Istanbul is a heady mix of east and west with intriguing history, cool museums, hipster cafes and trendy rooftop bars. Here’s our 5-day Istanbul itinerary to help you see it all.
LAST UPDATE: 21 Nov 2023
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Our Istanbul itinerary explores a centre with many personalities.
Straddling two continents it harmonises old and new, east and west. As Constantinople, it was the capital of the Roman Empire for over 1,000 years before the Ottoman Turks captured it in 1453, renamed it Istanbul and made it the centre of an Islamic Caliphate.
But this legacy has not left it clinging to some glorious past. Ancient churches, timeless mosques and baroque grand palaces, sit seamlessly next to the lively neighbourhoods of a new and modern Turkey.
One morning you’re staring up at glittering golden mosaics on Byzantine church domes, that afternoon you’re staring up at contemporary art in a pop-up museum. Sample eastern flavours in the grand bazaar for lunch, then sip beer on a rooftop bar, before being engrossed in an ancient Islamic ceremony.
Learn the fascinating history, explore local neighbourhoods, and discover the very best things to do in Istanbul with our 5-day itinerary.
DAY 1 – HISTORIC ISTANBUL
Get up to speed with the fascinating history of Istanbul in these iconic sites and museums.
ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS
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.
Archaeological Museums / 9 am – 7:30 pm (Apr-Oct); 9 am – 6:30 pm (Oct-Apr) | Price: ₺60. Free with museum card.
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.
Aya İrini / 9 am – 6 pm | Price: ₺30. Free with museum card
BASILICA CISTERN
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.
2022 Update // The Basilica Cistern is currently closed for restoration works, however, a 3D experience is shown at the Theodosius Cistern.
Basilica Cistern / 9:00 – 18:30 15th Apr-Sep; 9:00 – 17:30 Oct – 14th Apr | Price: ₺30
MILION STONE
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.
Read Next — The best ancient ruins in Turkey
BLUE MOSQUE
Retrace your footsteps and head into the Blue Mosque to stare at its ephemeral ceiling and rich carpets. Next stop off at Sultan Ahmed Tomb, where he and his family lay at rest in all different size of tombs.
AYA SOFYA (HAGIA SOFIA)
Next is (or Aya Sofya in Turkish), the iconic building that has defined Istanbul for 1,500 years and gave us an insight into the city’s mighty past. Since being converted to a mosque in 2020 opening times are reduced for tourists. Please note the times below.
Spend sunset on Café Seven Hills with a drink on their rooftop debriefing about your first day of this 5-day Istanbul Itinerary.
Hagia Sofia / Sat to Thur: 8:30 am – 11 am; 1pm – 2:30 pm; 3:30 pm – 4;45pm; Fri: from 1:30 pm | Price: Free.
DAY 2 – MODERN ISTANBUL
Explore local neighbourhoods and Istanbul’s expertise with modern art.
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.
Pera Museum / 10 am – 7pm (Tue-Sat); 10am – 10 pm (Fri); 12 pm – 6 pm (Sun); Closed Mon | Price: ₺25. More information here
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 place on any Istanbul Itinerary.
Museum of Innocence / 10 am – 6 pm (Tue-Sun); Closed Mon | Price: ₺40
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.
Read Next — Amazing things to do in Cappadocia
DAY 3 – ISTANBUL CULTURE
Partake in a typical Istanbul weekend and finish with a mesmerising cultural tradition.
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 choose 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.
Ortaköy Mosque / 9 am – 5 pm, closed for prayer time | Price: free.
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.
Dolmabahçe Palace / 9 am – 6 pm (Tue-Sun); closed Mon | Price: ₺90 for both Harem and Selamik
WHIRLING DERVISHES
Walk to Kabatas, take the tram to Tofane and stroll up to the Galata Mevlevi Museum. The Sema takes place every Sunday: a religious ceremony where the Whirling Dervishes do their whirling. The ceremony lasts about 1 hour and is highly recommended. 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.
Sema at Galata Mevlevi Museum / 5 pmevery Sunday. Buy tickets outside the museum the day before and arrive by 16.30 for a decent seat | Price: ₺70
ROOFTOP COCKTAILS
After the whirling, skip the horrendous queues at the Galata Tower and busy Bar 360, and make 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.
As evening arrives explore the area around İstiklal Caddesi and stop for dinner at Sahrap tucked in the streets next to Sishane Metro.
Read Next — Our Turkey itinerary
DAY 4 – OTTOMAN VICTORIES & ROMAN CHURCHES
Learn the story of the Ottoman conquest and find Byzantine gems tucked away in local neighbourhoods.
PANORAMA 1453 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.
