What to see in Istanbul in 5 days
A five-day visit to Istanbul will immerse you in the grand, yet decadent atmosphere that pervades this historic Turkish city. You will see inside buildings that have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, including the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia’s Basilicia, or Hagia Sophia. Also, you can browse around huge, centuries-old markets such as the Grand Bazaar, and try the relaxing waters of an Ottoman hammam. From a night-time cruise on the waters of the mighty Bosphorus, you can admire nineteenth-century palaces and enjoy dinner by moonlight. Then, in Taksim Square or Istiklal Avenue, you can go shopping, try Turkish cuisine and get a taste of the city’s vibrant nightlife.
If you still have the energy, you will also travel to Cappadocia, a region in central Turkey, with age-old underground cities and rolling countryside where you are sure to spot some hot air balloons.
Itinerary day 1
10.00 a.m.-12.00 noon
Topkapi Palace
Immediately after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman sultans ordered this opulent and decadent palace to be built as their usual residence. Five hundred years later, the palace has 4 courtyards and 17 exhibition rooms open to the public. Of these, the Imperial Treasure House and the Room of the Relics of the Prophet attract the most visitors.
12.30 p.m.-2.00 p.m.
Istanbul Archaeology Museum
Located in the Palace of Topkapi’s outdoor gardens, the 20 rooms of this 19th-century museum house important collections of classic archaeology as well as of Eastern art. The museum’s outstanding exhibit is the Alexander Sarcophagus, decorated with bas-relief scenes of the famous Macedonian conqueror.
2.30 p.m.-4.00 p.m.
A stroll and lunch at the Istanbul Grand Bazaar
To give us an appetite for lunch, we could head for Istanbul's Grand Bazaar which, with its 22 doors, 60 streets, and 4,000 shops, is considered to be one of the largest in the world. Here, countless restaurants compete for space, and we can recharge our batteries before resuming our sightseeing.
4.30 p.m.-5.30 p.m.
Istiklal Avenue
Considered the main commercial artery of modern Istanbul, this pedestrianised Avenue connects the medieval Genoese Citadel with Taksim Square. Along its three-kilometre stretch, we can find various fashion boutiques, music- and bookshops, cinemas and theatres, café's and cake shops and even pubs.
6.00 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
Taksim Square
Tucked away in a business and leisure enclave, this square packed with bars, restaurants and hotels has evolved to become the true heart of modern Istanbul. For this reason, it is frequently the scene of public events and all kinds of celebrations.
7.30 p.m.-9.00 p.m.
The Nisantasi neighbourhood
Considered the city’s most European neighbourhood, Nisantasi has been compared with New York’s SoHo district, Paris’s Champs-Élysées, and the Ramblas in Barcelona. Full of Art Nouveau buildings, but empty of palaces and mosques, this neighbourhood to the north of Taksim Square boasts of being home to Istanbul’s most exclusive shops, as well as art galleries, the odd cinema and plenty of cafés.
9.30 pm.-11.00 pm
Dinner at B-Heaven — a taste of paradise in Istanbul
To make the most of our stay at the Barceló Istanbul hotel, we can have dinner at this lovely restaurant with its own terrace. While watching the sunset, we can enjoy a fusion cuisine featuring Turkish specialities with an international twist.
Itinerary day 2
10.00 a.m.-12.00 noon
St. Sophia’s Basilica, or Hagia Sophia
For almost a thousand years, this magnificent work of Byzantine architecture boasted the title of the cathedral with the largest area in the world. Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the cathedral was converted into a mosque, and then in the 20th century it became a museum. However, if you do want to visit it we recommend you make an early start.
12.30 p.m.-2.00 p.m.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Now that we are in the tourist district of Sultanahmet, we recommend a visit to this museum of Islamic art. Its collections include 40,000 pieces dating from the Omeya Caliphate (663 A.D.) up to the present day. In addition, the museum has an indoor terrace where you can have coffee or a cup of tea while admiring the Blue Mosque.
2.30 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
A street food lunch in the Karaköy Fish Market
A few steps onto the Galata Bridge, a place where many of Istanbul’s residents come to fish, there is a series of street food stalls. We recommend you try the Balik-ekmek, a sandwich of fresh fish with onion and salad.
4.00 p.m.-5.00 p.m.
Süleymaniye or Suleiman Mosque
Built in the mid-sixteenth century on the orders of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, this mosque could, until 2019, claim the distinction of being Istanbul’s largest Islamic temple. Its most impressive feature is its gardens, with the mausoleums of several sultans and incomparable views over the city.
5.30 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
Fener-Balat neighbourhood
Dotted with colourful houses, synagogues and Orthodox churches, and with an air somewhere between decadence and splendour, two of Istanbul's most fascinating neighbourhoods Fener and Balat await us. Although they are located a little way out from the centre, they are well worth a visit.
7.30 p.m.-8.30 p.m.
Miniaturk
If we have time, we could always visit this intriguing garden containing a series of miniature models of Istanbul's most famous monuments. A splendid option if we’re travelling with children.
9.00 p.m.-11.00 p.m.
