Updated: 26 October 2026, covering Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November. Sources are linked next to each item. Programmes and kick-off times can change, so confirm before you go.

Republic Day holiday, 28–29 October

Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) falls on Thursday 29 October. Turkish press reports that the holiday begins at 13:00 on Wednesday 28 October and continues on Thursday, so Friday 30 October is a normal working day. Expect closed offices and shops, busier public spaces and possible road closures for ceremonies.

We could not find the city’s official 2026 celebration programme when we checked. Our Republic Day guide has the practical details.

Football in Istanbul this weekend

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) fixture page lists these Trendyol Süper Lig round-10 matches with an Istanbul home side:

Galatasaray plays away at Konyaspor on Friday 30 October (20:00), so there is no Galatasaray home match in Istanbul this week. For match-day planning, see our visiting fan planning guide.

Free concerts, talks and exhibitions

The Kültür İstanbul event calendar lists these free events this week. They are mainly in Turkish, so check the language and registration on the listing.

Museums with fixed hours this week

• Pera Museum: free on Friday 30 October from 18:00 to 22:00. See our Pera Museum guide.
• Istanbul Modern: open until 20:00 on Friday. See our Istanbul Modern guide.
• Istanbul Bosphorus Museum: its first exhibition is free and runs until 11 April 2027. See our Bosphorus Museum guide.
• Palaces: Dolmabahçe is closed on Mondays and Yıldız on Wednesdays. See our palace comparison.

More ideas

For a longer list of free things to do, read our free events in Istanbul guide. If you need to move around on match days or holidays, our Istanbul transport guide explains the tram, metro and ferry options.

Frequently asked questions

Is 30 October 2026 a public holiday in Turkey?

No. The holiday covers the afternoon of 28 October and 29 October, so Friday 30 October is a normal working day.

Are there Galatasaray home matches in Istanbul this week?

No. Galatasaray plays away at Konyaspor on 30 October.

Where can I find free events in Istanbul?

The Kültür İstanbul calendar lists free concerts, talks and exhibitions, and our free events guide collects more ideas.

The post Istanbul Events This Week: 26 October to 1 November 2026 appeared first on Best of Istanbul.

Last checked: 26 October 2026 against the official Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) tariff, in force since 20 July 2026.

Official Istanbul taxi fares (from 20 July 2026)

The official document lists no other charges.

How the meter works

The meter counts in small steps: every 100 metres, or every minute when the taxi is moving slower than 12.5 km/h. For a yellow taxi, each step is 4.80 TL for distance or 9.98 TL for time.

In practice, this means two things:

• Traffic costs money. If you sit in a jam, the meter keeps running at about 10 TL a minute. Twenty minutes stuck on a bridge adds roughly 200 TL.
• Short rides cost the minimum. Anything under about 3.3 km in a yellow taxi comes to less than 230 TL on the meter, so you pay 230 TL.

Example Istanbul taxi fares by distance

These yellow taxi fares are calculated from the official tariff for moving traffic, without tolls or waiting time. Real fares are usually higher because of traffic.

For the same 10 km ride, a turquoise taxi comes to about 634 TL and a black taxi to about 937 TL.

To estimate your own fare, check the driving distance in a map app and multiply it by 47.92, then add 71.94. Add extra for traffic and any toll.

Which taxi should you take?

Yellow taxis are the standard and cheapest option. Most taxis you see on the street are yellow.

Turquoise taxis are larger (D segment) or fully electric cars. They cost roughly 15% more than yellow taxis.

Yellow-black taxis are 8+1 seat vans. They suit a family or group with luggage, but they start at 93.52 TL and have a 300 TL minimum.

Black taxis are luxury vehicles and the most expensive, with a 400 TL minimum.

For one or two people with light luggage, a yellow taxi is enough. Before getting into a van or a black taxi, check which type it is, because the higher rate is legal for that vehicle.

Tolls, luggage and extras

• Tolls: Bridge, tunnel and motorway tolls are not part of the meter. You pay the toll for the crossing you actually made. A driver cannot charge you for the toll of their empty return trip.
• No night rate: The official tariff has no night or holiday surcharge. A driver who says “the price doubles at night” is not telling the truth.
• No luggage fee: The official tariff lists no charge for bags.
• Tipping: It is not required. Many people round the fare up to the nearest round number.

Taxi apps in Istanbul

You can order a licensed taxi through an app. The trip is recorded, and the driver and plate are shown before pickup, which makes problems easier to report. Commonly used apps include BiTaksi, Uber (in Istanbul it books licensed taxis, not private cars) and the municipality’s İTaksi. Check payment options in the app before you travel.

Even with an app, the fare is normally the official meter fare plus tolls.

Paying: cash or card?

