Welcome to Istanbul – a city where East meets West! Ancient history blends with modern life and every street has an interesting story. My Istanbul 3- day itinerary is designed to help you make the most of your first experience of Istanbul.
Contents
- Introduction to My Istanbul 3-Day Itinerary
- About Istanbul
- Getting About
- Planning Your DIY Break in Istanbul
- Tours and Experiences for Your Istanbul 3- Day Itinerary
- Istanbul Itinerary: Things to Do in 3 Days
- Day 1: Introduction to the City from A Local Guide followed by Turkish Bath Experience
- Day 2 Topkapi Palace followed by Fantastic Views of Istanbul and Explore Istanbul’s Liveliest Areas
- Day 3 Delving Deeper into the Historic Peninsular and Bosphorus Cruise
- Extra Day: Kadikoy or Princes Islands Tour
- Istanbul Helpful Tips:
- Useful Links:
Introduction to My Istanbul 3-Day Itinerary
Istanbul has so much to see that you could spend weeks here and not see everything. If you’re visiting for the first time, three days is just enough to experience its breathtaking mosques, vibrant bazaars and mouth watering food.
First-Timers 3-Day Itinerary
This Istanbul 3-day itinerary starts with an introduction to the city with a local guide, walking you through the most famous historic sights and lesser-known gems in the Old City. Then, delves deeper covering iconic sites like Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern .
Along the way, see incredible views, experience vibrant colourful districts and relax in Istanbul’s oldest Turkish Bath.
We read guide books and blogs before our visit to Istanbul but nothing could have really prepared me for the sheer size of this city. To give you an idea of its scale – there are over 3,000 mosques in Istanbul!
Most blogs and guides were overly ambitious and recommended far too much, especially because we were only visiting for 3 days.
Everything I read makes sense now but for a first time visit it is quite overwhelming. I’ve put this simple Istanbul 3- day itinerary together to make it easier for you.
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About Istanbul
Istanbul is a cultural and historic hot spot. The only city to span Europe and Asia, it’s geographical location along the Bosphorus waterway has made it an important and strategic area to conquer and rule. Many empires have left their marks in the old city and you will find relics from the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans.
The largest city in Turkey with 39 districts, Istanbul also has the largest population of any city in Europe (16 million), and it is the most visited by tourists.
Area I Will Focus On
This map from Turkish Airlines simplifies the main areas and sites that I will be outlining in my first-timer’s Istanbul 3-day itinerary.
The main areas that tourists visit are the Fatih District (Old City or Historical Peninsular), Beyoglu (New City), Kadicoy (on the Asian side) and the Princes Islands.
The Old City and New City are separated by the Golden Horn a stretch of water, which the Galata Bridge spans. On the Historical Peninsular side of the bridge is Eminonu and Karakoy is on the other side. The Bosphorus strait is the waterway that separates the two continents.
Fatih is home to the most famous historic attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar.
Beyoglu has less historical monuments and more boutique shops, trendy cafes, bars and restaurants.
Kadikoy is a lively district on the Asian side, known for its colourful street art, cafe culture, fish market and nightlife.
If you only have 2-3 days in Istanbul, you will probably only have time to explore Fatih and Beyoglu but if you have an extra day, you could take the ferry across to Kadicoy and maybe the Princes Islands.
You will find Istanbul to be fascinating, cosmopolitan and vibrant.
| ⌛ In a Rush? Our Top Recommendations: 🏨 Central Stay: Pell Palace Hotel and Spa🚶 Free Walking Tour with GuruWalk – fun introduction to the city – Learn about the history and culture and get lots of ideas about places to visit during your stay.👉 Guided Tour of Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia – this tour was super interesting and informative and included Hagia Sophia tickets (Blue Mosque is free). |
Getting About
The easiest way to get around is by foot, metro and boat. The main touristic sights in the Fatih district like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar are all in easy walking distance of each other.
The walk over the Galata Bridge to the Beyoglu district – home to the Galata Tower and lively area of Istiklal – is a half hour walk.
🚊 Tram and Metro
A tram and metro service runs from 6am to midnight, which can be paid by Mastercard, or you can purchase an Istanbul card that can be topped up.
