Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

Istanbul Tourist Traps

Search:
email to friend | help
Home » Travel Guides » Middle East » Turkey » Istanbul Ili » Istanbul » Tourist Traps

Istanbul Travel Guide

Sponsored Links for Istanbul

144 Istanbul Hotels
Our selection of great hotels in Istanbul sorted by user rating.

Picasso Tours: Istanbul
Fun & Exciting Tours Of Istanbul! Excellent Packages Starting At $135

Boutique Hotel Istanbul
Hotel in Sultanahmet, Near all main tourist attractions.

Luxury Istanbul Hotel
Visit Four Seasons official site. Get Special Package Rates Now

Cheap Hotels
Save up to 50% on Hotels and Now Get Our Best Price Guarantee.

Istanbul Tourist Traps

Grand Bazaar - Istanbul
Grand Bazaar
by mardaska
Tips and photos of Istanbul tourist attractions and tourist traps, posted by real travelers and Istanbul locals.
Local Time 2:34 am Saturday, July 26, 2008
Istanbul Map
• Istanbul Hotels
All Istanbul Hotels
Check-In Date:
Check-Out Date:
Guests
Hotels by OneTime.com
Istanbul Tourist TrapsTips 51 - 60 of 144  
Popular Tourist Traps | Miscellaneous Tourist Traps Tips | All Tips (144)
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
Galata Bridge - Shoe Polishing Rip Off
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By kongmunleong on March 28, 2007
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Was walking along the scenic Galata bridge from Eminonu towards Karakoy in the new town. Noticed a cobbler/shoe polisher dropped his tool of trade (the brush) and immediately stopped him so that he could pick it up.
    As a gesture of thanking me, he offered to polish my shoes (even though it's an adidas). We thought it was for free!
    Once finished in less than a minute of polishing, he asked for 8YTL (Yeni Turkish Lira), we felt extorted and he wouldn't let us go and went ahead complaining about feeding his kids in Ankara. We gave him 10 YTL and thought we can go but he wanted to extort further by saying 8 YTL per shoe (that makes it 16 YTL - 10 Euros). I have not got a 10 Euros shoe polishing before.
    We immediately left and should have done so earlier and luckily he did not keep on extorting us.

    For all Galata bridge strollers, never polish your shoes there.

    Wait until you are back in the hotel/airport, there are honest tradesmen there to do a good job with less than 10 Euros.


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    OCAKBASI
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By mabozer on May 27, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Istanbul Tourist Traps
    by mabozer
    Send Photo to a Friend
    "Ocakbasi" means around the charcoal grill and is a very typical and famous way of having a Turkish dinner. As a matter of fact, you are really sitting around a grill and can watch the chief preparing various barbecue specialities and fresh salads for the guests, which are served with freshly baked pittah bread.

    just do it

    it's funny

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    the airport
  • Tip Rating:
  • By iaint on July 31, 2007
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • I had to pay 2.5ytl for a small bottle of water. In the city shops its 0.5ytl for the same thing. 500% mark up to buy at the airport. Total rip-off!
    It cost 8ytl for a small cappucino, and 6ytl for cheesecake. Never again!
    They wanted 11ytl for a small local beer...not that desperate.

    take your own water, beer, whatever, and carry with you!

    You could always fill up before you get there (well, maybe that won't work with the beer)


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Just say NO !!
  • Tip Rating:
  • By wimmey on October 7, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Egyptian Bazaar - Istanbul
    Egyptian Bazaar
    by wimmey
    Send Photo to a Friend
    The Bazaars of Istanbul are very popular, pittoresque and worth visiting. Tourists seem to have a sign glued on their head which says "TOURIST - EUROS" and so you're bothered all the time to buy carpets, (fake) watches, pottery, scarfs etc etc.

    My strategy: Walk on, don't stop and just say NO THANKS if someone invites you to visit his shop or stand, unless you're really interested of course.