1453 Panorama Museum / 8 am – 5 pm every day | Price: ₺20; For more information to help plan your visit, see here
CHORA CHURCH / CHORA MOSQUE
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.
2022 Update // Chora Church was converted to a mosque in 2020. As a result, visitors need to avoid prayer times.
Chora Mosque / Open daily, check prayer times in advance | Price: Free
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.
Check the latest timetables to plan your ferry trip back to Karaköy
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.
2022 Update // The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is still closed for refurbishments, however, their temporary space is open in Beyoğlu.
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DAY 5 – GRAND ISTANBUL
From beautiful mosques to palatial homes, explore the grandeur of Istanbul.
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 northwest 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.
Topkapı Palace / 9 am – 6 pm (closed Tue) | Price: ₺100 for Harem; free with the museum pass.
WHERE TO STAY IN ISTANBUL
In our opinion, the best areas to stay in Istanbul are around Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Taksim. The atmosphere is alive and kicking in the evening with plenty of great restaurants and bars, without being too close to the heavily populated areas. The excellent transport links will easily transport you to rest of the city.
We strongly suggest you stay away from Galatasaray and the centre of İstiklal Caddesi. Both are very noisy late into the night – and not in a good way.
Here are some recommendations from us.
FATIH
HOTEL SARI KONAK
Great value in the centre of Istanbul with stylish finishings and one of the best-located roof-terraces in the city.
BEYOĞLU
LOUIS APPARTEMENTS
These modern, great value apartments are well equipped with basic essentials in an ideal location for exploring the city.
BEYOĞLU
PERA PALACE HOTEL
A magnificent old building with terraced lawns and three restaurants, this is a perfectly located touch of indulgence.
KARAKÖY
10 KARAKÖY
This beautiful luxury hotel in the heart of trendy Karaköy has stylish decor and helpful staff. The location is perfect for exploring.
VISITING MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS IN ISTANBUL
There are so many museums and attractions in Istanbul and queues can be long. So, it’s worth getting some tickets in advance to save both time and money.
MUSEUM PASS İSTANBUL
The Museum Pass Istanbul provides access to 13 museums and archaeological sites including Topkapi Palace, the Archaeological Museums, Chora Museum. The pass costs ₺360 and provides access (without queuing) for 5 days.
The pass can be collected from any of the museums or it can be ordered from your hotel.
ISTANBUL SKIP THE LINE TICKETS
If you are only going to pick off the big sites then consider skip-the-line with guide tickets. The Hagia Sofya, Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace can have long queues and are such fascinating places a guide can be useful. Also if you don’t want to risk not getting tickets to see the Whirling Dervishes you can book advance tickets to see them at the HodjaPasha Cultural Centre.
ISTANBUL TOURS
HAGIA SOFYA
TOPKAPI PALACE
WHIRLING DERVISHES
GETTING AROUND ISTANBUL
The new Istanbul Airport opened in April 2019, located around 40 kilometres from the city centre on the European side. As a major international hub, flights arrive from many destinations in Europe. Here’s how to get to Istanbul from the airport:
TAXI FROM THE AIRPORT TO ISTANBUL
Metered yellow taxis are available from the official taxi rank just outside the terminal. Make sure you ask for the meter to be switched on. It should cost around ₺100-₺130 (£10-£12 / €11-€14 / $12-$16). Uber is considered a premium service in Istanbul and will often cost more than a regular taxi.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE
The Havaist Airport Shuttle costs ₺25 (£2.50 / €2.60 / $3.20) and takes around 1.5 hours to reach Istanbul – possibly longer during heavy traffic. You can pay with cash or credit card on the bus or use your Istanbul Card.
ISTANBUL PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Istanbul public transport system is excellent. Metro, funiculars, ferries and trams all interconnect providing cheap, easy and quick access across town. The very handy Istanbul Card (İstanbulkart) is accepted on all public transport including the Airport Shuttle. So pick one up at the airport when you arrive.
MAP / ISTANBUL ITINERARY
To help you plan your Istanbul itinerary, all the excellent activities we have listed in this guide can be found on the below map.
How to use this map / Click on the top left of the map to display the list of locations, then click on the locations to display further information. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab or the star to save to your Google Maps.
BEST TIME TO GO TO ISTANBUL
Many of the official museums in Istanbul have summer and winter opening times. In winter the sites shut 2 hours earlier, which significantly curtails how much you can see, so it’s better to do this 5-day Istanbul itinerary between late April and October. Turkey also gets very hot in summer, so if you love walking around a city, we suggest you aim for the shoulder seasons.
