ISTANBUL TRAVEL GUIDE: 3 DAY ITINERARY

After a few days in Antalya, Cappadocia, we ended our trip in Istanbul. Istanbul is one of the world’s largest cities spanning Europe and Asia. There is so much to see and do in Istanbul, this is my second time visiting Istanbul and there is still so much I have yet to explore. Istanbul in 3 days is the perfect time to see many sites and enjoy the amazing culture and food. Here’s my Istanbul Travel Guide, the perfect 3-day itinerary on everything you need to do.

HOW TO GET TO ISTANBUL

There are two international airports in Istanbul: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the Europe side and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) on the Asia side. The main airport is IST and we flew from JFK to IST with Turkish Airlines. Istanbul Airport is around 40 minutes to the city center by car.

THINGS TO KNOW

Currency: Credit cards are widely accepted, but most small shops and taxis will ask for cash. The official currency is Istanbul is the Turkish Lira, however many places accept Euros.

Transportation: Use the Bitaksi app for taxis, or Uber is also available. Ask to turn on the meter when using a taxi (the charge is on top of 100TL). Always ask for the price before getting into a taxi.

Dress Code: Be mindful of the dress code when visiting religious sites. For women, bring a scarf to cover your head or use one provided at the entrance. Women will also need to cover their shoulders and knees. Men should also cover their knees and no tank tops.

Safety: Istanbul is a safe city for tourists, but please always stay alert, especially in busy locations. Be cautious of pickpockets in crowded areas.

WHERE TO STAY

The Mest Hotel

We stayed at The Mest Hotel on our recent trip. I enjoyed this hotel, however, it is in a busy area and next to the Yeni Mosque so every morning guests will hear the prayers around 5 am. The Mest Hotel is a boutique hotel with views of the Yeni Mosque. We stayed in the Deluxe Room with Balcony and Sea View. All rooms with a balcony will have views of the mosque. The location was great for walking to Sultanahmet, a 20-minute walk, and a 25-minute walk across the bridge to Galata and Karakoy. It’s also located at the south end of Galata Tower with the metro stations and ferries.

The Peninsula Hotel

I would love to stay at The Peninsula Hotel in Karakoy when I visit again. This is a luxury 5-star hotel that opened in 2022 and is centrally located along the Bosphorus in Karakoy. The location is great and the property is beautiful. We dined at the rooftop restaurant, Gallada, and loved it. It was my favorite meal of the entire trip.

Shangri-La Bosphorus

I’ve stayed at the Shangri-La Bosphorus Hotel in 2018. This is also a great 5-star hotel if you’re looking to stay along the Bosphorus and away from the touristy area. It is a little farther out, but it is also great if you plan to explore other areas of Istanbul like Ortakoy.

DAY 1

We landed in Istanbul in the afternoon, allowing us to explore the area we were staying in.

LUNCH AT MIMAR SINAN TERAS ROOFTOP

Have lunch at Mimar Sinan Teras Rooftop. It’s a 15-minute walk from the Mest Hotel and gorgeous views of the Yeni Camii Mosque.

YENI CAMII MOSQUE

The Yeni Camii Mosque is located at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is free to visit and next to the Mest Hotel and overlooks the harbor of Eminonu.

EGYPTIAN/SPICE BAZAAR

We stumbled on this while walking around. The shops provide samples of tea and Turkish delight and they’re all good! They’re great gifts to buy as well.

DINNER AT OLDEN 1772

I recommend dining at Olden 1772. This is a must when visiting Istanbul. The restaurant is in a historic building, it’s beautiful inside and the food is great! I loved the grilled octopus and the cripsy manti. It’s an Anatolian and Istanbul cuisine. Make reservations here.

DAY 2

BRUNCH AT SEVEN HILLS RESTAURANT

Get Turkish breakfast at Seven Hills Restaurant in Sultanahmet, a 20-minute walk from the hotel. The Turkish breakfast here is great and the rooftop has views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia. We had reservations at 10:30 am and had a great corner table that I requested when making my reservation. Make reservations here.

SOFIA HAGIA

Sofia Hagia is the fourth-largest cathedral and one of the most iconic mosques in the world. Make sure to purchase advance tickets, or be prepared to wait in a long line. I forgot to do this, so we did not get to visit during our trip. Tickets at the door is 25 euros.

BASILICA CISTERN

Next to Sofia Hagia is the Basilica Cistern. The Basilica Cistern was built to supply water to the Great Palace and buildings throughout the city. I also recommend purchasing advance tickets, the line is not as long here but it’s still worth avoiding. Tickets at the door is 800TL, around $25.

