Où partir à Istanbul en famille

Where to go in Istanbul with family

If you booked your flight and soon are coming to Istanbul with your children and wondering where to go in the city, we would like to let you know beforehand that there are plenty of great places to visit. Moreover, there are many places that are kid friendly, if you are curious about where to go in Istanbul with family . Now let us share our favorite places in Istanbul for your family trip here. We know you will enjoy your trip throughly if you visit some of our recommendations.

To Have a Fun Day with Kids

Istanbul Aquarium

Located in Florya, Istanbul Aquarium is the host of one of the coolest experiences for kids of all ages. In its class, it is one of the biggest and newest aquariums around in Europe and then, in the world. We believe most of the kids would not want to miss out on experiencing underwater world and seeing various species of spectacular fishes, guitar sharks and even penguins. This place is certainly at the top of the list for fun things to do in Istanbul with family.

Vialand

Established in 2013, Vialand is the first building complex in the world to combine a mall, show center and a theme park together. Given its uniqueness, every year it hosts tens of millions of visitors and would be an amazing sight for your children to see. It is definitely considered as one of the best places to visit in Istanbul with family.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Visiting famous Madame Tussauds Museums is always a good idea, regardless of the country you are in at the moment. So this famous museum has its branch in Istanbul as well and it hosts many great figures from near and far history – such as Katy Perry, Madonna, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, Atatürk, Albert Einstein, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. Taking quick selfies with those waxxed figures is one of the best things to do in Istanbul with family.

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Miniaturk

One of Turkey’s best child-friendly touristic attractions, Miniaturk has a special collection of the important miniature forms of the greatest Turkish monuments. Kids would be delighted to see the monuments there and adults too, as this open air museum is an unusual and fun place to experience. Also we are excited to add that you and your family can visit this place for free with Istanbul Tourist Pass.

Fun Lab

With its main branch in Cevahir Shopping Mall, Fun Lab is Europe's biggest in-mall family entertainment center with 4 storey-high area of 16.000 squaremeters. It has a wide range of entertainment tools such as video games, VR/Simulation units or softplay grounds designed for kids of varying ages. We believe your kids won’t regret the time they will have here.

Balat Toy Museum

This museum is a famous place of interest for people of all ages. Toy Museum is famous for its antique toys that date back to hundreds of years ago. Located in Balat, this place also offers various workshops for families who want to have a fun day together. So you as a parent don’t need to think about how you will pass the time there, you can enjoy one of the activities it offers alongside your kids.

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To Combine Fun and Culture

Hagia Sophia

The former museum, now mosque has a bizarre history dating back to Roman, Byzantine and lastly Ottoman Empire. It is a highly beloved historical monumentum by the world. As a result, the historical monument is in every traveler’s list who came to Istanbul.

If your kids like nice architectural buildings and history,(and even if they don’t particularly like history) this is a must-see place in any case. This building, lately, was transformed into a mosque yet its magic that touches upon the empires and two of the biggest world’s religions throughout history remains. Its old soul is what makes this mosque-museum one of the best places to visit in Istanbul with family.

Topkapi Palace

Located in Sultanahmet, this old palace holds a special place in Turkish history as it was home to many of the Ottoman emperors throughout the history. It has great touches of history and also satisfies the curiosity of the foreign and native tourists equally as a museum. So if you are interested in touring the mesmerizing Topkapi Palace with your kids, we would like to let you know that Istanbul Tourist Pass grants access to more than 85 attractions, including Topkapi Palace.

Galata Tower

Positioned in Karaköy, this place is a huge attraction for the city. With its historical qualities and great location overlooking whole Istanbul, the historical tower offers an unforgettable experience to everyone. It is, for instance, a lovely place to take photos when you are inside or outside close to the tower and it has a restaurant inside. To us, one of the best things to do in Istanbul with family is taking selfies when at the top of Galata Tower. And the best thing about it is that you can have this experience for free if you have Istanbul Tourist Pass with you.

Ortaköy Neigbourhood

Istanbul’s lively waterfront neighbourhood is worth paying a visit as it has a lot of history and offers great views. Ortaköy has bars, cafes, restaurants on one side and Ortaköy Mosque on the other side. So as you have just arrived here, allow us to mention the brief history of Ortaköy Mosque to you. It is a 19th-century artchitectural structure that has touches from baroque and neoclassical movements and it is very unexpected for a mosque in Turkey to have such influences, so it is definitely one of a kind. Also the Ortaköy neighbourhood is nearby the Bosphorus Bridge, so it has spectacular views worth seeing.

Istiklal Street

Being one of the most important avenues in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district throughout history, Istiklal Street has many qualities that will satisfy different type of travelers. If you want a place for shopping, it has everthing about shopping, shopping centres and hundreds of stores with every kind of product you can imagine. If you want to see beautiful historical sites along the Street, for instance Saint Antoine Church, they are right there for you to experience. If you want to have a drink and a fancy meal, from little to big or from traditional to foreign, restaurants of all kinds are ready to serve along Istiklal Street. So that you can have a calm fancy evening with your spouse and kids. A day in Istiklal Street as a tourist is absolutely a day spent well.

FAQ

Is Istanbul a good place to visit with kids?

Turkey has a unique culture that puts family and children’s wellbeing first. Turks emphasize family as a priority in everything they do. So knowing this, just know that a holiday in Istanbul will be one of the greatest family vacation experiences ever for your little ones.

Is Turkey a good place to visit with kids?

Turkey is one of the most hospitable countries around the world, as said by the visitors themselves. Also the country is home to many historical monuments of the world, wonderful beaches and gorgeous nature that you and your children will enjoy experiencing. Same thing can be said for Istanbul as well.

What is the nicest area in Istanbul?

Istanbul is massive and has many districts, so deciding a certain area would be hard. But most popular ones are as follows: Kadıköy, Beşiktaş, Taksim, Karaköy, Ortaköy.

How many days do you need in Istanbul?

Given its many sights for touristic sight-seeing, unique food to taste, places to see we calculate that you will need at least 4 full days to catch the beauty of this matchless city.