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Layover guideIstanbul · IST

Tipping in Istanbul

Not obligatory but appreciated; around 10-15% in restaurants, round up taxis, and tip in cash since cards usually cannot carry the tip.

Markus Spiske / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
All of Istanbul

At an esnaf lokantasi, where you pay a fixed price per plate, the official tourism board says bread is usually free, there is no service fee, and you are not expected to tip, though it is much appreciated if you do (GoTurkiye).

Turkey Travel Planner (long-running guidebook, not an official source) puts restaurant tips at 10-15%, and notes some upscale places add a 10% service charge to the bill, in which case an extra tip is optional.

Taxis: round the fare up to a convenient amount rather than tipping a percentage (Turkey Travel Planner).

Tip in cash handed directly to staff; tips generally cannot be added to a card payment. Turkish lira preferred, foreign notes (USD/EUR/GBP) accepted, no coins (Turkey Travel Planner).

  1. GoTurkiye (official Turkish tourism board), Turkish cuisine · checked 2026-09-28
  2. Turkey Travel Planner (guidebook), Tipping in Turkey · checked 2026-08-18

The rest of Istanbul

The whole guide
Getting out of the airportMetered taxis run 24 hours from the arrivals floor, the airport metro station is inside the terminal, and the city publishes every fare on the line.Ride-hailingiTaksi is the city council's own app, it dispatches taxis registered to the system, and the only pickup points the airport publishes are the taxi ranks.Local laws that catch crew outCarry photo ID at all times, keep opinions about Turkey off your phone, and treat antiquities and cheap spirits as the two quiet ways to ruin a trip.Staying connectedA handset brought from abroad works on a Turkish network for 120 days from your date of entry, then the regulator cuts it off unless the device is registered.WeatherMild marine climate: warm dry summers (~25C), cool wet winters (~7C) with occasional snow; December is the wettest month.Eating near the crew hotelsWaterfront street food at Eminonu/Karakoy and Ortakoy, late-night eats around Taksim, and Kadikoy across the water; lokantas are the cheap fixed-price feed.What to buyGrand Bazaar for jewelry, carpets and leather (haggle, always), Spice Bazaar for edibles; VAT refund at Tax Free shops, claimed at IST or SAW before departure.