🚖 Taxis
Taxis on the street are known to rip off tourists so make sure you agree a price beforehand. We found Uber taxi prices to be reasonable.
🚢 Ferries
To get to Kadicoy on the Asian side and the Princes Islands, you can take the ferry from Eminonu.
🚍 Bus
We were told that the bus services are overcrowded and unreliable. For this reason, we avoided them but if you are travelling along the Bosphorus you might have to use them.
Planning Your DIY Break in Istanbul
Best Time of Year
📆 Our guide told us that we had picked the best time of year – early March. The weather is slightly warmer and the crowds are small.
The next best time is Spring and Autumn. These seasons have ideal weather conditions because it is sunny and warm but they are also the busiest months for tourists.
🌧️ Winters are cold and damp with the chance of snow – 2-8’C
☀️Summers are dry and very hot – up to 40’C.
Flights
✈️ Direct flights from the UK are from £50 – £120 return. Unfortunately, you can only fly direct from a limited number of UK airports including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol.
🌟 Tip: Check on Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights from an airport close to you.
👉 Search for Flights on Skyscanner
The main airport is huge – it took us 25 minutes from landing for the airplane to reach the terminal.
Transfers
The main Istanbul airport is 40 km from the centre and takes around an hour to drive. If you are taking a taxi or private transfer, allow plenty of time for traffic. Our return journey took us 1hr 30 minutes.
⚠️ I would not recommending driving yourself.
🚊 Bus / Metro
There is a public bus and metro service that runs from the airport to the centre – see details here.
🚖 Taxi / Private Transfer
Taxis are available at the airport. Our hotel offered to book a private transfer for £50 each way.
🌟 Tip: We found the cheapest private transfer was with Booking.com £25 each way.
👉 Book Private Transfer from Airport with Booking.com
🏨 Where to Stay For Your First Visit to Istanbul
For your first visit, if you want to be in walking distance of all the main tourist sights, it is easier to be located in Sultanahmet.
For a hip area with nightlife, Karakoy has a range of hotels and hostels but can be loud at night.
🏩 Our Stay
We stayed in Pell Palace Hotel & Spa, which was in Sultanahmet. We paid £200 for 3 nights and we were really pleased with our choice.
Pell Palace is close to all the historic sights like the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar but it is also quiet at night. It was easy to get an Uber back from Karakoy at night and on our last night we just walked back.
Our room had all the mod cons and the staff were really kind and helpful. Residents get a huge discount off the spa facilities too.
Breakfast was the only thing we weren’t keen on. There was a huge spread but just not to our taste.
👉 Check Prices for Pell Palace Hotel
Tours and Experiences for Your Istanbul 3- Day Itinerary
🚶 Walking Tours
We went on a free walking tour with GuruWalk called ‘Istanbul Adventure: Old City to Lesser-Known Sites’, which I highly recommend. There are also walking tours available on Get Your Guide and Viator.
🎫 Istanbul Attractions
Depending on the time of year you visit, attractions get very busy, so you might want to pre-book your tickets. I recommended booking a bundle with a guide for places like The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.
We booked all of our tickets on Get Your Guide. The only ticket that we found unnecessary was the ‘skip the line’ ticket for Galata Tower because we were there at a quiet time of year.
‘Skip the Line’ tickets were not really skip the line because we still had to queue to enter places just not to pay. Ticket queues can take an hour or more in busy months so they are probably worth it then.
| Tickets you can pre-book on Get Your Guide: 👉 Basilica Cistern |
Istanbul Card
There is an Istanbul card that gets you into lots of attractions for free or with a discount and includes a public transport discount.
We decided not buy it because we didn’t want to do all of the activities so we found it cheaper to book separately but if you are looking to do more activities, you might find it works out in your favour.
Attractions are very expensive.
🔗 Blog to read: For budget travellers, I recommend you read my blog Istanbul on a Budget that tells you lots of free and cheap things to do.
🍽️ Restaurants
Istanbul has over 23,000 food establishements! We didn’t have any problems finding seats in restaurants. However, we didn’t do any fine dining, which I imagine you would need to reserve a table for.
Typical food in Istanbul includes kebabs, grilled fish, flat breads served with dips, stews, dumplings, rice, roasted vegetables and baklava. Seafood is a big part of local cuisine due to its proximity to the sea.
