ISTANBUL HAS CHANGED: Important Things to Know Before Traveling in 2024
ISTANBUL HAS CHANGED: Important Things to Know Before Traveling in 2024
As the 2024 starts, we are planning our new destionations. Here we share with you the most important things to knoe before traveling to Istanbul in 2024, where we speak about the new fees for taxis, public transportation, visas and the new entrance fee for Hagia Sophia and some of the major attractions in Istanbul.
📕 Check out our amazing itineraries and guides!
We have carefully created many itineraries not just in Istanbul but in many cities around Turkiye, organized useful information for you, including a list with plenty of hotels for all budgets in each city we mention, a list with more than 100 restaurants including one with vegan options, desserts, and much more! All the guides are LIVE, that means that they're updated daily and surely we’ll keep adding more and more! The new changes will automatically sync even after you get it WITHOUT an extra cost!
All you have to do is sign up for free and get the guide or itinerary you're interested in! 🎉
www.thatch.co/@beryistanbul
🗺️ Guided tours in Istanbul
Looking for a hassle-free way to book your city tours? Whether you're interested in historical landmarks, cultural experiences, or culinary delights, we've got you covered. Experienced guides will show you the best of what the city has to offer, all while providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
www.remindertour.com/tours/
Licence number: 14213
📱 SOCIAL MEDIA:
INSTAGRAM: @beryistanbultips
FB PAGE: Bery Istanbul Tips
💓 Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @beryistanbultips
🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound (Click the link below to get a free trial) :
www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Minimum Wage
00:49 - Taxi Fees
03:12 - Public Transportation
04:01 - Luxury Cars
04:45 - Visa Exemptions
05:12 - New Museum fees
05:43 - Topkapı Palace new ticket rules
07:02 - Hagia Sophia new rules & entrance fee
10:03 - Outro
Istanbulkart how to buy and where video ⬇️ kzhead.info/sun/a9KuisZxaJWbh4U/bejne.htmlsi=RUie5XNQKIQLAh-e 🛜 Do you want to have internet wherever you travel, including Turkey? Then take a look at the option of Aíralo's eSim cards! They are a great choice for those who will be traveling through different countries or regions and don't want to waste time finding local companies in the countries they visit. You buy your eSim online, and as soon as your flight lands at your new destination, you can have internet! To get a 10% discount on your next eSims, click on the following link and enter the discount code ‘BIT’ before completing your transaction. airalo.pxf.io/c/4673026/1268485/15608 📕 Check out our amazing itineraries and guides! We have carefully created many itineraries not just in Istanbul but in many cities around Turkiye, organized useful information for you, including a list with plenty of hotels for all budgets in each city we mention, a list with more than 100 restaurants including one with vegan options, desserts, and much more! All the guides are LIVE, that means that they're updated daily and surely we’ll keep adding more and more! The new changes will automatically sync even after you get it WITHOUT an extra cost! All you have to do is sign up for free and get the guide or itinerary you're interested in! 🎉 www.thatch.co/@beryistanbul 🗺️ Guided tours in Istanbul Looking for a hassle-free way to book your city tours? Whether you're interested in historical landmarks, cultural experiences, or culinary delights, we've got you covered. Experienced guides will show you the best of what the city has to offer, all while providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience. www.remindertour.com/tours/ Licence number: 14213
I read somewhere you can pay with credit card instead of istanbul kart.
Nop, the method is barely being tested but in very few buses, it cannot be found in every metro, bus, ferry, etc, so I do not suggest going without an Istanbulkart, as someone who uses the transport almost every day, I can tell you that I have seen it a very few times and just in few buses. The Istanbulkart is the way to go still.
@@BeryIstanbulTips so if i want go to mosque pray hagia sofia so need pay 50 dollar then
I am turkısh, I love you ♥♥♥
Prices are absolutely insane. I am from London, and some of these prices would be considered too expensive even here...
Agreed. I would never pay 50 euros for Topkapi or for anything else...
I was there and dident enter these tourist places too many people and not worth hanging around...
