Three Days in Istanbul

Byzantium, Nova Roma, Constantinople, Istanbul. This city, one of the largest in the world, survived four empires and multiple names changes to become a beautiful mash-up of western and eastern culture come together. The transcontinental city sits atop the Bosphorus Strait that divides Europe and Asia, and the contrast of sights, sounds and smells made Istanbul one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever been to. Three days in Istanbul simply wasn’t enough.

Coupled with a few days in the other-wordly landscapes of Cappadocia, just a short (and very cheap) flight away, Istanbul makes for an incredible getaway.

Read on for the best places you shouldn’t miss in Istanbul, my recommendation for how to get the most out of your three days, food you should try while there, and a hostel suggestion.

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Other This Wild Life Of Mine city guides:

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The Best Way To Spend A Day Trip To Vatican City

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Visit Luxembourg – Why You Need To See This Tiny City

Best Places To Visit During Your Three Days in Istanbul:

Hagia Sofia

Turkish: Ayasofya

Any self-respecting list of the best places in Istanbul has to start with the Hagia Sofia. It was the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years until the beautiful one in Seville was finished in 1520. Over the centuries since it was built, the Hagia Sophia has been many things: an Eastern Orthodox cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, an Ottoman mosque and finally a secular museum since 1935.

From the outside the imposing architecture looks almost castle-like, with the famous dome on top and the Islamic minarets creating an impressive building that is hard to look away from. Once you step through the massive doorways into the heart of the Hagia Sofia, stone and marble columns rise towards golden walls, and ancient mosaics can be seen in remarkably good condition. When I visited in 2018, the Hagia Sofia was still a museum, but it wasn’t like a traditional one. There were no exhibits or information signs, it was simply the interior of the building preserved for visitors to see. The most fascinating thing for me was seeing huge golden Islamic symbols hanging next to mosaics with scenes from the Bible. The Hagia Sofia has that hushed and reverent atmosphere you find in many churches.

As I strolled around the huge interior, I found myself following a black street cat who also seemed to be taking in the sights of the incredible building. It even peered through the columns like a tourist (though it did cross barriers tourists weren’t supposed to, tut tut). Later I found the same cat outside and had a bit of a cuddle, just to make my day even better.

Despite a lot of controversy and opposition (including from UNESCO), in July 2020 the Turkish Council of State redesignated the Hagia Sofia as a mosque, so remember to dress appropriately and stay respectful.

On another interesting note, when I was in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, I visited the Alexander Nevski Cathedral and was immediately reminded of the Hagia Sofia, with the dark, stone interior covered in paintings. Later I realised the cathedral was modelled on the Hagia Sofia, so I wasn’t imagining things!

Sultan Ahmed Mosque / Blue Mosque

Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii

The Hagia Sofia’s next-door neighbour is the perfect companion. Known as the Blue Mosque because of the vibrant blue colour of the tiles decorating the inside, its similar shape to the Hagia Sofia makes for a beautiful symmetry. Stepping through the gate into a large courtyard, it’s impossible to take in all the detail at first glance.

As it is still a working mosque, visitors need to dress appropriately. Near the entrance you’ll find free robes and headwear for the ladies, but I wrapped my own scarf around my hair and that was judged good enough. Much of the interior is not available for visitors to walk around, but you still get a really good view of the intricate patterns in the tiles that give the SultanAhmed Mosque its nickname.

For the first of your three days in Istanbul, the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque are the perfect introduction to the city and its rich history.

Sultanahmet Square & Hippodrome

Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydanı

Between Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque is a long park with fountains and street dogs, so it’s the perfect spot to take a quick break while sightseeing. Named after the neighbourhood of which it is the centre, the square is also the location of an ancient Roman hippodrome, used for chariot races and tournaments. There is very little left of the hippodrome because after it fell out of use it became a source of building stone, so little by little it slowly disappeared over the centuries. But you can still get an idea of the size and shape it would have been while standing in Sultanahmet Square.

What does remain are several obelisks and a bustling park. Oh, and sleeping street dogs. Can’t forget the dogs.

Topkapi Palace

Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi

This 15th century palace was built only a few years after the Ottomans conquered Istanbul and was the home of the sultans for four centuries. It’s a sprawling complex of courtyards, glittering rooms and fountains. The Harem part of Topkapi Palace costs extra, but it’s worth paying for, as some of the most beautiful and interesting rooms were in this part of the palace.

