Working Remotely in Istanbul, Turkey
This is part of my remote work travel series where I review places I visit as a digital nomad. Check out the rest of my posts and follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, Substack, and TikTok for more travel content!
Istanbul is a bit off the beaten path for most digital nomads and remote workers. When you think of places to whip out your laptop and do some work while enjoying great food, Turkey might not be an obvious choice. However, I loved Istanbul — and my long weekend trip to Cappadocia, where I celebrated my 30th birthday!
From delicious Turkish breakfast spreads to otherwordly views of mosques and underground cities, Turkey has a lot to offer digital nomads and remote workers looking for destinations perfect for long-term stays.
In this travel guide, I’ll share where to stay, what to eat, and some considerations for travelers wondering if it’s safe to visit Istanbul, Turkey.
Let’s dive in:
4 Tips for Getting Around Istanbul, Turkey for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
The Basilica was one of my favorite stops on the tour we took (linked down below). Lots of cool art exhibits here.
Here are 4 things to keep in mind when you’re traveling around Istanbul:
A taxi is the best way to get from the airport to the city center. When we saw there was a train we could hop on from the airport, we decided to give it a try — but the train line didn’t go into the city center and we ended up having to get a taxi to where we were staying, anyways. It’s easiest just to get a taxi in the taxi line at the airport: just be sure to confirm the fare before you get in the cab — and make sure the taxi you pick has seatbelts, first. (It’s more rare than you’d think in Istanbul, unfortunately.)
You’ll need a headscarf and will have to cover your legs and shoulders if you want to visit a mosque. You can buy a headscarf near the Blue Mosque if you don’t have one. I even saw some people getting crafty and just using hoodies as head coverings as well. Also be aware that you’ll be taking off your shoes, so socks are a good choice for the day you decide to visit the mosques and Hagia Sophia.
Cash is good to have, but most places take credit cards. It’s always nice being in a modern city that takes credit cards: we’ve been in cities lately that haven’t, so this is a nice change.
Places with views have the worst food. This is true with most cities, but it bears repeating here in Istanbul: rooftop restaurants and sunset cruises are great places to enjoy a drink or some light appetizers — not a full meal, as you’ll be overpaying for mediocre food. Enjoy the view with a snack and drink only!
Where to Stay in Istanbul, Turkey for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
If it’s your first time visiting Istanbul, I highly recommend staying in the neighborhood of Cihangir within the Beyoğlu district:
This area is awesome. One of our taxi drivers shared that this area has long since been a haven for writers, artists, and actors — and now, apparently cats and hairdressers, both of which are plentiful and inhabit every corner of this hip neighborhood.
The only thing that was hard to find in this neighborhood was a good gym: the one gym nearby was a tiny room with old equipment that charged $100 USD for the month which felt way overpriced. There are, however, LOTS of pilates studios around, so if you’re a pilates fan you’ll have lots of options.
What to Do in Istanbul, Turkey for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
I loved how the food tour I listed below crosses both continents — and includes a ferry ride across the Bosphorous!
There is so much to do and see in Istanbul. Here are some of the highlights:
Take a tour of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica, and the Grand Bazaar. This tour was a great way to knock out some of the top attractions in the city all within one 8-hour day. If you take the tour on a Tuesday like we did, the palace will be swapped out for an attraction like the underground Basilica, which I think is far cooler than any palace. The Basilica (as seen in the James Bond movie From Russia with Love!) used to be a place where water was stored for previous empires, but is now an art attraction with cool lighting and art exhibits in this moody, vibey cave-like structure underground. I recommend taking this tour on your first day or two in Istanbul: you can call an Uber/taxi from Cihangir (which I would recommend — Uber/Taxis work fine if you call them from this neighborhood) but if you try and call an Uber or Taxi from where the tour ends in the Grand Bazaar you’ll get ripped off. Instead, get a tram card and take the tram back to the base of the hill by Cihangir and walk back home from there. I’d also recommend getting a good breakfast — or at least bring snacks! — as this tour doesn’t include a food break because you’re seeing back-to-back attractions. It is quite touristy, but the guide is really solid and a nice guy who knows his history.