THE BLUE MOSQUE

After visiting the Basilica Cistern, or Sofia Hagia, across the way is The Blue Mosque. A visit to Istanbul is not complete without visiting the gorgeous Blue Mosque. This is free to visit.

THE GRAND BAZAAR

The Grand Bazaar is just 15 minutes from The Blue Mosque. The Grand Bazaar is one of the biggest and oldest shopping markets in the world.

EXPLORE KARAKOY

Take a break at the hotel and then walk across the bridge to Karaoky to see the beautiful umbrella street at Hoca Tahsin Street.

FAMOUS BAKLAVA

Try the famous baklava at Karakoy Gulluoglu. There are many baklava options here, I recommend the cold baklava with cream!

GALATA TOWER

Explore Galata and Galata Tower. Galata Tower has beautiful panoramic views of Istanbul. The entrance fee is 30 euros per person.

Walk around Gallada and try Hafiz Mustafas for the famous baklava, pistachio tres leches and a must is the viral San Sebastian cheesecake at Viyana Kahvesi with views of Gallata Tower.

DINE AT AHESTE

Aheste Restaurant is part of the MIchelin Guide and this was Ryan’s favorite meal on our trip. It’s a modern Turkish and Middle Eastern tapa styled restaurant. This restaurant is about a 10 minute walk from Galata and reservations are required. The chicken confit was my favorite item, they also have a tasting menu for 2800TL.

DAY 3

EXPLORE BALAT

Have breakfast at the hotel and spend the afternoon exploring the beautiful neighborhood of Balat. This was about a 10-15 minute taxi ride or a 20 minute metro ride from Eminönü train station. The taxi ride should only cost about 250TL.

There are 3 main areas for photos in Balat. Start at the colorful stairs, and right next to the stairs to the right is the umbrella street with vendors for coffee and juices. The third location, is the beautiful street of colorful homes. This took us some time to find, go up the colorful stairs and we started asking other tourists the image to help us find it. Many tour guides also go here, so if you see a group don’t be shy to ask them.

LUNCH IN BALAT

Popstel Balat is a cute cafe inside a cute bookstore. The cafe is located on the second floor with views of Balat. It was closed when we tried to go. There are plenty of other restaurants and cafes to try as well.

EXPLORE KADIKOY – ASIA SIDE

From Eminönü, take a ferry to the Asia side and explore Kadikoy. The ferry ride is 20 minutes, with beautiful views along the Bosphorus. Check the ferry boat timetable here.

While in Kadikoy there are plenty of cute colorful streets for shopping, we found a cute 2D cafe, Suflor Kadikoy and it was very nostalgic of the 90s. They sell souffles and it was so good!

Some other recommendations is Kadi Nimet Bakery and Dolce Far Niente for the pistachio affogato.

DINNER AT GALLADA AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL

Gallada is located at the rooftop of the Peninsula Hotel. This restaurant is absolutely beautiful and perfect for dinner at sunset. The views are amazing and this was my favorite meal of our entire trip. Everything was incredible! The chef has another restaurant in Istanbul with 2 Michelin Stars, Turk Faith Tutak. I now wish we had time to try this restaurant too!

I recommend ordering from Gallada the chicken wings, bread with tomatoes, fried dumplings, lamb, and do not miss out on the baklava! The best baklava I had, it’s not too sweet, the perfect crunch and just delious.

MORE THINGS TO DO IN ISTANBUL

Explore Ortakoy if you have time. I wanted to do this, but did not have the time to visit. Ortakoy is a charming neighborhood by the Bosphorus river and has the iconic viewpoint of the mosque and bridge for gorgeous photos.

Taksim Square is the Times Square of Istanbul. There are many great restaurants, shops and historical structures.

Dolmabahce Palace is a luxurious building, a symbol of Ottoman grandeur. Explore the opulent interior, paintings, and lavish furniture with views of the Bosphorus from the palace’s garden. It’s a must visit when visiting Istanbul, unfortunately I forgot about to add this to our itinerary!

Go on a sunset Bosphorus Cruise. This is always something that can be touristy but it’s always fun to cruise along the Bosphorus and see all the iconic landmarks.

MORE RESTAURANTS IN ISTANBUL

Pera Palace Hotel for the iconic afternoon tea. We almost did this, but did not have time. The hotel looks absolutely stunning, reservations are required.

Karakoy Lokantasi for traditional ottoman style cuisine.

Hacibasar Kebap is one of the best restaurants for kebap.

For rooftop restaurants with amazing views of the city, dine at Bebek Hotel Rooftop Restaurant, Sunset Grill and Bar, or Olea Bosphors and Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Istanbul has so much to see and do, three days was the perfect amount of time to experience the city. I know I’ll be back and will still have so much more to experience. If you have any other recommendations please leave a comment below!