Was in Istanbul in November price's have triple from 2 yrs ago
@@barbarasestak9085 topkapi Palace isn't €50. I went last November and for 2 of us cost less than £50 which I paid on my UK debit card. Topkapi Palace is well worth the price. We were there for around 4 hours. It's such a big place
@@binkyslapass1you missed out. All tourist places are full of people
Wow! Ticket prices went up really high!!! I know the Turkish economy is hurting but these prices will discourage many budget travelers.
exactly like prices of everything, including food, which doubled during the last year (and same the year before) in Turkey.
Sure!
Suggests enough rich Arabs enters with a big family! wow
Great video! I'm in shock by these prices, absolutely ridiculous prices! When it was a museum, the entry fee to Hagia Sophia was around 10 euros and you could visit the ground floor and upstairs... Paying 25 euros to just visit the upstairs area is quite insane...
Agreed, because of that price we will likely skip it, there are plenty of other sites that are also very beautiful
@@user-zp1xn9or9pTotally. will skip it too on our trip in April and visit the Blue Mosque which I believe is free.
Yes, the average price for a museum ticket is EUR 12-18. A skip the line ticket would be € 21.
These prices are an insult , there is no way tourists will keep coming to Turkey if they keep ripping people off.
Those new prices for museums are absolutely INSANE. I will miss the days where I could visit Hagia Sofia for free.
Thanks for the info , will keep in mind, awesome ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for your explanation
Thank you for the information very well explained !
Gracias Bery por tus videos tan honestos y acertados!
Thank you so much for the information. this is very very helpful
Thanks for the informative video; came just in time as i was planning my visit in March. With the steep price, perhaps might just opt out
Thank you. This was most informative. Her info is right to the point and helpful. I'm here today from America
Useful information.Thanks.
I love your videos Bery, very informative. Thank You!!!
Thank you for your information ❤
Thanks for this update. Entrance fees are very expensive.
Absurd prices, thanks for keeping us informed
Thank you for the updates, they will be very useful for my next trip to Istanbul in May. Fortunately I have visited all the major sights several times before, so I can save a lot of money! Also fortunately there are a lot of other things to see and do and literally thousands of mosques that are free to enter.
Very good info I couldn't find anywhere else!
Im from Brazil and im going to Turkey next week, and i would have reconsidered traveling there if i saw those prices beforehand, that's more expensive than Austria/Swiss, from Palace perspective, i think Versailes is around 25£ and Scholls schonbrunn is around 30£.
Would love to hear your experiences from your trip! We’re on the verge of finalizing our vacation to Turkey. We’re on the fence right now.
Everything else is so much cheaper than Western Europe.
concordo eu moro aqui e ta cada dia mais dificil viver....sinceramente os turistas deveriam crrer daqui ta ridiculo
This is very useful information to prep my upcoming IST trip in Feb. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Wow!! These new prices!! Thank you for the update!!
You are so welcome!
Thanks very much for this helpful video, I will be arriving next week. I cannot wait.
Welcome and enjoy your trip!
Would love to hear your experiences from your trip! We’re on the verge of finalizing our vacation to Turkey. We’re on the fence right now.
Thanks, insightful ✋🏻
Thanks for good info Bery....very very helpful
Glad it was helpful!❤️
I have a 20 hr layover inbetween my flights in Istanbul next month. Luckily I will get to take the Tourististanbul tour which will cover a lot of tourist places free of cost 🤩
Thanks Bery for sharing. I'll be there at the end of Feb. InshaAllah
Welcome to Istanbul! 🇹🇷
@@BeryIstanbulTips Tq😄. Bery, may I ask your opinion. Where's better area to spend sunset scenery? Whether uskudar coast walkway or sultanahmet from rooftop.
Thank you for the video! Subbed!
Thank you so much. I'll be heading there in March
Welcome to 🇹🇷!
Every nation is looking for hard currency. I love your handbag. Good information. Seems like the museum pass is the way to go.
