3 days · Marmara
Istanbul in 3 days
Istanbul's essentials, from the imperial monuments of the Historic Peninsula to Galata and the Bosphorus shore.
- Day 1
Sultanahmet
- 09.00–09.45 · Fatih, İstanbulHagia SophiaCompleted in 537, a masterpiece of world architecture with its giant dome.
🚗 2,3 km · 6 min
09.51–10.36 · Fatih, İstanbulBlue MosqueThe mosque famous for its six minarets and blue İznik tiles.🚗 2,2 km · 4 min
10.40–12.40 · Fatih, İstanbulBasilica CisternA Byzantine underground cistern of hundreds of columns, famous for its Medusa heads.🚗 2 km · 5 min
12.45–14.15 · Fatih, İstanbulTopkapı PalaceThe palace where Ottoman sultans lived for centuries; the Harem and Treasury.
Visit the mosques outside prayer times.
🍽️ What to eat: Fish sandwich, Simit, Stuffed mussels
📍 Where to eat:- Fish sandwich at Eminönü: Beside the Galata Bridge.
🛏️ Where to stay: Sultanahmet or Sirkeci: boutique hotels and guesthouses within walking distance
- Day 2
Bazaars and Galata
🚗 5,9 km · 8 min
09.08–11.08 · Fatih, İstanbulGrand BazaarOne of the world's oldest and largest covered markets.🚗 0,9 km · 4 min
11.12–11.57 · Fatih, İstanbulSüleymaniye MosqueThe complex Mimar Sinan built for Suleiman the Magnificent, overlooking the Golden Horn.🚗 3,3 km · 7 min
12.04–14.04 · Beyoğlu, İstanbulGalata TowerA Genoese stone tower with 360-degree views over the city.
🍽️ What to eat: Fish sandwich, Simit, Stuffed mussels
📍 Where to eat:- Fish sandwich at Eminönü: Beside the Galata Bridge.
- Breakfast and baklava in Karaköy: Historic baklava shops and cafés.
🛏️ Where to stay: Karaköy or Galata: boutique hotels and lively evening streets
- Day 3
The Bosphorus shore
🚗 3,8 km · 6 min
09.06–10.36 · Beşiktaş, İstanbulDolmabahçe PalaceA 19th-century Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus, where Atatürk died.🚗 11,1 km · 13 min
10.49–12.49 · Üsküdar, İstanbulMaiden's TowerThe legendary tower on a tiny islet off Üsküdar.
Crossing to the Asian side by ferry is one of the day's highlights.
🍽️ What to eat: Fish sandwich, Simit, Stuffed mussels
📍 Where to eat:- Ortaköy kumpir: Stuffed baked potatoes.