You will find a whole range of options from street food to rooftop venues. We found Google Maps to be really handy to find places close by and we got a couple of recommendations from our guide that are mentioned in my itinerary.
☕ Try the Turkish coffee – it is very different in texture to European style coffee.
🌟 Tip: A great way to find out more about the local food custom is to take a street food tour.
👉 Check out Street Food Tours on Get Your Guide
Istanbul Itinerary: Things to Do in 3 Days
Day 1: Introduction to the City from A Local Guide followed by Turkish Bath Experience
Spend your first day in Sultanahmet and the Old City. Learn about the city from a local guide who will entertain you with stories about Istanbul’s history and introduce you to some lesser known places in the Old City.
End the day with a relaxing Turkish Bath Spa experience and dinner in the Old City.
Day 1
- Morning – Free guided walking tour with GuruWalk
- Lunch at Tarihi Suleymaniye Kurufasulyecisi Beydagi Lokantasi – the restaurant next to Suleymaniye Mosque
- Afternoon – Visit Suleymaniye Mosque
- Turkish Hammam experience
- Dinner in the Old City
GuruWalk
GuruWalk is a fantastic way for travellers to explore and learn about a city. The walking tours are free to book and you pay-what-you-choose at the end of the tour.
🚶 The tour I recommend is called ‘Istanbul Adventure: Old City to Lesser-Known Sites’. The tour starts in Sultanahmed Square where you will learn about the Roman Hippodrome that lies beneath and the 3,000 year old granite Obelisk that was carried all the way from Egypt and the Crusader raids in 1204.
Walk through the grounds of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and then onto lesser known sites such as the Book Bazaar, a shisha bar that the locals go to and the oldest Turkish Bath Spa in Istanbul.
Finish your tour in the grounds of the Suleymaniye Mosque, the largest mosque in Istanbul, overlooking a beautiful view of the Bosphorus.
👉 Book Free Walking Tour With GuruWalk
🍽️ Lunch
Next to the mosque is a restaurant that is recommended by your guide. You will be really hungry after your tour so it is the perfect place to have a pit stop.
🕌 Suleymaniye Mosque
Your GuruWalk tour ends at this beautiful mosque. Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest mosque in Istanbul. Entry is free, so why not take a look after your lunch?
Turkish Hammam Spa
After a busy day getting acquainted with the city, it’s time for relaxation. Built in 1584, Cemberlitas Hammam is the oldest and most authentic hammam in Istanbul.
👉 You can buy tickets for your Turkish bath from £42 on Get Your Guide.
You will be greeted and taken to a changing room, provided with sandals and a cloth to tie around you.
There are different options available, which start from a basic traditional bath and 15 minute soap massage to aromatherapy and clay mask. Hammams are single sex and it is fine to keep your underwear on.
🍽️ Dinner in the Old City
Enjoy dinner in the Old City at one of the many restaurants located in Sultanahmet. The link takes you to the Hidden Garden Restaurant, which looked beautiful but there are lots of restaurants in this area to choose from.
🗺️ Google Maps Link for Sultanahmet Restaurants
Day 2 Topkapi Palace followed by Fantastic Views of Istanbul and Explore Istanbul’s Liveliest Areas
On your second day, spend a few hours learning the history of this grand palace, be sure to explore the Harem.
After, enjoy a rest and beautiful sea views from the Seafront Lounge before making your way to Galata Bridge.
As you cross the bridge you can admire the spectacular views of the Bosphorus and see the hundreds of fishermen along the walkway.
Take the lift up the historic Galata Tower for 360 degree views over Istanbul. Enjoy the colourful, lively streets around the tower and spend the evening in the hip cafes and bars of Istiklal.
Day 2
- Morning – Spend a few hours exploring Topkapi Palace
- Lunch at Seafront Lounge
- Afternoon – Cross the Galata Bridge
- Galata Tower and Area
- Evening and dinner Istiklal Area
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace was built as the home for the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet II from 1460 to 1478 and around 30 sultans ruled from the palace for 400 years after.
The palace is now a museum and library. It is huge and you need a few hours to see everything.
