Essential information for visitors to Istanbul, including the best sights, hotels and restaurants.

Getting there

British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.britishairways.com) and Turkish Airlines (0844 800 6666; www.turkishairlines.com) fly to Istanbul’s main Atatürk Airport, while easyJet (www.easyjet.co.uk) flies to Sabiha Gökçen airport on the Asian side (about 20 miles from the ferry port that takes you to the European side). Taxis from Atatürk into Sultanahmet cost about 30 Turkish lira (about £13); the Metro takes about 50 minutes and costs 3 lira (www.iett.gov.tr). From Sabiha Gökçen, the Havas Airport Bus (www.havas.net/en/shuttle-parking) goes to Taksim Square, while a taxi costs about 75 lira. Many hotels operate an airport pickup service.

The inside track

The Spice Market is a must, but walk around the surrounding streets to discover where the Turks do their shopping. You’ll often find better prices and quality, and get to experience a haggle without the hassle.

On Wednesdays, head to the traditional area around the Fatih Mosque, to what is reputedly the biggest open-air market in Europe. You’ll see virtually no foreign visitors – it’s a fascinating experience.

Have a flutter at Veliefendi Hippodrome (0090 212 444 0855; www.veliefendi.com) in Bakirköy. Meets are every Wednesday and Sunday (entry is 2 lira for men, 1 lira for women); the atmosphere is frantic but family orientated and hugely enjoyable.

Feyhaman Duran, Turkey’s first Impressionist painter, died in 1970, but his house has been preserved intact. Located on the edge of Istanbul University gardens in Beyazit, it’s intensely evocative of his painting style (440 0000, ext 11425).

The best hotels

The Constantine Hotel £
Decorated in typical modern Turkish style; on the edge of Gülhane park, and a pleasant 10-minute walk from all the Sultanahmet sites (513 0808; www.theconstantinehotel.com; from €40/£34).

Hotel Empress Zoe ££
Within strolling distance of Hagia Sophia; a verdant garden makes it an island of calm; the home-cooked Turkish breakfasts are well worth getting up for (518 2504; www.emzoe.com; single rooms from €80/£65).

A’jia £££
On the Asian side, a five-star boutique hotel in an Ottoman waterfront pavilion; rooms are modern, chic and luxurious; transport issues are solved by the hotel’s private river taxi (216 413 9300; www.ajiahotel.com; from €260/£215).

The best restaurants

Buhara £
Kebab restaurant busy with locals at lunchtimes; basic décor but the quality and variety of the grilled meats and home-made breads are outstanding (Nuruosmaniye Caddesi 7A; 527 5133).

Karaköy Lokantasi ££
Traditional Turkish dishes served in chic, blue-tiled surroundings, a few steps from the Golden Horn. A simple lunchtime menu converts into a stunning array of mezze in the evening (Kemankes Caddesi 37; 292 4455).

Sunset Grill £££
With its menu of modern Turkish and Japanese cuisine, Sunset Grill combines stunning food with equally stunning views (Adnan Saygun Caddesi; 287 0357)

Five free things to do in Istanbul

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Five of the best free attractions in Istanbul, Turkey, from haggling in the city's markets to exploring the Florence Nightingale Museum.

Admire the Blue Mosque

The architecturally beautiful Blue Mosque is distinctive for its array of cascading domes and six glittering minarets. Commissioned in the 17th century by Sultan Ahmet I, the Blue Mosque – so called because of the 20,000 blue tiles that adorn its domed ceilings – was designed to rival neighbouring Hagia Sophia. Pause to admire the mosque’s impressive main entrance, but note that non-worshippers must enter via the north gate. Open daily 0930 – 1730; closed to non-Muslims during prayer times.

Istanbul, Turkey: a cultural guide

The Topkapi Palace Photo: CORBIS

Inside the Blue Mosque Photo: CORBIS

Istanbul is often described as a city of two halves, spread-eagled over the eastern tip of Europe and the western edge of Asia. But it is much more than that: ancient and modern vie for attention on both European and Asian sides, with gleaming glass towers overlooking the traditional wooden buildings that still cling to the banks of the Bosporus. My favourite journey, up the Bosporus from the Golden Horn – either by boat from Sultanahmet's busy port of Eminönü or on foot along Necatibey Caddesi, the main street on the European side – is the perfect way to see the city.

At the beginning of this journey, and as the ancient grandeur of the Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque drift away, the Istanbul Museum Of Modern Art, in its striking, if somewhat unsightly, converted Fifties warehouse, comes into view. The contemporary art scene is still small in Turkey, but don't underestimate the high standards of exhibitions at the Istanbul Modern – I love to spend a morning wandering around, with the reward of delicious tea in its beautifully situated café.

Continuing up the Bosporus takes you to an altogether different era and style of Istanbul: the Dolmabahçe Palace, which was built in 1855 for Sultan Abdül Mecit, but became the official residence of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Although you can only visit by guided tour, the sheer extravagance and excess of the décor is a lot more fun than the more celebrated Topkapi, which is positively minimalist in comparison.

Once I've had my fill of the palace-lined shores of old-money Istanbul, I head uphill towards the modern face of consumerism in the main shopping avenue of Istiklal Caddesi. Make your way through the tight, winding streets of Çihangir and Galata, and once again you'll see old and new side by side. Sip espresso with the cool artistic set at Kahvedan on Akarsu Sokak or Tezgah, a café-cum-second-hand bookshop on Yeniçarsi Caddesi. Or shop in some of the best vintage shops I've come across (my favourites are Mozk Vintage Shop on Aga Hamami Sokagi and Matchbox on Matara Sokak), and browse the packed, ramshackle antique shops, like Güney Ticaret on Soganci Sokagi, that are full of dusty bric-a-brac. Yet wander a couple of streets away from this cosmopolitan enclave and you'll soon spot headscarved women hanging their washing out.

Did you know? Istanbul has the world's third-oldest metro (1875), after London and New York

Istiklal Caddesi itself is nothing special, and is lined with familiar chain stores, but venture down any of its narrow side streets and you'll find plenty of cafés serving some of the city's most authentic Turkish coffee and tea.

When a sugar hit is what I need to make it the length of Istiklal Caddesi, I head for Inci, a small, wooden-panelled pastry shop dating from the Forties, about halfway down the street. It serves the most unctuous, cream-stuffed profiteroles I've ever tasted. And, as the only beverage on offer is a vivid yellow lemon drink, I'm sure to leave the place with enough energy to make it all the way to the Golden Horn and beyond. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/turkey/8058801/Istanbul-Turkey-a-cultural-guide.html