Bridging two continents, Istanbul is not a small city. There is a grand palace or ancient mosque on every street of the metropolis. I was so desperate to see as much as possible during my 3-day trip that on my first day alone I walked over 20km!
Istanbul felt European, but dotted with bazaars and so many minarets that I could see the Asian influences too. The city’s history is also fascinating, encompassing various powerful empires over the last millennia.
It was a busy three days, packed with an almost overwhelming array of sights to see. With this 3-day itinerary, join me in exploring the highlights of diverse and intoxicating Istanbul.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
I spent my first day in Istanbul exploring the Sultanahmet area in the Old City. With so many of Istanbul’s most famous sites located here, it seemed a perfect place to start.
Sultanahmet Square is the centre of Istanbul’s Old City. It is flanked by two of Istanbul’s most famous tourist attractions: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
I arrived shortly after sunrise, eager to catch the golden hour light on the Blue Mosque. It was incredibly calm this early, until the fountains turned on and tourists began to trickle into the square.
I wandered through Sultanahmet often throughout my stay in Istanbul. It’s the perfect place to hear the call to prayer, as muezzins from the Blue Mosque and two others nearby recite to each other in an echoing triangle.
I’m not normally someone to splash on expensive food, especially in a city as cheap as Istanbul. However, as my “foodseeing” experiment in Budapest taught me, sometimes the experience outweighs the cost.
In fact, I didn’t visit Seven Hills Restaurant for the food. Instead, it has a perfectly placed balcony for views over both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I didn’t splurge on the full breakfast, but sipped a Turkish tea as I gazed on at the two mosques. It was a perfect start to the morning, with a little breeze and the sun on my face.
Sultanahmet Mosque, AKA the Blue Mosque, is one of Istanbul’s most famous locations. It was under construction when I visited, so unfortunately many of the iconic blue tiles were hidden from view.
Despite the construction, I could still understand why the Blue Mosque is so renowned. Instead of blue, the Blue Mosque appeared gold on the inside, with complex orange and gold mosaics decorating the domes. Gigantic marble pillars supported the giant structure, while stained glass windows twinkled light down upon me.
Read more about what to expect from Istanbul’s mosques, including dress codes and prayer timings: The Best Mosques to Visit in Istanbul
Hagia Sophia was once a cathedral, then a mosque, but is no longer a working place of worship. Its dusty pink exterior conceals one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever been in.
From the gallery I was able to take in the true height of the enormous dome. I felt dwarfed by the high, dark walls, but strangely calm and cool. Adorned with peeling frescos and ancient mosaics, Hagia Sophia is decorated in shades of yellow and gold. I was most entranced by the large, framed discs, positioned high on the walls, with Arabic words proclaimed in gold paint.
Built in the 6th century AD during the Roman Age, the Basilica Cistern was a water filtration system for hundreds of years. While that may not sound like something to spend time visiting, it was actually way cooler than I anticipated!
Beneath Istanbul’s surface is an enormous underground chamber with rows and rows of columns stretching away into darkness. It was quite dark inside, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be down there without any other visitors! The floor, once covered in water, was now merely damp, giving a vibe of disuse. Yet despite this, the cistern’s long rows of columns were creepily appealing, and to me the cistern seemed eerily beautiful.
Topkapi Palace was probably my favourite place in all of Istanbul.
Until the 18th century, it was the residence of Ottoman sultans. The grounds are extensive, with gardens, fancy courtyards and museum exhibits about Turkish history.
But the harem takes Topkapi Palace to the next level. It turns out a harem is not a candlelit den of opium and depravity where the sultan imprisons his many concubines. Instead, it is a sacred place, often of palatial proportions, reserved for women. Which actually I think sounds pretty great!
Topkapi Palace’s harem is a large complex of beautiful suites where the families of sultans would live. They are intricately decorated with thousands of Turkey’s famous blue tiles, in patterns of flowers, spirals or spelling out Arabic words. I could have spent all day weaving through the rooms of the harem.
