4 days in Istanbul

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace

   Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), then Istiklal Avenue in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hagia Sophia

      Allow 1–1.5 hours (mid-priced). Women need a headscarf and everyone needs covered shoulders and knees; the visitor route can close around prayer times, especially Friday midday.

   2. Late morning

      Topkapı Palace

      Its four courtyards lead to the Imperial Treasury with the Topkapı Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond, the Sacred Relics rooms, tiled pavilions and terraces overlooking the meeting of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The Harem, the sultan's private quarters, needs a separate or combined ticket and is worth it.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Simit

      Red street carts on every busy corner, ferry piers and on board ferries; bakeries sell warmer ones in the early morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)

      Allow 45 minutes (free). Use the separate visitors' entrance, carry your shoes in the bags provided and avoid the half hour around each call to prayer.

   5. Evening

      Istiklal Avenue

      Ride the historic Tünel funicular, opened in 1875, from Karaköy up to the bottom of the avenue and walk uphill towards Taksim.

2. Day 2: Basilica Cistern and Gülhane Park

   Basilica Cistern, Gülhane Park and Grand Bazaar, then Beyoğlu in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Basilica Cistern

      A walkway leads through a dim forest of 336 marble columns, many recycled from older buildings, to two column bases carved with upside-down Medusa heads. Restored lighting and occasional art installations make it one of the most atmospheric stops in the Old City.

   2. Late morning

      Gülhane Park

      Allow 45 minutes (free). Walk through it after Topkapı to Seraglio Point and the tea terraces overlooking the Bosphorus.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Turkish breakfast

      The breakfast street behind Beşiktaş market, cafés in Cihangir and Moda, and places on the Bosphorus shore at Rumeli Hisarı.

   4. Afternoon

      Grand Bazaar

      Old caravanserais (hans) around its edges still house workshops. It shuts on Sundays and public holidays.

   5. Evening

      Beyoğlu

      Meyhanes in Asmalımescit and Nevizade, rooftop bars around Istiklal Avenue and live-music venues for Turkish rock and jazz.

3. Day 3: Galata Tower and Bosphorus by ferry

   Galata Tower, Bosphorus by ferry and Spice Bazaar, then Karaköy in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Galata Tower

      Allow 1 hour (mid-priced). The queue is longest at sunset; go at opening time instead, or simply admire the tower from the surrounding lanes, which are free.

   2. Late morning

      Bosphorus by ferry

      Şehir Hatları's Bosphorus tour from Eminönü runs up the strait past Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy, Rumeli Hisarı and the waterfront mansions, while ordinary commuter ferries from Eminönü, Karaköy or Beşiktaş to Kadıköy or Üsküdar give a 20-minute intercontinental crossing for the price of a transit ride.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fish sandwich

      The boats and stalls at Eminönü beside the Galata Bridge, and the fish restaurants under the bridge's lower deck.

   4. Afternoon

      Spice Bazaar

      Allow 1 hour (free). Walk the outside lanes towards Tahtakale for everyday shopping, and buy Turkish coffee freshly ground from the long-established roasters nearby.

   5. Evening

      Karaköy

      Cocktail bars and wine bars in restored warehouses around Kemankeş Caddesi, near the waterfront.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Princes' Islands (Büyükada)

   About 1.5–2 hours by public ferry each way. Getting there: Public ferry from Kabataş or Eminönü; faster boats from Bostancı.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Princes' Islands (Büyükada)

      About 1.5–2 hours by public ferry (Public ferry from Kabataş or Eminönü; faster boats from Bostancı); about 25 km.

   2. Day

      Princes' Islands (Büyükada)

      A chain of islands in the Sea of Marmara where private cars are not allowed. The largest, Büyükada, has wooden Ottoman mansions, pine woods and the hilltop Aya Yorgi monastery; visitors get around on foot, by bicycle or by small electric vehicles, which replaced horse carriages in 2020.

   3. Evening

      Back in Istanbul

      Dinner: try Meze and rakı.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 nights, Sultanahmet keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Galata and Karaköy ($$$) suits couples, food lovers, first-timers and nightlife. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–17 hours of visiting over 4 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Istanbul
• 2 days in Istanbul
• 3 days in Istanbul
• 5 days in Istanbul
• 7 days in Istanbul

Questions travellers ask