عطلة قصيرة في إسطنبول من ألمانيا: الرحلات الجوية وبطاقة الهوية وخطة لثلاثة أيام

A city break in Istanbul from Germany is easy: nonstop flights take roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours, German citizens need no visa for up to 90 days, and the Personalausweis is accepted at the border, so you do not even need a passport. Three days covers the Old City, a Bosphorus cruise and an evening on the Asian side. This page sets out the entry rules as the Auswärtiges Amt publishes them, the flight options, a three-day plan and how to book a guide who speaks German. If you would rather have it all arranged, our short-visit Istanbul package for 3 days starts from $344 per person.

Personalausweis or passport: entry rules for German citizens

According to the German Foreign Office's travel advice for Turkey, German citizens visiting as tourists can stay without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. These documents are accepted at the border:

Two points that surprise many travellers:

• Expired documents. Turkey accepts a passport or ID card that expired no more than one year ago. This does not apply to a temporary ID card. Airlines and transit countries can set their own rules, so a valid document is still the safer choice.
• No "visa run". Leaving Turkey for a day and coming back to restart the 90 days is no longer possible.

No e-visa, entry fee or online registration is required for German citizens. If someone in your group holds a different nationality, check our overview of Turkey visa requirements.

Flights from Germany to Istanbul

Most large German airports have nonstop flights to Istanbul: Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn are all served, mainly by Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Pegasus and AJet.

• Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, from the main German hubs.
• Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt to Istanbul Airport.
• Pegasus and AJet fly mostly to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side, often at lower fares.

Flight times run from about 2 hours 20 minutes out of Munich to a little over 3 hours from Hamburg or Düsseldorf. Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year, so in winter you land two hours later by the clock than in Germany, and one hour later in summer.

Landing at IST or SAW, and getting to your hotel

For a short city break the arrival airport matters more than on a long holiday, because every hour in traffic is an hour less in the city.

• Istanbul Airport (IST) is north of the city on the European side. To Sultanahmet, Taksim or Karaköy, a private transfer takes 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Havaist buses and the metro cost less but take longer with luggage.
• Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side. It is convenient for a hotel in Kadıköy; for the Old City you cross a bridge or the Marmaray tunnel, so allow extra time at rush hour.

Our VIP airport transfer in a Mercedes Vito costs from $60 per group, which for two or more people is often close to the cost of separate taxis.

Three days in Istanbul: a city-break plan

The plan below fits a Friday-to-Sunday or a midweek trip. Keep the weekly closures in mind: Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahçe Palace on Mondays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. If your day 1 falls on a Sunday, swap the bazaar into day 2.

German visitors often enjoy one small detail on day 1: the octagonal German Fountain on the Hippodrome, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II after his visit to the city in 1898. On day 2, the large building you see on the water as the ferry approaches Kadıköy is Haydarpaşa station, designed by German architects in the early twentieth century.

Booking a German-speaking guide

Licensed German-speaking guides are easy to find in Istanbul, partly because of the close ties between the two countries. A guide in your own language helps most at Topkapı and Hagia Sophia, where Byzantine and Ottoman history overlap and the signs are mainly in Turkish and English. A guide also handles the queues, which on a three-day trip saves real time.

Practical advice from our office:

• Book early for Easter, Pfingsten and the autumn holidays, when German-speaking guides are in demand.
• A private guide can follow the plan above, or a shorter version such as one guided Old City day with the rest on your own.

Our German-speaking guide in Istanbul page explains how we assign guides and what a day costs. For longer trips with Cappadocia, Ephesus or Pamukkale, see our Turkey tour packages from Germany or the German-language 14-day Türkei Rundreise.

Money, phone and other practical details

• Currency. The Turkish lira. Cards, including contactless payment, are accepted almost everywhere in central Istanbul. Use bank ATMs and decline the "conversion to euro" option at the machine.
• Mobile data. Turkey is not covered by EU roaming rules, so standard German tariffs can be expensive. Check your plan, buy a Turkish SIM or use an eSIM.
• Plugs. The same Schuko-type sockets as in Germany, 230 V. No adapter needed.
• Public transport. An İstanbulkart works on trams, metro and ferries, and one card can be tapped for several people.
• Dress code. For mosques, women carry a scarf and everyone covers shoulders and knees.
• Tipping. Around 10 percent in restaurants is normal if service is not included.

Tours that cover this

• Short Visit Istanbul Package: 3 Days, from $344 per person. A compact three-day programme for a long weekend.
• Istanbul 3 Days Package, from $435 per person. Three days with the main sights arranged.
• Best of Istanbul Private Guided Tour 1-2-3 Days, 8 hours per day, from $199 per group. Choose one, two or three guided days; ask for a German-speaking guide.
• Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off, 3 hours, from $75 per person. Fits the morning of day 3.

For a private version of the plan above, see our 3-day Istanbul private tour.

Frequently Asked Questions