Unravel Istanbul in 3 days

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We want to be as accurate as possible, but given these challenging times, we urge you to recheck that the venues are open when you decide to visit.

Adorned by the Golden Horn of the Bosphorus strait, Istanbul has been known by many names and for its many cultures ever since it was founded more than 2500 years ago. The city’s changing rulers throughout the centuries, – Byzantine, Roman, Latin and the Ottoman empire, gave Istanbul its unique status in Europe as an amalgamation of European and Asian cultures. The influence of the Ottoman invasion on the architecture and lifestyle of the city can be explored in abundance. Discover the artistic wealth of Islamic culture and the indulgences that the city has been offering to its people for centuries

Travel through time across this historic Ottoman capital through our 3-day Istanbul itinerary.

Istanbul 3-day itinerary at a glance

Day 1

Start your day in the beautiful Sultanahmet square where you can visit the Blue Mosque. Make your way to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and the fascinating Basilica Cistern. Lay your eyes on the unique interiors of the iconic Hagia Sophia and learn all about the Ottoman royalty at the Topkapı Palace Museum. Spend your evening attending an enchanting Whirling Dervishes performance. 

• Blue Mosque
• Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
• Basilica Cistern
• Hagia Sophia
• Topkapı Palace Museum
• Whirling Dervishes

Day 2

Begin at the scenic Galata tower and lay your eyes on some of the most picturesque morning views of the city. Browse the collections of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Arts and the Pera Museum. Shop and explore the food of Istanbul at the iconic Istiklal street. Visit the Museum of Innocence, which celebrates Orhan Pamuk’s novel of the same name. Tour the beautiful Dolmabahçe Palace on the banks of the Bosphorus. Spend your evening exploring the food, nightlife and live music of Beyoğlu.

• Galata Tower
• Istanbul Museum of Modern Arts
• Pera Museum
• Istiklal Street 
• Museum of Innocence
• Dolmabahçe Palace
• Beyoğlu

Day 3

Your last day begins with a trip to the iconic Grand Bazaar and a traditional Turkish bath. Head over to the grand Suleymaniye Mosque, near which is the historic Spice Market, fragrant and inviting. Spend your evening watching the sunset on Galata bridge and exploring the nargil lounges and restaurants under it.

• Grand Bazaar
• Turkish Bath
• Suleymaniye Mosque
• Spice Market
• Galata Bridge

Detailed 3-day Istanbul itinerary

Day 1

Gaze at the tiled interiors of the Blue Mosque

With six impressive minarets, the historic Blue Mosque of the Ottoman era is known for its architectural combination of Byzantine Christian and traditional Islamic styles. You’ll realise why the mosque is called the Blue Mosque as you enter the magnificent structure – the interiors of the mosque are tiled with İznik ceramic tiles and painted blue on the upper levels, brightened by the light that floods in through the stained glass windows. 

Things to do: Visit the exquisite mosque as well as other attractions scattered around the Sultanahmet Square like the Sultanahmet Park, Arasta Bazaar, Hippodrome, Serpent Column and the German Fountain.

Useful information:

• Location: Sultan Ahmet

• Timings: Daily, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Avoid prayer time.

• Cost: Free entry. 

• How to reach: Tram, Sultanahmet (line T1).

Visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

Housed in the 15th-century former palace of Ibrahim Pasha Pargalı, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts has been open for over a century and showcases a wide variety of invaluable artworks and collections from the Ottoman period. Visit this impressive museum to view some of the best Islamic artworks in the world along with extensive collections of rugs, tiles, calligraphy, ethnographic displays, terracotta, glassware and stones. 

Useful information:

• Location: Binbirdirek

• Timings: 

• • • Summer (1 April – 31 October): daily, 9:00 am-7:30 pm.
    • Winter (31 October – 1 April): daily, 9:00 am – 5:30 pm.

• Cost: 60 TL.

• Website: https://muze.gov.tr/ 

• How to reach: Tram, Sultanahmet (line T1).

Walk across the pillars of the Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, or the Yerebatan Sarayı (‘Sunken Palace’), is a cathedral-sized cistern to the west of Hagia Sophia. Built in the 6th century AD by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to supply water to the Great Palace of Constantinople, the cistern subsequently connected to the Topkapı Palace in the Ottoman era. 

