The Ortaköy Mosque on the Bosphorus at sunset, Istanbul
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Luxury in Türkiye

Istanbul

The city on two continents: palace hotels on the Bosphorus, Hagia Sophia and Topkapı, the Grand Bazaar, and the strait itself, best seen from a private yacht.

The Ortaköy Mosque at sunset, IstanbulPhotograph: Pexels

Hoş geldiniz

Capital of three empires

Istanbul has been the capital of three empires. As Byzantium it became Constantinople, capital of the Roman and then the Byzantine Empire for more than a thousand years, and from 1453 it was the seat of the Ottoman sultans until the end of their empire in 1922.

Hagia Sophia, completed in 537, was for nearly a thousand years the largest church in the world. Facing it stand the Blue Mosque and the Topkapı Palace, where the sultans lived for four centuries, and near them the vaulted streets of the Grand Bazaar.

The Bosphorus divides the city between Europe and Asia, its shores lined with wooden yalı mansions and the palaces of the late Ottoman age, two of which are now hotels. Across the Golden Horn, Pera grew up in the nineteenth century, and the Pera Palace was built in 1892 for the passengers of the Orient Express.

A few words of Turkish
EnglishTurkishSay it
HelloMerhabaMEHR-ha-bah
PleaseLütfenLUET-fen
Thank youTeşekkür ederimteh-shek-KUER eh-deh-reem
Good eveningİyi akşamlaree-YEE ahk-shahm-LAHR
The bill, pleaseHesap, lütfenheh-SAHP, LUET-fen

Where to go

Istanbul at a glance

When to go, the one best hotel and table, and how to arrive privately.

Istanbul

Best time to visitApril to June and September to October are ideal: mild, bright days for the city and the Bosphorus, without the summer heat. The sea is swimmable only from June to September.

  • Stay
    Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at SultanahmetForbes Five-Star and three MICHELIN Keys

    Set between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, Türkiye's only three-Key hotel.

  • Dine
    TURK Fatih Tutak

    Fatih Tutak's modern Turkish tasting menus hold two MICHELIN stars, the highest rating in Istanbul.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Istanbul Atatürk Airport (ISL / LTBA), about 30 minutes by car to the city centre; it no longer has airline traffic and handles most of Istanbul's private flights. Istanbul Airport (IST / LTFM) is the second option, about 45 to 75 minutes by car, with a Jetex private terminal.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Ataköy Marina on the European shore, with berths for yachts up to about 75 metres; about 30 minutes by car to the historic centre.
Good to know
Atatürk Airport, Istanbul's former main airport, is now the city's business aviation airport; airlines use Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Istanbul

The finest hotels in and around Istanbul: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Istanbul

The finest tables of Istanbul and around, the private chefs and caterers and the cooking schools.

Two MICHELIN stars

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

  • Çırağan Palace KempinskiLuxury Catering Service, Istanbul

    The Bosphorus palace hotel runs a dedicated luxury catering service that brings its kitchens, including the Ottoman cuisine of its Tuğra restaurant, to private residences and off-site events in Istanbul. Visit website ↗

Cooking schools

  • Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul

    The Le Cordon Bleu institute in Türkiye, opened through a partnership with Özyeğin University in 2012, teaching the Grand Diplôme in French technique alongside classical and regional Turkish cuisine. Visit website ↗

Sail

Yachting in Istanbul

Yachting at our standard in and around Istanbul.

Shipyards

Cruises

Istanbul by sea

How the ships arrive in Istanbul, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth at Galataport in Karaköy, on the Bosphorus below Beyoğlu, after sailing in past the palaces and mosques of the old city.

Norwegian's Haven, Cunard's Grills and Princess sail from Istanbul. Ten of the luxury lines below begin and end voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Istanbul

The great hotel trains at our standard. Private jet arrivals are covered in the questions below.

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Istanbul

    The train's long-distance journey via Budapest and Bucharest to Istanbul, once a year: eastbound at the end of May and westbound in June. Visit website ↗

  • La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome to Istanbul

    A four-night journey from Rome via Venice, Budapest and the Carpathian Mountains to Istanbul, first running in October 2026, with a return journey from Istanbul to Rome by way of Bulgaria and Vienna, also in October. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Balkan Explorer, Venice to Istanbul

    A 12-day journey eastbound from Venice through Trieste and Slovenia to Pula and Rijeka in Croatia, Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Belgrade, Sofia and Istanbul, with seven nights on the train. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Paris to Istanbul

    An eight-day journey between Paris and Istanbul through Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria, with departures in spring and autumn. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Istanbul

The shopping streets, jewellers, ateliers, galleries and car showrooms of Istanbul.

The great shopping streets

  • İstinyeParkIstanbul

    Istanbul's leading luxury shopping centre, whose anchor tenants include Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier. Visit website ↗

  • Abdi İpekçi AvenueNişantaşı, Istanbul

    The avenue at the heart of Nişantaşı, Istanbul's designer-shopping district, where Louis Vuitton (No. 23), Chanel (No. 45) and Hermès (No. 79) keep their street boutiques. Visit website ↗

Jewellers and watchmakers

Artisan ateliers

Art galleries

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars İstanbulKuruçeşme

    The marque's Istanbul showroom, on Kuruçeşme Caddesi beside the Bosphorus in Beşiktaş, with its service centre in Beykoz. Rolls-Royce named it Global Sales Dealer of the Year for 2023. Visit website ↗