Card payment in taxis is becoming more common, but not every driver accepts it. Before you get in, ask “Kart geçerli mi?” (“Do you take card?”). Always carry enough Turkish lira for the ride, preferably in smaller notes. For more on payments in the city, read our guide to cash or card in Istanbul.

How to avoid being overcharged

1. Make sure the meter is running when the car starts moving. If the driver says it is “broken” or offers a fixed price, get out and take another taxi.
2. Follow the route on your phone. Open a map app with your destination, so you can see if the driver takes a long detour.
3. Check the taxi type. Look at the colour of the car before you get in: yellow, turquoise, yellow-black and black taxis each have their own official rate.
4. Count your change and notes. Pay with smaller notes and say the amount out loud as you hand it over.
5. Use a taxi rank or an app at busy tourist spots and airports instead of accepting a ride from someone who approaches you.

Our guide to common tourist scams in Istanbul covers more of these tricks.

How to complain about a taxi

Note the plate number, the date and time, and the start and end points of your trip. Then call the İBB helpline on 153 (24 hours). A screenshot from a taxi app or your map history helps your complaint.

When is a taxi worth it?

A taxi makes the most sense with heavy luggage, in a group of three or four, late at night, or when your hotel is far from a metro or tram stop. During rush hour, rail and ferries are often faster and much cheaper. Compare your options in our Istanbul transport guide and, for late arrivals, our night metro guide. Arriving by air? Our Istanbul Airport to city centre guide compares taxis with the metro and Havaist buses.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi in Istanbul?

A yellow taxi starts at 71.94 TL and costs 47.92 TL per kilometre, with a 230 TL minimum (official tariff from 20 July 2026). A 10 km ride in moving traffic costs about 550 TL before tolls.

Do Istanbul taxis charge more at night?

No. The official tariff has no night rate.

Is Uber available in Istanbul?

Yes, but in Istanbul Uber books licensed taxis, so you pay taxi fares.

Why does the meter keep going when the taxi is stopped?

Below 12.5 km/h, the meter charges by time (9.98 TL per minute in a yellow taxi). This is part of the official tariff.

Featured photo: a yellow taxi in Sultanahmet, by John Seb Barber / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped and plate numbers blurred.

The post Istanbul Taxi Fares: What a Taxi Costs and How to Avoid Being Overcharged appeared first on Best of Istanbul.

Tax free shopping in Istanbul lets visitors get the VAT back on goods they take home. You need to spend more than 1,000 TL before VAT on one invoice at a registered shop, leave Turkey within three months, and have customs stamp your invoice at the airport. The refund desk then pays you, minus the operator’s fee.

Quick answer: tax free shopping in Istanbul at a glance

• Who qualifies: visitors who live abroad. That includes foreigners and Turkish citizens with a residence document from another country.
• Minimum spend: more than 1,000 TL before VAT, on one invoice.
• Where: shops with a Tax Free sticker, linked to a refund operator.
• Deadline: take the goods out of Turkey within 3 months of the invoice date.
• Customs stamp: get it at the customs counters during check-in, or right after passport control for hand luggage.
• What you get: usually about two-thirds of the VAT, after the operator’s commission.

Who can claim a VAT refund in Turkey?

Turkish Customs says tax free shopping in Istanbul is for people who have not lived in Turkey for more than 185 days, roughly six months. Foreign nationals qualify. So do Turkish citizens who live abroad and can show a residence document from that country. Bring your passport on every shopping trip, because the shop needs it to issue the invoice.

If you live in Turkey, you cannot claim. The same goes for any purchase you plan to use here.

How much do you have to spend?

The minimum for tax free shopping in Istanbul is more than 1,000 TL before VAT. Turkey raised it from 100 TL on 1 February 2024. Many older guides still quote 100 or 118 lira, so they are out of date.

The limit applies to the total on one invoice. Each shop issues its own invoice, so you cannot add receipts from different shops together. Rules like this can change again, so ask the shop before you pay.

Your invoice shows the exact rate for each item.

What can you claim a refund on?

Only goods qualify for tax free shopping in Istanbul. You must carry them out of Turkey, unused, in your own luggage.

• Refundable: clothing, leather goods, jewellery, electronics, carpets and souvenirs bought from a registered shop.
• Not refundable: hotel stays, restaurant meals, tours and anything you use or consume in Turkey.

Only shops registered with a refund operator, such as Global Blue or Planet, can issue the form. Larger carpet, leather and jewellery dealers in the Grand Bazaar often take part. Many small stalls do not. Ask before you start bargaining, because a shop that is not registered cannot add the form afterwards.