If you want some of the big sites to yourself, coincide your trip with Ramadan. Very few Turks travel during Ramadan, so everything is much less busy. The downside is some of the restaurants are on a limited menu or reduced hours, but we never found this a problem during our visit.
HOW MANY DAYS IN ISTANBUL?
Deciding how many days in Istanbul, really depends on your stamina – there’s so much to do. It’s also just a great place to hang out.
As a result, we recommend allowing at least 3 to 5 days to see it all. Apart from the fascinating historical places, there’s a huge array of museums, a thriving art scene, buzzing cafes and bars, and 2 continents to see it all from.
3 DAYS IN ISTANBUL
If you have 3 days in Istanbul, we recommend you follow days 1, 2 and 5. This will allow time to see the major attractions, the most sumptuous palaces, some very cool art, and many of the interesting historical sites.
4 DAYS IN ISTANBUL
To see Istanbul in 4 days, follow days 1,2, 3 and 5 of this Itinerary. This will capture most of the main tourist attractions plus allow you to experience more of the local neighbourhoods in Istanbul.
5 DAYS IN ISTANBUL
With 5 days in Istanbul, you’ll be able to see the main attractions, plus get under the surface and find local Istanbul experiences lurking in quirky and traditional neighbourhoods.
Read Next — Istanbul’s uncertain future
PLANNING YOUR TURKEY TRIP
Turkey is a fascinating destination with ancient ruins, magical landscapes and one of our favourite cities in the world. Here are more of our guides about this wonderful country.
If you found this guide useful, we’d love it if you could follow us on Instagram.
Our guide to the most amazing things to do in Cappadocia
20 Amazing things to do in Istanbul
3 of the best hiking trails in Cappadocia
The best Ancient Ruins in Turkey
Driving in Turkey – all our tips
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That architecture is stunning! The colors and details on the inside tiles are breathtaking. Fresh local seafood and ferry boat rides are the best part of being on the water, I would not miss those.
I love the Islamic styling and calligraphy on the tiles, always makes me feel like I’m somewhere exotic! I can highly recommend the seafood, it was top notch.
Istanbul, the name itself seems to conjure images of an exotic place which Istanbul undoubtedly is. Turkey and Istanbul are on our bucket list and we hope to get there someday. This seems to be a perfect itinerary to explore Istanbul at a decent pace. So sad that the Blue Mosque had scaffoldings when you were there. This has happened to us at a number of monuments too. I am also quite intrigued by Basilica Cistern and its subterranean mysteries.
It certainly is a mystifying place, in fact, we’d go so far as to say it’s our all-time favourite city. The history and interesting sites, as well as the cool local bars and cafes make it a great place to hang out for a couple of days. Hope you guys make it there soon, you’ll love it.
Wow – that’s such a comprehensive itinerary guide to Istanbul! I remember going to Istanbul a few years ago, but not having read a complete itinerary like yours. Anyone traveling to Istanbul will get great tips from reading your guide!
Hope to visit again someday! Thanks for the read!
Thanks, Mick what lovely comments. Always nice to hear. Hope you make it there again soon and give us a shot if you need any tips.
I actually had no idea that there is so much art and wonderful architecture in Istanbul! Ive always wanted to see that city and wonder around the markets, I feel like the atmosphere is so amazing there! Looks like 5 days is enough to visit, thanks for such a great itinerary !
Thanks Ada, there’s a load of stuff to do in Istanbul. You could easily spend longer than 5 days if you wanted to, just hanging around the markets and doing a bit of shopping could easily fill a couple of days. It has such a great vibe. Hope you make it there sometime soon.
This is a perfect post for me, as I’ve not yet visited Istanbul. I love all your photos, and they’re definitely inspiring me to go! The Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace is particularly stunning, and I’d also make time to visit the brunch place you mentioned. Turkish food is delicious!
Turkish food is amazing and so cheap. And the tea, I definitely got a bit addicted to the Turkish Tea. Hope you make it to Istanbul soon, it’s a city with a lot to offer.
That’s a great guide you’ve written. I visited Istanbul just for a couple of nights a very long time ago. I would love to go back, it is a beautiful city. In fact, I would love to explore a lot more of Turkey. I love the markets, the food and the architecture. Thanks for bringing back great memories.
Thank you very much, always nice to hear. It’s a fantastic country. We were there for about a month collecting sights, eating, drinking lots of Turkish tea. There’s so much history and life in the place, it’s one of our favourite countries to travel to. Hope you make it back soon. Thanks for stopping by.
Wow, to be honest, I’ve never really looked at Istanbul much, but it seems beautiful! The architecture and colours are stunning! I am planning on doing a Euro trip next year so perhaps I’ll have to add Istanbul on at the end 🙂
We highly recommend it. The food, art, history, architecture, markets and general buzz of the city is fantastic. Plus it’s got that whole east/west thing going on so it feels quite different to the rest of Europe in many ways.
