The Perfect 3-Day Istanbul Itinerary

Last Updated 11 months ago

Istanbul. Some visitors will only breeze through on an extended layover, while other tourists will end up staying a lifetime. But if you only have 72-hours to explore the sky-high minarets, blood orange sunsets over the Mediterranean, and the hustle and bustle of Ottoman-era Bazaars, we’ve got the perfect itinerary for you.

Many visitors to Istanbul are unaware of the city’s shape-shifting nature and its nuances, and barely manage to scratch the surface on having an immersive and truly cultural experience. That’s why we’ve visited several times over the past year to craft the ultimate checklist of what you should see during your visit.

3 Days, 18 Incredible Activities

There isn’t just one way to see the city, let alone do it justice in only one visit. In the end, it always boils down to which side of it you’re most eager to explore. Is it the primeval Greek trading hub of Byzantium? The glorious and eternal Constantinople? Or is it the much newer, young, and more trendy side of Istanbul?

Below, we will tell you precisely what is the best way to organize a 3-day trip to Turkey’s number one metropolitan gem, some of the landmarks you can’t miss during your visit, and a mix of what to see for history, culture, shopping, and fun.

*This itinerary has been planned for those who have a full 3 days in Istanbul. We would advise you to plan an extra two days for flying in and out of the city.

Day 1 – Old Constantinople And Other Historical Districts

We suggest starting your first full day in Istanbul in Sultanahmet, located in the heart of the Historical Peninsula – the strip of land jutting out into the sea where Constantinople was once confined to, and thus its oldest district.

After wolfing down your hearty Turkish breakfast either at your hotel, or one of the city’s adorable cat-populated cafes, head first thing to this ancient plaza, where the Old Hippodrome of Constantinople was located.

Here, you’ll be met with views of two of Istanbul’s most iconic sights: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Located on opposite sides of the same square, these two buildings face each other off in a permanent struggle for dominance.

Hagia Sophia & The Blue Mosque

(09:00 – 10:00)

Entry: Free

Dresscode for men: Preferably long-sleeve shirts and trousers, no hats or head coverings unless it’s for religious purposes

Dresscode for women: They must cover their heads and are advised to dress in a conservative manner

First, walk towards the center of the plaza. Admire the elaborate fountain displays – if you’re lucky enough they’re on during your visit – and the colorful arrangement of blossoms. Take your time taking in the scenery, the mosques, the surrounding Roman ruins – perhaps, grab a simit on the go ahead of proceeding to your first official attraction.

That will be the Ottoman pearl of the Blue Mosque, and for that, you will be walking west. The Blue Mosque isn’t hard to differentiate from other mosques in the city, or even Hagia Sophia herself: unlike the pink-colored marble of the latter, it reflects a grayish-white hue when the sun shines down upon it, revealing the intricate 17th century details.

Entering the mosque, which is in fact named after Sultan Ahmed, the same Sultan who renames the Old Roman Hippodrome you’re in, you will soon learn why ‘Blue’ is a more appropriate description. The interior is beautifully-decorated with hand-painted azure tiles, making this one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Istanbul.

The Hagia, or ‘Saint’ Sophia traces its origins back to Roman times, when it was erected as a Christian cathedral and the heart of the Christian Orthodox world, until it fell to Ottoman forces upon the decline of Rome and the conquest of Constantinople in the Middle Ages. Being 1485 years old, this is the oldest and arguably most impressive of the two.

Throughout Istanbul’s history it has been a religious site for Turkey’s Muslim population, and except for a brief period as a museum – from the democratization of Turkey until the early 21st century – the building’s newly-added minarets leave no question as to whose deity it serves today. Even then, walking into Hagia Sophia will hardly feel like stepping into a conventional mosque.

Moving onto the cathedral’s former nave, currently the mosque’s prayer hall, you should take your time gazing up, once more, though this time it’s not a Roman Constantinople that will stare back at you. The post-1500s interior is richly decorated with huge mosaics in Islamic calligraphy, and the indelible Ottoman mark is evident.

In spite the many facets it’s assumed throughout History – cathedral, mosque, museum, then mosque once more – Saint Sophia is a stubborn old lady who refuses to dim its Roman essence, all the while proudly wearing a Muslim attire bestowed upon it by its Turkish conquerors. Still to this day, it is modern-day Istanbul’s piece de resistance.

Bonus: if you’re a fellow Roman Empire enthusiast, perhaps you would like to check out the Column of Constantine, one of Constantinople’s best preserved free-standing columns and a UNESCO-recognized structure dating back to the 4th century. It is free to visit and only a 13-minute walk from Sultanahmet Square.

Topkapi Palace

(10:00 – 11:30)

Entry: 320 Turkish liras

There are no dressing rules

Still within the precinct of the Old Hippodrome, head next to Topkapi, one of Istanbul’s most important museums and a large Ottoman palace built in the 15th century, with the sole purpose of housing the Sultan and its court. Inside, they have kept most of the bygone Empire’s most precious belongings, including:

Beautiful rugs with intricate patterns as old as 500 years;
Centuries-old clocks;
Scepters and swords;
Moses’ staff;
Hair from the beard of Prophet Mohammed;
The Sultan’s vests and more.

Aside from the Historical side of things, you’re free to visit the lush gardens, the Hamman once housing the women of the court (and the Sultan’s many lovers). Since the palace was built facing the Bosphorus, tourists are also graced with unparalleled views of the iconic waterway, and of Istanbul’s Asian – or Anatolian – side in the distance.