Every room seemed to be more ornately-decorated than the last, and I swear I nearly strained my neck staring up at the ceilings trying to take all the details in.

Topkapi Palace is no longer used as a royal residence, and is just a museum today. A lot of the rooms and courtyards feel quite similar to the others, so you won’t need a full day here. A couple of hours is plenty of time. Because of its location on top of a hill by the river, there are some lovely views over the Bosphorus from patios on the eastern side of the complex.

Galata Bridge

Turkish: Galata Köprüsü

The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn, connecting the Fatih and Sultanahmet districts with the Galata and Karaköy areas of Istanbul. Five different bridges have crossed the waters in this location since 1845, but centuries went by without any bridge at all. In the 16th century, both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were approached about designing a bridge to cross the Golden Horn, but nothing came of it. The current bridge, with its two levels – one for cars, one for shops and restaurants – was only completed in 1994.

Aside from getting you to the Galata district and back, the Galata Bridge is an attraction in its own right. Walking the half-kilometre distance, I passed many fisherman casting their rods over the side. It’s a lovely insight into a bit of daily life for the locals of Istanbul. The restaurants below have the best views of the ferries trailing to and fro across the water. Sunset is a particularly lovely time of day for a stroll across the bridge.

Galata Tower

Turkish: Galata Kulesi

Rising high above the skyline of the Karaköy part of Istanbul, the Galata Tower has been a part of the city for over 650 years. From the Galata Bridge, the path to the tower is not straight, but instead winds through narrow cobbled streets. The queue to go up to the top of the medieval tower is not short, but it’s absolutely worth it.

At the top there’s a cafe and restaurant, with panoramic windows, so even those not comfortable with heights can sit and enjoy the view over the city in any direction. Visitors wanting a greater thrill can walk around the narrow outer walkway. It’s supposed to be one-way for easier access, but many people didn’t seem to realise this when I was there, so I frequently had to flatten myself against the tower wall while others pushed past me. Not a perfect experience, but I deliberately chose a time I knew would be busy because I wanted to catch sunset from the top of the tower.

And I was rewarded for my efforts by a beautiful orange haze across the city and sky. Across the river in Sultanahmet, the minarets of the Süleymaniye Mosque on the city’s third hill were silhouetted against the colourful glow. The Galata Tower closes a little too early to watch the entire sunset, but that worked out perfectly, allowing me to see the final purple scenes of sunset as I walked back across the Galata Bridge. Such a beautiful way to end my last of three days in Istanbul.

Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar

Turkish: Kapalı Çarşı / Mısır Çarşısı

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is the most visited attraction in the world, with over 90 million visitors a year. That’s crazy. That’s over a quarter of a million visitors EVERY DAY. So, no, there will never be a time when the Grand Bazaar is not busy. Covering 61 streets, this is one of the oldest and largest indoor markets in the world, with 4000 shops. It simply isn’t possible to take it all in in one visit. It is hundreds of years old, originally built by the Ottomans soon after they conquered the city in the 15th century.

The Spice Bazaar, about a 20 minute walk away, is smaller and newer (as in, three hundred years old as compared to five hundred years), with about 80 shops to be found in its maze of column-lined streets. Here you find spices, sweets, jewellery and souvenirs and it feels a bit more authentic compared to the Grand Bazaar, which has a lot of shops selling Chinese factory-produced items. The smells of all the different spices mix in the air, and the colours are incredible. You can also catch a glimpse of daily life here, with men bringing trays of Turkish tea in ornate pitchers to their companions in each shop.

As an introvert, I found both Bazaars quite overwhelming. Not so much because of the crowds, I’m used to that, but because of the constant beckoning, waving and shouting at me I experienced by shopkeepers trying to summon me to look at their wares. Men stepped in front of me, hands full of merchandise pushed in my direction, and it was all a bit much, especially as I was alone. As such, I didn’t spend as much time in either place as I had planned. But if you can ignore all that, the bazaars of Istanbul will be hard to walk away from. There’s always something new to see.

The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays while the Spice Bazaar is open seven days a week.