Take a food tour by Culinary Backstreets. This food tour was amazing because it covered some great places to eat on both the Europe and Asia sides of Istanbul — and included a ferry ride over to the Asia side! The ferry was honestly lots of fun, and we saw so many jellyfish over the side of the boat. This food tour had a guide that really cared about teaching us about Turkish traditions around food and drink, and took us to some really hole-in-the-wall places that were great. I also appreciated how well they accommodated vegetarians on this tour — something that can be a bit challenging.
Learn about Turkish Coffee and get your fortune read. If you’re a coffee lover, you absolutely have to take this Turkish Coffee class! It was a fun way to learn about how to make Turkish Coffee and the traditions and stories associated with it. You leave with a free gift, and have the option to purchase everything needed to make Turkish coffee at home. This experience was really well priced and a nice two hours to slot in before your workday starts.
Take a long weekend trip to Cappadocia to see hundreds of hot air balloons and the underground cities. Cappadocia is a magical place that, while touristy, is such a cool place to visit that you should include as part of your Istanbul trip. I’ve included a separate section about tips for how to plan this down below!
There are so many arts-centered classes and experiences in Istanbul: you can take classes where you learn to make beads, plates, lamps — it can be overwhelming to see how much there truly is to do and see in this city. And I haven’t even mentioned the palaces — and if you dig them, you’ll be pleased by the relics of the Ottoman Empire here in Istanbul.
Even what I’ve mentioned above is plenty to keep you busy for an entire month alongside your work schedule. But if you’re craving more, you can also visit the Prince Islands (where former princes were exiled so they wouldn’t fight with each other) or the famous beaches. I’m not including any tips for these in this post because I didn’t have time to visit them, but I wanted to mention them in case a beach day is in your future.
What to Eat in Istanbul, Turkey for Digital Nomads + Remote Workers
The amazing Turkish Breakfast spread from Sa Va Anatolian Breakfast House!
Okay, but seriously, what NOT to eat in Istanbul is a better question. Istanbul is officially one of my favorite foodie cities now, and Turkish food is amazing.
Here are some of my favorite finds in the Cihangir neighborhood of Istanbul:
For a Turkish Breakfast: Sa Va Anatolian Breakfast House. I can’t understate how amazing a Turkish breakfast is. You’re served a variety of breads, dips, vegetables, and fruits — and in true Mediterranean mezze style, you go wild with all the small plates and bowls of things. After years of being unsatisfied with European breakfasts (Italy, I’m looking at you!) I was blown away by this amazing spread, and the Sa Va Anatolian Breakfast House served the best Turkish breakfast that we had in Istanbul. You absolutely have to experience a Turkish breakfast at least once during your time here — if not multiple times if you’re like us and stayed down the street from this place :) Just another reason to stay in the Cihangir neighborhood of Istanbul!
For Breakfast: New York Bagel & Coffee. This bagel joint rivals what I’ve had in NYC! Get the avocado egg bagel sandwich and a green juice on the days you’re looking for something hearty and semi-healthy when you’re not enjoying Turkish breakfasts.
For Grab-and-Go Coffee: EspressoLab. This is one of those rare coffeeshops in the area that's open early and has good lattes and plenty of seating -- and is laptop-friendly. Is it the nicest or friendliest coffeeshop in the area? No, not really -- but it has the benefit of being the only place open early and the coffee is really solid.
For Grab-and-Go Matcha Lattes: Härman Coffee Shop. This is hands-down the best matcha latte I've had in Europe! I highly recommend the iced matcha latte with vanilla oat milk. It's light, refreshing, and they don't skimp on the matcha like other places do! It's a bummer they don't open earlier than 10am, otherwise this would be my daily go-to coffeeshop. But it's a great place for an afternoon pick-me-up and a must-visit for matcha lovers.