  • Bentley IstanbulMaslak

    Bentley's long-standing Turkish partner Doğuş Otomotiv runs the showroom in the Doğuş Center in Maslak. In 2024 Bentley Mulliner created the city-inspired Istanbul Silhouette Collection. Visit website ↗

  • Ferrari Fer MasIstanbul

    Fer Mas Oto Ticaret is Ferrari's official dealer in Türkiye, with sales and service in Istanbul. Visit website ↗

  • Lamborghini IstanbulIstanbul

    The official Lamborghini dealership for Türkiye, with a showroom and service facilities, listed on the marque's own dealer locator. Visit website ↗

  • Aston Martin TürkiyeYeniköy

    The authorised Aston Martin dealer, with its showroom on Köybaşı Caddesi in Yeniköy on the European shore of the Bosphorus and its service centre in Maslak. Visit website ↗

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in Istanbul

The Istanbul year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Health spas

Weddings and celebrations

Live

Luxury real estate in Istanbul

A home in Istanbul: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Türkiye Sotheby's International RealtyIstanbul

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Türkiye, opened in 2023 and owned by the Alfardan Group, with its headquarters at the Six Senses Kocataş Mansions on the Bosphorus and a sales lounge at İstinyePark, serving Istanbul, Bodrum and Antalya.

All the leading agencies in Türkiye ›

Looking for a home in Istanbul? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Architects and designers

  • EAA – Emre Arolat ArchitectureIstanbul, Türkiye

    One of Türkiye's leading practices, with residential work on the Bodrum peninsula that includes the Yalıkavak Elements villas and Nef Reserve Gölköy. Visit website ↗

Private healthcare

  • Koç University HospitalIstanbul

    A private university hospital with 13 centres, including organ transplantation and robotic surgery; ranked first in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • Anadolu Medical CenterGebze (near Istanbul)

    A private hospital in strategic cooperation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, JCI accredited, known for oncology and bone marrow transplants, treating patients from more than 65 countries; ranked third in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • Acıbadem International HospitalIstanbul

    The international flagship of the Acıbadem group, one of Türkiye's largest private hospital networks; ranked fifth in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • American HospitalIstanbul

    A long-established private hospital in the Koç group in the Nişantaşı district. Visit website ↗

International schools

  • Istanbul International Community SchoolIstanbul

    Tracing its history to 1911, it is the only international school in Istanbul authorised for all three core IB programmes and is accredited by NEASC and CIS, with campuses at Rumelihisarı and Hadımköy. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Istanbul and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Istanbul

Where is Istanbul?

On both sides of the Bosphorus strait in north-west Türkiye, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Atatürk Airport, about 30 minutes from the centre, is the city’s private jet airport; the airlines use Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen.

What is Istanbul famous for?

Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace and the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, its palace hotels on the Bosphorus, and its history as the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

When is the best time to visit Istanbul?

April to June and September to October are ideal: mild, bright days for the city and the Bosphorus, without the summer heat. The sea is swimmable only from June to September.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Istanbul?

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet (Forbes Five-Star and three MICHELIN Keys).

How do you arrive in Istanbul by private jet?

Istanbul Atatürk Airport (ISL / LTBA), about 30 minutes by car to the city centre; it no longer has airline traffic and handles most of Istanbul's private flights.

Which are the best restaurants in Istanbul?

The finest table on our list: TURK Fatih Tutak.

Do you tip in Istanbul?

Around 10–15% is customary in restaurants if service isn't included. Rounding up is usual for taxis; at the hammam, tips beyond the listed fees are expected only in the most touristed places. Luxury hotels: porters the equivalent of €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, in Turkish lira.

What should you wear in Istanbul?

In mosques, everyone removes their shoes. Women cover their hair, both sexes cover their shoulders and upper arms, and shorts and short skirts are out. Scarves are usually available at major mosques. Avoid visiting during the noon prayers, especially on a Friday. No hard-soled shoes on gulets or yachts. Istanbul's fine-dining scene is stylish and smart.

Beyond Istanbul

More in Türkiye

Bodrum and the Mediterranean beyond.

TürkiyeLuxury Türkiye Holidays: Istanbul & BodrumExplore TürkiyeThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Istanbul, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Istanbul

How Türkiye does things.

Language
Turkish is the official language. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels, restaurants and resorts in Istanbul, Bodrum and along the Turquoise Coast.
Greetings
A handshake is standard. Friends often exchange two cheek kisses. Respect for elders is important. First names are commonly followed by Bey (for men) or Hanım (for women), for example "Ahmet Bey".
Dress
In mosques, everyone removes their shoes. Women cover their hair, both sexes cover their shoulders and upper arms, and shorts and short skirts are out. Scarves are usually available at major mosques. Avoid visiting during the noon prayers, especially on a Friday. No hard-soled shoes on gulets or yachts. Istanbul's fine-dining scene is stylish and smart.
Dining
Lunch is around 12–2 pm, and dinner from about 7.30–9 pm, later in summer resorts. Book the best Bosphorus and Bodrum tables well ahead. Tea is offered constantly and is a gesture of hospitality.
Tipping
Around 10–15% is customary in restaurants if service isn't included. Rounding up is usual for taxis; at the hammam, tips beyond the listed fees are expected only in the most touristed places. Luxury hotels: porters the equivalent of €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, in Turkish lira.
Good to know
Insulting the Turkish nation, the flag, the President or Atatürk is a criminal offence carrying six months to three years in prison, and it covers online comments too. Do not photograph military or official installations, ask before photographing people, and carry photo ID. During Ramadan, whose dates move about 11 days earlier each year, avoid eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in daytime, especially in conservative areas.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.