Basilica Cistern

Turkish: Yerebatan Sarnıcı

There are several hundred ancient water cisterns underneath Istanbul, and the Basilica Cistern is the largest of them all. Over 300 columns of different styles hold up this subterranean space, as big as a cathedral. Built over 1500 years ago by 7,000 slaves, the cistern provided water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and Topkapi Palace. Nowadays, the water has been mostly drained to allow public access, leaving only puddles behind to reflect the orange glow of the lights.

I expected a place like this to be eerily quiet, but with all the echoes from the people wandering along the boardwalks between columns, it was surprisingly noisy. But of all the places I saw during my three days in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern was one of my favourites. Walk right to the end so you don’t miss the Medusa heads at the bottom of two columns, one upside down, the other on its side. It’s believed the columns were repurposed from other Roman buildings, which is why they’re so mismatched.

Film nerds might also recognise this place, as it was used as a filming location for several movies, including 2016’s Inferno, starring Tom Hanks.

Istiklal Avenue

Turkish: İstiklal Caddesi

Possibly the most well-known street in Istanbul, Istiklal Avenue stretches between the Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum near the Tower all the way to Taksim Square, the heart of modern Istanbul. Lined with boutiques, popular clothing stores, historical sweet shops and patisseries, theatres and museums, there is plenty here to keep shoppers and foodies happy for several hours. Many street artists also perform here, their music tinkling across the buzz of the busy avenue.

Though the overground trams purely for transport purposes here were phased out in the 1960s, a heritage tram line runs along Istiklal Avenue, the bright red paint of the streetcars the subject of many photos. I walked the length of the 1.4 kilometre street hoping to see one pass by, but I never did. Checking the schedule would probably have been helpful.

Note: Taksim Square is the main transport hub of the city centre, with both buses and metro lines to be found here.

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How To Organise Your Three Days in Istanbul

Note: this short itinerary works if you are staying on the Sultanahmet side of Istanbul. If your accommodation is in the Galata district, then it can easily be done in reverse.

Days 1 & 2: Sultahnamet

Day 1: Hagia Sofia – Sultanahmet Square – Blue Mosque – Basilica Cistern

On your first day I recommend concentrating on these four sights, as they are all within a short distance of each other, making it really easy to get from one to the other. The Fatih district of Istanbul is the oldest in the city and its streets are perfect for wandering and getting lost in.

Day 2: Topkapi Palace – Istanbul Archeological Museum – Grand Bazaar – Spice Bazaar

The second day has a bit more walking involved. Start at the palace and the nearby museum, then make your way through the old, winding streets to the two bazaars. You may pass several other impressive mosques along the way, which are worth stopping into. Just remember to dress appropriately! At the end of the day, walk down to the waterfront to take in the sight of all the ferry boats, or maybe even take a short trip on one as the sun goes down.

Day 3: Karaköy

Day 3: Galata Bridge – Istiklal Avenue & Taksim Square – Galata Tower

Start the day by walking across the Galata Bridge and up the winding streets towards the Galata Tower. Don’t go up the tower just yet. Instead, follow the long path of Istiklal Avenue, stopping to check out the many shops and street performers. Take a stroll around Taksim Square, where it’s easy to find a late lunch. Then, in the afternoon, it’s time to go back to the Galata Tower and queue to go up to the top. Take in sunset, then meander back to the Galata Bridge as night falls.

Extra day: Kadıköy on the Asian side of Istanbul

If you have more than three days in Istanbul, or you manage to fit all of the above into two days, then on the next day, take a ferry across to the Asian side of the city. The majority of attractions are on the European side, so most of the sightseeing in Kadıköy and nearby Moda will be cute streets, cafes and walks along the waterfront.

Food to try

Baklava

The quintessential Turkish dessert, Baklava is made of layer upon layer of filo pastry, chopped nuts and syrup. The origin is not known for certain, but it’s believed that baklava originated in the kitchens of the Topkapi Palace during the early decades of the Ottoman Empire’s control of the city. Wherever it came from, it’s goddamn delicious.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu, across the Galata Bridge, was where I first tasted baklava. Purists will hate me for saying this, but instead of going for the original type, I instead bought the chocolate variation. I do not regret this decision. I stood for a long time debating how many pieces to buy, unsure if I’d even like it or not. I settled for ordering one, deciding to play it safe. Turns out, ordering one portion of baklava actually gets you six pieces! Thankfully, the chocolate baklava was divine, and kept me going for several days.

Definitely not something you want to miss during your three days in Istanbul.