Istanbul is packed with museums and heritage landmarks, and in order to save up some cash, I recommend you get a five-day Istanbul Museum Pass, granting you a single entry to each of the city’s top-rated attractions, including Topkapi Palace. According to the official website, the price is currently 700 Turkish lira, or roughly USD 37.67.

I know, the U.S. dollar is absolutely crushing it worldwide.

Basilica Cistern

(11:30 – 12:30)

Entry: 190 Turkish lira

There are no dressing rules.

You still have some time before lunchtime, and to top off your introduction to Istanbul as Constantinople, I would advise you to leg it to the Basilica Cistern before the crowds start gathering. This is one of the most impressive landmarks in the city, and one that even featured on our list of 6 underground European attractions to escape the heat over summer.

Built in the 6th century, it was but a water reservoir for the Roman Great Palace, toppled by the city’s later Turkish makeover, part of a complex system of hundreds of similar cisterns lying beneath Istanbul. They all resemble an underwater cathedral with tall, sturdy columns holding the below-ground ceiling, but this is arguably the best preserved.

Personally, I believe either early in the morning, or lunchtime when most are feeling peckish and are in search of a bite to eat are two of the best times to visit, as overtourism can get a bit too much in other peak visitation hours. You should plan accordingly as tickets can sell out quickly, and this attraction does not seem to be included on the Museum Pass.

Once underground, make sure you look for the upside-down and sideways Medusa heads, and sculptures supporting two of the Roman columns. Nowadays, due to obvious reasons, the cistern isn’t filled with water to its full capacity to allow for visitation, so they shouldn’t be difficult to spot – and if you’re a fan of Greek mythology, I’d suggest you read up on the reason why the heads are lying in such an unnatural angle beforehand.

Don’t forget, of course, to snap as many pictures as you can for the ‘Gram, especially if the cistern is empty. This is indisputably one of the most photogenic and dreamy spots in all of Istanbul.

Grand Bazaar and Lunch

(12:30 – 14:00)

In reality, you could spend an entire day at the Grand Baazar wandering through its ancient covered streets and over 4000 shops, offering everything from carpets to spices, and all things in between.

For the sake of this itinerary, we’re going to take an entire day and squeeze it into 90 minutes, just enough time to grab a bite at a food cart or cafe inside the bazaar, and to check out some niche shops of what you’re most interested in buying.

During my most recent visit to the Grand Bazaar, I was in the market to buy gold. Many people think the bazaar is just a tourist trap and a place where they’re likely to get ripped off, but the truth is far from that. People have been trading gold inside the Grand Bazaar for hundreds of years and many shops are owned by multi-generation jewelers. With the great exchange rate of the USD, combined with the ability to barter directly with suppliers, it’s a fantastic place to purchase gold right now.

You can make your way to a particular area of the market based on what you’re most interested in, whether that be antiques, clothing, carpets, leather, furniture, or other specialty shops.

Alternative idea: If you’ve been to the Grand Bazaar before, or the thought of a market with over 250,000 visitors per day overwhelms you, head to a bougie lunch in the area instead. Just 3 minutes on foot from the bazaar is an ultra-premium restaurant called Nusr-Et, which is sure to impress even the most discerning diner. If you’re after a budget lunch experience, try Pudding Shop – Lale Restaurant that is popular with both tourists and locals alike.

Go For A Stroll In The Colorful Balat & Fener

(14:00 – 15:00)

Entry: Free

Open-air attraction where no dressing rules apply.

Istanbul is comprised of many layers, and during a prolonged weekend, we don’t have enough time to tick all of the boxes on our bucket list. So we’ll need to be practical. There are tons of Instagrammable districts full of colorful houses around the whole city, both on the European and the Asian sides, but for a newcomer, maybe they should be focus on these two:

Balat & Fener, two historical neighborhoods that now practically form a single entity.

Reaching Balat or Fener from Sultanahmet Square, where you started your tour, shouldn’t be more than 20 Turkish lira, according to this online taxi calculator, but make sure you check official fares on the BiTaksi app and beware of taxi scams and dodgy drivers as Turkey has been recently named the fifth country where these incidents are most likely to happen.

Arriving to Balat & Fener, you will be met with the classic European-style streets leading to a hilltop monument – more specifically, the 15th century Greek Patriarchate & St George’s Church. Prior to the First World War, Greeks were one of the largest ethnic groups in Turkey, owing it to the fact that, in Ancient Times, Constantinople was Greco-Roman territory.

Now they are a minority across the entire country, including Istanbul, but the vibes in Balat & Fener are notoriously distinct from other districts like Sultanahmet and Galata. It is incredibly scenic, with tall windows and very colorful wooden facades that are an Ottoman trademark making for beautiful landscaping.

Besides the ‘Colored Houses of Balat’, you don’t want to miss the Neo-Byzantine-styled St Stephen’s Bulgarian Orthodox Church, another mark of the area’s traditionally Christian nature and of another of Istanbul’s historical residents, the Bulgarians. It was famously made out of prefabricated cast iron, and it is one of the few ‘iron churches’ left.

Istanbul Photo Session

(15:00 to 17:00)

Just before the golden hour hits is the perfect time to take the most memorable and beautiful photos on this incredible rooftop studio “Teras Istanbul” located in the Balat neighborhood. Acclaimed photographer Ahmet Bolat creates stunning photos and videos for tourists, with the ultimate backdrop of the city behind. You can wear your own clothes or go through his extensive collection of dresses and authentic Turkish costumes for both men and women.

Entry fee, costume rental, and complete photoshoot starts at 100 Euros per person, which is a fantastic rate for such professional and jaw-dropping photos. My friend @dearalyne and I had a photoshoot done together and below is just one of the incredible photos he took of us.