    The Bazaars are closed on Sunday. I happened to visit the market between the Egyptian Bazaar and Süleyman Mosque, which is mainly frequented by locals. Tourists are left in peace. A very nice experience.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Cherry Drink Trick
  • Tip Rating:
  • By sweetienuri on October 24, 2006
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Istanbul Tourist Traps
    by sweetienuri
    Send Photo to a Friend
    When you see a man on the streets wearing traditional dress and carrying a big teapot be careful! He will offer you a cherry drink.. this is not free nor cheap! when I was offered a drink i happily accepted thinking that it was only a few lira but after drinking he demanded US$40! I was shocked and shook my head but he keep strectching out his hand to get the money and in the end I pretended I heard US$14 and paid that instead! It was still a rip-off. Dun be fooled like me!

    Give him some money for the drink, maybe NTL $1 or $2 but not more!


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Topkapi Palace
  • Tip Rating:
  • By ophiro on July 26, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • The gates of Topkapi - Istanbul
    The gates of Topkapi
    by ophiro
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Topkapi Palace was a big tourist trap !
    Very crowded and not as beautiful as we expected.

    Dolmabahce Palace is much more beautiful place to visit so leave Topkapi and go to Dolmabahce.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Tea
  • Tip Rating:
  • By pginer on January 15, 2005
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Istanbul Tourist Traps
    by pginer
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Wherever you go you will be offered a cup of tea. Very good apple-tea.

    This pic was taken in a shop in Grand Bazar where I was buying some silver.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Basilica Cistern
  • Tip Rating:
  • By danchatman on April 8, 2004
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • cistern ticket - Istanbul
    cistern ticket
    by danchatman
    Send Photo to a Friend
    A little pricey, I thought. Unless you are realllllly curious, I'd say it's OK to pas it up, despite the Medusa heads.

    Go with someone you love? It can actually be quite romantic if there are a minimum of tourists there.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    The bar at the airport
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By SirRichard on May 27, 2003
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • The bar... empty, of course! - Istanbul
    The bar... empty, of course!
    by SirRichard
    Send Photo to a Friend
    If you have time enough at the airport waiting for your plane and U R thirsty, think twice before asking some drink here. It?s awfully expensive, nearly 3 times what it could cost at any normal bar!!!

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Kumkapi -- seafood restaurants
  • Tip Rating:
  • Updated By aaron60 on April 17, 2003
  • Email Me
  • See My Istanbul Page
  • Send to a Friend
  • Kumkapi - Istanbul
    Kumkapi
    by aaron60
    Send Photo to a Friend
    I came here with my package tour group. It's a nice place and some of the restaurants sure looked nice but I was very underwhelmed with our food (breaded/fried stuff). I think we were served substandard food while our tour hosts got nice kickbacks for bringing us in. Restaurant 1, Tour operators 1, Tourists, 0. Beware.

    If this befalls you, just and go find a nice but underpatronized restaurant (there were plenty of them there that night, Kumkapi is full of places to eat) and tell them you've already paid for a meal elsewhere but it's crap and can they fix you a truly decent meal. Again, I think (hope) one can get truly good food in Kumkapi and that my mediocre experience was only due to the shady people I was hooked up with.

    Sadly, no suggestions. DIdn't have enough time in Istanbul to explore restaurants on my own. All the lunches/dinners were pre-arranged. I heard that the last night's dinner was truly good but I was sick in bed puking my guts out.

    Also see the Danger/Warning regarding Eating/Drinking.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    1 ... | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ... 15
    More Istanbul Tips
    Overview
         		General Tips
    Tips: 661 - Photos: 596
    Restaurants
    Tips: 792 - Photos: 571    		Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 666 - Photos: 425
    Things To Do
    Tips: 2,635 - Photos: 2,481    		Nightlife
    Tips: 255 - Photos: 193
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 425 - Photos: 388    		Tourist Traps
    Tips: 144 - Photos: 79
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 240 - Photos: 89    		Transportation
    Tips: 413 - Photos: 294
    Local Customs
    Tips: 324 - Photos: 250    		Packing Lists
    Tips: 48 - Photos: 26
    Shopping
    Tips: 253 - Photos: 213    		Sports Travel
    Tips: 115 - Photos: 67
    Flights
    Tips: 44 - Photos: 20

    More Sponsored Links for Istanbul

    Popular Hotels and Accommodations in Istanbul

    » More Hotels and Accommodations in Istanbul

    Popular Things To Do in Istanbul

    » More Things To Do in Istanbul




    Find:        Matching:  Advanced