Turkish Delight

Just putting it out there – I am not a fan of Turkish Delight. Never liked it, probably never will. But for everyone else, trying Turkish Delight, or lokum as it’s called in Turkey, is an experience not be missed.

Traditionally the sweet is flavoured with rosewater (not a real flavour, in my opinion), orange or lemon, but nowadays there’s a huge variety. Some come with nuts inside the jelly, or covered in coconut. Hafiz Mustafa began producing both Turkish Delight and baklava all the way back in 1864, and today his company lives on as one of the most popular places in Istanbul to find these sweet treats.

Falafel

Okay, okay, falafel is not Turkish. I know. But I had one of the best food experiences of my life in Istanbul, and it was falafel. So I had to mention it. Near the Galata Tower I found a small restaurant which had nothing but falafel on the menu. Sandwiches, wraps, salads, everything was falafel. I’ve always loved falafel, and it has gotten me through some tough times travelling when I couldn’t find anything else to eat.

In need of a snack, and with a tight budget, I ordered the simplest thing – falafel and hummus. A plastic carton was generously filled with creamy hummus, and four large falafel balls were squished on top and handed to me. I decided to eat as I walked back through the winding streets. It was genuinely the tastiest thing I’d ever had. I walked in a delicious haze through those streets, enjoying every mouthful and wondering if it would be weird to walk back and get some more.

Whenever I get asked what my last meal would be, I know immediately it would be that falafel and hummus.

Street Food

The three most common street food items I saw wandering the streets of Istanbul were roast chestnuts, corn on the cob and simit. Simit are similar to a bagel, baked in stone ovens and usually covered in sesame seeds, and are the perfect mid-morning snack to munch on to keep you going until lunch.

Most of the street food carts were pretty, red trolleys parked outside many of the most popular attractions, so it’s not hard to find one if you’re getting peckish. All the street food was ridiculously cheap too, so it’s a great way to stay within your budget. Three days in Istanbul won’t break the bank, but eating street food instead of always going to restaurants will certainly help!

Practical Information:

• Currency: Turkish Lira. £1 = 8.6 lira. US$1 = 7 lira. €1 = 7.5 lira. (Correct as of April 2020)
• Language: Turkish, but English is widely spoken in Istanbul, especially within the hospitality industry.
• Transport: With buses, metros and overground trams, reaching the major tourist destinations is cheap and easy, though the city itself is pretty walkable. The T1 tram line stops at Galata Bridge, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque before continuing on to further parts of the city. If you do decide to use public transport to get around during your three days in Istanbul, I recommend getting the Istanbul Kart. It’s a handy card that you top up and swipe each time you get on any form of public transport. It gives you cheaper fares and discounts the fare each time you transfer. All you have to do is remember to keep it topped up, which you can do at any bus, metro or tram stop, ferry terminal or either of the airports.
• Airports: Due in part to the horrible terrorist attack on the international terminal at Ataturk Airport in 2016, that airport has now closed to all passenger traffic. Instead, Istanbul’s main airport on the European side is the New Istanbul Airport (IST), which is the larger of the city’s two airports. The second is the Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) on the Asian side. IST has a much higher passenger capacity, with more airlines flying into the airport than SAW, but SAW flights are often cheaper. Both airports are connected to the city centre by public transport, with shuttle buses driving to the Taksim Square central metro station.
• Accomomodation: Istanbul has an absolute wealth of backpacker hostels, many of which have really high ratings, so there’s plenty to choose from!

This Wild Life Istanbul Rating:

Prettiness: 9/10 for all the historical architecture, cobbled streets, mosques and the Bosphorus.

History: 10/10 as you can’t get much more historical than a transcontinental city with multiple eras showing through.

Weather: 7/10 for the fact that it didn’t rain once, even though it was still early spring when I was there. But summers can be baking hot, and winters can be freezing, so…

Food: 6/10 for the drool-worthy desserts and an extra point for THAT FALAFEL, but easy main courses were hard to find for a picky veggie like me.

Budget: 7/10 as Turkey pretty inexpensive in general, from public transport to accommodation, though food (not including street food, which is crazy cheap) can take up a good chunk of your budget depending on where you eat.

Doggos: 4/10 for seeing only a few wandering the Sultanahmet Square, but 6/10 for all the friendly cats and the fact that the people of Istanbul make such an effort to feed them, so I guess that makes it 10/10.

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