How much does a trip to Istanbul cost?
The bill for our Istanbul itinerary: 5 days, balanced pace, two adults. Line by line, with entry prices.
€80-130 per person / day
per person, per day
Over 5 days, for two people: €800–1.300
What it is made of
Per person, per day: accommodation €35-55 (shared double in Sultanahmet), meals €20-35 (lunch in a lokanta or at the market, dinner in a meyhane), transport €2-4 (3-4 rides on the İstanbulkart at 42 TL each), entrance fees €10-30 on average. A warning: the three big tickets really weigh, and they are priced in hard currency — Hagia Sophia €25, Topkapı 2,750 TL (~€51), Basilica Cistern 1,950 TL (~€36) — while mosques, bazaars, neighbourhoods and ferry crossings cost little or nothing. Total €80-130: honest for Istanbul if you alternate the expensive days with the neighbourhood ones, which is how this itinerary is built.
Where to stay, and what it costs
- 3-4 star hotel in Sultanahmet or Sirkeci — double €70-110 a night: monuments on foot, the T1 tram downstairs and the Eminönü piers fifteen minutes downhill
- Boutique hotel or guesthouse in Karaköy or Galata — €85-130 a night: far livelier evenings, excellent restaurants below the door and one more climb every time you come back
Tickets and entries
The main entry fees are in the figure above. If you would rather skip the queue, these are the two channels we also use inside the itineraries.
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Our ten cities, from cheapest to priciest
| City | Per person, per day |
|---|---|
| Istanbul (you are here) | €80-130 per person / day |
| Prague | €85-125 per person / day |
| Tokyo | €85-130 (¥16,000-24,000) per person / day |
| Rome | €100-150 per person / day |
| Barcelona | €125-175 per person / day |
| Paris | €130-190 per person / day |
| Lisbon | €130-180 per person / day |
| Amsterdam | €140-200 per person / day |
| London | €150-220 per person / day |
| New York | €180-260 per person / day |
This is the bill for OUR itinerary, not “how much Istanbul costs”. Stay in a hostel or eat once a day and you will spend far less; want a hotel in the centre and it is far more. Entry prices are the ones stated in the itinerary: check them before you go, they change.