Hello! I live in Istanbul and find your videos very informative and well made! I am glad I got to see all those places over 10 years ago when they were dirt cheap. :)
Thanks for watching!
Very helpful video. Prices are really really excessive though now.
The info you often provide about Istanbul and Turkey are really helpful and handy. I always watch your videos prior to travelling to Istanbul whenever I visit
Truly appreciate your info on this KZhead channel👍
Very helpful, I wish I knew about the visa free travel two weeks ago. Now watching your video about the Istanbulkart
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Bery, Thank you again - very informative- I will be visiting Turkiye in May but travelling all over & as one of your followers said prices compared to Australia & other western countries are not too bad. I am so looking forward to this visit. 😊🤗🇦🇺
I’m sure you’ll enjoy your trip! 🇹🇷❤️✈️
Thanks Bery for another informative video. The prices are shocking, especially the minimum wage !!. However, it depends on how much we value sonething as to how much we are prepared to spend on it.
Thanks for the info. I am back in Istanbul in March. Sadly I did not get to see the Topkapi palace last time. Not sure we will see it this time either with those new prices. Pleased to see Uber is now in Istanbul now though.
Been missing you and this program... Do you offer Spanish language (learning opportunities) in any of your Istanbul presentations? I see Istanbul & Turkiye as a place to go & I would like to visit (?)... Your presentations have been and are a great resource - Appears to be a great resource! It's winter in the US Pacific Northwest. I've been feeling lonely lately. Thanks for sharing, gracias - (found 'em & subscribed: Bery Istanbul Tips en Español - thanks again) -
Thank you very much Bery for your info which is always so well detailed and clear. Prices are indeed very high and visiting a museum, an historical site, a mosque and even a church in Turkey is a must! Let's hope they will come down..
There are a lot of these places that you can visit for much less money of even for free and that are just as rewarding. Bery covers a lot of them on this channel.
watching your video about a year now and i'm actually booked the ticket go Istanbul on May 😁😁just want to thank you so much !!!
Yayyyy! That’s great news! Enjoy your time here ✈️🇹🇷❤️
Thank you for keeping us updated
I agree with this! Even many Turks say the same, that prices are exaggerated especially when being compared with many palaces and museums in Vienna, London, Paris 🥹
That's very informative video ❤❤❤ well done 👍👍👍👍 great day everyday 💯💯💯👍💯💯👍❤❤❤❤
Thank you so much 👍
very useful info, thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Great info❤
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Berry. Thanks to your KZhead videos , we have learned a lot about Turkey, especially Istanbul. God willing, my wife and I are planning to visit Turkey in May. We are pleased that visas are not required for those coming from USA; On the other hand, we are disappointed by the increase in the price of the museum entrance ticket and the cost of transportation. It would be great if you could share other more informative videos. Thank you.
From USA also traveling in May and I'm glad about the Visa 😊
@@scrungus9620 Hope see you there.
Day light robbery, these prices r too high. If I had known these prices before I booked my trip, I would have gone to some other country.
hope you enjoyed the trip regardless, when you said you would've booked trip to another country, which country did you have in mind?
grateful to be able to visit turkey in jan-feb 2022 when most countries just open back from covid travel ban...the prices were lower and the air was fresher. I can't afford to travel there nowadays. The hot air baloon price in Cappadocia was only 50euro...the airbnb i stayed in Balat for a month was 700euro but today i checked is 1600euro...crazy lucky...
😮 I'm so glad I took that trip in November. I was hoping to come back in June but 😢.
I absolutely enjoyed almost 3 wks in Istanbul and look forward to returning. I used Uber and train almost all the time there, no taxi.
Hi Mrs Bery thanking for your nice videos very interesting. Do you organise tours and accommodation plz. Thx.
Been there 2 years ago and will visit again this weekend.glad i'been visit many places.so just enjoy the food and atmosphere there.
Teşekkürler🌷💕
Very helpful video; thank you. The prices for museums are certainly high; I hope the locals get a discount. I visited Hagia Sophia about a year ago on a late cold evening and the mosque was not busy but it was great to be among families and children who were also visiting. It had a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. I had sadden to hear now the Ground Floor is only open for Muslims during worshiping hours.
