5-day Istanbul itinerary - Our perfect city break

After lunch descend into the Basilica Cistern, the underground cavern that held the ancient Roman city’s water supply. It’s an eerie, dark and watery place; the roof is held up by columns that were constructed from the ruins of what came before. Next, pass by the Milion Stone – the mile marker from which all destinations from Constantinople were measured – and into the remains of the Hippodrome. Drop down the hill past a daily market to Little Aya Sofya – a less-visited gem.

Retrace your footsteps and enter the Blue Mosque. Head towards the Aya Sofya, stopping off at Sultan Ahmed Tomb, where he and his family lay at rest.

Next is Aya Sofya, the iconic building that has defined Istanbul for 1,500 years and gave us an insight into the city’s mighty past. Allowing a good 1 hour, 30 minutes to look around.

Spend sunset on Café Seven Hills with a drink on their rooftop debriefing about your first day of this 5-day Istanbul Itinerary.

Start this morning at Taksim Square and amble down Istiklal Caddesi, grabbing brunch at Café Ara. Check out the Pera Museum which has a permanent art collection featuring Osman Hamdi Bey’s ‘The Tortoise Trainer’ on the first floor, and three further floors of rotating exhibitions. Soak up the atmosphere in Beyoğlu. Pop into some other galleries, especially the Museum of Innocence which has a quirky display by Nobel prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. Amble down the hill and across the Galata Bridge for lunch at Hamdi’s, a local Turkish institution.

Head into the magnificent sights and smells of the Spice Market before exploring the warren of streets that stretch in every direction around it. Hopefully, you will get luckier than us at the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the New Mosque both of which were covered in scaffolding on our visit.

As late afternoon approaches take the ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy and explore the produce food market on the Asian side of Istanbul. End with dinner at Ciya Sofrasi in the heart of the market. It serves excellent southeastern Turkish food, and if the menu is too incomprehensible then a bit of pointing does the trick.

[Please note this day needs to be on Sunday]

Jump in a taxi and head to Ortaköy, a short ride north of the centre of town. Head to Firini Street, and join the locals for Sunday brunch – one of the best breakfasts in Istanbul. Café Zemheri had excellent food and friendly service. The back streets have a flea market atmosphere on a Sunday with a covered market near the waterfront. Pop inside the stunning Ortaköy Mosque, shimmering against the Bosphorus.

Walk 30 minutes to Dolmabahçe Palace (closed Monday and Thursday). While the queue can still be a bit onerous the awful guided tour has been replaced by a good audio guide that clicks in and out as you enter the various rooms, as if by magic. The palace is split into two sections, the Harem (Sultan’s family’s private quarters) and the Selamik (official palace rooms). In our opinion, it’s worth paying for both. The showstoppers are the Blue Hall, Crystal Staircase and Grand Ceremonial. Allow 2 hours or so to wander around.

Surprisingly, lunch at the on-site café is pretty decent. It’s also one of the few places in Istanbul where you can dine right next to the Bosphorus.

Walk to Kabatas, take the tram to Tofane and stroll up to the Galata Mevlevi Museum. Here the Sema takes places every Sunday: the religious ceremony where the Whirling Dervishes do their whirling. Tickets need to be collected and paid for the day before (Saturday) from a man sitting at a table outside the entrance to the Museum.

After the whirling, skip the horrendous queues at the Galata Tower and the busyness of Bar 360 making a beeline for SNOG Roof & Bar. You’ll be giving up some of the views, a venue with a credible name and star quality, but you’ll get a seat, reasonable drinks and good service.

Explore the area around İstiklal Caddesi and stop for dinner at Sahrap tucked in the streets next to Sishane Metro.

Start your day at the Panorama 1453 Museum, a short walk from the Topkapı Metro Station. Speed read your way through the verbose information boards explaining the mighty Ottoman victory over the Romans and head up to the dome. The 360-degree painted panorama, complete with sound effects, won us over thanks to its delightfully tacky depiction of the battle scene.

From the museum you can walk along the walls, but it’s better to head back to the metro station and hop on the tram to Edirnekapi which follows the wall anyway. Exiting the tram, walk through the walls and down to the Chora Church. This is the best-preserved Crusader Byzantine Church and the frescoes and mosaics inside are exemplary.

Wend your way down the hill for 20 minutes through a modern Turkish neighbourhood to the ferry stop at Ayvansary. The ferry only runs once an hour so try to time your arrival with the timetable below, but you are rewarded with a relaxing ride along the Golden Horn as views of Istanbul slide by.

Start the day at Valens Aqueduct built by Roman Emperor Theodosius. Next amble along Veta Caddesi in the Molla Husrev neighbourhood to the magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque. After exploring inside, head down the hill to Aga Kapisi for tea or coffee on its rooftop with great views over the city and back over the Mosque. Turkish coffee is such a rich tradition in the country it’s been recognised on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Next, stroll further down the hill and into the Grand Bazaar. Test out your bargaining skills before grabbing lunch at Carsi Kebab, a great local kebab stall in the north-west corner of the bazaar.

After lunch, go past Constantine’s column on the way to the Topkapı Palace, remembering to skip the queues with your museum card. You can easily spend around 2 hours 30 minutes exploring the palace from which the Ottoman Sultans ruled their massive Empire. It’s a thoroughly sumptuous and extravagant icon and a great way to wrap up your 5-day Istanbul itinerary.