Skip to main content



Travelling Turkey: From hidden gems to hidden worlds

What to see

Topkapi Palace: If you’re looking for something iconic

Topkapi Palace offers visitors a fascinating look into imperial life and power. This is where Ottoman sultans and their harem resided for many centuries. Known for its impressive architecture, it’s one of the key attractions of Istanbul – showcasing masterful art, valuable artifacts and the story of the Ottoman dynasty.

Local tip:

Topkapi Palace

The Harem and Treasury rooms are must-see highlights when visiting the palace.

The Basilica Cistern: If you're looking for a hidden world

Basilica Cistern in Istanbul is a unique and fascinating site. It offers a unique glimpse of the hidden world beneath Istanbul. As the largest surviving ancient cistern in the world, its vast underground chambers create one of the city's most unforgettable experiences.
Local tip:

The Basilica Cistern

The Cistern is only a 10-minute walk from Topkapi Palace, making it easy to visit both locations on the same day.

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque: If you're looking for meaning

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is a very special place for me. Located not far from Istanbul’s historic center, towards the Grand Bazaar, it holds a spiritual atmosphere that feels different from the city’s more famous landmarks. It is also deeply personal to me. During some of the most difficult moments in my life, I have gone to Eyüp Sultan to pray and hope for better days. There is a sense of peace and comfort there that is hard to describe, which is why it remains one of the most meaningful places in Istanbul for me.

Local tip:

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque.

While most visitors know Aya Sofia and the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Eyüp Sultan is where many locals come to pray, reflect, and make wishes. For Turkish people, it is one of the city’s most spiritually meaningful places

Hidden gem: Galata Tower, Istanbul

Galata Tower and its surrounding neighborhood are often underrated compared to Istanbul’s more famous attractions, but they offer some of the city’s most unique charm. From the top of the historic tower, visitors are rewarded with sweeping views of the city’s iconic skyline.

Local tip:

Galata Tower

If you’re looking for a glimpse of “old Istanbul”, you should explore the surrounding neighborhood for a unique glimpse into the rich history of the city.

A defining local
experience: get off the beaten path

If you’re looking to go off the beaten path in Istanbul, the neighborhoods of Bebek and Arnavutköy are places many tourists overlook. Stretching along the waterfront, these neighborhoods may not be defined by grand historical monuments, but they capture the charm and lifestyle of old Istanbul in a way that locals still deeply love and enjoy today.

With their narrow streets, small cafés and boutiques, and beautiful wooden Ottoman-era houses lining the Bosphorus, both neighborhoods have a warm and authentic atmosphere, allowing you to experience the more intimate side of Istanbul.

What to eat and drink

Istanbul has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to restaurants – and a great variety of food.

Some essentials to try include:

  • Lahmacun
    A thin, crispy Turkish flatbread topped with minced meat, herbs, and spices, often called “Turkish pizza”

  • Pide
    A boat-shaped Turkish flatbread baked with various toppings like cheese, meat, or vegetables

  • Döner kebab
    Seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved into slices

  • Fresh fish
    Turkey has excellent for sea bass

  • Simit
    The iconic sesame-covered bread that is part of everyday life in Istanbul

Local tip:

Some great restaurants that I enjoy include Nicole, Feriye, Ulus29, Sunset, Spago and Elbet Steakhouse.

Staying safe during your travels in Turkey

Stay protected while you travel with Kaspersky

A trip should be about the journey ahead, not about worrying whether your phone, your accounts, or your personal data are safe along the way. But travel is exactly when your digital life can be exposed: you're booking things on the go, tapping links from unfamiliar senders, logging in to new apps, and connecting to whatever Wi-Fi you can find. Kaspersky helps you stay protected through all of it, so you can focus on where you're going.

It often starts before you even leave. As you book flights, hotels, and transport, Kaspersky Premium helps protect you from common travel scams, for example, fake booking links, misleading travel offers, and scam messages designed to catch you mid-plan. With Safe Messaging feature, it can flag suspicious links and messages before you tap, whether you're confirming a reservation, arranging a ride, paying online, or chatting on the go with a local guide.

With Kaspersky eSIM, you can get online as soon as you arrive without searching for a local SIM card or relying on unsecured public Wi-Fi. Whether you need to check directions, contact your accommodation, book a taxi or let your family know you've arrived safely, staying connected from the very beginning of your trip is simple and convenient.

Once you're on the move, the Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, cafés, and train stations becomes part of everyday travel, and that's where Kaspersky VPN comes in. By encrypting your internet traffic, it helps you use public networks more safely when you browse, check your plans, or access your accounts. It also helps you stay connected to the services you rely on at home — from banking and personal accounts to your favorite apps, websites, and streaming services — even while you're abroad.

And because travel means juggling more accounts than usual — airline apps, hotel sites, booking platforms, email, payment services — Kaspersky Password Manager keeps your credentials secure and within easy reach from your mobile device. It can create and manage strong passwords so you're not relying on weak or reused ones, and it lets you log in quickly wherever you are. You can also keep important travel documents (passport details, tickets, and booking confirmations) in a secure vault, so they're ready the moment you need them.

Together, these tools help protect your personal data across your devices and alert you to potential risks as you go, so the only thing you have to think about is the journey, not your digital safety.

Kaspersky VPN
KasperskyVPN
  • Windows®
  • macOS®
  • Android™
  • iOS®
  • The speed you need
  • Privacy across all devices
  • Stay secure from anywhere
  • Freedom online
  • A huge choice of servers
  • A bank-grade encrypted vault
  • Safer passwords in one click
  • Faster sign-in across devices
  • Your sensitive data is protected
  • A second layer of sign-in security
  • Real-time Antivirus
  • Online Payments Protection
  • Performance Optimization
  • Unlimited Superfast VPN
  • Data Leak Checker
  • Identity Protection
  • Expert Virus Check & Removal
  • Kaspersky Safe Kids
Kaspersky Password Manager
  • Windows®
  • macOS®
  • Android™
  • iOS®
  • A bank-grade encrypted vault
  • Safer passwords in one click
  • Faster sign-in across devices
  • Your sensitive data is protected
  • A second layer of sign-in security
  • Real-time Antivirus
  • Online Payments Protection
  • Performance Optimization
  • Unlimited Superfast VPN
  • Data Leak Checker
  • Identity Protection
  • Expert Virus Check & Removal
  • Kaspersky Safe Kids
Kaspersky Premium
  • Windows®
  • macOS®
  • Android™
  • iOS®
  • Real-time Antivirus
  • Online Payments Protection
  • Performance Optimization
  • Unlimited Superfast VPN
  • Data Leak Checker
  • Identity Protection
  • Expert Virus Check & Removal
  • Kaspersky Safe Kids
30-day money-back guarantee