I'm so happy I visited in November 2023 where the prices were significantly lower (I paid 950TL for entrance to Topkapi Palace & Harem) and in some cases did not exist (for the mosques). Nevertheless, I do plan on visiting Istanbul again (whenever I can afford to 😄). The city was a beauty, the culture rich and I felt alive and SAFE (esp. as a solo black female traveler. I will continue to follow your channel religiously. Turkey forever 🥰
You’re always welcome in Istanbul ❤️ I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip last year, thank you for watching us and your support! 💐
The prices seem to have doubled from when I visited last year in July 2023, I’m planning to go again and do Basilica cistern and some other things that we missed, but I don’t recall paying anything for Hagia Sophia at all..wasn’t it free ? Or maybe I’ve forgotten …we only paid for Topkappi Dolmabache and the Galata Tower
I went back in December of 2023.
It's not Turkey. It's Türkiye!
@fatimaabid5824 For Basilica Cistern I paid 450TL, Galata Tower was closed due to construction and I went to Dolmabache Palace for free (although it was the anniversary of Ataturk's passing and the daily routine was changed up a bit so I don't know if that was a factor). I only did a few hours on the Asain side and didn't get the chance to see a dervish show or visit Balat/Fener so those will be my aim on my next visit.
Thank you for the very helpful video. I am going in a month after visiting Paris. I think the museum’s will be less there than Istanbul which we had selected as a budget destination. Glad to go but not so happy about the price increase as when I booked my travel in September last year.
Thank you for the useful information😊. Do you know maybe which languages are available in Hagia Sofia free audio guide? Thank you 😊
I’m from Malaysia. Visited Istanbul twice in 2016 and 2019. I’m lucky to have visited majority of the tourist attractions there as the prices were still very reasonable..all the best Istanbul
Thanks, maybe i will visit in next 10 years :D crazy fees
Istanbul is so beautiful ❤
Thanks!
Thank YOU for the extra support! Much appreciated 🫶🥰
Comforting to know with a trip booked for this year! I remember years ago and I’ve been seven times it used to be much cheaper than Greece which is my motherland. Now it seems Greece maybe much cheaper. Lucky I’ve been to most of the landmarks only place I will visit is the Basilica Cistern
Great Vlog Berry and you have all time the right informations with details 👍
Glad you think so! ❤️
We just visited and were pretty shocked by the prices of the tourist attractions. Together, we spent nearly 200 per person on them which is quite high for any city. The only attraction we actually decided wasnt worth the price was galata tower, which also is currently under construction and you cant even go all the way up for $30.
That's useful! Thanks. Will be visiting soon and Galata tower would have been the only monument I was planning on visiting (visited everything else years ago on my 2 previous trips over). Guess Sultan Rejep Tagip will have to seek elsewhere for suckers in order to fuell up his economy
Thank you Lady.
Thank you for the new information!!! My husband and I are planning to visit March 2024. If we stay in Kadikoy or Taksim which airport do you recommend we fly into, so we can use the metro and walk alot?
Vry expenisve
I will be visiting Türkiye in May. Will definitely get the Museum pass. Yes I know it doesn’t work in the Aya Sofya but I will be touring the country for the month and I think it will save money over all. Thanks for this valuable information.
25 USD for Hagia sofia and 50 USD for Topkapi palace is actually crazy! way too much expensive, you will never see a museum or a church in Europe at this price
Mmm I would argue that isn't true. Let's say in Rome... You have to pay to enter almost EVERY single church.
