IV drips during Ramadan and for Gulf visitors in Istanbul: a calm, practical guide

That is for you and your own scholar to decide; we simply plan the visit around your choice. Some guests keep the fast while they travel. Others take the concession allowed to travellers and make up the days later. Both are personal and religious decisions, and we respect each of them without comment.

We do not give religious rulings. Whether an intravenous drip affects a fast is a question for your own scholar or the person you usually ask, not for a nurse or for us. If you are unsure, please ask them first. What we can do is plan the visit around the choice you have made, so that nothing about the timing feels awkward.

Any time between iftar and suhoor. Guests who are fasting usually prefer the nurse to arrive after iftar, once the family has eaten, prayed and settled. Others book a visit later in the night so it ends comfortably before suhoor. We work 24/7, so either is possible. Most drips run for 45 to 60 minutes, plus a few minutes for checks before and after, so a late-evening visit leaves plenty of time before the night ends.

Visits that start between 00:00 and 07:00 carry a night supplement of €60. If the family is awake late anyway, a visit before midnight is often the simplest choice. The full step-by-step of a visit is in our guide to the experience.

No. A drip is not a replacement for eating and drinking well between iftar and suhoor. The basics matter most: break the fast gently, drink water steadily through the evening rather than all at once, and include salty and water-rich foods such as soup, yoghurt, fruit and vegetables. Strong tea and coffee late at night can make sleep harder.

Istanbul summers are warm and humid, and long days in the Grand Bazaar or on a Bosphorus walk are tiring in the heat. In the next few years Ramadan falls in late winter, when the days in Istanbul are short and cool, but the heat matters for the summer holidays and when Ramadan moves into the warmer months. Some guests choose a drip after a hot day of walking or a long flight; it may help with hydration, but it does not replace water, food and rest.

Possibly, but only if the doctor agrees after reading your questionnaire. If you have diabetes, take insulin or tablets for blood sugar, or use blood pressure or heart medication, please write this in the health questionnaire. The doctor reads every answer before a visit is confirmed and may change the formula or decide a drip is not right for you.

People with diabetes who choose to fast should follow the advice of their own doctor on fasting and medication. A drip is not a way to manage blood sugar. If someone feels shaky or sweaty during the fast, that may be low blood sugar: they should take something sugary and get medical advice. If they are confused, very drowsy or faint, call 112 straight away.

Yes. You can ask for a female nurse when you book, and we will do our best to arrange it; some families prefer that a woman is treated by a female nurse. Please mention it early, especially for late-night visits.

You are welcome to write to us on WhatsApp in English, Arabic or Persian, and we will reply in the clearest way we can. The nurse comes in plain clothes through the guest entrance, works in whichever room the family prefers, and takes every used item away.

All of Istanbul, including the areas families often choose. Many families take hotel suites or serviced residences in Nişantaşı and Şişli for the shopping streets, in Beşiktaş for the Bosphorus shore, further north in Tarabya and Sarıyer for cooler air and quieter evenings, or on the Asian side in Ataşehir. The nurse comes to all of these, and the visit is included in the price anywhere in Istanbul. In central areas the nurse usually arrives in about 60 minutes after the doctor approves.

For how the visit works with hotel reception and concierge teams, see IV drips in your hotel.

Many family trips fall outside Ramadan: during the long summer holidays, around Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and after long flights with children. Some families choose Myers' Classic as a general formula, the Jet Lag Reset after arrival or the signature Hammam Hydration after a day at the spa. You can see every formula on our drips page, and our note on jet lag in Istanbul has more on recovery after a flight.

Some situations are not suitable for an IV drip at all, whatever the season: