Classic Istanbul in 3 days
City · ideal for a first visit · Istanbul
A day for Sultanahmet and the Ottoman sights, a day for the Bosphorus and Dolmabahçe Palace, and a day for the markets and the Asian side.
Day 1: The Ottoman heart of Istanbul
Every stop today is within walking distance in Sultanahmet.
-
9:00
Hagia Sophia
Start early, before the crowds, to see the famous dome in peace. Hagia Sophia is a mosque today, so respect prayer times and dress modestly.
5-minute walk -
10:30
Topkapı Palace
Home of the Ottoman sultans for about four centuries: the courtyards, the Harem, the Treasury and the Sacred Relics.
10-minute walk -
14:00
Lunch: Sultanahmet köfte
Grilled köfte with white bean salad is the area's best-known dish.
5-minute walk -
15:30
Basilica Cistern
An underground Byzantine water reservoir held up by hundreds of columns, including the two Medusa heads.
5-minute walk -
17:00
Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Square
Visit the mosque outside prayer times, then stroll the square at sunset.
10-minute walk -
19:00
Grand Bazaar
A walk through one of the oldest covered markets in the world before closing, or save it for the morning of day three.
Day 2: The Bosphorus and the palaces
A day on the European shore of the Bosphorus, with a cruise between two continents.
-
9:00
Dolmabahçe Palace
The last palace of the sultans, with crystal chandeliers and a long waterfront façade.
5-minute walk to Kabataş pier -
11:30
Bosphorus cruise
From Kabataş or Eminönü, past palaces, bridges and waterside villages.
15-minute taxi -
14:00
Ortaköy
Lunch on stuffed baked potato (kumpir) beside Ortaköy Mosque under the Bosphorus Bridge.
20-minute taxi -
16:30
Galata Tower
Panoramic views over the historic peninsula and the Golden Horn.
10-minute walk -
18:30
İstiklal Avenue and Taksim Square
Istanbul's best-known pedestrian street: shops, sweets and the historic red tram.
Day 3: Markets and the Asian side
Shopping in the old markets in the morning, then across the water to Asia.
-
9:30
Spice Bazaar
Spices, Turkish delight, nuts and tea in Eminönü.
15-minute walk -
11:00
Süleymaniye Mosque
Mimar Sinan's masterpiece, with a courtyard overlooking the Golden Horn.
20-minute ferry from Eminönü -
13:00
Üsküdar and Maiden's Tower
Lunch on the Asian shore facing Maiden's Tower.
15-minute taxi -
15:30
Çamlıca Grand Mosque
A huge modern mosque on a hill overlooking Istanbul from the Asian side.
25-minute taxi -
17:30
Kadıköy and Moda
Kadıköy's food market, then a walk along the Moda seafront at sunset.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Photographers and licences.