Evening settles over the Bosphorus and the ferries begin to thin out. On the European side, the terraces around Sultanahmet fill with people taking a last glass of tea, while across the water in Beyoğlu the streets stay busy well past midnight. In Eminönü, the boats that carried commuters home to the Asian shore run less often, so the return trip is quieter than the ride out.
Istanbul's nightlife is spread across two continents and shaped by the water between them. Much of it is informal: courtyards, terraces and meydans where people sit for hours over tea, coffee or a waterpipe rather than move from bar to bar. It suits travellers who like to walk, take ferries and let an evening drift, and it rewards those who plan the journey home as carefully as the night itself.
Where to go out in Istanbul
1. Sultanahmet and the historic peninsula
This is the old city, where the evening is built around courtyards and terraces rather than bars. Many of the historic hamams are here, some very extravagant and catering mainly to tourists, which makes an evening bath a realistic option after a day of walking.
For a slower night, the waterpipe places cluster on Yeniçeriler Caddesi near the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar). Çorlulu Ali Paşa and Koca Sinan Paşa Türbesi sit in secluded internal courts just around the corner from some tomb yards, and Rumeli Kahvesi is inside the cemetery of an old medrese. Near the sea in the south of Sultanahmet, Yeni Marmara on Çayıroğlu Sokak has a terrace with a view.
2. Beyoğlu and the walk up to Taksim
Cross the Galata bridge to the northern side and the character changes: this is the city's busiest going-out ground, and the tünel teleferik ride up much of the hill, with its entrance close to the opposite side of the bridge, saves you the climb. Continue on and you reach Taksim, where the shops are of the international variety.
In Beyoğlu, Ortakahve on Büyükparmakkapı offers a wide range of waterpipe flavours, so this is the area to choose if you want variety rather than a single courtyard. It suits an evening that starts with a view from the bridge and ends on foot.
3. Eminönü and the Galata bridge waterfront
Eminönü is where the boats leave for trips to Asia or up the Bosphorus, and it works as a hinge for an evening rather than a destination in itself. The New Mosque is at the back, with the Egyptian Bazaar next to it, and the Rüstem Pasha mosque with its tiles sits further on, on a raised platform near an old clothes market.
Another stretch with a few big, good-looking places is Rıhtım Caddesi, between Galata bridge and the Istanbul Modern Museum. Come here if you want to eat and drink close to the water before deciding where the rest of the night goes.
4. Üsküdar, on the Asian side
Take one of the large ferries from Eminönü and you arrive in front of a fine mosque, with another 400 m off to the right slightly inland behind a traffic roundabout and a third, very small, at the sea front. The market stretches inland, and along the shore you can eat a fish meal in one of the bobbing boats.
This is a good visit for late afternoon or early evening, when you are fleeing the city. You will be joined by thousands of people going home from "town", but the way back is on a near-empty ferry. Ferry frequency drops in the evening, so check that there is a connection back before you settle in.
5. Along the Theodosian Walls
The walls replaced the earlier walls of Constantine from 408 CE and still mark the western border of the Old City peninsula, with some sections suffering from unsightly restoration done in the early 1990s. The stretch around the Topkapı Gate, not to be confused with Topkapı Palace, is easily reached from Pazartekke tram station, about 300 m east of the walls.
A walk of roughly 7 km along and on the remaining portions offers a window into antiquity, and some remoter sections may not be very safe and may require caution. Between the walls there is disquieting evidence of the number of people sleeping rough in Istanbul, so treat this as a daytime or early-evening walk rather than a late night out.
6. Eyüpsultan and the Golden Horn
The Eyüpsultan mosque complex sits a mile or three up the Golden Horn, reachable by cab or bus. The mosque itself is not particular, but the court is, along with the milling of believers, including many boys-to-be-circumcised; a Friday might be a good day to do this.
If you have the stamina, the walk back passes the Kariye Church with its mosaics, the Yavuz Selim Mosque with its view over the Golden Horn, the Fatih Mosque, the restored Sehzade mosque and Süleymaniye. The route passes through some very religious and lively neighbourhoods, so dress and behave accordingly.
7. The covered bazaar and the walk down to Eminönü
You will end up at the covered bazaar anyway, but going by way of Beyazit and the book market puts you almost at two of its many entrances. Try to find the Nuruosmaniye Mosque and its complex at the other side.
After exploring the covered part, walk downhill towards Eminönü, where it is "uncovered bazaar" all the way. This suits an evening that begins with shopping and ends with a crossing of the Galata bridge.
8. The Sirkeci–Halkalı suburban line
Find a Sirkeci–Halkalı suburban train and get out near Yedikule, which puts you close to the fortress of the same name with fine views of the city walls. Trains leave every 15 minutes or so and the ride takes anywhere from twenty minutes to half an hour.
The ride is peculiar: the material is bad, but if you are in luck every second stop another salesman will enter and try selling his wares. This is not a "must", but it can be great fun, and it suits an evening when you would rather watch the city pass than sit in one place.
How a night out unfolds
Istanbul evenings tend to start on the water. The ferries from Eminönü to Üsküdar are a late-afternoon and early-evening outing, with the return trip on a near-empty boat once the commuters have gone home, and frequency drops as the night goes on. Waterpipe courtyards near the Grand Bazaar and terraces in Sultanahmet are where people settle in afterwards, while Beyoğlu and the walk up to Taksim keep going later. The sources do not give fixed closing times, so plan around the last ferry rather than around a closing hour.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Republic Day Eve, a half-day, and Republic Day, in late October.
- Ataturk Commemoration Day, in November.
- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, at the end of December and the start of January.
- Ramadan Start, in February, with dates given as tentative.
- Ramadan Feast Eve, a half-day, followed by Ramadan Feast and its holidays, in March, all tentative.
- National Sovereignty and Children's Day, in April.
- Labor and Solidarity Day, in May.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I smoke a waterpipe in the evening?
Most of the places are on Yeniçeriler Caddesi near the Kapalı Çarşı, including Çorlulu Ali Paşa, Koca Sinan Paşa Türbesi and Rumeli Kahvesi. In Beyoğlu, Ortakahve on Büyükparmakkapı offers a wide range of flavours, and there are a few big, good-looking places along Rıhtım Caddesi between Galata bridge and the Istanbul Modern Museum.
How do I get back from the Asian side at night?
Take the large ferries from Eminönü to Üsküdar, but note that ferry frequency goes down in the evening, so make sure there is a connection back before you commit to a late return.
Is an evening hamam worth planning around?
Sultanahmet has many historical hamams, some very extravagant and catering mainly to tourists, so it is a realistic way to spend an evening on the historic peninsula.
When are the main public holidays that could affect an evening out?
Republic Day Eve and Republic Day in late October, Ataturk Commemoration Day in November, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Ramadan Start in February and the Ramadan Feast period in March, both tentative, National Sovereignty and Children's Day in April and Labor and Solidarity Day in May.
Check the ferry timetable and the date against the holiday calendar, then plan your evening around the water rather than against it.