Istanbul is huge, and on your first visit you’ll easily spend more time on trams, in taxis and on ferries than at the actual sights themselves.

The city as a whole is very sprawling, but it can be easily divided into individual areas.

During this itinerary, you’ll see the most famous sights in Sultanahmet, wander through the bazaars and neighbourhoods around Galata, and spend your final day by the Bosphorus and in the Asian part of the city.

Compare hotels in Istanbul by rating

Is 3 days in Istanbul enough?

In my opinion, three full days is the minimum you’ll need to see the most famous sights, take a boat trip along the Bosphorus and visit the Asian side as well.

In this itinerary, I’ll be planning for three full days, i.e. usually four nights in a hotel.

Both of Istanbul’s airports are located far from the tourist centre, and the journey itself usually takes between 60 and 100 minutes. You should therefore treat the day of arrival and departure more as a buffer or an opportunity for an evening stroll around the hotel.

• 👉 My experience with transport from Istanbul IST Airport
• 👉 My experience with transport from Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)

If you have four or five days in Istanbul, you won’t have to choose so much between the major attractions, and you’ll have time left over for places like Balat, Eyüp, a longer cruise along the Bosphorus or the Princes’ Islands.

Itinerary overview

Day	Area	What you’ll see	Transfers
Day 1	Sultanahmet	Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi, Grand Bazaar	almost all on foot
Day 2	Galata and Beyoğlu	Taksim, Galata, Istiklal, Maiden’s Tower	on foot, by tram, by ferry
Day 3	The Bosphorus and the Asian side	Beşiktaş, ferry ride, Kadıköy, Moda	ferries and on foot

Allow for around 8 to 10 hours outdoors each day.

Before you set off: adjust the order according to the days of the week

You can easily swap the days around.

Topkapi Palace is usually closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays.

If any of these days fall during your stay, simply reschedule your visit to the historic centre or the bazaars for another day.

Both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are active mosques. Tourist access is therefore restricted during prayer times, particularly on Fridays around midday.

Day 1 – Sultanahmet and the most famous sights

On the first day, stay in Sultanahmet, where Istanbul’s most famous sights are just a few minutes’ walk from one another.

Recommended route:

• 👉 Blue Mosque(30 minutes) ->Hagia Sophia(30 minutes) ->Basilica Cistern(45 minutes) ->Topkapi Palace(2 hours) -> Grand Bazaar(1 hour) -> Süleymaniye Mosque(30 minutes) -> Eminönü (mainly for the atmosphere, so feel free to spend an hour or more there)

Ideally, start in the morning around 9.00. The historic centre fills up quickly with organised groups during the day, and queues form at some of the entrances.

Which paid attractions should you choose?

It is possible to visit the Hagia Sophia, the Cistern and Topkapi Palace in a single day. However, you’ll pay high admission fees and spend most of the day inside the attractions.

On a first visit, I’d choose as follows:

• ✅ Basilica Cistern – the best value for your time (an incredible place!!)
• ➖Topkapi Palace – if you’re interested in Ottoman history (a beautiful palace, but the admission fee is absurdly expensive)
• ❌Hagia Sophia – unless you want to see it from the outside only (in my opinion, a waste of money; inside, you’ll mainly see scaffolding)

Day 2 – Galata, Beyoğlu and the Maiden’s Tower

The second day connects the old town with the neighbourhoods on the other side of the Golden Horn.

On this day, I’d also pop over to the Maiden’s Tower if you want to visit it in person and aren’t satisfied with just the view from the waterfront.

Boat trips to the tower always start and finish at the Galata Bridge.

• 👉 Galata Bridge(20 minutes) -> Karaköy (45 minutes) ->Galata Tower(30 minutes) ->Istiklal(30 minutes) -> Taksim(15 minutes) -> walk to the Bosphorus -> Maiden’s Tower(1.5 hours)

Is it worth visiting the Galata Tower?

The Galata Tower is one of Istanbul’s landmarks.

If you’ve already seen the city from Topkapi Palace or the Süleymaniye Mosque, I’d just take a look at the tower from the outside and spend your time exploring the surrounding streets.

You should mainly go up if the views are one of your priorities. After all, the price isn’t exactly the cheapest.

In fact, I had to express my disappointment at the prices in my article ‘Crazy prices in Istanbul: What to visit for free’.

Do you have to go all the way to Taksim?

No, you don’t.

I was quite disappointed by Taksim: just a large open space with a park and a statue.

