Istanbul
5
Day Itinerary •
Turkey
Five days in Istanbul lets you go beyond the famous monuments and into the living city that connects Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus. From the extraordinary Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to the hidden hans of the Grand Bazaar, the fish restaurants of Karakoy, the extraordinary dervish lodges of Beyoglu and the forgotten Byzantine churches of the backstreets, Istanbul rewards the traveller who leaves the main drag. This route covers the complete city across both continents. The Ottoman imperial core of Sultanahmet, the bazaar quarter and Spice Market, the extraordinary Topkapi Palace and its harem, the waterfront villages of the Bosphorus, the art galleries and meyhanes of Beyoglu, and a day crossing to the Asian shore at Kadikoy and Uskudar.
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
MORNING
HAGIA SOPHIA, THE GREATEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD
Built by Justinian in 537 AD, Hagia Sophia was the largest building on earth for nearly a thousand years. The extraordinary dome, floating on a ring of windows, appears to hover without support. The golden mosaics, the marble from across the Roman world and the sheer scale of the nave are overwhelming. Arrive at 9am opening before the crowds arrive. Entry free. Travel: 10 min walk
MIDDAY
THE BLUE MOSQUE AND THE HIPPODROME
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, with its extraordinary six minarets and cascading domes, is the finest Ottoman mosque in Istanbul. The Hippodrome outside was the social centre of Byzantine Constantinople for a thousand years. The Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain stand where chariot races once drew 100,000 spectators. Entry free. Travel: 5 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE BASILICA CISTERN
The most extraordinary underground space in Istanbul. Built by Justinian in 532 AD to supply water to the Great Palace, the cistern holds 336 columns rising from the water in extraordinary forest formation. 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.
💎 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. | Lunch: Hafiz Mustafa, Sultanahmet Lokanta lunch, baklava and Turkish coffee. | Dinner: Matbah Restaurant Ottoman palace cuisine in the historic peninsula.
DAY 2
TOPKAPI AND THE BAZAARS
MORNING
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 finest and most complex part of the palace, a labyrinth of tiled rooms, corridors and courtyards where the sultan's household lived in extraordinary confinement. Entry approx 25 euros. Book online. Arrive early. Travel: 10 min walk
MIDDAY
THE GRAND BAZAAR, THE OLDEST SHOPPING MALL IN THE WORLD
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. The Ic Bedesten at the centre is the oldest part, selling antiques and jewellery. The Sandal Bedesten nearby once traded Ottoman silk. Get lost intentionally. Entry free. Travel: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE SPICE MARKET AND THE WATERFRONT
The Misir Carsisi, built in 1664 as part of the New Mosque complex, is the most atmospheric market in Istanbul. Sacks of spice, dried fruit, lokum and helva fill an extraordinary L-shaped hall. The waterfront outside at Eminonu is the hub of the city, ferries departing in every direction across the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. Entry free.
💎 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, Grand Bazaar area Tea and simit before the bazaar crowds arrive. | Lunch: Havuzlu Restaurant, Grand Bazaar The finest lokanta lunch inside the bazaar itself. | Dinner: Karakoy Lokantasi Modern meyhane on the waterfront. Extraordinary meze.
DAY 3
BEYOGLU AND GALATA
MORNING
GALATA TOWER AND THE KARAKOY WATERFRONT
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 extraordinary coffee shops and bakeries. Entry approx 12 euros. Travel: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
ISTIKLAL AVENUE AND THE HIDDEN PASSAGES
Istiklal Caddesi is the great pedestrian boulevard of modern Istanbul, lined with embassies, churches, cinemas and bookshops. The extraordinary passages hidden behind the facades are the real discovery: the Cicek Pasaji, the Avrupa Pasaji and the extraordinary fish market of the Balik Pazari. The Pera Museum nearby has the finest collection of Orientalist painting in Turkey. Entry approx 10 euros. Travel: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE GALATA MEVLEVIHANESI, THE WHIRLING DERVISHES
The Galata Mevlevihanesi is the finest surviving dervish lodge in Istanbul, founded in 1491 and now a museum of Sufi culture. The extraordinary semahane where the sema ceremony takes place is beautifully restored. Performances of the whirling dervish ceremony run on certain evenings. The lodge garden and the cemetery of the dervishes are extraordinary. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Church of St Anthony of Padua on Istiklal, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, holds mass in Italian every Sunday and is almost always quiet on weekdays. The extraordinary neo-Gothic interior and the peaceful garden courtyard are a remarkable contrast to the crowds outside. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Karakoy Gulluoglu The finest baklava breakfast in Istanbul, on the waterfront. | Lunch: Zubeyir Ocakbasi, Beyoglu Wood-fire kebabs and meze on the finest street in Beyoglu. | Dinner: Meyhane on Nevizade Sokak The extraordinary meyhane street. Raki, meze and live fasil music.
