BUDGET TRAVEL | ISTANBUL | TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL
4 Almost Free Ways To Experience Istanbul Like a Local
If you are traveling on a budget, or if you want to experience local life in Istanbul, these tips are for you!
We have been back in Istanbul for over two weeks now and have really been enjoying ourselves. We stayed here for 2.5 months back at the end of 2020, and we visited every nook and cranny of the city that we could muster, walking hundreds of kilometers during that time.
But, we barely scratched the surface, and have discovered many new spots that we love during this return journey.
It seems as though around every corner there is something new and interesting to see. This is why I feel like you don’t need to spend much money in Istanbul if you want to be entertained. The city has entertainment down to a science, and it doesn’t even have to try.
It is just naturally charming.
Istanbul’s transit system
First of all, Istanbul’s transit system has got to be among the top in the world! I mean, I haven’t been to too many major cities, but it would be really tough to beat what is going on here.
The system is clean, runs on a schedule, is used by people of all classes, goes into every neighborhood, and is super cheap. I mean super, duper cheap!
The whole system is run on a card system. They don’t have cash at all. Not on the buses, the ferry, the trains, nowhere. You MUST buy an Istanbulcart or a one-way ticket from a machine. It’s the only way to get on transit.
We were so excited when we arrived back to the city to realize that our cards still worked from the last time we were here! Not only did they work but they still had credits on them! Double bonus:)
There are yellow kiosks at metro stations all over the city where you can fill your card. You can also purchase the card itself directly from the same machine. Plus, from there, you can also buy single one-way tickets. But if you do it this way, you will be paying double the amount of the ride than if you load up your card and use it.
So if you plan to take the transit a lot, it really makes sense to just get the card.
Bearing all of this in mind, here are my top 4 *mostly* free things to do in Istanbul that will have you feeling like one of the locals. Let’s start with the FREE things to do first:
Walk the neighborhoods
I can’t emphasize enough how adorable many of the streets are in the city. Every time we set out for a walk, we just point ourselves in a direction and go. In no time at all, we find ourselves on charming streets with friendly locals bustling about and going about their daily business.
Each neighborhood has little shops, so you will never be far away from a bottle of water or a snack if you get hungry. You can just walk and explore for miles and it is all so quaint and interesting.
Watch the kids playing in the streets, kicking balls back and forth, and witness the women hanging their laundry on lines outside their doors. Listen to the Turkish chatter coming from a group of men on a corner, or watch them play their games.
You can also pet the many cats that are wandering about.
Purchase some fruit from a vendor pushing his cart, stumble upon an adorable streetside market, or sit down at a neighborhood pub and smoke a hookah if you wish. This is the real Istanbul! No fluff and no tourists.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the clean streets and safe vibe as you explore around. Plus, Istanbul is very diverse and people from all over the world live here. You won’t feel like you are being watched as many foreigners do in other parts of the world.
Watch the sun go down at the waterfront
Istanbulians don't go running into their houses in the evening. In fact, it is the complete opposite. The nighttime is where the action is. This is a time to connect with your friends, relax outside after a day at work, and watch the city lights come to life.
As most of the waterfront is open to the public, people head down there to eat fish wraps, drink a beer or some chai (tea), and just take in the enjoyment of another day coming to a close. There are many locations where you can do this. Most areas have some sort of spot you can sit, but if you are unsure, bring a ground cover as there is likely grass that you can spread out on.
We love to hang out on the large boardwalk in Karaköy at the Azapkapi Sahil Parki where we can watch the boats come and go and all the lights of the city turn on as the daylight ends. Seagulls fly about looking for the leftover fish scraps, and cats and dogs wander up and down the boardwalk getting fed small bits and bites from the locals. You will likely also witness a group hovered around somebody with drums or another musical instrument, sending their lovely music out into the ether for all to enjoy.
It is a very peaceful vibe.
Tip: Walk across the metro bridge over the Golden Horn (the one between the 2 car bridges) and climb high up the stairs to get a stunning view of the city and the boats from above.