Unravelog tip: Admire the pillars of the cistern, some of which hold one-of-a-kind, intricate carvings due to the fact that they were repurposed from other parts of the city to finish the cistern sooner. Look out for the bases of certain pillars – you might find Medusa looking back at you!

Useful information:

• • Location: Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3
  • Timings: 
    • Summer: 9:00 am-6:30 pm.
    • Winter: 9:00 am-5:30 pm.
  • Cost: 30 TL.
  • Website: https://www.yerebatan.com/en 
  • How to reach: Tram, Sultanahmet (line T1).

Browse the Hagia Sophia

For those interested in observing the complex cultural past of Istanbul first-hand, there’s no better place than the world-renowned Hagia Sophia. Built in the 6th century as the Church of Hagia Sophia, this Byzantine structure reeled under the changing politics of Constantinople as it became a Latin Catholic Cathedral in the 11th century and consequently a mosque during the Ottoman era. 

Things to do: Visit the Hagia Sophia Holy Grand Mosque, with its iconic Ottoman minarets and multicultural mosaics. Make sure not to miss the wishing column, the loggia of the Empress, the Imperial gate and the lustration urns.

Useful information:

• Location: Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1
• Timings: Daily, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Avoid prayer time. 
• Cost: Free.
• Website: https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/ayasofya 
• How to reach: Tram, Sultanahmet (line T1). 

Explore the Topkapı Palace Museum

Following the Ottoman conquest, the grandiose Topkapı Palace was built in the late 15th century as the royal residence of the Ottoman empire. Today, the palace is one of the world’s largest palace-museums, with many courtyards, pavilions, gardens, a harem for the female members of the empire, Hagia Irene and a vast imperial collection.

Useful information:

• Location: Cankurtaran
• Timings: 
  • Wednesday – Monday: 9:00 am-6:00 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. 
• Cost (for foreign tourists):
  • Topkapı Palace Museum:
    • Regular rate: 150 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
  • Harem:
    • Regular rate: 100 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
  • Hagia Irene:
    • Regular rate: 80 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
  • Combined ticket (Topkapı Palace Museum, Harem and Hagia Irene):
    • Regular rate: 285 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 60 TL.
• Website: https://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/en 
• How to reach: Tram, Gülhane istasyonu (line T1).

Watch a heartwarming Whirling Dervishes performance

Among other things, Istanbul is renowned for its fascinating Whirling Dervishes. More appropriately known as the Mevlevi order of Sufis, the whirling dervishes were followers of the Sufi poet Rumi. It is more accurate to call their ‘performance’ a ceremony, since their flowy, ‘whirling’ movements are their dhikr, a devotional act that remembers God. Whirling Dervishes perform throughout the city, with the performance at Hodjapasha being highly recommended.

Useful information:

• Cost and Timings: Varies depending on the venue chosen.

Day 2

Enjoy morning views of Istanbul at the Galata Tower

Built in the 14th century by the Genoese in the Byzantine period, the Galata tower was used for many purposes throughout the centuries, including that of a dungeon and a lookout tower. Today, you can visit the Galata Tower Museum and restaurant to discover historic collections and sweeping views of the Bosphorus sprawling across the city. 

Useful information:

• Location: Bereketzade, Galata Kulesi
• Timings: 
  • Summer (1 April – 1 November): 8:30 am – 12:00 am.
  • Winter (1 November – 1 April): 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.
• Cost: 100 TL.
• Website: https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?sectionId=GLT04&distId=MRK 
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Kemeraltı (line 26, 26A, 28, 28T, 30D, 70KE).
  • Tram: Bağcılar – Kabataş (line T1).
  • Funicular: Kemeraltı (line F2).

Browse the Istanbul Museum of Modern Arts

Founded in 2004, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Arts aims to document and showcase the exquisite works of modern and contemporary Turkish art. Get inspired to learn more about Turkish art and art processes through the extensive collections, programmes and exhibitions of the Istanbul Modern.

Useful information: 

• Location: Asmalı Mescit
• Timings: 
  • • Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am-6:00 pm.
    • Sunday: 11:00 am-6:00 pm.
    • Closed on Mondays.
• Cost:

• • Regular rate: 68 TL.
  • Reduced rate (students and seniors aged 65+): 51TL.
• Website: https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en 
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Şişhane.
  • Metro: Şişhane (line M2).
  • Funicular: Beyoğlu (line F2).

