Honeymoon in Istanbul: Romantic Things to Do and Where to Eat

Istanbul works as a honeymoon city because the romance and the food share the same table. Sail the Bosphorus by day, then eat dinner in a candlelit cistern or on a rooftop facing the lit-up Blue Mosque. This guide covers six romantic things to do, four restaurants for a dinner together, and six hotels honeymooners keep coming back to. Come in spring (April to May) or fall (September to October), when the weather is mild and the parks are at their best; spring visitors can plan around the Tulip Festival.

You will find 3 categories of honeymoon ideas in Istanbul:

• Romantic things to do in Istanbul

• Best restaurants for a romantic dinner in Istanbul

• Romantic hotels in Istanbul for honeymoon couples

6 best romantic things to do in Istanbul

1. Private cruise on the Bosphorus

Is there a better way to spend your honeymoon than to cruise along the Golden Horn? You’ll see the sights along the Bosphorus strait from both the European and Asian sides, including the ancient city monuments in the Sultanahmet neighborhood (the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia) and the lovely mosques on the Asian side, such as the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. A cruise can also get you a closer view of Maiden’s Tower.

A sunset or dinner cruise may be the most romantic option, but there are many types to pick from: cruises with belly dancers, Turkish folk music, or Turkish shows. If you’d rather eat that strait-side dinner on solid ground, our guide to the best Bosphorus restaurants in Istanbul lists tables right on the water.

2. Bike in Princes Islands (Büyükada)

These picturesque islands make a perfect honeymoon outing. Büyükada may be the most famous island in the Marmara Sea, and there’s much to see on it.

There are three ways to get around: horse carriage, cycling, or walking. On foot you won’t get far, since the island is pretty big. A horse carriage is lovely, but it doesn’t give you the freedom a bike does. You can bike to the historical spots, from Trotsky’s house to the many Ottoman mansions to churches like Agia Yorgi.

There’s a calm on these islands (at least on weekdays) that the crowded city center can’t offer. Take a break on any hill overlooking the sea and Büyükada starts to feel like a small, meditative town outside the city.

Bike rental is cheap, but bring a water bottle; the hills are real work. The views are worth it, and the ride balances out everything you’ll be eating the rest of the week.

3. Visit a Turkish bath together

There is a mysticism in the Turkish baths that you can reflect on while you’re served tea afterward. Most of these spa-like baths separate the sexes, but a few are couple-friendly, like Ağa Hamamı and Süleymaniye Hamam. Our guide to the best hamams in Istanbul walks through what to expect.

A Turkish bath is a perfect place to get clean and a romantic start to your night. The masseurs give you an exfoliating scrub, throw some suds on you, and work through whichever spa treatments you’ve opted into. Many luxury hotels have a Turkish bath, and some even put one in the room, but it would be a shame to visit Istanbul and skip the real thing.

Some places host you for a few hours. Others are happy to serve you Turkish tea, dried fruits, and nuts for as long as you wish to rest.

4. Day trip to Cappadocia and hot air balloon ride

Cappadocia is only an hour’s flight from Istanbul, and arranging a day trip is easy, with several booking options online.

The first thing you might want to do when you arrive is take in the views from a hot air balloon: volcanoes, fairy chimneys, cliffs, and houses, churches, and other buildings carved from soft volcanic rock. You may want to pay extra for breakfast, since you have to be at the balloon early in the morning, and some tours include champagne.

You can combine the balloon ride with an afternoon of exploring underground cities, staying in a cave hotel, quad biking around the UNESCO landscape, and drinking as much Turkish tea as you can manage.

For customized day tours from Istanbul to Cappadocia, please visit the Made in Turkey Tours website, and don’t forget to mention “Yummy Istanbul” to get a special bonus.

5. Take a food tour together on day one

Shaped by every region the Ottoman Empire reached, this country puts vibrant and diverse dishes on the table. It’s always a good idea to plan a food tour at the start of your trip, so you can revisit the best spots together for the rest of your stay.

The Taste of Two Continents tour is a full day of eating that doubles as a working map of the city. We’ve run food tours since 2013 and hosted more than 50,000 guests, and groups are capped at 10 people, so a honeymooning couple never disappears into a crowd. Tours run daily at 09:30, 10:30, and 11:30 and cost US$135 per person.

You start with a proper Turkish breakfast in the ancient city by the Golden Horn, then cross to Istanbul’s Asian side. Along the way your guide shares how daily life works in Istanbul, points out which places are tourist traps, and at the end helps you catch a ferry back to the European side. You’ll finish so full that dinner becomes a theoretical question.

