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A Complete Guide To Istanbul With TourIstanbul

Several years ago I visited Istanbul – twice in the span of two weeks. I took advantage of a program that Turkish Airlines still has in operation called TourIstanbul. If you are flying with Turkish Airlines and have a layover between 6-24 hours, you can use two options: book a free hotel for the night or day, or book a free tour of the city.

Please note that this post is not sponsored by TourIstanbul or Turkish Airlines. I enjoyed my tour enough that I thought I would share this valuable piece of information on my own.

I was flying to Japan and had a 12 hour layover in Istanbul on both ends of my trip. The first layover involved a bit of an interesting story, which you can read about here.

I was traveling solo and was arriving in Istanbul late in the evening. The tours only operate from 8:30am – 9pm, so I decided to opt out of the tour and rest in a hotel. Everything was provided for free, from the shuttle bus, to the hotel stay. In the morning, the hotel provided my transportation back to the airport, and I flew to Japan.

On my way back, I had a layover during the day in Istanbul. There are several different options for the length of the tour, and I was able to choose one that started shortly after my flight arrived, included lunch, and transportation to and from the airport.

Visas To Istanbul

Before signing up for the tour, make sure you can get a multiple entry visa to enter Turkey if you need one. As an American I had to buy a visa to leave the airport. At the time, they only accepted exact change in dollars or euros. I saw a few people turned away because they did not have exact change. Currently, visitors from some countries are allowed to obtain their visa on arrival, but there is also a multiple entry visa available as an e-visa where you can purchase it ahead of time online. Multiple entry e-visas currently cost anywhere from $78.95 to $61.50 depending on your nationality, a considerable amount higher than in 2019 when they were $20.

Baggage

If you have a large suitcase or backpack and don’t want to carry it with you on the tour, there is a luggage storage space in the airport where you can leave your bags. You can find the luggage storage on the Arrivals Floor of the International and Domestic Terminals. It is available 24 hours a day. You might pay anywhere from €2-5 for each bag per day, depending on their size and how many you have that you want to leave in the storage.

Touristanbul

After your arrival at the airport, you can sign up for Touristanbul at the Hotel Desk in the International Arrivals Terminal. You cannot sign up for the tour beforehand and your connecting international flights must be with Turkish Airlines. There are plenty of signs to help you out. I found the Touristanbul helpline very useful when I had questions beforehand. You can also look online to see the various options you have for tours. There are short and long tours, and you can pick and choose according to what you want to see or which times work best for you. My experience five years ago was slightly different from what is published on Turkish Airlines’ website now, but generally, the tour has stayed the same. They always offer transport to and from the airport, and if you choose a long tour then a meal is included.

Istanbul City Recommendations

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was built in 1609 and is known by this name because of the beautiful blue tiles adorning the walls and ceilings inside. The mosque is still used as a place of worship, but tourists are also allowed inside during the day. Note that you are not allowed to wear shoes inside, so if that bothers you make sure to wear socks!

Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia is very close to the Blue Mosque. Also known as the Aya Sofya, its name means “Holy Wisdom.” It used to be a Christian basilica (from 360-1453), then was turned into a mosque (1453-1931) and is now a museum (from 1935). There is an eclectic mix of Islam and Christianity inside. The beauty of the Byzantine interior definitely rivals that of the Blue Mosque.

You might find a line of tourists somewhere within the building. There is a special column called the “sweating column” or “crying column”, made of white marble brought from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. A bronze belt encircles the lower part of this column and there is a hole big enough to insert a finger. There are many legends and stories about the column. Because of some drops of water coming out from the hole, people believed that this column was “crying” or “sweating.” Many people believe if you stick your thumb in this hole and rotate it clockwise it will bring you luck – hence the line of tourists hoping for some good luck!

In another area you might find some Viking graffiti. Long ago, a Viking scratched his name (Halvdan) in runes on a banister in the Hagia Sophia.

If you are able to get high enough, you will have some very nice views from the top of the Hagia Sofia. The architecture of the roof is beautiful. On a nice day you will be able to see some parts of the city as well.

The Basilica Cistern (the “Sunken Palace”)

These gigantic, underground cisterns were originally built in the 3rd century and reconstructed after a fire in 476. It is said that 7,000 slaves were used to build these cisterns! One of the columns underground was engraved with raised pictures of a hen’s eye, slanted branches, and tears, from the 4th century. Ancient texts suggest that the tears on the column pay tribute to the hundreds of slaves who died during the construction of the Basilica Cistern. The Romans also recycled old columns from buildings in the city to help build the cisterns.

If you can find Medusa’s head, note that it is not right-side up. Tradition says that this head was placed upside down to negate the power of her gaze, which used to turn men into stone. There is another head that was placed sideways, but this was probably to accommodate the height of the column it is supporting!

The German Fountain

The German Fountain is outside in the northern end of the Hippodrome. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898. It was built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and assembled in Istanbul in 1900. When I went, it did not seem to be attracting that much attention from tourists!

Obelisk of Thutmose III

This obelisk was built in 1490 BC and moved to Constantinople by Theodosius the Great in 390 AD. It survived 3,500 years in pretty good condition! Again, it did not seem to be attracting much attention from tourists.

Istanbul Spice Bazaar

Of course, no trip to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the famous Spice Bazaar. It is here that your tour guide hopes you will spend some money! You might be offered apple or pomegranate tea while you walk through. It is free, but be prepared for the shop owner to want you to look at his wares! I really can’t say enough about the wonderful smells, sights, and sounds of the bazaar. It truly was incredible, and I definitely walked away with some apple tea and Turkish coffee!

Leather Factory

Interestingly, my tour included a trip to the leather factory. Apparently, leather and fashion are quite a thing in Istanbul. we were treated to a surprise fashion show and a browse through the leather shop. We were told since we were using Turkish Airlines we could have a 50% discount off of anything in the store. What they didn’t tell you was the average price of the purses in the room was $800 …

Lunch

If you choose a longer tour, lunch or some other meal is usually included. We finished off our tour with a traditional Turkish lunch which included cauliflower soup, a cheesy quiche, mashed potatoes, rice, beef, and of course, Turkish coffee. It wasn’t the tastiest meal, and there is a lot better Turkish food out there, but hey – it was free!

On your way out, make sure to check out the duty free shops in the airport. They have great prices for some of the things you might have missed in the bazaar. I managed to score more Turkish coffee and Turkish delight for a great price as gifts for family. There are also Turkish delight samples everywhere if you are hungry!

Final Thoughts On Istanbul

Overall, I would highly recommend taking advantage of Touristanbul’s offer, especially if you have a layover with Turkish Airlines. Being able to visit another amazing city while on a long layover for free was a no-brainer.

Istanbul itself is a remarkable city, bridging the continents of Europe and Asia, with a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor. Although many say that Istanbul is a European city, I would argue otherwise. Its eclectic flavor, style, and people make it unique in the world. Many say it is one of the most romantic, comparable with Paris. Regardless of how romantic one thinks it is, be prepared for an entirely different culture and way of living here.

Have you been to Istanbul or taken advantage of Turkish Airlines’ free tour of the city offer? What was your experience and would you go back? Tell me about it in the comments below!