We found the most fascinating part was the Harem, which was where the sultan’s wives, children and concubines lived.
🗺️ Topkapi Palce Google Maps Link
👉 Book Tickets for Topkapi Palace on Get Your Guide
🍽️ Lunch
🍽️ Lunch at Seafront Lounge
Enjoy a stunning view over the water and a mouth watering lunch before your long walk over the Galata Bridge to Beyoglu.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Seafront Lounge
Galata Bridge
After lunch, make your way to Eminonu, where you will see the Galata Bridge.
🌉 Spanning over the Golden Horn, The Galata Bridge connects Eminonu and Karakoy and fabulous views of the Bosphorus. It is a very busy bridge with roads, a metro line, restaurants and shops underneath and a pedestrian walkway, where hundreds of fisherman cast their lines.
🌟 Tip: If the walk will be too much for you, you can take the metro from Eminonu to Karakoy.
🗺️ Google Maps Link to Galata Bridge
Galata Tower
A 10 minute walk up the hill, you will find the iconic Galata Tower.
Galata Tower was built in 1348 by the Genoese. Apparently, the tower promises everlasting love for those who climb to the top with a loved one.
Inside is a museum showcasing the tower’s history, an observation platform and a cafe. The tower was a watchtower and a prison at different points of its history.
🗺️ Google Maps Link for Galata Tower
👉 Book Tickets for Galata Tower on Get Your Guide
You take a lift up to the top and walk down the stone walled spiralling staircase to reach the exit.
The view from the observation platform is amazing, even for me who is terrified of heights.
🌟 Tip: If you would rather not pay the £34 entry ticket, you can see the view from one of the nearby rooftop bars.
Galata Tower Area – Beyoglu
The area next to the tower is lovely. The buildings are colourful and there is a lively and fun atmosphere in the surrounding cafes and boutique shops.
🍰 We enjoyed a coffee here and there were lots of outside tables with people enjoying delicious cakes and ice-cream desserts.
Istiklal
Close by to Galata, you will find Istiklal Street. This area has high street shopping but also the traditional red tram.
🍷 The streets off the main area have bars and cosy restaurants – perfect for a evening out. Enjoy your evening here before walking or ordering an Uber back to your hotel.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Istiklal
Day 3 Delving Deeper into the Historic Peninsular and Bosphorus Cruise
Visit the most famous historic sights in Istanbul with a guided tour.
Wander around the world’s oldest covered shopping market and buy your souvenirs.
🛳️ End your Istanbul journey with a sunset cruise along the Bosphorus.
Day 3
- Morning – Meet your guide for a tour of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern
- Lunch at Seven Hills Restaurant
- Afternoon – Shopping at the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar
- Evening – Sunset Cruise along the Bosphorus
Please note: We took a guided tour of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, which was excellent and then we saw the Basilica Cistern separately. but another way to do it would be to book a guided tour of all three. Tours and tickets can be booked on Get Your Guide.
Guided Tour of Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern
Meet your guide at the German Fountain in Sultanahmet Square.
🗺️ Google Maps link for the German Fountain
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is called the Blue Mosque in every language but it’s actual name is Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
The Mosque was build as a vanity project by Sultan Ahmed I. He had it built close to Hagia Sophia, which was the most important mosque of the Ottoman Empire.
It was cleverly designed to look the same size as Hagia Sophia, even though it is actually smaller and it was given six minarets to signify its importance.
The Blue Mosque is an elegant construction and inside the walls are decorated with Iznik tiles, which are predominantly blue.
ℹ️ The mosque is free to enter. Guests must remove their shoes and women must wear headscarves to cover their hair.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was originally constructed as a church by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I between 532-537.
The original domed ceiling fell down and it has had to be reconstructed a few times because of fires.
The minarets were a later addition in the 15th-16th centuries when it became a mosque. In more recent years, it became a museum and now it is a mosque on the ground floor and a museum on the upper floor. You can still see the original Christian mosaics from when it was a church.
🐈 One of the things that I loved was the cat who was posing for photographs. There are 200,000 cats living in Istanbul. Turkish people love their cats and you will see them everywhere, including inside the mosques and palaces.
