Istanbul offers great attractions and things to do for its visitors during May.
Istanbul 5 Days Weather Forecast
Of course it is not possible to mention all the best things to do in Istanbul, but here you may find the most fascinating ones that you won’t want to miss during your stay in Istanbul in May.
Top 10 Things to Do in Istanbul in May 2019
1. Historic Day Out in Sultanahmet
For the ones who are a true enthusiast of history and want to see the city’s historic sites, we highly recommend you to visit and see Sultanahmet neighborhood. It is the best way to get the most out of the city’s sights, sounds, and scents. Sultanahmet hosts about all of the most visited historical and tourist sites in Istanbul, such as the Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome), Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Istanbul Archaeology Museums and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts are situated here and all can be explored by walking. Continue reading…
Guided Sultanahmet Tours via Get Your Guide Book Sultanahmet Day Tours via Viator
2. Take a Bosphorus Cruise
Bosphorus Cruise is one of the more popular and fantastic forms of entertainment on your Istanbul visit. Typical Bosphorus Cruises begin slightly to the east of the famous Galata Bridge and continues to Anadolu Kavagi which is the Bosphorus’ entrance to the Black Sea making numerous sightseeing stops along the strait. Continue reading…
Take Bosphorus Cruise via Get Your Guide Book & Enjoy Bosphorus via Viator
3. Explore the city on the Hop-on Hop-off Tourist Bus
BigBus Istanbul tour is a cheap way to discover and explore the popular zones of Istanbul which you just couldn’t walk to and see in one day. It drives through the popular sights along the interesting and different districts and neighborhoods of Istanbul and offers informative pre-recorded commentary that is available in 8 languages. The open topped double decker tourist bus really looks cool. Continue reading…
Take Big Bus Istanbul via Get Your Guide Book Big Bus Istanbul via Viator
4. Mystical night out at the Whirling Dervishes Show
Whirling Dervishes Show or Ceremony (“Sema” in Turkish) is one of the most visited attractions in Istanbul with the tourists. It is because that this ceremony is a very unusual event for the tourists and when they hear about it, majority of them try to catch this one hour show and witness the miracle of the whirling dervishes. The best performances take place at the Hodjapasha Culture Center in Sirkeci, Eminonu. Note that as this show is very popular among the majority of the tourists, you should buy your tickets at least 2 or 3 days before the show. Continue reading…
Book Whirling Dervishes via Get Your Guide Book Whirling Dervishes Ceremony via Viator
5. Enjoy the lively atmosphere at the Istiklal Street
Located in the Taksim neighborhood, Istiklal Street (Istiklal Avenue) is probably the most famous street and entertainment area in Istanbul. It is a long colorful pedestrian street full of all kind of shops, restaurants, cafes, street shows and more. Continue reading…
Book Istiklal Street Tours via Get Your Guide Guided Istiklal Street Tours via Viator
6. Visit the charming Museums of Istanbul
For the ones who are a true enthusiast of culture and art, Istanbul museums offers the best of the city’s historical heritage, culture and modern art. Istanbul hosts more than 80 museums and many art galleries showcase all the culture, arts and history; including painting, sculpture, photography and more. Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul Modern, Rahmi Koc Transport Museum and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts are amongst the best museums in Istanbul that won’t want to miss. Continue reading…
Get 5 Days Guided Museum Pass via Get Your Guide Buy 5 Days Museum Pass + Boat Tour via Viator
7. Visit Grand Bazaar and make shopping
The world famous Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi) is one of the greatest historical malls in the world, with its more than 4000 shops. You can find anything here from boots and slippers to gold and silver jewelry. Continue reading…
Get Guided Grand Bazaar Tours via Get Your Guide Book Guided Grand Bazaar Tours via Viator
8. Fun day out at the Istanbul’s Theme Parks
Istanbul offers great theme parks ranging from huge ones with variety of great thrills and rides to aquariums, dolphinariums, themed museums and more. Amusement and theme parks are not only the places for fun, but also great places for your kids’ learning and imagination development. We recommend you to visit the Isfanbul (formerly Vialand), Aquarium Sea Life Istanbul and Istanbul LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Continue reading…