Neolokal Restaurant
Tonight, we’re going to treat ourselves to dinner in this superb restaurant run by the chef Maksut Askar, considered the standard bearer of contemporary Turkish cuisine. The originality of his dishes, coupled with the views of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, definitely make this a place not to be missed.
Itinerary day 3
10.00 a.m.-12.00 noon
Blue Mosque
Built between 1609 and 1617 on the site of the long-since disappeared Great Palace of Constantinople, the interior of this mosque, now considered a building for all, irrespective of religion, is a work of great beauty, with more than 20,000 blue tiles from Nicaea, and magnificently illuminated by almost 200 stained glass windows in a spectrum of colours.
12.00 noon-1.30 p.m.
Spice Bazaar
Although much smaller than its big sister, the Grand Bazaar, this market near the Galata Bridge has, since the mid-17th century, been selling a huge selection of spices, confectionery, nuts and dried fruits, teas and soaps.
2.00 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Lunch at the Hamdi Restaurant
Very close to the spice Bazaar, we can find the Hamdi Restaurant, an establishment specialising in traditional Turkish cuisine. From its terrace, we can admire remarkable, sweeping panoramas of the Golden Horn and of the point where it merges with the Bosphorus Strait.
4.00 p.m.-4.30 p.m.
Galata Tower
Now that we are in the Galata neighbourhood, we can visit the Galata Tower (forgive the repetition), a 67-metre-high medieval tower from which, according to legend, a brave Ottoman threw himself, clad in a set of wings, in the hope of emulating the engineering feats of Leonardo da Vinci (and it is said that he succeeded!).
5.00 p.m.-6.30 p.m.
Dervish in the Galata Mevlevi Museum
In Istanbul's New City, and specifically in the Mevlevi Museum, we can attend the celebration of the Semâ ritual, a mystical Sufi dance which originated in Turkey during the Middle Ages. It is said that the dancers, known as the “whirling dervishes”, achieve a state of spiritual ecstasy by means of an endless spinning movement.
7.00 pm-8.30 pm.
Dinner at Champs Sports Bar
It’s time to take a break and recharge our batteries. To this end, we suggest a visit to Champs Sports Bar, a gastropub located in the city centre in Taksim Square. Here, we can try some typical Turkish dishes and enjoy a wide selection of drinks and cocktails, including traditional raki.
9.00 p.m.-11.00 p.m.
A night-time cruise on the Bosphorus
To end the day on a high note, how about joining a night-time cruise on the Bosphorus Strait? These types of excursions, which normally depart from the Kabatas quay, allow us to view important historic edifices such as the Dolmabahçe Palace, the Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden’s Tower, from a different perspective.
Itinerary day 4
10.00 a.m.-11.00 a.m.
Constantinople Hippodrome
We start the day with a visit to the ancient Hippodrome, the veritable centre of social and sporting life in the Byzantine capital during the time of Constantine. The base of the Serpent Column, the Obelisk of Theodosius, and the Obelisk of Constantine are just some of the surviving architectural remains.
11.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m.
New Mosque
The main focus of any photograph taken from the Galata Bridge must be the cupolas and minarets of this extraordinary mosque. Located very close to the Spice Bazaar, the New Mosque paradoxically dates back 400 years. Inside, we can feast our eyes on the beautiful examples of Iznik tilework.
2.00 p.m.-3.30 p.m.
Lunch at the Panoramic Restaurant
Just a stone's throw from the Hagia Sophia mosque-basilica, this restaurant specialises in traditional Turkish fare. Its seventh floor location affords its customers extraordinary views of Istanbul and all its monuments.
4.00 p.m.-6.00 p.m.
Dolmabahçe Palace
On the European shore of the Bosphorus Strait stands this colossal 19th-century palace. It owes its less markedly Eastern style to the Sultans' desire to impress European monarchs.
6.30 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
A stroll through the Kadiköy neighbourhood
It’s now time to head to Kadiköy, a neighbourhood on the Asian side of Istanbul which over the past few years, has become a thriving social and cultural scene. Here, you could enjoy a brunch during the morning, buy some fruit and vegetables at one of the street markets, visit second hand bookshops and shops selling vinyl records, or admire the graffiti on the building façades.
7.00 p.m.-8.00 p.m.
A relaxing bath at the Aziziye Hamam
One of the great advantages of Kadiköy is the reasonable prices charged by its hammams. The layout and décor of this one will transport us back in time to a Turkish bath in the nineteenth century. An experience that goes way beyond an ordinary spa session.
10.00 p.m.-until you’re fit to drop
A night out at Arka Oda
As night falls in Kadiköy, many pubs and discos open their doors to the public. Arka Oda, an alternative music and art venue, opened in 1999, offering not only parties and concerts, but also film shows and themed markets.
Itinerary day 5
Whole day excursion
Cappadocia
It is well worth devoting the whole of your last day to Cappadocia, a region located a one-hour flight from Istanbul. From Göreme, we can visit the fairy chimneys of Pasabag and Devrent. We can also see the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu, and the Roman castles at Uchisar and Ortahisar. As if that wasn’t enough, Cappadocia is also considered one of the best places to take a hot air balloon flight.