Istanbul
3
Day Itinerary •
Turkey
Three days in Istanbul is enough to see the greatest monuments of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, cross between Europe and Asia by ferry across the Bosphorus, and eat extraordinarily well in one of the great food cities of the world. This is the essential Istanbul: the highlights done properly, with time to get genuinely lost in the bazaars and find the quiet corners. This route covers the imperial core of Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, the extraordinary Topkapi Palace, a Bosphorus ferry crossing to the Asian shore at Kadikoy, and the neighbourhoods of Beyoglu and Galata where the modern city comes alive after dark.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen (SAW)
Getting Around
Metro, tram, ferry and on foot
Budget Per Day
Approx 60 to 120 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and public transport
DAY 1
SULTANAHMET AND TOPKAPI
MORNING
HAGIA SOPHIA AND THE BLUE MOSQUE
Start at Hagia Sophia at 9am opening before the crowds arrive. Built by Justinian in 537 AD, it was the largest building on earth for nearly a thousand years. The extraordinary floating dome and golden mosaics are overwhelming. Cross the square to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with its extraordinary six minarets and cascading domes. Explore the Hippodrome where chariot races once drew 100,000 spectators. Entry free. Travel: 5 min walk
MIDDAY
TOPKAPI PALACE AND THE IMPERIAL HAREM
The centre of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries. The treasury contains the extraordinary Topkapi Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond. The harem is the most complex part of the palace, a labyrinth of tiled rooms where the sultan's household lived in extraordinary confinement. The view from the fourth courtyard over the Bosphorus is the finest in Istanbul. Entry approx 25 euros. Book online. Travel: 10 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE BASILICA CISTERN
The most extraordinary underground space in Istanbul. Built by Justinian in 532 AD, the cistern holds 336 columns rising from the water in an extraordinary forest. Two columns rest on the heads of Medusa. The atmospheric lighting and the sound of dripping water make it one of the most memorable sites in the city. Entry approx 15 euros. Book online to avoid queues.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Column of Constantine, known as the Burnt Column, stands in the middle of a roundabout near the Grand Bazaar and is almost always overlooked. Erected by Constantine the Great in 330 AD to mark the founding of Constantinople, it is the oldest monument in the city. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Mese, Sultanahmet Simit, tea and menemen before Hagia Sophia opens at 9am. | Lunch: Hafiz Mustafa, Sultanahmet Lokanta lunch, baklava and the finest Turkish coffee. | Dinner: Matbah Restaurant Ottoman palace cuisine in the extraordinary historic peninsula.
DAY 2
BAZAARS AND BEYOGLU
MORNING
THE GRAND BAZAAR AND THE SPICE MARKET
The Grand Bazaar has sixty-one covered streets, over 4,000 shops and a history stretching back to 1461. The extraordinary hans hidden behind the main shopping streets are the real discovery. Walk down to the Spice Market, the Misir Carsisi, built in 1664 and filled with sacks of spice, dried fruit, lokum and helva. The waterfront outside at Eminonu, with ferries departing in every direction, is extraordinary. Entry free. Travel: Ferry from Eminonu across the Golden Horn
MIDDAY
GALATA TOWER AND KARAKOY
The Galata Tower was built by the Genoese in 1348 and dominates the skyline of the northern shore. The view from the top over the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the minarets of Sultanahmet is extraordinary. The Karakoy neighbourhood below has become the finest eating and drinking district in the city, with remarkable coffee shops, bakeries and fish restaurants. Entry approx 12 euros. Travel: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
ISTIKLAL AVENUE AND THE MEYHANE STREETS
Istiklal Caddesi is the great pedestrian boulevard of modern Istanbul. The extraordinary passages hidden behind the facades are the real discovery. In the early evening, Nevizade Sokak and the surrounding meyhane streets come alive with the finest raki and meze culture in the city. The street musicians, the outdoor tables and the extraordinary atmosphere make it the best evening in Istanbul.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Rustem Pasha Mosque, hidden above the spice shops near the Spice Market, contains the most extraordinary Iznik tile interior in Istanbul. Designed by Sinan in 1563, the tiles cover every surface in a breathtaking explosion of cobalt, turquoise and red. Almost always quiet. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Simit Sarayi near the Grand Bazaar Tea and simit before the bazaar crowds arrive. | Lunch: Karakoy Gulluoglu The finest baklava in Istanbul, on the Karakoy waterfront. | Dinner: Meyhane on Nevizade Sokak Raki, extraordinary meze and live fasil music until late.
DAY 3
THE ASIAN SHORE
MORNING
USKUDAR AND THE WATERFRONT MOSQUES
Take the morning ferry from Eminonu to Uskudar, the oldest settlement on the Asian shore. The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque by Sinan and the extraordinary Baroque Ayazma Mosque are both outstanding. The waterfront promenade looking back across the Bosphorus toward the European skyline offers the finest view of the minarets and domes of Sultanahmet from the water. Entry free. Travel: 20 min walk or dolmus to Kadikoy
MIDDAY
KADIKOY MARKET, THE FINEST FOOD MARKET IN ISTANBUL
The Kadikoy market is the most extraordinary food market in Istanbul. The covered fish market, the cheese and olive shops of the Yasa Pasaji and the extraordinary street food vendors make it the finest half day in the city for food lovers. The neighbourhood of Moda nearby has the finest cafe culture in Istanbul, with remarkable waterfront gardens and the best Turkish breakfast in the city. Travel: Ferry back to Eminonu
AFTERNOON
THE MAIDEN'S TOWER AND A FINAL BOSPHORUS SUNSET
Kiz Kulesi, the Maiden's Tower, stands on a tiny island just offshore from Uskudar and has been a lighthouse, a quarantine station, a customs post and a restaurant. The ferry out to the tower and the view back toward the city skyline at dusk is one of the most extraordinary sights in Istanbul. The extraordinary light on the water as the sun sets behind the European shore is unmissable. Entry approx 10 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Princes Islands, nine islands in the Sea of Marmara reachable by ferry from Kabatas in 90 minutes, are entirely car-free and lined with extraordinary Victorian wooden mansions. Buyukada is the largest and finest, explored by horse carriage or bicycle. An extraordinary half day from the city. Ferry approx 5 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Ferry tea on the Bosphorus crossing The extraordinary ritual of tea and simit on the morning ferry. | Lunch: Ciya Sofrasi, Kadikoy The most celebrated Anatolian restaurant in Istanbul. | Dinner: Sunset meyhane, Karakoy Return to Europe for a final evening of raki and extraordinary meze.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Sultanahmet, Night 1 Boutique hotel in the historic peninsula. Approx 80 to 160 euros per night. Beyoglu or Galata, Night 2 Design hotel near Istiklal. Approx 90 to 180 euros per night. Either works for 3 nights Both districts are 20 minutes apart by tram. Approx 80 to 160 euros.
Top Tips
1. Hagia Sophia at 9am opening: the nave with no crowds is one of the great architectural experiences.
2. Buy an Istanbulkart on arrival. It works on every tram, metro, bus and ferry in the city.
3. The Basilica Cistern is extraordinary. Book online to skip the queue at the entrance.
4. Cross to the Asian shore at least once. Kadikoy market on a weekend morning is extraordinary.
5. Eat fish at Karakoy not in Sultanahmet. The meyhanes of Beyoglu are the finest in the city.
6. The Suleymaniye Mosque has better views and far fewer visitors than the Blue Mosque.
Total Budget
80 to 175 euros/day