Istanbul on a Budget: Five Days for Under USD 400 Without Missing Anything

In most famous cities the budget version means missing things. Istanbul is different: the domes are free to enter, the best view costs the price of a ferry ticket, and the food everyone remembers is sold from a boat. The trick is knowing which few things genuinely deserve your money.

What is free

• All mosques, including the Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye, Rüstem Pasha and the New Mosque. Modest dress, shoes off, avoid prayer times.
• The Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar — walking through costs nothing and is half the experience.
• Balat and Fener: coloured houses, the best photo walk in the city.
• Galata Bridge, the Golden Horn waterfront, Gülhane and Emirgan parks.
• The Bosphorus from a commuter ferry, which is technically transport at USD 0.5.
• Sunset from Pierre Loti hill (the cable car is USD 0.5) or the Süleymaniye terrace.

What is worth paying for

Eating for USD 3–8

• Balık ekmek at Eminönü: grilled fish in bread from the boats, USD 3.
• Kuru fasulye at Süleymaniye: bean stew with rice and pickles, USD 5.
• Lahmacun and ayran anywhere: USD 3–4 and better in the back streets than on the main square.
• Esnaf lokantası (tradesmen's canteens): point at what looks good behind the glass; a full plate is USD 4–6.
• Simit and çay from a street cart: under a dollar, and the local breakfast.
• Avoid: restaurants with photo menus and a man outside inviting you in; anywhere on İstiklal's main stretch at lunch.

Sleeping and getting around cheaply

• Kadıköy and Moda on the Asian side: 30–40% cheaper than Sultanahmet, and ferries run until midnight.
• Beyoğlu side streets and Şişli: good three-star hotels from USD 45–70.
• Get an Istanbulkart at the airport: a ferry is USD 0.5, tram and metro under a dollar, and one card works for a family.
• Skip the airport taxi to the Old City — the M11 metro plus tram costs USD 2 and takes 80 minutes.

The mistakes that cost money

1. Paying in euros or dollars. Always ask for the lira price.
2. Buying the Museum Pass without counting your museums — most travellers visit three, and it only pays from four.
3. Exchanging at the airport instead of a döviz office in the Grand Bazaar or Eminönü.
4. Taking a taxi across the Bosphorus in traffic instead of a ferry that costs a tenth as much and is faster.
5. Booking a hotel on a hill 400 metres from the tram — you will take taxis all week to avoid the climb.