What’s the vibe in Istanbul for solo travellers?
Despite any preconceptions you may have derived from the news, Istanbul is as welcoming and safe as any big city for visitors. It’s vast and frenetic, affordable and utterly absorbing. Ultimately, an ingrained tradition of hospitality shines through – solo travellers needn’t feel alone.
An Istanbul trip overview
Since it’s so big – easily larger than London – you need a long weekend or more to do the city total justice. Exploring the major sights of Sultanahmet could take you three days alone. Then there are the shores of the Bosphorus to enjoy on a ferry cruise and the bars and cafes of Beyoglu, the historic European area, for idling away evenings. Elsewhere, Kadιköy and Üsküdar are among the numerous atmospheric neighbourhoods on the Asian side of Istanbul that are ready to explore.
Welcome to the European heart of Istanbul, centring on the long street Istiklal Caddesi, which runs from the atmospheric old Tünel funicular up to Taksim Square. The main reasons to base yourself here are the tightly packed, narrow streets and alleyways that run back both sides from Istiklal. They’re speckled with fin-de-siècle apartments as well as classic meyhaneler (low-lit taverns, including the celebrated Yakup 2) that serve lashings of high-octane rakι spirit and huge trays of mezeler (shared starters). Also expect funky bars and bistro-style haunts that welcome solo travellers.
If the weather’s bright and sunny, nothing beats a municipal ferry ride from the jetty in tourist-loved Eminönü. The water churns as you depart and tea-sellers do the rounds, offering piping-hot glasses of çay and snacks. The route you want is the tour to the village of Anadolu Kavagι, at the northern extremity of the strait. En route you’ll pass splendid 19th-century timber merchant houses, as well as mansions and mosques amid inky-dark cypress trees. Disembarking at Anadolu Kavagι, take a table at a fish restaurant, order a bottle of Turkish wine and relax into the afternoon, until the return ferry beckons.