See historic icons and local haunts on our 5-day Istanbul itinerary

ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Start your 5-day Istanbul itinerary at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in Sultanhamet, collecting the Babylonian and Assyrian reliefs in the Ancient Orient section, the exterior of the Tiled Pavilion, and the incredible sarcophogi in the Tombed Sarcophogi of Anatolia room.

AYA İRINI

Next, head up to Aya İrini passing through the courtyard packed with Roman relics. The Irini church is a large empty shell of a building but the real reason to come is to see the very nondescript tomb that some historians now believe is that of Emperor Constantine. Constantine founded Constantinople and turned Christianity from a cult to the predominant religion in the west, making him possibly one of the most influential people ever to have lived.

For lunch, retrace your footsteps to Café Gulhane in Gulhane Park. The kofte on a bed of eggplant puree was delicious.

ISTIKLAL CADDESI

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.

BEYOĞLU

Soak up the atmosphere in Beyoğlu by popping into some other galleries. The Museum of Innocence has a quirky display by Nobel prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. Next, amble down the hill and across the Galata Bridge for lunch at Hamdi’s, a local Turkish institution and a must-visit places on any Istanbul Itinerary.

SPICE MARKET

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.

KADIKÖY

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.

ORTAKÖY MOSQUE

Jump in a taxi and head to Ortaköy, to join the locals for Sunday brunch on Firini Street. Café Zemheri had excellent food and friendly service but there are many more excellent breakfasts in Istanbul to chose from. The back streets have a flea market atmosphere on a Sunday with a covered market near the waterfront, and make sure to pop inside the stunning Ortaköy Mosque, shimmering against the Bosphorus.

DOLMABAHÇE PALACE

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.

PANORAMA 14533 MUSEUM

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.

CHORA CHURCH

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.

FERRY DOWN THE BOSPHORUS

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.

KARAKÖY ART GALLERIES

Hop off at Karaköy, ignore the awful restaurants under the bridge and grab lunch at Akin Balik, a great seafood restaurant tucked into the fishing village just upstream of the bridge. For desert grab some delicious baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu – one of our top moments in Istanbul.

Spend the afternoon in the cool district of Karaköy. Collect some excellent modern art, either at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art or at the Tophane-I Amire Culture and Art Centre. Grab dinner at the many cafes and restaurants that line the pretty streets.

SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE

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.

GRAND BAZAAR

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.

TOPKAPI PALACE

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.