Step by step: tax free shopping in Istanbul

1. Check before you buy. Look for the Tax Free sticker. Ask whether your total passes 1,000 TL before VAT.
2. Show your passport at the till. The shop issues an electronic invoice and gives you a printout. You also get the operator’s tax free form. Check that your passport details are correct.
3. Keep the goods unused. Leave them in their packaging, because customs may ask to see them. Do not wear or use them before you fly.
4. Get the customs stamp at the airport. The next section shows where. Without the stamp, there is no refund.
5. Collect your refund. Go to the operator’s desk and choose cash or a refund to your card.

Where to get the customs stamp at Istanbul Airport

Your path depends on where you packed the goods. Istanbul Airport (IST) publishes the procedure on its website, and we summarise it here.

Goods in a checked bag. First get your boarding pass and bag tag at your airline counter. Then go to the customs counters at check-in. Turkish Airlines passengers use counters G3, G4 and G5. Passengers on other airlines use K25, K26 and K27.

Goods in hand luggage. Go through passport control first. The customs desk is right after it, on the right-hand side.

At either desk, show the goods, the tax free form, your receipts, your boarding pass and your passport. Customs signs the form. After that, collect your money at the Global Exchange points behind the information desks past passport control.

One more tip from a refund operator: it says high-value goods such as jewellery, watches or electronics must be validated airside. Plan to carry them in your hand luggage.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport also handles tax free forms. Look for the customs counters and ask your airline desk if you are unsure. Both airports can be busy, so allow extra time before check-in closes.

How much money do you really get back?

The VAT is already inside the price you pay. At 20%, it makes up about 16.67% of the price. At 10%, it is about 9.09%. The refund operator then keeps a commission. As a result, most visitors get back roughly two-thirds of the VAT on standard goods. Clothing returns about half of that figure, because its VAT rate is lower.

Cash and card payouts work differently. Cash can carry a fee. When we checked, Planet listed a cash fee of 7.08% of the refund for its forms at Istanbul Airport, for amounts above 100 TL. The minimum fee is about 14 TL and the cap is about 142 TL. A refund to your card skips the cash fee, but your card issuer may convert the money at its own exchange rate. Compare both before you accept. Your tax free form shows the exact terms.

Deadlines to remember

• Take the goods out of Turkey within 3 months of the invoice date.
• Your refund operator may also set a deadline for claiming the money after the stamp. Check your form.
• Photograph the stamped form and your invoices, in case a refund desk is closed or unstaffed.

Common mistakes in tax free shopping in Istanbul

• Buying from a shop that is not registered, then asking for a form afterwards.
• Trusting an old guide that says the minimum is 100 or 118 lira.
• Dropping your checked bag before the customs stamp.
• Wearing or using the goods before you leave.
• Trying to claim on a hotel bill, a meal or a tour.
• Arriving at the airport with no time left for the customs queue.

Frequently asked questions

Is tax free shopping in Istanbul worth it?

For larger purchases, usually yes. On 10,000 TL of standard goods you might get roughly 1,050 to 1,250 TL back for a few minutes of paperwork. For small purchases, fees and queues can cancel out the benefit.

What is the minimum purchase for a VAT refund in Istanbul?

You need to spend more than 1,000 TL before VAT on one invoice. Turkey raised the limit from 100 TL on 1 February 2024.

Can I get VAT back on hotels, meals or tours?

No. Only goods you carry out of Turkey qualify. Services such as hotels, restaurants and tours are not refundable.

How long do I have to take the goods out of Turkey?

You have three months from the invoice date. Customs must stamp your invoice when you leave.

Where do I get the customs stamp at Istanbul Airport?

For checked bags, use the customs counters at check-in: G3 to G5 for Turkish Airlines, K25 to K27 for other airlines. For hand luggage, use the customs desk right after passport control, on the right-hand side.

Can I add up receipts from different shops?

No. The minimum applies to one invoice, and each shop issues its own.

Do Turkish citizens qualify for a VAT refund?

Only Turkish citizens who live abroad and can show a residence document from that country qualify.

Can I claim at Sabiha Gökçen Airport too?

Yes. International airports in Istanbul handle tax free forms, including Sabiha Gökçen. Follow the customs signs and allow extra time.

Official sources and related guides

• Turkish Customs passenger guide: Tax Free
• Istanbul Airport (İGA) services and VAT refund procedure
• Planet Tax Free: rules for Turkey

Planning the rest of your trip? Read our guides on cash or card in Istanbul, getting from Istanbul Airport to the city, Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Istanbul and public transport in Istanbul.

Tax rules and fees change. This guide to tax free shopping in Istanbul reflects what we found on 25 October 2026. Check the rules with the shop and at the airport before you rely on them. It is general information, not tax advice.

The post Tax Free Shopping in Istanbul: How to Get Your VAT Refund (2026) appeared first on Best of Istanbul.