Hi Bery, me and my friends are in istanbul from Jan 13 to 24th, I made my to do lists based on your videos. As someone from NYC, I find these price hikes absolutely insane! I understand there is bad inflation and currency devaluations but sudden price hikes of almost double is just greedy! We went to the Topkapi and they charge 1500 Lira but to see the Harem the guide said we had to pay 2500 Liras, the Dolmabahce is 1050 Liras, they doubled the Basilica Cistern its now 600 Liras and now they are charging roughly ~900 Liras to visit the Hagia Sophia. This is just not right ... Also just wanted to say I love your videos they have been very helpful, besides the overpriced tourist locations, we really loved the Istanbul neighborhoods based on your videos. Galata, Balat, Kadikoy, and Karakoy were all great but Kadikoy was the most fun 😁
It is crazy - the greed level is off the charts. But so many people here assume "all tourists are rich". They don't think they have travel budgets - I assume that theory is based on a few rich arabs coming here and spending 1000s of dollars on their trips. Lets hope tourists now start looking outside of these areas and vote with their feet. Because it is insane - imagine a family of four, 3 days Istanbul, 4 days in Cappadocia... they would be spending so much money (and that is before we get onto all of the hotels charging Euro based amounts for mostly shitty rooms).
Oh, no! Sorry to say this, but the guide gave you a much higher price for Topkapi! Literally he took 1,000 TL extra from you. 😡 The price is 1500 full ticket and that already includes the harem and even Hagia Irene the little byzantine church in the gardens of the palace. Also the fees are written in the ticket office, whenever a guide tells you a price, double check it just in case, guides are very honest but for what you just shared, I can tell that your guide took advantage of you with the Palace’s price. If I were you, I would write the agency you booked with and let them know about it because of those few guides taking advantage of customers then people will think all are the same.
We love watching your youtube chn. Bery , always great and informative content. I have a question for you: Is it the same price for Turkish citizen or just for Tourists? It seams a lot for a turkish citizen living on minimum vage. Again thank you for your time and effort that you put in these videos, we all appreciate it
Hi! The 25€ is the same price for all including Turkish citizens and us living here on a valid residence permit, no discounted prices for us as in the rest of museums throughout the country and Istanbul 🥹
Hi, It's very delightful to see your wonderful and informative videos. I want to ask about any discounts for physical handicapped persons to tourist / museum/ parks/ places, similar to European countries. Plz guide. Thanks
Thank you so much. During end february, how is the weather?
You can check it from Accuweather to have an idea :) even for us is impossible to know what’s the weather for tomorrow, you know, unpredictable weather lately 😉
Informative video - do you have any idea whether the Chora Museum/Kariye Mosque will be open to visitors in 2024?
Sushmita: happy I was on a 12 day tour in Turkiye, September 2023. It was unforgettable and loved every minute of being in Europe - 2 Continents simultaneously- no other place in the world 🌎 can this be achieved ❤️ Turkiye always - would love to visit again but prices 😮 OMG 😮
Hi Berry! Thank you for the informative video. Could you please provide some more information about the museum card? For example, where to buy the card from and how much cost effective it would be etc. Thank you 🙏.
Thank you for your VDO. Very informative and helpful. We are going there in May! Do you know when Galata tower will be reopened please? I went on their website and the place appears to be closed for restoration. Thank you.
Headed to istanbul now for the 1st time from NYC 🎉
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for a very informative video! I'm visiting Istanbul in April and planning to purchase the Istanbul e-pass (not the museum pass) as it lists all of the main atractions and a lot of others as well...did you or someone else had experience with it and is it worth buying? Thanks
I'd be interested in knowing as I, too am planning to purchase the epass for my trip in April
Thank you for this information. I guess I’ll say pass on Turkiye this summer then.
Thank you for the info. I will be visiting late this year. Which musks can we visit for free? Which musks are not so famous but worth visiting as well? Thank you
Hi Bery, thank you for putting up together very useful information on the latest Istanbul tourism updates. I would like to find out whether a Muslim foreigner to enter Hagia Sophia for pray would be charged the entrance fee as well?
Very good information. Thank you. I have been to many cities in Europe and USA, but have never had to pay prices like this. In Spain, for ex, pensioners usually pay about 50% less than regular fee. I sure won't go to Istanbul. There are many other places to see at resonable prices.
Wow! Im glad i went there last October and got in for free.