👉 Book Guided Tour of Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia on Get Your Guide
Basilica Cistern
The Cistern is located underground close to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Originally it provided a water filtration system for the Palace of Constantinople.
📸 It is an amazing place to take photographs and it was used as a location in the film From Russia with Love.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Basilica Cistern
👉 Book Tickets for Basilica Cistern on Get Your Guide
🍽️ Lunch at Seven Hills
Not far from the Basilica Cistern, Seven Hills restaurant offers amazing roof top views over Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
🌟 Tip: You are allowed to go on the roof top and take photos for free and you can eat in the restaurant and admire the views while you eat.
📸 This is a great chance to take exceptional photos of the mosques.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Seven Hills
Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is the world’s oldest undercover market, covering 30,700 square metres. There are over 4,000 shops! As you can imagine, they sell absolutely everything here from clothes to antique furniture.
⚠️ Please note: The bazaar is closed on Sundays!
🗺️ Google Maps link for Grand Bazaar
1 km from the Grand Bazaar is the Spice Bazaar. The Spice Bazaar is much smaller and specialises in spices – it is the centre of the spice trade in Istanbul. Here you can buy spices, perfumes, soaps and Turkish Delight.
🗺️ Google Maps link for Spice Bazaar
Sunset Cruise of the Bosphorus
🛳️ There are many cruises to choose from on Get Your Guide – cruises with dinner and shows to basic packages. We chose a basic package, which included soft drinks and then we had dinner in Istiklal.
⚠️ Be aware, that the port your cruise sets sail from might be quite far from where you are staying. If you can choose a boat that sails from Eminonu, that is much easier to get to from the historic area.
It is a lovely way to see the Bosphorus and end your time in Istanbul.
👉 Book Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Get Your Guide
Extra Day: Kadikoy or Princes Islands Tour
Alternative or Extra Day? Why not take a ferry to Kadicoy on the Asian side or a Princes Islands Tour. There are a few options available on Get Your Guide or you can take the ferry from Eminonu.
Istanbul Helpful Tips:
- 💸 Money – The Turkish currency is Lira but they will also accept Euros in many places. Take Lira with you and do not withdraw cash at the airport because it is really expensive.
- 👚 What to Wear – Istanbul is a modern city and you can wear whatever you like, except at mosques. Wear modest attire at mosques, covering shoulders and knees. Women should take a head scarf to cover their hair.
- 🫰 Tipping – Tipping is customary but not expected. If you are happy with the service 10% is sufficient.
- 💦 Tap Water – We were told by our guide that the tap water is not suitable for drinking because of its high chlorine content so it’s best to use a filtered water bottle or bottle water.
- 🧻 Loo Paper – Istanbul has small pipes so loo roll is placed in a bin instead of the toilet.
- 🕌 Mosque Opening Times – Times vary so check their websites.
- ⌚ Get to Popular Places Early – If you’re visiting at a busy time of year (and not with a guide), get to places like Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque early, to avoid horrendous queues.
Avoiding Scams
- 🚖 Overcharging Taxis – We found the best way to avoid this was to use Uber.
- 🍽️ Overcharging Restaurants – A law has been passed that states restaurants must be transparent with their pricing. Do not eat at any restaurants who do not state their prices on the menu. Also, look out for any additional items that you did not order.
- People Being Nice for No Reason – If there is no apparent reason for someone to be nice – be suspicious.
- Pickpockets – This is not as problematic as in some touristy cities but just be aware, especially in crowded areas.
- 👞 Shoe Shiner scam – Don’t pick up anything a shoe shiner drops. They will offer to shine your shoes for free and then try and charge you.
Plan Your Istanbul Adventure
That’s it – a simple but packed 3 days to get the best out of your first trip to Istanbul.
🏩 If you’re looking for somewhere central to stay, Pell Palace Hotel is a brilliant base in the Old Town.
🚶On your first morning I’d really recommend booking a free walking tour with GuruWalk – it’s such a good way to get your bearings.
🎉And for everything else, from Bosphorus cruises to skip-the-line tickets, GetYourGuide has you covered.
Enjoy every moment – Istanbul is truly unforgettable!
🔖 Bookmark this itinerary for your trip to Istanbul!
Useful Links:
🔗 Istanbul Tourist Information Website
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