Istanbul is a super popular destination for Tourists all around the world. We just visited, and in this blog we will break down how you can see the city in 2 days. But before we get into it, know that if you visit, you should be prepared for the crowds! About 15 million people live in Istanbul, and if you add millions of tourists per year to it… you get CHAOS! But that’s one of the things that makes the city so beautiful, and we wouldn’t change a single thing – not even the traffic!
If you are more of a visual person and want to see what our first day in Istanbul looked like, check out our video below:
Day 1: Explore the center of the city
Assuming you arrived either early in the morning or the day before, these are the things you should aim to see in your first day:
Blue Mosque and Hippodrome
Understandably the busiest part of Istanbul will be around the Hippodrome area. Although it’s ‘just a statue’, it used to be the Hippodrome of Constantinople where a lot of the sporting and social events took place. It is also right by the entrance to the Blue Mosque, which is arguably the most popular place in Istanbul. Go to the area, take your pictures, and get ready to queue and enter the Blue Mosque. On entry, you should be wearing modest clothing and asked to cover your head if you’re a woman. So have a head scarf ready and cover your legs and shoulders – if you don’t, they might give you a scarf at the gate, or reject your entrance.
Inside the Blue Mosque you have to take your shoes off, and there is a rack on the side where you can leave them. The visiting area is almost always full but you can enjoy the beautiful architecture and take some pictures. There is a praying area which, as a tourist, you won’t be able to access, but can see.
The Blue Mosque is open for most of the day except for payer times, and the entrance is free.
Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern
These are a short 5 minute walk away from the Blue Mosque, and side by side. The Basilica Cistern is underground and honestly looks stunning. There is one small problem though… a ticket costs 900 TL (€24 or $26). This was quite pricey for our style of travelling, so we didn’t go in.
You can then walk across the street and find yourself in Hagia Sophia. You will find long queues to get in an many people offering you ‘tour guide’ services. Once you get up to the ticket office, you will be able to buy your tickets for €25 ($27) per person. That will allow you to see the visiting area, but not the praying area as that’s restricted for Turkish Nationals. And in case you’re interested, the Topkapi palace is right next to Hagia Sophia.
Lunch
Walk up the street once you exit Hagia Sophia, and you will be heading towards the Grand Bazaar. In this street you will find a multitude of places to eat in, from known chains, to local restaurants and take away spots. This is a great time to grab a kebab if you haven’t done so in Turkey.
Grand Bazar
Head to the Grand Bazar for a top class shopping experience! You may not buy anything, but the Grand Bazar is one of the biggest indoor markets in the world – so you definitely want to see it. You will find gold, carpets, luxurious purse dupes, watches, fridge magnets, clothes and more. There is absolutely everything for sale in here, but do note prices are a little higher than on the street markets.
Egyptian Bazar
We recommend a break at the hotel at some point in-between your lunch and this stage. However, once you’re ready to go again, head to the Egyptian Bazar. This is also known as the spices bazar because… well, you will see why. This Bazar is so ‘grande’ and it almost serves as a passage way between Eminonu Square and the town that sits above. To get here, if you come from the area of the Grand Bazar, you will walk past a number of shopping streets. Here things tend to be a little more affordable, but it does get very crowded.
Bosphorus views and Eminonu square
Exiting the Egyptian Bazar you will find yourself in the Square of Eminonu. You will see Mosques on both sides, the river across the street and the famous Istanbul sign (pictured below). If you’re interested in doing the Bosphorous tour (which we highly recommend), this is where you will get the boat from. We actually added it as part of the second day in this itinerary.
Rooftop sunset
As the day will be coming to a close, we recommend you to head over to the Fetva Yks street. Here you will find the famous colorful stairs that take you up to the area where a lot of the rooftop bars are. We went to Bab-i Ali Lounge and really liked it, so we recommend, but you can pick any other. As the sun goes down, the north of the city will have these orange tones and it’s stunning. This is also a great place to just be able to see most of the city form above.
Dinner out
If you follow this itinerary, rest assured you will be exhausted by the end of the day. Find yourself a restaurant in the center of the city or near your hotel. Have a relaxed dinner and get ready because the next day is just as busy!
Day 2: Visiting the North of Istanbul
By this point you will have seen some of the main attractions of Istanbul. However, on this day we will focus on exploring the river (and north of it).
Morning Tour of the Bosphorus
The first thing you should do in the morning Is head out to the Eminonu Square. Here there are Boat Tours every hour from 10am, to sail through the channel that separates Europe and Asia. The tour costs 200 TL per person (€5 or $6), but there are some places that run it for 150 TL during some times. The boat tour lasts about 90 minutes and you get to see different parts of Istanbul during the ride (such as the Besiktas football stadium). We really enjoyed doing it and recommend you to go for it!
Go to the north of the city by crossing the bridge
After doing the Bosphorus tour, you will be back at Eminonu Square, and cross the bridge to go over to the other side of Istanbul. We recommend you to find a place to have lunch around the street of Mumhane Cd. There are many restaurants and takeaway spots to pick from.
Have a traditional soup / lunch and some Baclava with Turkish coffee
If you fancy something a little bit different than a kebab and want to deep dive into traditions, why not try this soup restaurant called Karaköy Çorba Evi. We went there and literally all they serve is soup, and although more expensive than other places, it was delicious! We then walked around and found a place to grab a baclava and a Turkish coffee – we also 100% recommend!
Visit the Galata Tower
After filling your belly, start the climb towards the famous Galata Tower. This is one of the most iconic buildings in Istanbul, and most people try to get a picture in the street right in front of it. You can actually enter the tower to see the views from above, but the queue is typically quite long and it moves slow. In addition it will cost you about 900 TL per ticket ((€24 or $26). We enjoyed strolling around the Galata tower and the streets nearby – they are pretty and feel traditional.
Visit the commercial Street
If you keep walking towards the North (and as always, uphill), you will find yourself in the commercial street. Here you will find the overground tram – which kind of looks like the one from Lisbon, but in red. A lot of people stop here to take pictures with it, others even hop on for a ride. The commercial street feels a lot more modern and you can find restaurants from chains, places to grab a coffee, etc. Although it most likely won’t be your favourite spot, we definitely recommend to have a stroll around this area.
Walk down to the river
From the Commercial street to the river, it’s a fully downhill path. If you walk all the way down you will end up right in front of the Bosphorus, where you can sit down, relax and watch the boats pass. From here you can cross the bridge back to Eminonu square and find a place to have dinner.
With this itinerary, you will have seen most of Istanbul in just 2 days! If you have more time, there’s definitely more to explore, and more importantly, you can take your time between places. But one thing is for sure, you will have a great time in this city!
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