Visit the Pera Museum

Known particularly for its extensive research and collections of 19th-century Orientalist paintings, the Pera Museum also indulges in supporting new local and international artists and educating its visitors. Located in the former Bristol Hotel, this private museum is one of the most prominent cultural hubs in Istanbul.

Things to do: Discover the three main collections of the museum – Orientalist painting, Anatolian weights and measures and Kütahya tiles and ceramics.

Useful information:

• Location: Asmalı Mescit
• Timings: 
  • Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 am-7:00 pm.
  • Sundays: 12:00 pm-6:00 pm.
  • Closed on Mondays.
• Cost:
  • Regular rate: 25 TL.
  • Reduced rate (for children aged 0-12, students and seniors aged 65+): 10 TL.
• Website: www.peramuseum.org 
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Tepebaşı.
  • Metro: Şişhane (line M2).
  • Tram: Odakule (line T2).

Shop at the iconic Istiklal Street

This world-famous pedestrian street of Beyoğlu is one of the most visited avenues in the country and remains bustling with crowds, day and night. With many museums, boutiques, restaurants and bars, the street offers an amazing afternoon for all those who are interested in browsing fashionable Turkish apparel and trying mouth-watering street food! 

Things to do: 

• Spot the life-like figurines of Istanbul’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
• Spend time having food and listening to music at the historic and lively Cicek Pasaji, or Flower passage
• Look for fashionable and affordable clothes at many passages in the street, including the Merkezi passage
• Visit other attractions in the street, including the Taksim Square and St. Anthony of Padua Church.

Useful information:

• Location: Beyoğlu
• Timings: Always open.
• Cost: Free entry.
• How to reach: Tram, Galatasaray (line T2).

Meet the characters of Pamuk’s novel at the Museum of Innocence

Situated in the antique neighbourhood of Çukurcuma, the Museum of Innocence was created by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk to accompany his novel of the same name. Showcasing artefacts that were used and worn by his characters in his novel, the museum showcases the upper-class lifestyle offered by Istanbul between the 70s and early 2000s. 

Unravelog: A ticket to the museum is printed in the last pages of Pamuk’s novel, The Museum of Innocence, which you can use to visit the museum for free once.

Useful information:

• Location: Firuzağa, Çukurcuma Caddesi
• Timings: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 am-5:00 pm.
• Cost:
  • Regular rate: 50 TL.
  • Reduced rate (for students): 35 TL.
  • Audio Guide: 5 TL.
• Website: https://en.masumiyetmuzesi.org/ 
• How to reach: 
  • Bus: Tepebaşı.
  • Metro: Şişhane (line M2).
  • Tram: Odakule (line T2).

Explore the Dolmabahçe Palace

Located beside the former shipping bay of Beşiktaş, the Dolmabahçe Palace represents the shift of preferences and modernisation of the Ottoman empire in the 19th century. Visit the third largest palace of the Ottomans, styled with Baroque and Rococo elements blended beautifully with conventional Ottoman architecture and adored by the 19th-century Sultans. 

Things to do: Visit the main palace, complete with attractions like the Blue Room, the crystal staircase and the Sultan’s Hamam, along with different sections of the palace complex including the Dolmabahçe Mosque, clock tower and gardens. 

Useful information:

• Location: Vişnezade, Dolmabahçe Cd.
• Timings: Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 am-6:00 pm. 
• Cost:
  • Dolmabahçe Palace:
    • Regular rate: 120 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
  • Harem Section:
    • Regular rate: 90 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
  • Combined ticket (Dolmabahçe Palace and Harem):
    • Regular rate: 150 TL.
    • Reduced rate (for students aged 6-25): 20 TL.
• Website: https://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/en/palaces/dolmabahce-palace 
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Akaretler, Dolmabahçe-Tünel.
  • Metro: Taksim (line M2).
  • Ferry: Beşiktaş (Ş.Hatları; Kadıköy).

