Istanbul is rich with culture, food, aesthetics and lovely people. While it may seem like a daunting task to prepare for a trip located thousands of miles away, we prepared this guide to help you know the ways you can fully enjoy your trip to Istanbul this year.

Below is the summary of important requirements you need to enter Istanbul. However, we urged you to read further our Traveloka Travel Info & Requirements before you finalize your preparations:

Direct and transit flights are available in many online travel agencies and airlines. Traveloka, for example, offer options from various airlines that you can easily compare because the average prices for a single flight ticket to Istanbul are not cheap. The flight ticket price ranges from as low as MYR 1,000+ to MYR 3,000+.

Flying time from direct flights usually takes around 10 hours or so. Meanwhile, transit flights may take you up to 23 hours to reach Istanbul. The time may differ based on how many stops the airline makes. So, it is best to book your flights accordingly.

Major airlines providing direct flights to Istanbul:

Major airlines providing transit flights to Istanbul:

Main airports in Istanbul:

This is subjective, and would depend on your interests.

If you are keen on enjoying Istanbul during the winter season, you should book your flights from February to December.

If you love the warmer side of Istanbul, June to August is the perfect period for you.

During the winter, although the chill will get to you, the perks of travelling during this time are the accommodation price (or even flight tickets) will be cheaper than usual. The tourism rate won’t be as high, so you can have Istanbul all to yourself.

When you travel during the warm season, sometimes the weather can get a bit too hot and humid for those not used to this kind of climate.

Given how accustomed we are to Malaysia’s hot weather, we think you can survive. During this period, you get tons of opportunities to really witness the beauty of Istanbul while it is not covered in snow.

From a church to a mosque, there is no denying Hagia Sophia has some of the best architectural values in Istanbul.

Built 1500 years ago as a Christian Basilica, when you roam among its beautiful mosaics, marble pillars and Proconnesian white marble floors, you can see the aesthetics in each of them.

Fun facts:

What to know

There are three famous museums at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum:

We recommend you explore three of them and get the complete satisfaction of diving into the magnificent history of Istanbul as a country and a hub for tourism in Turkey.

The museums collectively contain more than one million items taken from different eras and civilizations, such as Anatolian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Iran, and Ancient Arabian.

When you’re done, you can easily walk to Topkapi Palace, another museum that exhibits fantastic collections from the Ottoman Empire. The collection range from books, documents and manuscripts that you won’t find anywhere else.

At Topkapi Palace, other attractions are available that will fill your days:

If these names don’t pique interest in you, they should.

What to know:

Food! Food! Food! The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is one of the world's largest and oldest covered markets, and you should not skip this trip, even if the apocalypse happens (what is worse than COVID-19? Let’s not jinx this).

The Grand Bazaar is a 30,700-meter square area that stretches over 61 streets and housing 4,000 shops.

If you are confused about whether it is a shopping mall or a bazaar, technically, you are right if you think it is both.

You can find everything from local spices and Turkish delights to ceramics and carpets, lamps and lanterns to jugs, plates and ornaments.

The Grand Bazaar is the hub for tourism to shop till they drop, literally.

What to know:

Ready to jet off? Book that flight to Istanbul on Traveloka for the best deals, and easy booking!