Skip-the-Line Theme Parks Tickets via Get Your Guide Skip-the-Queue Theme Parks Tickets via Viator
9. Enjoy the intense Nightlife of Istanbul
Entertainment in Istanbul revolves around many of the entertainment venues that the city has to offer. The nightlife in Istanbul has really come alive in recent years and the locals will all tell you that the nightlife spreads out in all directions throughout the city. With its numerous bars, pubs, cafes, night clubs, music venues and restaurants of Istanbul, you can easily spend the night bouncing from one venue to the next. Continue reading…
Istanbul Night & Pub Crawl Tours via Get Your Guide Istanbul by Night Tours & Bar Crawl via Viator
10. Great day out in Ortakoy with Baked Potatoes
Located by the Bosphorus, Ortakoy is a very beautiful shore neighborhood of Besiktas district. The Ortakoy Sqaure is popular with the young people and Istanbul sightseeing takers. There are variety of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops at the square. The lively nights at the weekends are also fantastic. Many locals prefer to buy baked potatoes from numerous cafes and eat their baked potatoes by the beautiful views of the Bosphorus. Continue reading…
Top Selling Tours in May 2019 for Istanbul
You may explore Istanbul in May via daily tours made by the local travel agents with professional guides. It is a very good option if you don’t want to go through the hassle of making all the arrangements including the tickets, waiting at the queue and 2-ways transportation by your own and feel like you may have troubles with them. And we recommend the two world brands GetYourGuide or Viator tours, made by the best reputed and registered tour agents in Istanbul and offer comfortable, safe and the cheapest tours with 2-ways transportation from your hotel or meeting point, professional guides, insurance and easy cancellation.
Top Selling Istanbul Tours via Get Your Guide Best of Istanbul Excursions via Viator
All-in-one Cards for Istanbul’s Sightseeing
There are three types of Istanbul passes & cards that you may buy and have access to variety of Istanbul attractions including museums with fixed price and save a lot. We recommend those cards for the travelers that has a stay in Istanbul at least from 3 to 7 days. The most practical and cheapest way to explore Istanbul’s sights.
Istanbul Tourist Pass
The card allows you to choose from 20+ Istanbul attractions so you can pack as much into your stay as possible for a single set price. The card offers guided tours and fast track entry to 8 Istanbul museums including Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum, Basilica Cistern, Chora Museum, Hagia Irene Museum, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and Pera Museum. Plus; BigBus Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour, Bosphorus Dinner Cruise, Whirling Dervishes Show, Bosphorus Boat Trip, Sea Life Aquarium, Princes’ Islands Boat Trip, Hop-on Hop-off Bosphorus Boat Tour, Legoland Discovery Centre, Dialogue in the Dark/Silence, Xtrem Aventures, one way Airport Transfer and Unlimited Mobile Internet Access.
Istanbul Welcome Card
Offers guided tours and fast track entry to 12 Istanbul museums including Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum and Harem, Chora Museum, Fethiye Museum, Galata Mevlevi House, Hagia Irene Museum, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Istanbul Mosaic Museum, Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, and the Rumeli Hisar Museum with professional guides. Plus; a cruise on the Bosphorus and card loaded with 10 tickets for public transport.
- Istanbul Welcome Card by Get Your Guide from € 50
- Istanbul Welcome Card Classic by Viator from € 25
- Istanbul Welcome Card Premium by Viator from € 50
- Istanbul Welcome Card Deluxe by Viator from € 75
Istanbul 5-Day Guided Museum Pass
Offers guided tours and fast track entry to 5 Istanbul museums including Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Irene and Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum. And many pluses.
- 5-Day Guided Museum Pass by Get Your Guide from € 50
- 5-Day Museum Pass and Bosphorus Tour by Get Your Guide from € 56
- Viator’s 5 Days Museum Pass and Bosphorus Boat Tour from € 59
- Museum Pass, Bosphorus Boat Tour and Big Bus Ticket from € 109
- Guided Museum Pass: Skip-the-line Tickets with Guided Tours from € 50
- Istanbul Combo: Museum Pass,Whirling Dervishes Show and Bosphorus Boat Tour from € 69