For Grab-and-Go Smoothies and Acai Bowls: JUİCERY Coldpress Smoothies & More. If you’re looking for a healthy protein smoothie with some veggies or an acai bowl, this is the place to go! While their juices don’t seem to be made fresh, the smoothies are. The only other caveat with this place is that the hours are sometimes different than what’s listed on Google, but other than that it’s a great place in the neighborhood to get a healthy green smoothie.
For Dinner: Vegan Dükkan Lokanta. This vegan place is amazing, and one of our go-to spots here in Istanbul! The kebab dish is perfect and very filling, and features an amazing bean sprouts salad, some kimchi, rice, and a vegan kebab with a tasty yogurt sauce. The staff is friendly, and it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for something on the healthier side of things.
For Dinner: Hanimeli Turkish Food & Vegan Options. This Turkish food place had amazing vegetarian options, including a veggie version of the Turkish ravioli (so good!) From what I’ve gathered, this is a family-owned place and the people here are super nice. The vegetable dishes are also great, and you can’t go wrong with most of the menu.
For Baklava: Karaköy Güllüoğlu - Nadir Güllü. Listen, this is going to sound a bit blasphemous, but I’m not really a baklava fan. I’m more of a donuts or gelato kind of dessert person. But if you’re here to have some famous baklava, then you should go here. They also have a lovely outdoor patio in the back, so grab your baklava and some Turkish delights and enjoy the nice weather and summer breeze! Also, this is the one item on this list that isn’t directly in the Cihangir neighborhood, so you will have to venture down the hill for this one.
For Baklava: Carrefour Grocery Store. Okay, this is probably even more blasphemous — my partner Kyle tried all of the famous baklava in the city, but decided his favorite baklava was actually the kind made fresh at the Carrefour grocery store down the street. Simple, tasty, and cheap. The workers at the baklava counter also refused to sell to us one day because it wasn’t made fresh — and told us to come back tomorrow. We did, and appreciated that they were trying to preserve our baklava experience. Sometimes it’s not about the fancy things: the best stuff is right around the corner.
The one thing I didn’t really find here in Istanbul was a great casual lunch spot or sandwich place. “Fast casual” isn’t really a thing in Europe: almost everywhere you can expect to sit down and have proper table service, even at a lot of coffeeshops.
As a remote worker and digital nomad, I enjoy using meals as a time to get out of the house and go on a walk, but for lunch I couldn’t find a good takeout spot with vegetarian nearby. I ended up skipping lunch most days and just ate fruit and nuts at home. Or, I would get a smoothie as “lunch” and just opt in for an earlier dinner. Not a bad problem to have, just something that’s a bit different from other cities I’ve been to.
How to Plan a Long Weekend Trip to Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia is a must-visit if you’re spending any time in Turkey. While Cappadocia is built for tourists, I found it magical — and I’m saying this as someone who didn’t love touristy destinations like the Amalfi Coast!
What made Cappadocia so special was the unique nature surrounding it — as well as the fact that hundreds of hot air balloons fly into the sky each morning.
I recommend staying at the family-run Koza Cave Hotel if you’re planning on visiting Cappadocia. It’s a little pricey, but you should stay in a cave hotel with an epic rooftop to make the most of your time here — trust me, I spent hours doing research on hotels and this was the right choice by far. The Koza Cave Hotel has the highest rooftop in Cappadocia, providing the best view of the balloons that fly right by the cozy rooftop nestled next to otherworldly fairy chimneys. The hotel staff also brings you coffee in the morning as you’re watching the sunrise, and helps to take those all-to-important rooftop photos to help memorialize such a special view. There are also tons of kittens on the loose when we were visiting, as the owners of the hotel were caring for them and also helping to nurse one of the kittens back to health that they found abandoned. Also, the cost for the room includes a free Turkish breakfast (buffet style!) each morning, which was incredible.
