in Istanbul’.

Transport from both of Istanbul’s airports is also inexpensive.

• ✈️ Istanbul IST: metro and bus to the city centre
• ✈️ Istanbul SAW: metro + ferry or direct bus to the city centre