On my second day in Istanbul, I strayed north of the Golden Horn. There is plenty to see in the north of Istanbul, including one of the classier neighbourhoods and the famous shopping district. Crossing back over to central Istanbul, I visited what became my favourite mosque in Istanbul.
Ortaköy Mosque is north of the Golden Horn, in one of Istanbul’s more fancy districts. It’s right on the Bosporus Strait, and the river lapped gently against the footpath as I manoeuvred through stray cats and dogs to reach the mosque.
Ortaköy is a favourite spot for photographers, and I could see why. As the sun rose behind the mosque, it illuminated a suspension bridge stretched through haze across the Bosporus. The bridge connected to Istanbul’s Asian side, which disappeared mistily into the background. Ortaköy Mosque’s interior is also incredibly opulent, with high windows allowing light to bounce off the many chandeliers.
Once the residence of sultans and the president, Dolmabahçe Palace claims it’s one of the “most glamorous” palaces in the world. I’m going to have to agree with them. The large, white palace is spectacularly grand, and has gardens and a harem to explore as well.
With lavish Turkish rugs and glimmering chandeliers, the internal décor was even more impressive than my first impressions of the outside. But you know you’re fancy when you have not only two truly enormous stone gateways that lead to the road, but also a white, wrought gate that opens straight onto the Bosporus. Must bear that in mind for when I build my own palace.
Taksim Square is Istanbul’s famous shopping district, almost like the heart of the modern city. Vintage yellow trams lurch down Istiklal Caddesi. Çiçek Pasaji, an arcade covered by glass, has flowers hanging from its glass dome. Çukurcuma Street is lined with antique shops and hipster cafes. Flights of colourful rainbow steps lead down to the riverfront. I found it to be a busy, trendy area, with lots of places to photograph and lots of places to eat.
Galata Tower is perched on top of a hill north of the Golden Horn, and has great views over Istanbul. From the top, you can easily see Sultanahmet and all the way across the Bosporus to Istanbul’s Asian side.
The whole area surrounding Galata Tower is a pretty cool location. It’s great for people watching and street photography, with boats, hawkers and gulls competing for the limelight. The tower is also situated on the peninsula where the Golden Horn meets the Bosporus Strait. This means it’s right on the edge of continental Europe!
Honestly, I preferred visiting Süleymaniye to the Blue Mosque. It is surrounded by beautiful grounds, which were speckled with locals when I visited. There were far fewer tourists at Süleymaniye, making it feel more peaceful and authentic.
I was especially lucky to be invited by a Turkish-American volunteer to stay and witness the next prayer. I sat with her for four whole hours, speaking about everything from religion to Myers Briggs! I’m starting to think she might actually be my soulmate.
I highly recommend visiting Süleymaniye and asking to stay to watch the prayer (probably not on a Friday though). It made for the best mosque experience I could’ve ever asked for.
I was lucky enough to visit Istanbul during Ramadan and iftar quickly became my favourite time of day. The city comes together to break the daily fast, and the atmosphere is one of celebration.
I returned to Sultanahmet Square, the heart of Old Istanbul, to witness iftar celebrations in Istanbul’s Old City. The fountains were lit up in pink, creating a festive feel. Long benches through the square hosted hundreds of people, waiting patiently for iftar to begin. The grass too was covered with picnickers, waiting for the call to prayer to finally echo through the city.
Read more about Ramadan in Istanbul: Travelling to Istanbul During Ramadan
I was in and out of the city centre on my third and final day in Istanbul. There was still so much to see, so I started by heading to Balat, a colourful neighbourhood in the west of the city. A trip to Istanbul’s bazaars was next, before ending the day with a beautiful sunset viewpoint overlooking the city.
Famous for its colourful houses, I was excited to visit Balat, in the west of Istanbul. However, I made the huge mistake of walking to Balat, which turned out to be one of the hilliest places I’ve ever visited. Luckily, on arriving, huffing and sweaty, I was charmed by the beautiful, old buildings.