If you want to meander around Cappadocia by yourself, you should rent a car. But if you’re like us and didn’t want the hassle of renting a car and plotting out what to do each day, then you can join the “Red Tour” or “Green Tour” that encapsulates the must-do things in Cappadocia.
As a fair warning, the red and green tours were a bit touristy: while you get to see cool stuff like real Turkish rug makers weaving silk rugs, you’ll also be given apple tea and a sales pitch on why you should buy one of these rugs. It’s a very “welcome-to-the-gift shop” kind of experience, with some history woven in.
If I were you, I would skip the red tour and instead recommend this 3-day itinerary:
Day one: fly into Cappadocia and get settled at the Koza Cave Hotel. Go out to dinner at Kilim, which has a set menu of amazing Turkish food cooked in a Tandoor oven.
Day two: wake up early to see the balloons, then go on the full-day Green Tour, where you’ll see sights like Pigeon Valley, the Underground City, and a river valley walk where you’ll have lunch by the river. When the tour ends, eat an early dinner at Setan, where you’ll have an amazing rooftop view.
Day three: wake up early to see the balloons if they weren’t flying the previous day, and then fly back to Istanbul.
While we did a 5-day trip to Cappadocia, you could easily compress it into the above 3-day itinerary and still have a great time. If you want to fly in a hot air balloon, however, you should probably add an extra day or two just in case your flight gets canceled due to weather.
While there are spas in Cappadocia, I’d recommend skipping them here. Instead, visit a Hammam (a Turkish spa) in Istanbul.
Overall Thoughts on Istanbul, Turkey — and Is It Safe to Visit Istanbul?
The best matcha in Europe.
Istanbul is one of those cities that still feels a little wild. Cats own the streets, taxi drivers swerve through traffic like they’re running from the law, and the metal detectors at every mall and airport entrance feel like the city is bracing for something bad to happen. The call to prayer that plays over loudspeakers each day reminds you of the different culture you’re in compared to cities in the West, and the unfamiliar food is new and exciting.
All of that is in stark contrast to the coffeeshops serving matcha lattes under the glow of neon signs, and the bored models wandering around Cihangir on their way to a pilates studio or casting call.
Istanbul was never really on my radar before this year. Then, when I shared with other nomads my travel plans, I got an outpouring of recommendations and exclamations that “Istanbul is one of my favorite cities I’ve ever been to!” and “Cappadocia is ripped straight from a fairy tale!”
In many ways, Istanbul is a remote worker’s dream: great weather, amazing coffee, and affordable food are all right at your doorstep. The culture is pretty relaxed, and locals hang out outside drinking tea from their “tea guy” or spend hours breaking bread with family and friends. It’s a culture built around shared experiences, but I also don’t want to glamorize it too much, either.
Solo female travelers might feel a bit unsafe in the areas around the mosques, and one of my friends found herself having some not great experiences in some pretty touristy areas. Women’s rights are still being fought for here (as they are in the United States as well), and if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community it’s not super safe for you here. A news story that ran on Yahoo! News recently shared the story of a Portuguese man saying he was arrested because he “looked gay.” Last week, there was quite a large police presence due to a trans rights protest that was happening in Taksim Square.
So if you’re considering visiting Turkey, I’d just like to remind you that my experiences reflect those of a white woman traveling with a man in a city that might not be as friendly to other groups. As a digital nomad from the United States who earns in USD, these blogs come with an acknowledgment of a level of privilege I’m lucky to have, and I recognize that.
Ultimately, these blogs are meant to be travel guides — and I’m not well-read or well-informed enough to comment deeply on the political side of things — but I thought I’d bring these elements up as they would affect certain travelers’ comfort levels here.
My Ratings of Istanbul, Turkey as a Digital Nomad
Affordability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. There are areas of Istanbul that are more affordable than others. Our neighborhood (Cihangir) was amazing… but definitely more expensive than other areas of the city. One dish at our favorite vegan cafe down the street was $16, for example. Ironically, we had booked Turkey also as a counterpart to what we thought would be a more expensive trip in Japan earlier this year, but we spent way less on food in Kyoto compared to Istanbul. However, if you find more local eateries and stay on the Asian side of Istanbul, there are a lot more affordable food options.
