Istanbul is a city in Turkey that offers unique historical and cultural attractions as well as a symbol of dynamic and modern city life. Famous as the City of Four Empire, Istanbul has been the capital of four major empires like the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Latin Empire, and Ottoman Empire. In Istanbul, each region had its own mystery with its 2500 years of history, unique nature, vibrant nightlife, food, culture, and many more features waiting to be discovered. It takes around 11 hours of flying time to travel from Singapore to Istanbul. This will differ based on the airlines and routes taken as well. Considering Traveloka offers various airline options such as Singapore Airlines, Scoot, AirAsia, and more, you have plenty to choose from. Among the best accommodations in Istanbul including The Marmara Pera, Golden Tulip Bayrampasa Istanbul, and Crowne Plaza Istanbul - Oryapark. During your stay, you could also visit some of the best attractions there are in Istanbul such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace Museum, and Grand Bazaar.

When is the best time to fly from Singapore to Istanbul?

Istanbul is generally warm throughout the year, but there is a certain period of the year that is good enough to do both outdoor and/or indoor activities. The usual period where Istanbul is open for visiting is from late June to late August. This will be the optimum period to go on a holiday here in Istanbul. The temperature will usually varied from 4°C to 29°C and is rarely below -1°C or above 32°C. Maybe to get the best time where you are not at the peak of the holiday season in Istanbul, you can plan a travel to Istanbul close to the end of June or end of August, just before the holiday peak starts.

Operating airlines available in Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp including both domestic and international carriers. Such airlines include Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Silk Air, Malaysia Airlines, Vietjet, Turkish Airlines, Jetstar, EVA Air, and many more. For further information in regards to travel safety during the pandemic can be referred to Traveloka’s travel advisory and other requirements during COVID-19.

What are the main airports available in Istanbul

Istanbul Airport (IST) 

Istanbul Airport is the main airport operating in Istanbul. It is 42 km away from Istanbul. The trip via car or any public land transportation will take around 50 minutes from the airport to the main city. The traveling time will only differ depending on the traffic condition at the time of the travel. Some of the airport facilities you can find at the Istanbul Airport include check-in facilities, free wi-fi, duty-free outlets, restaurants, ATMs, a conference room, and a lost and found center.

Places to stay in Istanbul

The Marmara Pera – The Marmara Pera is a 4-star hotel located within Istanbul city. It is 5 km away from Istanbul city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 40 km. The hotel has a total of 205 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Superior Room and Suite with Bosphorus View. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to Mikla Restaurant, Café Marmara, gym, rooftop pool, and conference facilities. 

Golden Tulip Bayrampasa Istanbul – Golden Tulip Bayrampasa Istanbul is a 5-star hotel located within Istanbul city. It is 9 km away from Istanbul city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 40 km. The hotel has a total of 169 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Superior Room, Executive Room, and King Bed Suite. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to Montana Restaurant, meeting facilities, boardrooms, Spastanbul Health Club, fitness center, and swimming pool. 

Crowne Plaza Istanbul – Oryapark – Crowne Plaza Istanbul – Oryapark is a 5-star hotel located within Istanbul city. It is 23 km away from Istanbul city to the hotel. The distance from the airport is about 48 km. The hotel has a total of 196 rooms and suites consisting of various room types ranging from Standard Room, Leisure Room, Club Room, Junior Suite, and Executive Suite. It is suitable for both solo and family travelers. Some of the facilities provided at the hotel include but are not limited to the restaurant, full-service spa, indoor pool, fitness center, airport shuttle service, and free wi-fi.

Highlights in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia – Hagia Sophia was formerly known as the Church of Hagia Sophia, and now is officially known as the Holy Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. It was built as a Christian church in the 6th century under the direction of the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I, and subsequently became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is just 100 m away from Istanbul city and 42 km from the main airport. It will take roughly 1 minute to drive from Istanbul city to Hagia Sophia and around 45 minutes from the airport. Hagia Sophia opens from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm on weekdays with no entrance fee. 

Topkapi Palace Museum – Located in Sultanahmet, Topkapi Palace Museum consists of four large courtyards, where each courtyard has different attractions. This palace promises a trip in touch with nature to the visitors. There are also structures such as Hagia Irene Church and Istanbul Archaeological Museum in the palace. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Topkapi Palace Museum. Topkapi Palace Museum is just 3 km away from Istanbul city and 44 km from the main airport. It will take roughly 10 minutes to drive from Istanbul city to Topkapi Palace Museum and around 50 minutes from the airport. Topkapi Palace Museum opens daily from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and closes on Tuesday. The entrance fee is TRY100 per person and free for children under 8 years old. An additional fee is applied if the visitor wishes to visit each palace there. 

Grand Bazaar – Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is one of the world’s greatest shopping destinations and spanning 30,700 square meters to be the largest covered market in the entire world. The Grand Bazaar is home to almost 4,000 shops as well as its own mosque, restaurants, banks, police station, and post office. It will be a great loss to miss a visit to Grand Bazaar. Grand Bazaar is just 3 km away from Istanbul city and 41 km from the main airport. It will take roughly 10 minutes to drive from Istanbul city to Grand Bazaar and around 45 minutes from the airport. Grand Bazaar opens daily from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm with no entrance fee. 

Travel tips to Istanbul

Bring Extra ATM & Credit Cards During Your Travel

There is a saying that doesn’t keep all your money with your person when you travel, but that doesn’t mean you should not bring extra money at all. Keep extra credit and atm cards with you when you travel. This will help greatly when things go south and believe me, it probably will. Keeping cards instead of cash with your person is better and safer. 

Always Stay In Touch

Despite the beauty of the world, it is not necessarily a safe one. Even if you are doing a solo trip, always keep in touch with your family and/or friends. Let them have a copy of your itinerary so that they have an idea of where you are. Keep them close in contact each day and let them know when you are changing locations during your trip.

Keep Your Accommodation Address with You

This might sound ridiculous but it is important nonetheless. We tend to underestimate ourselves and assume we have it all in our heads. It is best to have it with you at all times because when you need a specific direction back, you can refer to it easily. It is best to keep it on paper as well because you will never know when the handy-dandy technology will fail you when you need it the most.

How to Book with Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp

Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp is the leading lifestyle SuperApp in Southeast Asia with over 100,000 flight routes offered and more than 100,000 hotels across the map. Traveloka gives you the best of both services, right from your fingertips. Traveloka Lifestyle SuperApp gives you the convenience you need when you are doing your flight search and flight booking. We always keep our user experience in mind when we build the mobile application system to ensure every user has a great experience using it.

Booking might be hard on certain online travel agency platforms, but Traveloka has its ways of making it easy for customers to book their flights. 

Search your flight

From either the mobile app or the desktop, you will be able to easily search for your flights by filtering the necessary information such as travel date, trip type for either one-way or return, etc.

Choose and Book a flight

You will be given information about the airline name, flight schedule, and ticket price once you arrived at the flight search results page. You can further refine your searches based on the filters you set.

Fill in Contact Information and Passenger Details

If you already have an account with Traveloka, you will be able to fill in your details in advance, thus when it is time to fill in your contact information and passenger details, you can just click on the information.

Complete Your Payment

From the many payment methods available, choose one that best suits you.

Receive Your E-ticket

Within 60 minutes after your payment is confirmed, we will send your e-ticket to your email.