‘Better to Spend That Cash on a Beach Holiday’: Russian Tourist Slams Istanbul’s Soaring Prices

A Russian traveler has returned from Istanbul with a warning for anyone eyeing a winter trip to Turkey’s largest city: brace your wallet or look elsewhere. In a candid account shared with travel portal ‘Toner Details’ and published on the ‘Zen’ platform, the visitor described a city where entry fees and everyday goods have shot up so much that she now regrets the journey.

“If things keep going this way, I won’t return to Istanbul—especially in winter,” she said. “It’s smarter to spend that money on a seaside vacation than to overpay for everything here.”

Her biggest shock came at the city’s landmarks. A ticket to the Topkapi Palace cost her over 6,000 rubles, while Dolmabahçe Palace set her back 4,700 rubles. Hagia Sophia, she noted, has hit an eye-watering 10,000 rubles. The only loophole she found was a tourist pass sold online for about 13,000 rubles, offering some savings.

Clothing prices also left her stunned. “I used to buy good jeans for 500 lira—about 835 rubles. Now the same pair costs over 1,500 lira—roughly 2,500 rubles—and the quality is worse,” she explained.

Souvenir shopping was a bust, too. “I couldn’t bring myself to pay for trinkets that were much cheaper just a few years ago. If you’re planning a trip, save up a lot more than you think, because my budget didn’t stretch far enough,” she concluded.

Her story echoes another recent complaint from a Russian visitor, who said Istanbul’s market vendors inflate prices and refuse to haggle, leaving tourists feeling like they’ve been “left without pants.”