Museums:
There are more than 70 state and private museums in Istanbul. Some of the major museums in İstanbul include, but are not limited to:
Sakıp Sabancı Museum: https://www.sakipsabancimuzesi.org/en
Istanbul Modern: https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en
Pera Museum: https://www.peramuseum.org/
İstanbul Rahmi M. Koç Museum: http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr/istanbul/en/rahmi-m-koc-muzesi
Istanbul Archaeology Museums: https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=IAR01&DistId=IAR
E-ticket: To save you time in queues you can purchase e-ticket to some of the museums here: https://muze.gov.tr/ETicket
Müze kart (Museum Pass): Müze Kart allows its holders to visit many museums and archaeological sites that belong to Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The card can be purchased at sales points in the museums.
To qualify for a student discount, make an application to any sales point by your YTU student ID card by paying the card fee.
For more information about the card and the list of the museums that can be visited by Müze Kart, go to https://muze.gov.tr/
To see different museum pass options valid around different regions of Türkiye visit: https://muze.gen.tr/MuseumPasses
Historical Sights/Monuments: [to be updated]
Parks and Forests:
Some, but by no means all, of the parks within İstanbul:
-Yıldız parkı
-Emirgan Korusu: Hosts İstanbul Tulip Festival every spring.
-Belgrad Ormanı: A forest which hosts great diversity of plants and fungi. A popular spot for outdoor sports and picnics. You should check which part of the forest you want to go to beforehand as it covers a vast area of land which includes different regions and parks.
-Kemerburgaz: Forest/park.
-Atatürk Kent Ormanı: Accessible through public transportation. Includes two small lakes. Good spot for bird-watching.
-Atatürk Arboretumu: Close to Belgrad Forest.
-Polonezköy Tabiat Parkı: Walking trail.
-Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Gardens.
For further information on national parks, nature monuments and protected natural areas visit the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. https://www.ktb.gov.tr/EN-99768/preserved-areas.html
Outdoor Activities:
Some of the outdoor activities you can do in and around İstanbul include:
-Orienteering: https://www.iog.org.tr/#
-Running
-Hiking
-Camping
-Canoeing/sea kayaking/rowing
-Cycling: Here you can see a map of cycling lanes in Istanbul, bike repair stations, parking stations and İsbike bicycle rental stations. https://bisiklet.ibb.istanbul/istanbul-bisiklet-haritasi/
İsbike: is the municipality’s bike rental service which allows you to easily rent a bike on various cycling routes, parks and coasts in İstanbul. You can download the app, create an account, rent a bike and start cycling. https://www.isbike.istanbul/
Note: We recommend that you stick to the cycling routes and not enter the general traffic as İstanbul cannot be considered bike-friendly in many areas.
For more information on the various outdoor activities you can do in Türkiye visit: https://www.ktb.gov.tr/EN-99217/activities.html
Dining/Restaurants:
Here is a list of İstanbul Municipality Social facilities. https://tesislerimiz.ibb.istanbul/eng/facilities/
Festivals/Events:
The city offers a diversity of happenings ranging from festivals, to concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, workshops, conferences and other events. You can check some of the venues and event websites below to find something fit for you:
Biletix https://www.biletix.com/anasayfa/TURKIYE/en
İstanbul State Opera and Ballet Repertory https://www.operabale.gov.tr/en-us/Pages/HomePage.aspx
Turkish State Theatres https://www.devtiyatro.gov.tr/DevletTiyatro/en
İKSV https://www.iksv.org/en
Zorlu PSM https://www.zorlupsm.com/en
AKM https://akmistanbul.gov.tr/homepage
Shopping:
İstanbul offers a unique shopping experience where there is something for every taste, ranging from antique markets and lively auctions, to flea markets, boutiques, local bazars, fruit and vegetable markets, and shopping centres.