Istanbul Itinerary: Planning Your Time

By Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran

Istanbul demands a minimum of two full days, but you'll need four days to do it justice. And if you have up to a week, the city will keep you busy and entertained.

To include both Ephesus and Cappadocia, add another four or five days.

Day One

In the morning, focus on the Sultanahmet district in the center of the Old Town, visiting Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, and the Blue Mosque — ideally following our Istanbul guidebook's self-guided "Historic Core of Istanbul" walk. In the afternoon, visit either the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum or the Istanbul Archaeological Museums.

In the evening, consider dinner in a sea-view restaurant, a whirling dervish performance, or live music in the New District. Enjoy a Turkish bath or catch sunset from a city viewpoint like the Galata Tower. Stroll the Galata Bridge, the Old Town's Sultanahmet Park, or Istiklal Street in the New District.

Day Two

Follow our self-guided tour of the sprawling Topkapı Palace including the exquisite rooms of the Harem, then take a taxi or Uber to the Chora Church to view its newly refurbished Byzantine mosaics, some of the best in the world. After your church visit, do our nearby City Walls and Neighborhoods Walk, which winds through three colorful residential areas.

Day Three

Spend today following our Old Town Back Streets Walk — stopping along the way to tour the Grand Bazaar and the Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent — then visit the Rüstem Paşa Mosque and the Spice Market. Finish your day strolling over the Galata Bridge and along the Galataport promenade (perhaps in the shadow of towering cruise ships).

Day Four

Devote this day to the New District, including visits to the Pera Museum and Galata Tower (you can follow our book's self-guided New District walk). Enjoy a meal at a neighborhood eatery, then choose from a range of other sights: Dolmabahçe Palace, Military Museum, Quincentennial Museum of Turkish Jews, or Istanbul Modern Arts Museum.

Day Five

For a quick visit to Asia, catch a ferry across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar or Kadiköy, and follow our self-guided walks through these local neighborhoods. Or, set sail on the Bosphorus Strait by public ferry, spending a full day cruising up toward the Black Sea and stopping at the Asian village of Anadolu Kavağı before returning to the Old Town.

With More Time

More time gives you more options, from some of the smaller museums to quintessential Istanbul experiences, such as getting scrubbed in a Turkish bath, watching whirling dervishes spin themselves into a trance, or lazily smoking a water pipe (nargile) filled with apple tobacco. While a food tour can take up a half-day, if you have the time and interest, it can be well spent.

Or, catch a flight to Ephesus or Cappadocia. Ephesus merits a a day, while the Cappadocia region warrants three to four days. Flights connect Cappadocia and Ephesus. You'll want a rental car to connect the sights scattered around Cappadocia.

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Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran are the authors of the Rick Steves Istanbul guidebook.