Despite being on Istanbul’s European side, Balat seemed to channel Asian influences much more. While the whole neighbourhood is pretty, the row of brightly coloured houses was my favourite part.
Continuing uphill in Balat, I reached Chora Church. Like much of Istanbul, it was also under restoration, but luckily the inside remained untouched.
No longer a working place of worship, the main attraction is the church’s ancient decoration. The frescos and mosaics are some of oldest surviving samples of their kind. They covered not only the walls, but stretched all the way up to the ceiling and the domes. Depicting various scenes from the bible, the frescos and mosaics are intriguing to look at and abundant with gold.
With a functional yet stylish Turkish scarf in mind, I headed to Istanbul’s grand bazaar. The winding alleys were very crowded, and boasted some of the most beautiful shop displays I’ve even seen. They seemed to sell everything from plates and lights to clothes and accessories.
I will admit that as a woman alone on a specific shopping mission, it was not an ideal consumer experience. My friends will confirm that I have an inability to ignore strangers, but in the end I found moving fast and feigning deafness to be a winning combination.
And I managed to leave with two scarves! Bizarrely (no pun intended), one cost around £9 after bartering while one cost 64 pence without bartering. I think that discrepancy pretty much epitomises the Grand Bazaar!
Separate from the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is named “Egyptian” after the source of its funding rather than the source of its spices. There’s a high ceiling running over the market, decorated with windows letting the light stream in. The passages are wider and the shop fronts more spacious, creating an atmosphere much less oppressive than the Grand Bazaar
Moreover, it smelt SO good! The shops sold everything from dried fruit to spices and, of course, Turkish delight. It was the perfect place to stock up on long-term goods like spices . . . and short-term goods like snacks.
Yeni Cami is a great mosque to visit if, like me, you want to experience one of Istanbul’s less touristy mosques. With over 3000 mosques in the city, there are literally thousands to choose from! Yeni Cami is right next to the Spice Bazaar, so it’s really easy to pop in.
Of all the mosques I visited in Istanbul, Yeni Cami was the most peaceful. I definitely attribute this to the lack of tourists, and also because I visited well away from Islamic prayer times. (I used this website to check prayer times before visiting mosques.) As Yeni Cami is so near the busy market, I was hit with a wave of noise and heat when exiting the mosque. However, inside was quiet and calm.
Sirkeci Terminal in Eminönü is famous for being the starting point for the Orient Express. It now houses a museum about the train, and a local told me that if I liked literature, I should definitely give it a visit. It even houses the room where Agatha Christie stayed when writing Murder on the Orient Express!
Unfortunately, it was really hard to locate. There are so many stations in Eminönü for buses, trams and even boats that I was wandering around aimlessly. Suddenly the skies opened and I was caught in a flash storm, so I gave up looking. I still don’t know exactly where it is; feel free to let me know if you find out!
I ended my trip to Istanbul on a literal high! Istanbul is such a hilly city that rooftops are a popular place to chill out and catch the sunset. I went to Kubbe Istanbul, a new little place near Süleymaniye Mosque that served tea and was set up with Turkish rugs and cushions. However, if you wander off the beaten track and climb some stairs, you’ll probably be rewarded with a free rooftop view of your own!
The rooftops north of the Grand Bazaar are perfect for sunset. I could see not only Süleymaniye and Sultanahmet, but also all the way to Galata Tower and down the Bosporus Strait. With birds swooping above my head, sipping tea up here was the perfect end to my trip to Istanbul.
Straddling Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a unique and intoxicating metropolis. Even after three days I feel I left so much more to explore. I didn’t even set foot on Istanbul’s Asian side!
That said, I’m confident I visited all of Istanbul’s highlights throughout my 3-day visit. This condensed itinerary is perfect for exploring the city, but I know I will definitely be back to Istanbul.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and, at no extra cost to you, I receive a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.
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1 Comment
Lauren · 03/24/2021 at 12:27 AM
I would love to do this itinerary! I was wondering if you bought any sort of museum or entry pass? And what you did for transportation? Trying to figure out the most budget friendly option. Thanks 🙂