Tours, tickets and day trips in Istanbul
The sights with published visitor numbers, the heritage listings, and the towns close enough for a day out.
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Topkapı Palace | 1,932,726 | 2017 |
The busiest is Topkapı Palace at 1,932,726 visitors in 2017. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
UNESCO World Heritage in the city: Historic Areas of Istanbul.
Day trips from Istanbul
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul to Küçükçekmece | Turkey | 15 km (9 mi) | about 15 min |
| Istanbul to Başakşehir | Turkey | 17 km (10 mi) | about 16 min |
| Istanbul to Maltepe | Turkey | 19 km (12 mi) | about 19 min |
| Istanbul to Esenyurt | Turkey | 23 km (14 mi) | about 22 min |
| Istanbul to Sancaktepe | Turkey | 24 km (15 mi) | about 23 min |
| Istanbul to Arnavutköy | Turkey | 26 km (16 mi) | about 25 min |
| Istanbul to Beylikdüzü | Turkey | 26 km (16 mi) | about 26 min |
| Istanbul to Sultanbeyli | Turkey | 28 km (17 mi) | about 27 min |
| Istanbul to Bursa | Turkey | 91 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 29 min |
| Istanbul to Eskişehir | Turkey | 191 km (119 mi) | about 3 h 7 min |
| Istanbul to Nilüfer | Turkey | 89 km (55 mi) | about 1 h 27 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to book tours and tickets
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
What is the most visited attraction in Istanbul?
Topkapı Palace, with 1,932,726 visitors in 2017 (Wikidata).
Does Istanbul have a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Yes: Historic Areas of Istanbul.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.