Sirkeci is the name which has been given to the area immediately surrounding the train station of the same name, in the Eminönü district on the Sultanahmet Peninsula. Choosing an Istanbul hotel in this area is advantageous for several reasons:

 

 

Transport Links

If you’re lucky enough to arrive in Istanbul by train, Sirkeci Train Station is the end of the line – the last terminus in Europe. The station itself is very grand and worth visiting anyway as you can stand and imagine the Orient Express coming to the end of another great journey all those years ago.

 

Even though you’re unlikely to be travelling on the Orient Express, you can take a train from here to visit other parts of the European side of Istanbul and beyond. So by choosing an Istanbul hotel near the station gives you the best convenience for this and there are numerous to choose from.

 

This area is also excellent for travelling around other parts of the city too as there’s a tram station here to take you across the Golden Horn or in the other direction up the peninsula. In addition there’s also the large ferry port very nearby where you can catch a ferry across the Bosphorus for example. So if you want to be well connected, choose a hotel in Istanbul in this area!

 

Tourist Attractions

Being on the historic peninsula means that your Istanbul hotel is also close to the major tourist attractions too. Topkapi Palace is very close, as are the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya, and a short tram ride away are countless other attractions too.

 

Choice of Hotels

This part of the city has many attractive boutique hotels which you can imagine the rich and famous staying in when they arrived on the Orient Express! Definitely one of the appeals of choosing your Istanbul hotel around here is that you could have beautiful views across the Golden Horn or back towards the world famous mosques, plus many of the hotels here have rooftop bars or restaurants, perfect for watching one of the most amazing sunsets in the world!

 

Boutique hotels in Istanbul may be a little over your budget, but don’t worry as there are plenty of other hotels in this part of the city too, suitable for all budgets and tastes, and you’re never far away from many great restaurants and shops too.