I’d rather head straight back down to the Bosphorus to catch the ferry to the Maiden’s Tower.

Day 3 – The Bosphorus and the Asian side

After two days spent visiting sights, I wouldn’t plan another long list of museums and mosques for the third day.

Head to the Bosphorus and spend at least part of the day on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Recommended route:

• 👉 Beşiktaş (Dolmabahçe Palace) -> ferry to Kadıköy -> Kadıköy market and town centre -> Moda -> ferry to Karaköy or Eminönü

Dolmabahçe or Kadıköy?

You can visit Dolmabahçe Palace in the morning. However, in three days I wouldn’t undertake a detailed tour of both Topkapi and Dolmabahçe, unless you’re particularly interested in palaces.

Choose one:

• Topkapi – early Ottoman history, courtyards and grounds
• Dolmabahçe – opulent European-style interiors

If you visited Topkapi on the first day, on the third day I’d just have a look at Dolmabahçe from the outside and carry on to the Beşiktaş pier.

Fancy a sightseeing cruise on the Bosphorus?

No. Not for me.

Regular city ferries are part of the public transport network and offer beautiful views of both the European and Asian shores.

I’d only opt for a paid cruise if you want to spend more time on board and travel a significantly longer stretch of the Bosphorus.

Choose a Bosphorus cruise

Kadıköy or Üsküdar?

For a first visit, I’d choose Kadıköy.

You won’t find any single major landmark here. The main reasons to visit are the markets, restaurants, cafés and everyday life away from the historic centre.

From Kadıköy, you can walk on to Moda and return by ferry to the European side in the afternoon.

Üsküdar offers better views of the historic centre and the Maiden’s Tower, but for a whole half-day, I find Kadıköy more varied.

What I wouldn’t include in a 3-day itinerary

Balat and Fener

The colourful streets look appealing in photos, but adding them to your itinerary will disrupt what is otherwise a logical route.

If I had four days, I’d combine Balat with Eyüp and the views from the Golden Horn. If I had three days, I’d prioritise the main parts of the city.

Ortaköy

Ortaköy is a pleasant area on the Bosphorus, but it lies off the main route. I’d only include it if you’re skipping Kadıköy or one of the palaces.

The Princes’ Islands

A trip to the Princes’ Islands takes practically the whole day.

On a first three-day visit, I wouldn’t devote a third of my time to them. The islands make more sense during a longer stay or on a return visit.

Both large palaces

Topkapi and Dolmabahçe are vast and expensive. For a typical first visit, choose one and save the other for next time.

Where to stay so you don’t waste time

For this itinerary, I’d choose between Sultanahmet and Karaköy.

Eminönü

In my opinion, this is the best compromise if you’re deciding on a location.

The Sultanahmet sights are a 15-minute walk away. Karaköy is a 15-minute walk away. What’s more, the T1 tram line runs through here, connecting many tourist attractions.

• Mest Hotel Istanbul Sirkeci – a top hotel if you’re looking for quality and location
• Ehli Keyf Hotel– good value for money

Sultanahmet

The most convenient for sightseeing on the first day.

It’s ideal if you want to stay in a quieter part of the city and have Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque just a few minutes’ walk from your hotel.

• 👉 Find hotels in Sultanahmet

Karaköy

A livelier and more local neighbourhood with good transport links.

It’s easy to get to Sultanahmet, Galata, the metro and the ferries. In the evening, there are also more restaurants and a livelier atmosphere here than around the main sights.

• 👉 Find hotels in Karaköy

Kadıköy / The Asian side of the city

I’d tend to choose Kadıköy for a longer or repeat stay.

Hotels and restaurants may be better value for money, but during your first three-day visit, you’ll spend most of your time on the European side.

You can find more tips on individual neighbourhoods in the article ‘Where to stay in Istanbul’.

Compare hotels in Istanbul

How to get around in 3 days

You’ll be able to get around on foot for most of the first two days. Be prepared for hills, though, and make sure you wear comfortable shoes.

For longer journeys, you’ll mainly use:

• the T1 tram between Sultanahmet, Eminönü and Karaköy
• the funiculars between Karaköy, Beyoğlu and Taksim
• ferries between the European and Asian sides

I would only use a taxi during the day in exceptional circumstances. In heavy traffic, it may not be any faster than the tram, metro or ferry.

You can find details about tickets, the Istanbulkart and individual routes in the article ontransport in Istanbul.