Things to Do in Istanbul with Kids: Family Plans That Work

Istanbul works well with kids if you plan short sightseeing blocks and mix them with boats, open space and food: the Basilica Cistern, Topkapı's Treasury, a Bosphorus ferry, Miniaturk, the Rahmi M. Koç Museum and a car-free day on the Princes' Islands hold children's attention far better than a full day of mosques. Two big sights a day is the right pace. Families who want the driving and the queues handled often book a private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide, from $199 per group, and shape each day around the children's energy.

This is how we plan family days in the city: which sights suit which ages, how to get around with a stroller, what children will actually eat, and the day trips that give everyone a break from the crowds.

What works with children, and what doesn't

What works: anything with water, height or a good story. Boats of every kind. The underground forest of columns in the Basilica Cistern. Sultans, jewels and swords at Topkapı. Climbing the Galata Tower. Feeding the gulls from the back of a ferry. Riding bicycles on an island with no cars.

What doesn't: long queues in the sun, back-to-back mosques, and the Grand Bazaar for more than an hour. Its lanes are crowded and easy to lose a child in. Agree on a meeting point before you go in.

Two scheduling tips save the most trouble. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays, so put those sights on the right days. And go to the big Sultanahmet sights at opening time, when the queues are shortest and the children are fresh.

Sights children enjoy

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum is closed on Mondays. The Istanbul Aquarium is a five-minute walk from Florya Akvaryum station on the Marmaray line. Miniaturk sits on the Golden Horn and is easy to combine with the Koç museum by car or taxi.

At most state museums run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, foreign children aged 8 and under enter free. Carry the child's passport, because staff can ask for proof of age.

Ages and stages

Babies and toddlers. Istanbul is friendly to small children. Strangers will talk to them, and shopkeepers will offer them sweets. A baby carrier is easier than a stroller in Sultanahmet, where the streets are cobbled and steep in places and many sights have steps. Plan a nap around a car ride or a boat trip.

Ages 5 to 12. The sweet spot. Give each day a theme: Byzantines and the cistern, sultans and the palace, ships and the Bosphorus. Let children choose one thing each day, such as an ice cream stop or the ferry seat. The Basilica Cistern and Topkapı Palace are the two sights children talk about afterwards.

Teenagers. They enjoy the city's modern side as much as its history. Give them an afternoon in Kadıköy or on İstiklal Avenue, the view from the Galata Tower, a street food walk, and a boat with some speed and wind. Many teenagers also like the Grand Bazaar once they learn to bargain.

Getting around with kids

• Trams and metro. The T1 tram through Sultanahmet is the easiest line for visitors, but it is packed at rush hour. Children under 6 travel free on public transport when they are with an adult.
• Ferries. The most child-friendly transport in the city. There is space to move, a café on board and plenty to watch.
• Taxis. Child seats are not standard in Istanbul taxis. If you need one, arrange a private transfer or car and ask for the right seat in advance.
• A private car and driver. For families with small children, a car waiting outside each sight saves energy for the sights themselves. See our page on a private car with driver in Istanbul.
• Where to stay. A hotel near a tram stop or a ferry pier makes the midday rest easy. Our guide to where to stay in Istanbul compares the districts.

Food children will actually eat

Turkish food is easy for children. Start with simit, the sesame bread ring sold from carts everywhere, ideal for breakfast on the move. Pide is a boat-shaped flatbread with cheese or minced meat, close enough to pizza for fussy eaters. Köfte, grilled meatballs, come with bread and salad in every lokanta. Lahmacun is a thin flatbread with spiced mince that you roll up with lemon and parsley.

For treats, Turkish ice cream (dondurma) is stretchy, and street sellers turn serving it into a show. Lokum, Turkish delight, comes in dozens of flavours in the Spice Bazaar. In Ortaköy, children love kumpir, a baked potato filled with toppings they pick themselves.

Restaurants are generally welcoming to families, high chairs are common in larger places, and dinner starts earlier than in southern Europe.

Day trips that give everyone a break

The Princes' Islands. The ferry from Kabataş to Büyükada takes about 90 minutes. The islands are car-free, so children can cycle, and the small electric buses help with the hills. Spring to autumn is best. See the Princes' Islands page.

Sapanca and Maşukiye. A lake and forest area east of Istanbul with ATV rides, a zipline and a cable car. It suits active children from about 8 and teenagers.

Bursa and Uludağ. A ferry across the Sea of Marmara, a long cable car ride up Uludağ mountain, and snow in winter. It is a long but varied day.

Parks in the city. Emirgan Park on the Bosphorus has lawns, ponds and pavilions, and is at its best in April during the tulip season. Gülhane Park, next to Topkapı, is the nearest green space to Sultanahmet.

A family day that works

1. 09:00: Basilica Cistern at opening, before the queue builds.
2. 10:00: Hippodrome and a look into the Blue Mosque between prayers.
3. 11:30: Lunch: köfte or pide near Sultanahmet.
4. 13:00: Rest at the hotel, or a gentle hour in Gülhane Park.
5. 15:30: A ferry from Eminönü across to Kadıköy and back, with simit for the gulls.
6. 18:00: An early dinner by the water.

For a longer stay with flights, hotels and guided days included, see our Istanbul tour packages for families.

Tours that cover this

• Private Istanbul Tour with a Licensed Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days, from $199 per group. Your own guide and an order of sights that suits the children.
• Bosphorus Yacht Rental for Families and Friends, 6-32 Guests, from $525 per hour.
• Princes' Islands Day Tour from Istanbul: Ferry, Büyükada and Lunch, from $90 per person.
• Sapanca Lake and Maşukiye Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch and Pickup, from $70 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions