Trip to Istanbul
Istanbul for a weekend or a week: documents, Istanbulkart, mosques, bazaars and Bosphorus ferries. Tell us if kids are coming and the list adapts.

[ ] Check your passport validity
    Turkey requires at least 150 days of passport validity from the date of entry. Check now — renewal takes weeks.
[ ] Check visa rules
    Many nationalities enter visa-free or with a cheap e-visa from evisa.gov.tr. Double-check for your passport before booking.
[ ] Buy travel medical insurance
    Tourist healthcare is paid. A basic policy is cheap; a doctor's visit without one starts at a hundred dollars.
[ ] Save tickets and bookings offline
    Border control may ask for a return ticket and hotel address. Screenshots plus paper copies just in case.
[ ] Take some cash
    Cards work almost everywhere, but bazaars, street food and small cafés prefer lira cash. City exchange offices beat airport rates by a lot.
[ ] Make copies of your documents
    Photos of passport, insurance and bookings to cloud storage; paper copies separate from originals.
[ ] Pick the right neighborhood
    Sultanahmet puts the sights on foot but is dead at night. Karaköy and Beyoğlu mean cafés and late-night life. Kadıköy on the Asian side is local vibes and lower prices.
[ ] Pack a first aid kit
    Fever reducer, painkiller, plasters (blisters are near-guaranteed), a sorbent, your regular meds. Many medicines in Turkey are prescription-only.
[ ] Broken-in walking shoes
    Istanbul is hills, cobblestones and 20k steps a day. New shoes are the worst idea you could pack.
[ ] Modest clothes for mosques
    Shoulders and knees covered, women need a headscarf, shoes come off (check your socks!). Big mosques lend wraps, but your own are more comfortable.
[ ] Umbrella or rain jacket (Oct–Apr)
    Winter Istanbul means rain and a biting Bosphorus wind. Layers plus waterproof shoes save the day.
[ ] A layer for the evening
    Evenings by the water get chilly even in summer, especially on ferries.
[ ] Chargers and a power bank
    Type F European sockets — US/UK plugs need an adapter. A power bank is a must: navigation drains your phone by lunch.
[ ] Set up an eSIM or local SIM
    Airport SIMs are overpriced; an eSIM is usually cheaper. Keep access to SMS codes from your bank back home.
[ ] Download offline maps and a translator
    Offline maps plus Turkish in your translator: English is limited outside tourist areas.
[ ] Get an Istanbulkart on day one
    One card covers metro, trams, buses and ferries — and can pay for your whole group. Sold at yellow machines at stops, top up with cash.
[ ] Book museum tickets in advance
    Topkapı, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia gallery — queues run for hours. Buy online or get the Museum Pass: it pays off from three museums and skips ticket lines.
[ ] Ride a public ferry across the Bosphorus
    The regular Eminönü–Kadıköy ferry costs pennies and delivers the same views as tourist cruises at many times the price. Tea on board is part of the ritual.
[ ] Be ready to haggle at the bazaars
    At the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar the first price is 2–3x inflated. Haggling is culture; accepting tea obliges you to nothing.
[ ] Install BiTaksi and insist on the meter
    Istanbul taxis are famous for 'broken' meters and scenic detours. BiTaksi or Uber logs the ride; carry small cash for exact payment.
[ ] Plan your airport transfer
    From the new airport take Havaist buses or the M11 metro; from Sabiha — Havabus. Taxis at the exit are the priciest option.
[ ] Check if your trip overlaps Ramadan
    During Ramadan some cafés close or go quiet by day, and the city comes alive after sunset. Tourists are barely restricted, but it's worth knowing.
[ ] Kids' documents
    Each child needs their own passport. Bring the birth certificate if surnames differ, and check one-parent travel rules.
[ ] Kids' first aid kit
    Child-dose fever reducer, thermometer, plasters. Pharmacies are everywhere, but much is prescription-only.
[ ] Baby carrier over stroller
    Hills, cobblestones, stairs and packed trams make strollers a struggle. With a toddler, Istanbul works best in a carrier.
[ ] Snacks and entertainment for the road
    Offline cartoons, water and familiar snacks. In the city kids love the ferries, the aquarium and feeding simit to seagulls.
[ ] Check in online for your flight
    Opens 24–36 hours before departure. Free seats together go fastest right at opening.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/istanbul