Food Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Everything we ate was amazing. The vegetables — even at humble hole-in-the-wall kebab places — were always so fresh and delicious. Turkish people only drink tea from clear glasses because they like to make sure their tea is translucent — a sign that it’s made well. I think that speaks to an overall care for the food experience here in Turkey, which I love and respect about their culture.
Vegetarian Options: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Most places had vegetarian options, and there were tons of vegan cafes as well. Istanbul and Buenos Aires are easily the two most vegetarian- and vegan-friendly cities I’ve been to this year. This doesn’t get a perfect five-star rating only because I wish there were more tofu dishes around, as I found a lot of vegan dishes lacking in some extra plant protein.
Adventures/Day Trips: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. I’ve heard amazing things about the Prince Islands and the beaches here in Turkey, but I didn’t make it there because we diverted to Cappadocia for a few days, instead. However, Cappadocia was a great long weekend trip, and because of the ease of a quick flight to the rest of Turkey’s beachy weekend trips, I’m giving Istanbul a 4/5 for nearby adventures.
Cafes/Co-Working Space Availability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. I’ve come to expect that most European cities are not laptop-friendly — but that’s not true with Istanbul. There was both a chain coffeeshop that opened at 7am (crazy!!) in our neighborhood that had a whole upstairs area where people worked on laptops as well as an open-air local coffeeshop with amazing fresh ginger and turmeric tea where people had laptops out all day. If you’re a remote worker, there are some good options for places to work, but I’m just shy of giving the whole city five stars because while Istanbul is much more remote-work-friendly than other places in Europe, it isn’t quite at the level Seoul was.
Digital Nomad-Friendly City: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. Istanbul doesn’t have great public transportation, which was a bit of a bummer after being spoiled silly by all of the amazing transport in cities in Asia I’ve been in since March. But what’s also annoying is that Uber doesn’t work well here: instead, you can hail taxis that seem to never have working seatbelts, which is not great considering the taxi drivers drive like crazy people. Transport aside, Turkish hospitality is a real thing, and I felt welcome and safe 95% of the time I was wandering around the city. People went out of their way to help us when we needed it, and the city itself was pretty easy to navigate. It was easy to book things and find cool experiences in the city. Overall — a pretty easy place to explore for nomads, and most people we encountered spoke conversational English. However, due to some of the political aspects I mentioned earlier, I’m only giving this city three out of five stars.
Value of Accommodations for Remote Workers: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. You can get some amazing accommodations in Istanbul for not too much money, especially if you opt for a month-long stay like we did. Where you stay in town will determine how much you’ll spend on your accommodation, but overall I’d say the value you get for your money goes pretty far here. Maybe not as affordable as Buenos Aires, but still really affordable considering everything you’re getting from the city.
General Weather: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Istanbul has gorgeous weather: summers on the Mediterranean are sublime, with cool breezes and a fairly dry climate — no nasty humidity to surprise you. We stayed for all of June, and the weather was perfect, save for a few hot days here and there. But after coming from very humid countries (Singapore and Taiwan!) we were grateful for a coastal city with incredible weather.
Air Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Cities on the water have air quality advantages, but Istanbul still had a few smoggy days when we first arrived. Luckily, it cleared up fast, but just be aware that air quality in Istanbul can be a bit variable. It’s not nearly as bad as cities like Seoul, though!
Water Quality: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars. While water quality is supposed to be pretty safe here, we ended up getting water jugs which is pretty common here. I’d avoid tap water if I were you, even if it’s filtered.
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. I didn’t think I would love a city more than Athens — but Istanbul snuck up on me! I was taken aback by the beauty of this city, and how there are so many amazing things to eat and do here. While Istanbul isn’t as traditionally popular as Athens, I recommend coming to see for yourself why Istanbul is such an incredible place to explore.
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