Experience the nightlife of Beyoğlu

No matter what corner of Beyoğlu you’re in, the opportunities that the night presents are endless. Beyoğlu is where Istanbul exposes its European influences while still maintaining its Turkish heritage, evident from a harmonious combination of nightclubs, jazz clubs, meyhanes and plenty of Rakı for everyone!

Things to do: 

• Try nargil or smoking water pipes while enjoying a stunning vista of the Bosphorus at Azure the Bosphorus or the Lulu Lounge
• Visit the best clubs in the city – Indigo and Babylon are great picks
• Try Rakı (a traditional Turkish alcoholic beverage) and Meze (dishes served alongside Raki) in the Meyhanes of Çiçek Arcade, Nevizade or Asmalımescit districts. We recommend Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi and Refik
• Have a traditional Turkish dinner at Hacı Abdullah. 

Unravelog tip: Take a Turkish food tour in the district to savour the best foods that Beyoğlu has to offer after sunset.

Useful information:

• Location: Beyoğlu

• Timings: Always open.

• Cost: Free entry.

• How to reach:

• • Bus: Şişhane.
  • Metro: Şişhane (line M2).
  • Funicular: Beyoğlu (line F2).

Day 3

Browse the Grand Bazaar

Built in the late 15th century, the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is regarded as one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. With a rich cultural heritage and bustling crowds, lose yourself in one of the earliest shopping malls in the world, to find some of the most unique artisanal collections, textiles and jewellery.

Start your day right with these 10 divine breakfast spots in Istanbul. 

Useful information:

• • Location: Beyazıt, Kalpakçılar Cd. No:22
  • Timings: 
    • Monday – Saturday: 8:30 am-7:30 pm.
    • Closed on Sundays.
  • Cost: Free entry.

• Website: https://www.kapalicarsi.com.tr/ 

• How to reach: Tram, Beyazit (line T1).

Experience a Turkish bath

Hammam, or Turkish bath, is a historic Ottoman indulgence that tourists can experience even today at the bathhouses of Istanbul. With a sauna-like experience in the marble rooms of Turkish bathhouses, you can also opt for traditional Turkish massages, exfoliation treatments and more. Although Istanbul houses many bathhouses, we highly recommend Çemberlitaş Hamamı and Süleymaniye Hamamı.

Useful information:

• Cost and Timings: Varies depending on the venue chosen.

Visit the Süleymaniye Mosque

Commissioned by the famous Suleyman the Magnificent, the Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman mosque of the mid-16th century. With beautiful imperial mausoleums and scenic views of the Golden Horn, the Süleymaniye Mosque is a must-visit while in the city. 

Useful information:

• Location: Süleymaniye Mah
• Timings: 
  • Saturday – Thursday: 8:30 am-4:45 pm, avoid prayer time.
  • Fridays: 1:30 pm-4:45 pm, avoid prayer time.
• Cost: Free entry. 
• Website: http://www.suleymaniyecamii.org/ 
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Eminönü (line 33E, 33TE, 79E, 79GE, 92).
  • Metro: Vezneciler (line M2).

Tour the Spice Market

The Spice Market, also referred to as Mısır Çarşısı or “Egyptian Bazaar”, is an iconic covered shopping mall of Istanbul which specializes in spices, nuts, cheeses and sweets. Open since the 1600s, this fragrant and colourful market was the centre of the spice trade in Turkey from Indian, Southeast Asian and Egyptian sellers. 

Useful information:

• Location: Rüstem Paşa
• Timings: 
  • Monday – Saturday: 9:00 am-7:00 pm.
  • Closed on Sundays.
• Cost: Free entry.
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Eminönü (line 33E, 33TE, 79E, 79GE, 92).
  • Tram: Eminönü (line T2).

Watch the sunset at Galata Bridge

Spread across the Golden Horn, the Galata Bridge provides picturesque views of the sunset. Gaze upon the silhouettes of old Istanbul’s iconic mosque against the soft, pink evening skies. Later, you can explore the nargil lounges and restaurants under the bridge, and even sail across the Bosphorus on a dinner cruise.

Useful information:

• Location: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Galata Köprüsü
• Timings: Always open.
• Cost: Free entry.
• How to reach:
  • Bus: Eminönü (line 33E, 33TE, 79E, 79GE, 92).
  • Tram: Eminönü (line T2).

Looking for more things to do and see in Istanbul? We’ve got you covered.