Went in Nov 2021. Loved it . Saw this coming once the cruise ship line was set for galataport
Same here😂. I went in November and saved the entrance fee. But hopefully I go again I can pray without walking past 100s of people🤣
Great information! Why are some charges in euro's and not TL? Thanks
Hello Bery. Thank you for all your informative tips. However, do you have any information on airbnb rentals in Turkey? Heard that it seemed that the law has changed with regard to airbnd rentals and consequently rentals will be more expensive. Any details?
Hi Bery, thanks for your video. I like them all. I am trying to buy attraction tickets or pass online but I am not sure which website is official. Thanks!
You cannot buy them online, is only at the ticket office on the same day of your visit.
Hi @@BeryIstanbulTips, I am going to buy some pass online wonder whether Galata Tower will be open in May. Also I am very interested in Kariye Mosque. Google Map said it's closed but some people say you can visit if you buy the city pass. Thanks.
Hi Bery, appreciate all your travel videos on Turkey! My partner and I are planning our 2 week vacation in Turkey this May 2024. We can’t seem to find a video or reliable resource on updated budget/cost of travel within Turkey in 2024. Are you able to give us a rough estimated travel budget in Turkish Lira? Like a comfortable mid range budget. Appreciate your response as it’ll help us out a lot! 🙏🏻
Thank God , I've visited all before ...
These museum prices are insane. There is no place in Europe with such high prices for museum entry, not even close. For example the entry fee currently for the Louvre Paris is €22. Yet in Istanbul they want $30 just to climb the Galata Tower!? The city will kill its tourism with such excessive prices.
Yeah it's really crazy and fucked up
It is more logical to serve 25 people for the same price instead of 100 people. In this way, it will be easier to maintain your quality and brand.
Can you do a video about changes for foreigners who want to relocate to Istanbul? For example, guidelines regarding residence visas? Thanks!
Vielen Dank für das informative Video. Ob sich Istanbul mit dieser Preispolitik einen Gefallen tut, werden die kommenden Monate zeigen. Für viele ‚Budget-Touristen‘ sind diese Eintrittsgelder zu hoch.
wow those museum prices are crazy
Hello and thanks for the videos! I have a trip to Istanbul coming up. Do you know a tour guide who speaks Bulgarian? My English is not good!
Istanbul has this magic place called Eminonu, once you visit there you want to go back again and again
Wow, pretty expensive! We're going there next month from the states. I guess we'll have to find something else to do in the city lol
Agree .. Topkapi entrance fee is now somewhat high.
Wow!! Prices are completely insane! When a country's economy suffers from inflation prices are unfortunately going up for the locals but for a visitor it usually is in fact cheaper since he gets more domestic money in exchange for his money. That's basic economics! This makes no sense that prices have skyrocketed for tourists. I'd assume that if locals pay the same entrance fees then visiting those places is pretty much impossible for them since that raise will be even worse for them (although I can only assume that this is not the case and some of those monuments have different entrance fees for local visitors). Anyway, I'm really glad that some 10+ years ago I'd visited the City twice and got to visit all it's monuments for a fraction of today's price. I'll be coming from Greece for a 3rd time in a couple of weeks and it will be a hard pass on most of those monuments (Galata tower excluded since I hadn't had the chance to visit before). Really sorry about the friends who'll be joining me on the trip. It's their first time and they're up to a huge disappointment! Your video was very informative btw! Cheers!
I went more than 8 years ago and the prices were a fifth of that. I was intending on taking my children but now I will have to reconsider. I haven't paid more than 6 euros to enter a museum. This is insane.
been all these places i paid 50TL max
i have been to Istanbul and Turkey about 6 times, I am surprised at the increase in prices. what other options would you suggest? i was thinking Blue Mosque and Rustem Pasha or Suleymaniye Mosque. I am bringing my sister and friend on their first visit in September. we only have a day and a half as we are coming on a cruise ship. Thanks for all of your hard work through the past couple years. you have always been one of my favorite KZheadrs for Turkey.