Okay, so now let’s move on to the not-FREE options. These both have to do with riding the transit, which is why it’s not free. But the transit in Istanbul is incredibly affordable in any case. When you get on a bus or a train (with the exception of the Marmaray train, see tip about this below!), you pay the same amount if you go one stop, or 30.
It doesn’t matter how long you stay on it, and there are no zones.
Ride the transit
The Istanbul transit consists of buses, trains, underground, trams, gondolas, cable cars, and boats. At the time of writing this, one swipe of your card is worth the equivalent of just less than 50 cents USD. An incredibly affordable price!
You can cruise up the Bosphorous via a public ferry that will take you from Karaköy or Eminönü and drop you off at many points to the north. Or you can boat across to the Asian side for an afternoon of exploring around.
Did you know that Istanbul bridges the European and Asian continents?
You can also do like we did the other day and take a bus up the coastline of the Bosphorus Strait, seeing the strait from the perspective of the land. We rode the bus almost all the way up, and if we had more time we learned that we could have bused all the way to the Black Sea on public transit! It was over an hour's ride and we lazily sat and looked out the window, taking in the lovely summer vibe of the boats and people enjoying their fun in the sun.
When we felt like we had gone far enough, we got off and started walking back, witnessing the locals go about their summer business. Then when we got tired, we simply got back on the bus to return to Taksim, where we started our journey. I wrote more about that day here.
TIP: To enjoy this same journey, catch bus 42T from the northeast corner of Taksim Square, past the Starbucks. The bus goes farther than Boyaciköy, but we aren’t sure exactly how far.
You could even take the bus up, then ride a ferry back to the center of the city for the best of both worlds!
A round trip and an afternoon of enjoyment costs just $1.00!
Head to the beach in Bakirköy
There may well be other beaches around Istanbul, but this is the only area where we found them and you will likely have to take transit to get there unless your hotel is nearby.
From Taksim, you can take the 72T bus which will take you all the way there and drop you a block from the beach. Or you can take the Marmaray train and get off at either Yesilyurt or Yesilköy, then walk a few blocks down towards the water.
This is a great place to hang out as there are a few different beaches that you can sit at, but there is also plenty of grass and shaded areas. A boardwalk connects most of the coast, and you can watch revelers biking, scootering, rollerblading, and enjoying this great public access area.
Plus there are plenty of kids playgrounds, cafes and restaurants!
TIPS:
- If you go on the Marmaray Train, you need to have at least 16 Lira on your card. This is enough to take you along the whole line. But when you get off, there are kiosks where you will see people swiping their cards, which will refund you the portion that you didn’t travel on. So you only pay for what you use. This is the only transit option in Istanbul that does this!
- Avoid this area on the weekend (including Friday) if you can! It is about four times busier than during the weekdays.
The water in the Sea of Marmara is only slightly salty and the perfect temperature to cool you off on those hot summer days!
Plus, if you are in the mood for shopping, you can walk all the way to the end of the boardwalks, past Yesilköy beach in the screenshot above, and you will eventually come to a large mall that is full of all the name brands you could ever imagine! This is far from the tourist hot spots in the main part of the city, but I won’t say that it isn’t busy. The locals love the malls!
We made it there accidentally one day, and hit up the food court which is super busy but has lots of different mainstream options such as Coldstream Creamery, and more! Of course, this will make your day not free, but that’s up to you to decide. The Marmary train leaves from right outside the mall so you can zip your way back down to the Grand Bazaar when you are finished if you wish.
Istanbul is huge but amazing!
Many of you who have been reading my articles about Istanbul are probably tired of my blathering on about how great this city is. But I truly can’t say it enough! Not only is it safe, friendly and beautiful, but it is affordable for everybody!
If you haven’t been, you really need to check it out!
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
xo Jill
Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We paint FREE murals in exchange for accommodation. Consider tipping us on Ko-fi!
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