Undoubtedly, Istanbul is one of the most unique and incredible cities I’ve ever visited in the world. If you know my travel style, you know I tend to be underwhelmed by a country’s biggest cities, but Istanbul is unlike any other city I have visited. The city’s rich culture, deep history, mouth-watering cuisine, and gorgeous architecture, make it a must-visit. While you could easily spend a week or more wandering this beautiful city, a minimum of four days is needed to do it fair justice. During our trip to Turkey, we allotted only three days to the city, and without a doubt, wish we had at least one more day.
Now, planning an Istanbul itinerary can be tricky. The city is so large and has so much to offer, it can be hard to prioritize what to do and how much time to spend where. Here is how I recommend spending four days in the beautiful city of Istanbul!
Where to Stay
Let’s start with where to stay. Many people opt to stay in Sultanahmet for the proximity to Istanbul’s historical sights, however, I think this is a mistake. Staying near the Galata Tower (Beyoğlu) provides a better bang for your buck and has a lot more going for it outside of the tourist sites, including many more food and bar options. It is also fairly easy to get to most locations in the city from this region including the Sultanahmet area so it won’t cost you too much extra time.
During our visit, we stayed at Walton Hotels Galata, which had a fantastic location and was a great value for the price.
Getting Around
Istanbul has some of the craziest traffic in the world. For this reason, I recommend not renting a car, and using public transport as often as possible. The public transport in the city is fantastic. For the most part, you will be taking the tram or the ferry to get to most destinations. Both are fairly easy to use and run often and late into the evening/night. You also have the option to use buses or taxis, but where possible, I would use the ferry/trams, as these options avoid traffic delays.
The best way to pay for the transport is to get an Istanbul transportation card (called IstanbulKart). I recommend picking one up at the airport and filling it with money (especially if you plan to arrive in the city via public transport). The card can be used to pay for the bus, tram, and ferry, so it is convenient and easy to use. There are also many places around the city to refill your card.
4 Day Istanbul Itinerary
With logistics out of the way, let’s get to the most important part-The itinerary!
A few notes on this itinerary- While it does include several of the must-see sights in the city, I have excluded some popular sights including:
- Visiting the Inside of the Blue Mosque
- Topkapi Palace
- Going to the top of the Galata Tower
- Several other popular mosques
While it is possible to see this all in four days, given the sheer size of Istanbul, I personally think it is best to not overpack your day with too many sites and allow some free time to explore and wander as well. Of course, if any of the above sites are must-dos for you, feel free to add where you feel fit!
Day 1- Arrival and Galata Area
Ideally, you want to arrive as early as possible on Day 1 to maximize your time in the city. Depending on where you are coming from, you might be tired from a long flight, so I recommend keeping the first day relaxed and easy. Start your day in Galata and explore Karakoy and the beautiful riverside views. Then head up to Taksim Sqaure via Istika Street. Take your time and don’t be afraid to get lost as you explore shops and food. In the evening, make sure to check out the Galata Tower at night.
If you have any additional energy, I highly recommend heading over to Galata Bridge both at sunset and later at night. The scene of all the fishermen on the bridge, as the sun sets and the boats pass by is one I will never forget.
Day 2- Touristic Sites in Sultanahmet
You’ll want a bright and early start to your second day in the city because your first stop will be to visit the most important structure in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia. I cannot explain in words how beautiful this mosque is. It is, without a doubt, worth waking up early for. Heading there early allows you to miss out on the long crowds. The mosque is said to be open to visitors at 9 am, but ask someone at your hotel about the latest opening times and try to arrive 20-30 minutes before that. If you have not read up on the history of the mosque beforehand, you can hire a tour guide. They typically wander near looking for people to join their group. We opted not to as we had done extensive research beforehand on the mosque. Once you are in, do not rush! Take your time and enjoy the mosque at ease.
After the Hagia Sophia, you should cross over towards the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is something I recommend checking out from the outside, but it does not compare to the Hagia Sophia from the inside. If lines are short, you may as well quickly check it out, but if they are not, I recommend skipping the interior and just marveling at its exterior beauty.
Next to the Blue Mosque is Sultanahmet Square (also known previously as the Hippodrome). This is cities most historical and famous squares, so it is worth walking through.