There’s free cancellation with 24-hour notice, so a flight delay won’t cost you the booking. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

6. Watch the Maiden’s Tower and Galata Tower from Salacak

Go at sunset or in the evening to see the lights. Turkey has love stories that extend to its buildings, and there’s a little tale about these two towers. As tourists watched the Maiden’s Tower for years from the Salacak coast, the Galata Tower took notice and fell in love. They were star-crossed lovers, like Romeo and Juliet or Leyla and Mejnun: the tall, handsome Galata Tower and the dainty Maiden’s Tower could never be united because of the sea between them.

The Maiden’s Tower pined, and the Galata Tower wrote letters and poems. When the scientist Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi decided to fly, he chose the Galata Tower as his launch point. Climbing up, he heard the tower’s sighs and offered to carry its letters across the water. But as he flew over Istanbul, strong winds caught him, and every letter dropped into the Bosphorus.

The Galata Tower fell into a deep gloom watching his love letters hit the water. The Maiden’s Tower, though, finally understood that her love was returned, and she sang with the seagulls. The story goes that the two towers grow brighter day by day.

A lesser-known romantic story also surrounds the Maiden’s Tower, from the era when Istanbul was Greek. In ancient times, Leander fell in love with Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite living in the tower, and swam across to be with her.

Every night she would light a lamp to guide him, like a lighthouse. They parted for the winter and agreed to resume in summer, but one stormy winter night Leander saw the lamp burning. Thinking something terrible had happened, he swam into the turbulent water and the waves overtook him. When Hero saw his body, she threw herself from the tower. When the two washed up, they were found embracing.

Best restaurants for a romantic dinner in Istanbul

The four below are the honeymoon classics. For a wider field, our guides to the best restaurants in Istanbul and the city’s meze restaurants cover everything from white-tablecloth rooms to rakı-and-meze tables built for long conversations.

1. Mikla

The celebrity chef Mehmet Gürs draws on his Finnish-Turkish background, and each course arrives as a surprise. The rice pudding served with sour apple sorbet will stay with you (if it sets off a sütlaç habit, here’s where to chase it). And the room looks out over the skyline of Istanbul. Is there anything more romantic than watching the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, and Hagia Sophia lit up below you?

Do not forget to have a cocktail at the rooftop bar before or after your dinner.

2. Tuğra Restaurant at Çırağan Palace Kempinski

Known as the restaurant for proposals and honeymooners, this spot sits inside the old Çırağan Palace, right on the Bosphorus. You’ll be dining on dishes that were once served to sultans with a perfect view. Don’t miss the creamy Chicken Topkapı.

3. Sarnıç Restaurant

If you’ve ever wanted a romantic meal somewhere as striking as the Basilica Cistern, Sarnıç is the place. This cavern-like restaurant has a singular atmosphere, a short stroll from Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern itself. Note that it serves dinner only, and reviewers consistently mention the candlelit cistern setting.

4. Tarihi Viktor Levi Şarap Evi

A historic wine house with food that’ll have you reminiscing about Turkey for years. Try the sour cherry wine with the souffle for a real treat; the fettuccine Alfredo and grilled salmon are also strong. If the wine list sends you down a rabbit hole, our guide to Turkish wines explains what’s in your glass.

Romantic hotels in Istanbul for honeymoon couples

1. Çırağan Palace Kempinski

If you really want to make an impression in Istanbul, why not stay in a palace the Ottoman sultans lived in? This is a historic building for all of Turkey, built by the same architects as the Dolmabahçe Palace, which doesn’t accept guests.

2. Régie Ottoman

Régie Ottoman is a luxury boutique hotel surrounded by attractions like the Grand Bazaar. If you’re addicted to coffee, some of the rooms have an espresso machine, so you don’t need to wander the Old City to find a cafe.

3. Hotel Empress Zoe

Aside from its location in the ancient city, the rooms are an escape to another world. The Penthouse Suite has a private terrace with views of the Blue Mosque, and the larger suites have their own fridges and kitchen areas.

4. Rixos Pera Istanbul

Watch the sunset from your private balcony in the Terrace Suite. The location puts everything in view, including the lovesick Galata Tower. The huge walk-in shower is a bonus.

5. Four Seasons Bosphorus

Sometimes on a honeymoon you just need to unwind after a long day of walking. The Four Seasons has one of the most stunning views in Istanbul and sits in a great spot if one of you wants to go for a stroll while the other rests.

6. Sumahan on the Water

Right on the Bosphorus, this quiet, family-owned hotel has a fireplace for winter and beautiful water views for summer. It’s an escape from the bustle of the city.

Final words

Whether you’re an avid traveler or a newlywed, we hope these ideas make your honeymoon in Istanbul more romantic. Eat well while you’re at it: our Istanbul food guide collects every dish and neighborhood worth your appetite, and the classic local dishes are a fine place to start.