DAY 4
THE BOSPHORUS
MORNING
DOLMABAHCE PALACE, THE OTTOMAN VERSAILLES
Dolmabahce was built by Sultan Abdulmecid I in 1856 as a statement of Ottoman modernity, its extraordinary waterfront facade stretching 600 metres along the Bosphorus. The crystal staircase, the 4.5-tonne Baccarat chandelier given by Queen Victoria and the extraordinary ceremonial halls make it the most lavish palace in Turkey. Entry approx 25 euros. Guided tour compulsory. Travel: Ferry from Besiktas
MIDDAY
BOSPHORUS CRUISE TO THE VILLAGE OF ANADOLU KAVAGI
The public ferry from Eminonu to Anadolu Kavagi is the finest journey in Istanbul, passing Ottoman palaces, yali waterfront mansions, the extraordinary Rumeli Hisari fortress built by Mehmet II in 1452 and the narrowest point of the Bosphorus where Europe and Asia face each other across 700 metres of water. The fish restaurants at Anadolu Kavagi are extraordinary. Return ferry included. Travel: Ferry back to Eminonu
AFTERNOON
ORTAKOY AND THE BOSPHORUS BRIDGE AT SUNSET
Ortakoy is the most beautiful waterfront neighbourhood on the European shore, its extraordinary Baroque mosque set against the suspension bridge behind. The Sunday market, the kumpir stalls and the view of the bridge at dusk are extraordinary. The neighbourhood is best in the late afternoon when the light turns golden on the water.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Rumeli Hisari fortress, built by Mehmet II in four months in 1452 to control the Bosphorus before his siege of Constantinople, is one of the most extraordinary military constructions in the world. The three towers and the walls between them are remarkably well preserved. Entry approx 5 euros. Almost always quiet.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Besiktas Tea and borek before Dolmabahce opens at 9am. | Lunch: Fish restaurant, Anadolu Kavagi Grilled fish and meze at the end of the Bosphorus. | Dinner: Banyan Restaurant, Ortakoy Waterfront dining below the Bosphorus Bridge.
DAY 5
THE ASIAN SHORE
MORNING
USKUDAR AND THE CAMLICA HILL
Uskudar is the oldest settlement on the Asian shore, its waterfront lined with extraordinary Ottoman mosques. The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque by Sinan and the extraordinary Baroque Ayazma Mosque are both outstanding. Camlica Hill above the city offers the finest panoramic view of Istanbul, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Princes Islands stretching into the Marmara. Entry free. Travel: 20 min walk or taxi
MIDDAY
KADIKOY MARKET, THE FINEST FOOD MARKET IN ISTANBUL
The Kadikoy market on the Asian shore is the most extraordinary food market in Istanbul. The extraordinary covered fish market, the cheese and olive shops of the Yasa Pasaji, the spice dealers and the 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. Entry free. Travel: Ferry back to Europe
AFTERNOON
THE MAIDEN'S TOWER AND THE GOLDEN HORN AT 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. Entry to the tower 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. The monasteries on the hill above the island are extraordinary. Ferry approx 5 euros return.
🍽 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 meze.
Where To Stay
Sultanahmet, Nights 1 to 2 Boutique hotel in the historic peninsula. Approx 80 to 160 euros per night. Beyoglu or Galata, Nights 3 to 4 Design hotel near Istiklal. Approx 90 to 180 euros per night. Either district, Night 5 Stay centrally to use the ferry network. Approx 80 to 160 euros per night.
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 avoid the queue at the door.
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