You are probably hungry by now, so it is time for a late breakfast/early lunch. Not too far from the square, is a rooftop restaurant called Grace Rooftop, that offers incredible views of both the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosques. While the restaurant is touristy and overpriced, the photography I got from up here made it all worth it. If you ask the staff, you may even be allowed up to their top floor to get an even better view of the city and get the famous table and tea-set pictures you often see on Instagram.
It’s time to continue the tour through historical Istanbul. The next stop is the Cistern of Theodosius, one of the largest Cisterns that you can visit in the city. I didn’t expect to love this stop as much as I did, but it was fascinating to walk through. The Cistern also has a 20-minute light show every hour, so try to time your arrival to get the chance to see this.
The final stop of the day, is the famous Grand and Spice Bazar! Even if you don’t want love shopping, just absolutely cannot miss these two shopping markets during your visit to the city. Walking through and experiencing the beautiful sights, chaotic bargaining, and incredible smells is something you will never forget. Keep in mind that negotiating in the markets is a must! Never accept the first price that is offered to you!
If you have energy and additional time (we did not), the Suleymaniye Mosque is said to be the second most beautiful mosque in the city. If you are beat though, don’t be afraid to skip this and spend the evening relaxing.
Day 3- Turkish Breakfast and Balat Tour
Day 2 was all about tourist sites, Day 3 is all about local living. With a later start on the itinerary today, it is the perfect day to experience a traditional Turkish breakfast. If you haven’t heard of Turkish breakfasts, they are truly incredible. Typically, 10-20 small breakfast items are brought out and enjoyed throughout a slow-paced meal (don’t worry if you can’t finish it all!). As a food lover, this was heaven for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We had our feast at Van Kahvalti Evi since it was near our hotel.
After breakfast, enjoy walking at leisure until your afternoon Balat Tour. This tour was one of the best highlights of our time in Istanbul, and I can not recommend it enough! Hassan, our tour guide, started off as a tour guide for the tourist mosques of Istanbul. After feeling that he wasn’t showing the true character of his city when focusing on touristic areas, he decided to start offering tours to the more residential area of Balat. The tour is set up in a true free-form manner where Hassan simply walks and talks with you around the area as you explore local life (private tour). You will hear some great stories about daily life in Istanbul, try some amazing local food, and end up leaving feeling like best friends with Hassan. While Istanbul has some of the best tourist sites in the world, it also has some of the most incredible culture, and this tour is the best way to appreciate it.
Day 4- Asia and Remaining Historical Sites
Unfortunately, this is the day we missed by only visiting the city for three days. Originally, we had thought we would be able to squeeze in the Asia side during one of the other days, but walking through Istanbul is tiring! Not only is the city huge, but the hills add up! Our guide from Day 3, Hassan, told us the the Asian side (Kadakoy) is a must-visit. The area is authentic and offers a unique vibe that is different from many of the other areas you have visited so far. While I can’t comment on this, I would recommend adding this fourth day per what we heard about Kadaoky.
After feeling content with the Asian side, you have several options to complete your last day. You could opt to visit any missed tourist sites that you wish to see (Topaki Palace, Suleymaniye mosque, etc.). An alternative option would be to end your trip with a traditional Turkish Hammam spa experience. We ended up doing this in Cappadocia, but Istanbul certainly has its fair share of places to experience this as well (just make sure you try and book in advance). We also were told Kadakoy, has many bath houses that are more authentic and much cheaper (though less luxurious), so you could look into doing it there as well.
Tips For Visiting Istanbul
- Get a Transportation Card!
- Take the ferry at least. It’s a beautiful way to see the city and serves as a cheap alternative to doing a river cruise!
- Don’t underestimate walking distances! Istanbul is massive and has many hills. Even short walking distances can tire you out. Don’t overpack your day with too much walking!
- Don’t oversee Mosques. While the mosques are beautiful, there is so much else to see and experience in this city. If you do want to see more of the mosques, I would recommend adding a couple more days to your stay in the city.
- Read “Istanbul- City of Majesty at the Crossroad of the World”, by Thomas F Madden. This is seriously one of the best history books I’ve read, and it changed the entire experience of roaming through the city.
- Watch some historical videos on the history and architecture of the Hagia Sophia. This will educate you before you visit, in case you don’t want to book a tour.
- Slow travel through the city and enjoy it fully. It is truly one of the greatest cities in the world!
