Millions of TripAdvisor users voted on their favorite destinations around the world, and Istanbul came out on top. This is surprising because the Middle Eastern city jumped 11 places from last year, surpassing favorites like London and Rome.
So why do tourists flock to Istanbul? Maybe because Istanbul is a vibrant city, both ancient and modern. It has a wealth of historic churches and buildings, but also has plenty of cute boutiques, beautiful restaurants and impressive design hotels, popular with jazz musicians, artists and fashionistas. The city is undeniably elegant – and tourists from all over the world take notice.
Housed in a former warehouse on the Bosphorus, Istanbul Modern showcases cutting-edge contemporary art from Turkish artists.
This restaurant in modern Istanbul serves international tastes in a beautifully designed setting.
Nearby, the neighborhood of Cihangir is fast becoming one of Istanbul's hottest areas, attracting jazz enthusiasts and Bohemian artists with its cafes, shops and galleries.
A bustling Sunday afternoon in Cihangir, where people linger at outdoor cafes to enjoy coffee and crispy, sweet, nutritious baklava.
Neutral cafes with international flavors, like Susam Cafe, are all over the city.
There are many cute used book stores with a wide variety of hard-to-find English and Turkish books.
And shops that are friendly to jazz lovers.
Witt Istanbul is a lovely modern hotel with 18 large, stylish rooms in Cihangir.
Istiklal Caddesi is Istanbul's main pedestrian street, where shops catering to tourists—Turkish wares, ceramics and other souvenirs—sit alongside trendy cafes and Western imports like Starbucks, Nike and Burger King.
Stalls selling sesame-covered Turkish croissants are all over the city. The street food costs as little as 1 Turkish Lira (50 cents).
Tünel Pasaji is a small arcaded alley at the end of Istiklal Caddesi lined with cafes, antique shops and used book stores.
At night, this walkway is filled with young Istanbulites sitting at cafe tables smoking or drinking.
This House café is a local chain in Istanbul where fashionable Istanbulites gather for Turkish tea (spicy) and typical Turkish snacks (mezze). There is a branch in Istiklal Caddesi.
House Hotels, along with House Cafe restaurants, are a chain of cute, trendy local hotels with multiple locations in Istanbul.
The 19th-century Misir Building in Istiklal Caddesi is home to several fine art galleries such as Galeri Nev.
On the roof of the building is a stylish restaurant and bar called 360. It serves meals but the best time to visit is probably at sunrise.
At the end of the day, people often flock to rooftop bars, like this one on the roof of the Marmara Pera hotel, to enjoy the views.
Local beers like Efes and Turkish wine are available at “soft” hours, along with Turkish snacks like olives and spiced nuts.
Endless streams of people flock to Istiklal Caddesi all night long.
There are numerous nightclubs and bars nestled among the neighborhoods surrounding Istiklal Caddesi.
At night the area around the Galata Tower becomes a meeting place for students and hippies, sitting at the base of the historic tower drinking beer, playing guitar and drumming.
There are lively guitar groups and fun live music here almost all night long.
For a more sophisticated nightlife scene, the Ortaköy neighborhood has exciting nightclubs right on the Bosphorus, like the traditional Reina, frequented by Istanbulites and celebrities like Istiklal Cadde and Kobe Bryant.
There are a variety of interesting late-night eateries, but one of the best places for a light late-night snack is along Istiklal Caddesi, on Galata Bridge, near the Karaköy fish market, where vendors sell fresh grilled fish sandwiches made to order.
Or you can stop at any of the kebab stalls in Istiklal Caddesi, which are open quite late.
