Skip to content
Mixroutes
Chalcedon
Town in Bithynia

Chalcedon

Chalcedon was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor.

Plan a trip to Chalcedon→From Istanbul

It was located to the south of Chrysopolis and almost directly opposite Byzantium across the Bosporus strait, in Europe. At present, it is a district of the city of Istanbul named Kadıköy.

Get in

Getting to Chalcedon

See Turkey#Get in for visa requirements. From 2020, most EU, UK, CIS and South American visitors do not need a visa. Those from many other countries including Australia, Canada and US can get an e-visa online, valid for 90 days.

  1. 01
    Istanbul Airport

    Istanbul's chief airport, and the main port of entry into Turkey, is 30 km northwest of the city in Arnavutköy, on the Europe-side Black Sea coast.

  2. 02
    Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

    Istanbul's Asia-side airport is 30 km east of city centre.

  3. 03
    Haydarpaşa in Asia has no trains

    Both stations are worth a quick visit as monuments to a bygone age of rail travel.

See

Worth seeing

The Turkish government offers a museum pass for Istanbul's many sights and museums, and key spots on Sultanahmet, for €105 as of April 2025. The pass can be bought at the entrance of many museums or online. Check out what is included, and buy it if it makes sense for you. Numerous sights can still be seen for free and the biggest joy is probably just walking around and sucking in the atmosphere.

Do

Things to do

Hamam – Sultanahmet has many historical hamams. Some are very extravagant and cater mainly to tourists. Waterpipe – Most of the places where you can smoke a nargile are in Yeniçeriler Caddesi, near the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar).

Eat

Where to eat

For a full-on culinary experience, one should look for esnaf lokantası restaurants. They are essentially old-school canteens with a variety of traditional selections from soups to main courses to desserts. Balık-Ekmek.

How locals move

Getting around Chalcedon the local way

  • Get inIt starts in the western suburbs at Bağcılar (for Metro M1) and runs via some 20 stations including Zeytinburnu (for Marmaray and Metro M1), Topkapı (district not palace, for Marmaray and Tram T4), Yusufpaşa (for Metro M1), Aksaray, Laleli-Universite (for Metro M2 and Grand Bazaar), Beyazit, Çemberlitaş, Sultanahmet (for Blue Mosque), Gülhane (for park), Sirkeci (for Marmaray and Tram U3) and Eminönü (for Bosphorus ferries and Tram T5 along the Golden Horn); then crosses the bridge to Galata district and Kabataş (for funicular to Taksim).
  • Get inhas ferries from Kadıköy and Üsküdar Asia-side, from further up the Bosphorus, from up the Golden Horn, and from the Princes' Islands.
  • Get inYou're likeliest to use the Bosphorus ferries: the Marmaray train is faster but do make this classic crossing at least once during your visit.
  • Get inThe main operator is Şehir Hatları, though private boats try to skim off the trade, like pesky private minibuses.
  • Get inHaliç Hattı is a ferry that pings back and forth across the Golden Horn, so a round trip is an inexpensive scenic tour.
  • Get inis the landing point for IDO ferries across the Sea of Marmara.
  • Get inSee Istanbul#by boat for ferries from elsewhere (such as the Marmara Islands) to other city ports.
  • Get inFerries no longer sail from Tekirdağ or other ports west towards the Dardanelles.

From Wikivoyage: Istanbul/Historical Peninsula, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Kadı (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.