Your description of Istanbul as a heady mix of east and west is perfect. I love all those onion domes (I’m sure there’s a better term!). Fantastic photos!
LOL! I love the term onion domes! I don’t think that is exactly what they are called, but I think it should be. Perhaps we should rename them all? Thanks for your comments, it was a great place to write about.
This is one exceptional itinerary for the charming Istanbul and my dream destination, Paul. Loved every bit of it and I am definitely going to use your guide when exploring Insabul! 🙂
Thanks so much for saying Lydia, we love getting comments like that. Have a great time in Istanbul.
I’ve been to Istanbul and I completely loved the city, Paul! This is a really awesome itinerary and I have seen only some of the places you have. I will have to return there as soon as possible and follow your itinerary!
Thanks Agness! Glad you found it useful. We’d love to hear about your trip when you make it back.
I love how you spent more on food on booze than your accomodation, because that would be totally me, lol. We visited Turkey last year and fell in love. So much beauty in Istanbul, great food and people too and this article highlights all that so well. I love ho well detailed and well together your post is. Will be sharing to a friend who wants to visit Turkey too as my thoughts from our trip are all over the place.
We like to divert our funds to the important things Karen! Glad you’re with us. Istanbul is a very easy city to fall in love with, we wish we had stayed longer to see more. Hope your friend finds our little post useful.
All looks great. Only 5th day, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace looks hard at the same day..
Hi John – you could spend a whole day in the Topkapı Palace without much problem, there’s so much to see. We found half a day was still plenty of time though.
Hi darling we are off to an Istanbul air Bnb in March and very excited. Hubby not too well so not sure how much we will be able to walk but hope to use your great blogs. Thanks for the info, Annie
Excellent. Have a great time.
Just have to add my congratulations to you both for a fantastic read. I was in Istanbul recently and can fully appreciate your comments on the glorious architecture and atmosphere of this iconic city. I only had 3 days and so wanted at least two more days to see the places I didn’t have time for – underestimated the richness of the city – should have read your post beforehand!
Thank you very much. Istanbul is one of our favourite cities for the fascinating history, excellent attractions and great vibe. It’s an easy place to get inspired to write about. Hopefully, you get to go back and spend a bit more time exploring.
Istanbul is really a beautiful city. I have watched Istanbul in Turkish series like Feriha and it looks beautiful especially its architect. When the lockdown is over, I will definitely plan my next trip to Istanbul and wants to try Turkish food and its popular tea that I have watched in the feriha series. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Glad to hear it. Istanbul is an amazing city, you’ll have a wonderful time.
Hi, this weekend is nice for me, because this point in time i am reading this wonderful educational article here at my home.
Thanks a lot, glad you liked it.
Hi Paul ,
Great representation of Istanbul. We visited Istanbul in August 2019, beautiful place , destination definitely worth visiting. It is well connected by its tram, if one decides to stay in the city, than everything is at a walking distance. We bought Istanbulkart , super easy to load and use. Kids loved to place this transit pass on the turnstile sensor at a Metro when boarding and the fare amount got deducted from the card. Easily avaliable at small food and drink stores.
The architecture and visit to Grand Mosque and Spice bazar was an amazing experience. I love turquoise and white combination and it was hard to pick sovereigns, they were all so amazing. We spent one evening at the cruise it was amazing especially the belly dance performance. best view of Istanbul in evening with lights.
Another amazing experience was the food, easily available especially if one is not picky and looking for a sit down restaurant. Roasted Corn, chestnut Shavarama are just a hand away and it becomes easy, especially when traveling with kids.
Kids also enjoyed the ice-cream tricks , it was fun to watch, and it was delicious.
Lat but not the least dont forget to buy the turkish delight, they are great and a treat fro life.
Sounds like you love Istanbul as much as we do. All fantastic sights, I’m looking forward to more Turkish food one day soon.
A great itinerary for visiting Istanbul. Planed to visit this year but due to the situation decided to postpone it till next year and this help me with what should I visit.
Amazing work, keep up.
Thanks very much. Hope you get to visit Istanbul soon. It’s a great city.
Wow – perfect itinerary guide to Istanbul!
Thanks a lot. Glad you liked it.
I have used your links to book my birthday trip this November and want to confirm if a Visa is required to follow your recommended 5 day trip.
Entry visas for Turkey differ for each country so you would need to check the requirements for the passport you hold. Have a great birthday.
Looks like Basilica cistern is now open after renovations [as of summer of 2022]. Please update in your website.