Is It Safe To Walk In Istanbul At Night?
Is it safe to roam around Istanbul at night?
In a city like Istanbul, which has 24-hour restaurants and clubs, Galata Bridge, Bosphorus, and Istiklal Streets, which are filled with people having fun at night, every tourist wants to leave the hotel at night and walk in the charming alleys and streets of Istanbul.
I am not an exception to this rule, and I love walking at night in Istanbul, but I always had a worry and fear before traveling to this city, and I was worried about whether the streets of Istanbul were safe for walking at night.
Since I am sure you may also face this question, I decided to write an article about this topic after a long stay in Istanbul. I am sharing all my experiences, both the safe and the cautionary, with you to help you make the most of your visit.
Is it safe to walk in Istanbul at night?
Table of Contents
Rest assured, the tourist areas of Istanbul are generally safe to walk at night. Based on my experiences, I can confidently say that you can explore these areas without any major concerns. However, it’s important to note that non-tourist areas may pose a higher risk, and caution is advised in these parts of the city.
Walking through unknown and dark streets in any city is dangerous for tourists. Since Istanbul is a tourist city and local people know that most of the tourists like to walk in the city at night, some of them may intend to scam or rob tourists in the quiet streets, but if you pay attention to the tips and don’t go anywhere in the city, the dangers of walking at night will stay away from you.
Some of the safe areas that I have introduced below are the best areas for walking at night because the statistics of crime is low in them, and I did not feel any danger while walking there:
The following neighborhoods are among the most dangerous and unsafe neighborhoods in Istanbul:
If you like to use areas other than the upper areas for walking, be sure to observe the following safety tips:
- Do not walk in dark and dimly lit places
- Do not enter narrow and lonely alleys.
- If someone is watching you, go to the nearest police.
- Before entering an unknown place, ask the locals about the place.
- Fraud tricks in the nights of Istanbul.
Istanbul has a population of about 15 million people, and among these 15 million people, thieves endanger the safety of tourists in some neighborhoods.
The probability of theft from tourists in Istanbul is low, but not zero. Fortunately, no one stole anything from me during my trip, but based on my research before my trip, I found out that a number of tourists’ belongings were stolen in this city.
Below, I have mentioned some tricks of fraud in this city:
- If someone tries to get close to you and take you to a secluded place under the pretext of a cheap hotel, be sure to stay away from him because he may be scamming you .
- People may approach you and introduce you to a nightclub and say that everything is cheap there, but I advise you not to go there at all because, at the end of the night, they will have a huge bill in front of you, and they will force you to pay it.
- If a person meets you on the street and spills the juice in his hand on you, do not let him clean your clothes because he may pick your pocket while doing so.
How to prevent theft?
- Try to dress like the people of Istanbul, so they think you are a local too.
- Do not be overwhelmed by talking on the phone, and be aware of your surroundings.
- Book a completely safe hotel and leave all your documents and most of your money there.
- Try to learn a little Turkish language so that you can answer them and run away if justified.
- Try to walk in a group and pay attention to each other.
Istanbul’s safe public transport at night
Metro and buses work until midnight in Istanbul and are very safe, but you have to be careful so that no one steals anything from you in the crowd.
If a taxi offers a low price, do not take it. It may take you to a secluded place and rob you. Always try to ride yellow taxis in the city and avoid riding in other people’s cars.
When will Istanbul’s security be less and more secure?
I have prepared a table in which I have stated the security of Istanbul according to the time.
| The level of security | Time |
| Safe | Morning to noon |
| Safe | Noon to early evening |
| More accuracy | From 9 pm to 12 pm |
| More caution | 12 pm to 5 am |
Essential contact information in Istanbul
- Police: 115, if you have access to the Internet, you can also use the website www.istanbul.pol.tr.
- Emergency services: 112, including all emergency services of ambulance, fire, and police.
- Fire department: 110
- Coast Guard: 158
- Number for foreign nationals: 903122929292
Be sure to take a screenshot of this section and have it on your phone
Finally
Istanbul is reasonably safe due to many tourists, so it is safe even for solo female travelers.
The Turkish government earns a lot of income from tourists and therefore tries to make all its cities safe so that more tourists travel to Turkey.
I enjoyed my trip to this city, and I recommend you travel to Istanbul and walk the streets with your family or friends to make a memorable memory.
In the end, I suggest you to read the following articles:
Although 5 years have passed since my trip to Istanbul, I still can’t forget its nights. Walking along the Bosphorus Strait, dancing in clubs until sunrise, etc. are some of the entertainments that you can only find in Istanbul.