Useful solo travel tips Turkey for women (and men)
Back when I first travelled around Turkey on my own in 1990 there were no mobile phones, the internet didn’t exist and the only way to let my family know I was safe was via occasional expensive phone calls from the post office or aerogram letters that took six weeks to arrive. Needless to say, a lot of the time they weren’t 100% sure where I was or how I was doing.
Despite the advent of modern technology meaning we’re better connected than ever before with lots of useful apps, many of the unspoken rules I followed then are still relevant now.
Here are some of my useful solo travel tips Turkey
A lot of the following solo travel tips Turkey apply whether you’re travelling through the country on your own or even if you’re with friends. Men take note, some of them will come in handy for you too.
Solo Travel Tips Turkey on what to wear
On the surface, Istanbul is a modern city just like anywhere else, especially if you don’t venture much outside Sultanahmet, Taksim environs, Kadikoy and major shopping centres. In summer you see a lot of women wearing floral beach dresses and shorts, and year round piercings and tattoos appear to be the norm. You also see women covered head-to-toe in black or wearing headscarves and neutral coloured long coats.
As a tourist, digital nomad or longer stay visitor it’s common to see this diversity as acceptance by the larger Turkish population that anything goes when it comes to clothing. However most people in Istanbul’s tourist hotspots are exactly that, foreigners rather than Turks. Even the women who cover. Many are from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UK and elsewhere.
If you like to reveal a lot of flesh in summer because it’s hot, be that a halter neck for women or shorts for guys, and you plan to visit a lot of mosques, you might want to rethink your outfit. Otherwise you’ll spend a lot of time getting hot and bothered pulling on long pants to cover your legs and draping a voluminous scarf around your upper body to meet the standards of modesty required before you can enter.
If your trip is all about getting the best snap for Instagram and interacting with ordinary people who live in Turkey (not just people working in tourism) isn’t on your wish list, wear what you want. However if you do want to engage with Turkish people, especially in villages and the east and south eastern parts of the country, more is not the way to go when it comes to how much flesh to expose.
Even in Istanbul dressing more conservatively has a lot of advantages, particularly outside the main tourist areas, particularly for women. You’ll still be recognisable as a foreigner from the cut of your clothes, the way you walk and your physical appearance but you’ll stand out less. Locals of all persuasions will be more comfortable engaging with you, rather than eyeing you up like an alien on their turf.
Don’t stand so close to me – unwanted attention, staring and overly personal questions
When my young second cousin came to visit me in Istanbul some years ago, her friend told me the guy working at their hotel was really friendly. He liked to laugh and chat with her and often put his arm around her. She wasn’t sure if this was OK, and wanted to know what I thought about his behaviour.
This is what I told her. It’s not as common for men and women to just be friends in Turkey as in other countries. If you do find yourself in the company of the opposite sex for a long period of time, bear this in mind. Your general friendliness and flashing lots of smiles might be taken as an invitation to take things to a more intimate level. If that’s what you want all well and good, but if not, it helps to dial it back a bit until you see how the land lies.
Turks are very tactile and you’ll often see women and also men walking arm in arm, kissing each other on the cheeks or draped over one another when they’re sitting around at a café or bar. That does not mean however that they’re anything other than 300% and counting hetero.
Turkey’s LGBTQIA+ communities have a rough time in Istanbul and elsewhere but you can party like it’s 1999, as long as you’re conscious of local attitudes. The Ultimate Istanbul Queer Travel Guide is full of good suggestions and recommendations.
It’s helpful to remember that body language isn’t always universal so a fun physical joke in your country can be received as a major insult in another. Check out my guide to Turkish body language for more information. It’ll help you keep out of trouble and maybe teach you some new ways to communicate.
Turkish people are endlessly curious about foreigners. You’ll be asked where you’re from, if you’re married, about your job and your salary and all sort of personal questions that might feel inappropriate. Try to take it in your stride and don’t get offended. I tend to be pretty vague about money and always mention the existence of my husband if the person asking is a man giving off an overly interested vibe. Note that wearing a wedding ring won’t stop certain types trying it on.
Most women in Turkey never go out on their own. They’re either with their husband or children, assorted relatives or friends. If you’re single and on your own and a person asks you to have a tea or a drink with them, my gut response is say no. Especially if you’re a man (see relevant section in this World Nomads article ), it’s night, and you have no idea where the café or bar is.
If the asker persists, get creative. If it’s daytime say you have reserved tickets for one of the major sites/a boat trip/a tour, thank them and leave. If it’s in the evening say you have to go back to your accommodation to Zoom your mum/for work/your friend. Assuming you’ve taken my advice (see accommodation section further down) and are staying at a hotel, if the person insists on accompanying you there, you can ask reception to intervene.
