Before You Go

What to Pack?

What to pack for a trip to Istanbul depends on what time of year you are going and what you plan to do in the city. We have put together a list of the most important items to bring with you on your visit to Istanbul:
• Things like shampoo, dental floss, toiletries and cosmetics are expensive in Turkey compared to most western countries, so it’s advisable to bring these with you.
• A day pack for trips around the city.
• Mosquito repellent for those balmy summer evenings.
• Ear plugs, if you don’t wish to be woken at sunrise by the first call to prayer.
• Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat to block out hot summer rays.
• A raincoat. Istanbul can be cold and rainy during the winter, spring and autumn months, and the city experiences light showers in summer.
• If you’re planning on visiting any mosques, a scarf and skirt or sarong will come in handy for women; trousers or long shorts are needed for men.
• An adaptor to fit a European style two-pronged power socket.
• Tampons, although available, can be difficult to find and costly in Istanbul.
• Comfortable shoes for walking around the city.
• Swimwear- for a dunk at the Princes’ Islands or Black Sea beaches, or for wearing on a hamam visit.
• Prescription medicine. Though most prescription medicines can be obtained relatively easily and cheaply from Istanbul’s ‘Eczane’s’ (pharmacies), bringing what you’ll need from home can save you the time and hassle of translation.
• Photocopies of your important documents. These can be your passport, birth certificate, marriage license, driving licence or medical records. Put a set of photocopies in a large envelope, and take it with you. It may also be useful to make another set in an envelope and give it to someone you trust, so that he/she can mail you in case of an emergency. You can use Google Documents to scan images of your important documents and save it to its online database.
• If you have a six-digit pin on your bank card, consult with your bank before leaving, as you need a four-digit pin number to use ATMs in Turkey
• A camera for capturing the city.


What to Wear?

Turkish men and women in Istanbul take pride in their appearance and seem to have perfected the smart/casual look. It is rare to see sloppily dressed Turks and dirty or ripped clothes in Istanbul, even among those who are less well off.

Turkish women are generally elegant dressers and prefer western style clothing from big name European and American brands. Very short skirts, low cut tops or very revealing outfits aren’t common (apart from at the nightclubs along the Bosphorus, where they’re the order of the day), and can give the wrong impression, so they are not advisable. Although many Turkish women wear high heels, the cobbled streets and uneven sidewalks can make walking on kitten heels a major challenge in Istanbul!

  Turkey is a secular state and tolerant of other religions and cultures so there is no reason for female visitors to wear a headscarf, apart from inside a mosque. Scarves are usually available at mosques for this purpose.

Men will notice that shorts are generally not worn in Istanbul as locals tend to think that they are designated for the beach, not the city, and you will stand out as a tourist if you don a pair in Istanbul. Keep in mind that men must wear trousers when entering mosques, or long shorts covering the knees.