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Like a Local · this autumn

What do Istanbulites actually do?

Published Updated

Knowledge from fishmongers, captains, shopkeepers and families who live here — checked, dated and kept up to date.

This autumn, locals are…Buying lokum by weight in Eminönü →Shopping Mahmutpaşa on a weekday morning →Eating seasonal fish at a meyhane →Catching the golden hour from a boat →
Rolled Turkish delight with nuts and dried fruit Local’s notebookVerified 2 October 2026 Lokum by the kiloWhy locals goFresh, soft and weighed in front of you.What locals orderÇifte kavrulmuş and plain rose.Common mistakeBuying the first gift box offered.Read the full guide →

Local picks this autumn

Rolled Turkish delight with nuts and dried fruitShopTurkish delight: where locals buy itShoppers on a sloping market street lined with textiles and clothingShopMahmutpaşa Bazaar: the local market streetGrilled fish, meze plates and rakı set on a restaurant tableNightMeyhane: how locals do rakı nightRed simit cart filled with sesame bread rings on an Istanbul streetEatStreet food: what locals order

Choose where to start

Every card leads to a live guide
Travel guide

Just landed? Start here.

/travel-guide/ →
Travellers with luggage inside Istanbul Airport terminal1 · ArriveIstanbul Airport to the cityAn airport bus in Istanbul1 · ArriveSabiha Gökçen to the cityIstanbulkart held beside a public transport card reader2 · Get aroundIstanbulkart: buy & top upAn M2 metro train at a platform with Yenikapi on its destination display2 · Get aroundMetro: maps & routes
Like a Local

Eat and shop like an Istanbulite

Guides built with confectioners, fishmongers and meyhane regulars.
Rolled Turkish delight with nuts and dried fruitLokumWhere locals buy Turkish delightBaklava and assorted pastries displayed in metal traysBaklavaWhere locals actually buy itRed simit cart filled with sesame bread rings on an Istanbul streetSokakStreet food, stall by stallGrilled fish, meze plates and rakı set on a restaurant tableMeyhaneHow locals do rakı night

A day in Istanbul, hour by hour

  1. Dawn Landing early? The metro is quiet
  2. Morning Lokum and coffee in Eminönü
  3. Afternoon Up the Mahmutpaşa slope
  4. Sunset Golden hour on the Bosphorus
  5. Night Meyhane: meze, fish and rakı

When to come

/best-time-to-visit/ →
Ahmet H. Yildirim passenger ferry on the Bosphorus with Galata Tower behind itTravel guide · FerriesIstanbul ferry guide: routes & timetablesRed nostalgic tram and simit cart on İstiklal Avenue during snowfall at nightSeasonal guide · Dec – FebIstanbul in winter: what to do, eat & wear
A yacht below the Bosphorus Bridge
Bosphorus & Boats Crisp evenings on the water: dinner cruises with the city lit up.Compare here, book with Istanbul On Boat. Istanbul On Boat is our sister brand. Bookings are made on Istanbul On Boat.
Compare every cruise →Istanbul On Boat ↗

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