Solo travel tips Turkey by bus
I’ve never been to the US but from what friends tell me, travelling around on Greyhound buses is pretty sketchy. In Turkey, the long distance bus travel is very different. Dozens of companies run clean, modern and comfortable buses to all parts of the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Right from when I first caught a long distance bus in Turkey in 1990, unaccompanied women have never been seated next to an unrelated male, or any male for that matter. You’re always seated next to a women and since Covid, for a small extra fee, you can opt to sit in the single seat row so you won’t have anyone next to you at all. If for some reason you find you have been seated next to a man, don’t be afraid to make a fuss and insist he be moved.
If you’re travelling on your own take the usual precautions when you get off the bus during food and toilet breaks – don’t leave your valuables unattended and keep your money close. I’ve never had any problems but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
On that note, lock the bag you stow under the bus. Women might prefer to go the less is more option when it comes to how much to pack . Although there’s no shortage of men to help carry your luggage, being able to easily manoeuvre your own bag means you won’t need to depend on anyone and can get away quickly if you’re on the receiving end of too much attention. Also, if you have extra room in your bag that means more space to put the souvenirs I know you’ll want to buy.
Travelling around Turkey by plane
If you don’t fancy a long bus trip, overnight or otherwise, you can always opt to fly between destinations. Istanbul is a major hub with two international airports. Istanbul Airport is on the European side of town and Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian side. My posts have all the information you need about getting to and from both of them.
They’re well connected by public transport, of which I’m a big advocate, but know it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. When I need to be picked up from or get to I use one of these GetYourGuide website airport transfers.
Do note there aren’t a lot of direct flights from starting points other than Istanbul. So when you decide to fly from say, Ankara for example, to elsewhere in the country, check the details otherwise you might end up with a layover in Istanbul until your connecting flight.
Accommodation in Turkey
Accommodation in Turkey and my budget have come a long way since my first time in the country. These days when I want to find a place to stay I use Booking.com.
Although AirBnB options are good for longer stays because you have more room and can cook when you want, new licensing laws mean there are now less available in Turkey. If you do book privately, make sure the owner of the premise has an official license.
Be aware that quaint looking place you choose off the internet might be located in a small backstreet with poor lighting, no local shops, cafes or much else nearby. In terms of feeling safe it might not be the wisest choice. There are also other practical things like what happens if you accidently get locked out, fall ill or need help. That’s why I prefer a hotel with a reception desk and staff available to assist.
Whatever your preference, make sure you book in advance, even if only a few days before so you’re not out in the dark looking for somewhere to stay. This is particularly relevant during Turkish national public holidays and throughout summer, when the country is teeming with people visiting family and tourists coming for a break.
Solo travel tips Turkey to help you feel safe
One way to feel safe when you travel solo is to be able to stay in touch with family back home independently of hotel or café wifi. The easiest way to do this is to buy an e-sim (a digital SIM) package for your phone. Airalo is easy to load with lots of affordable plans. Data only plans let you keep in touch via the internet (Facetime, Whatsapp etc) or you can get a data + phone number package if you prefer.
Roughly plan out what you want to see and do in advance. Particularly for Istanbul, once you know what’s on your must see list, buy a Museum Pass. It not only saves money, it means less time wasted in long, slow moving ticket sale queues. Also, having an idea of where you’re headed and how to get there means you won’t end up standing around for ages looking obviously lost.
Istanbul is a rabbit warren of unplanned streets and it’s easy to lose your way. Turks are more than happy to help with directions, even when they don’t know the right way. The best rule of thumb is to ask three different people and then ask some more. Alternatively, look up your destination on your phone if you have mobile data but be aware it’s not always easy to follow.
Like anywhere Turkey has a range of numbers to call in case of accidents and emergencies, as well as a websites listing anything from out-of-hours chemists to what day and where the nearest local street market is held. You’ll find information about them here in my useful phone numbers Turkey post.
One last solo travel tips Turkey piece of advice that goes for everyone really. The country is generally safe and easy to travel around, but Turkey is near parts of the world that can unexpectedly erupt in unrest. It’s a good idea to be able to cancel or postpone your trip at short notice so even if I never claim on it, I always take out travel insurance. I recommend Visitors Coverage.
Check with your embassy for up-to-date travel notices about Turkey and read my general safety travel tips post for other things to consider.
Some final notes on solo travel tips Turkey to help you make your travel plans.
For FLIGHTS I like to use Kiwi.com.
Don’t pay extra for an E-VISA. Here’s my post on everything to know before you take off.
CITY TOURS & DAY TRIPS: Let me guide you around Kadikoy with my audio walking tour Stepping back through Chalcedon or venture further afield with my bespoke guidebook Istanbul 50 Unsung Places. I know you’ll love visiting the lesser-known sites I’ve included. It’s based on using public transport as much as possible so you won’t be adding too much to your carbon footprint. Then read about what you’ve seen and experienced in my three essay collections and memoir about moving to Istanbul permanently.
Browse the GetYourGuide website or Viator to find even more ways to experience Istanbul and Turkey with food tours, visits to the old city, evening Bosphorus cruises and more!
However you travel, stay safe and have fun! Iyi yolculuklar.
