Istanbul Essentials — 3 days
The city of a thousand mosques between two continents. Day-by-day itinerary: Sultanahmet; Grand Bazaar & the Bosphorus; Beyoğlu & Departure.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Sultanahmet
- 09:00 — Arrival at Istanbul IST
- 10:30 — Metro M11 → Gayrettepe, then M2 — IST → Sultanahmet
- 13:00 — Hotel check-in in Sultanahmet — Sultanahmet
- 14:00 — Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) — Sultanahmet
- 16:00 — Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed) — Sultanahmet
- 17:30 — Basilica Cistern — Sultanahmet
- Walk to Kumkapı — Sultanahmet → Kumkapı
- 20:00 — Dinner in Kumkapı — the fish quarter — Kumkapı
Day 2 — Grand Bazaar & the Bosphorus
- 09:00 — Grand Bazaar — Kapalıçarşı
- Walk to the Spice Bazaar — Kapalıçarşı → Eminönü
- 11:00 — Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) — Eminönü
- 12:30 — Fish sandwich on the Bosphorus — Eminönü
- Walk to Topkapı — Eminönü → Sultanahmet
- 14:00 — Topkapı Palace — Sultanahmet
- Walk to Eminönü — Sultanahmet → Eminönü
- 17:00 — Bosphorus cruise at sunset — Eminönü
- Walk to Karaköy — Eminönü → Karaköy
- 20:30 — Dinner in Karaköy — Galata view — Karaköy
Day 3 — Beyoğlu & Departure
- 09:00 — Galata Tower — Galata
- Walk to İstiklal Avenue — Galata → Beyoğlu
- 10:30 — İstiklal Avenue — Beyoğlu
- 12:30 — Lunch at a meyhane (Turkish tavern) — Beyoğlu
- 15:00 — Transfer to IST airport
- 19:00 — Return flight