This guide of what to see in Istanbul in 4 days It will help you prepare a trip to one of the most impressive cities in the world, optimizing the time available.
During the first 3 days you will have known the most important mosques, churches, markets and viewpoints in addition to trying the delicious Turkish cuisine in the most recommended restaurants in the city. On this third day we suggest you visit one of the jewels of the country that are closer or have a good connection by plane or bus with Istanbul.
Based on the experience of the time we spent in the city, in which we wrote this guide to travel tips to Turkey, we have made this guide to know the best of Istanbul in four days. We start!
Tips for Istanbul
This list of tips will help you have a good first contact with the city:
- To stay we advise you to book in advance the Adamar Hotel or The Million Stone Hotel, two hotels with a great quality / price ratio that are also located in the best area of Istanbul.
- To make the transfer from the two airports of Istanbul to the hotel you have these means of transport: metro (operational at the beginning of 2020), bus, taxi or book this comfortable private transfer to the hotel. For more information you can consult this post on how to go from Istanbul airport to the center.
- Buy the Istanbulkart card to pay on public transport and avoid taxis as much as possible.
- To learn more about the history of the city and not miss anything important it is advisable to book a free tour or if you are a group, this private tour, both with a guide in Spanish.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
You can look for more recommendations in this post of tips to travel to Istanbul essential.
First day in Istanbul
The first day of Istanbul in 4 days It starts at 9 in the morning with a tour of the huge Topkapi Palace, one of the most essential places to see in Istanbul and then visit the Basilica Cistern and reach the Constantinople Racecourse Square, which has an Egyptian obelisk 3000 years old.
After these visits and before trying the Turkish food of the Istanbul Anatolian Cuisine restaurants or the Three Partners, we recommend you visit the Church of San Sergio and San Baco, one of the most beautiful in Istanbul.
Basilica Cistern
After lunch you can go around the Grand Bazaar in search of some souvenir and go up to the Suleiman Mosque, the largest in the city and where the grand sultan's mausoleum is located.
The Istanbul itinerary in 4 days Keep crossing the Galata Bridge to reach the Galata Tower, from where you will have stunning views of the city and the surroundings.
To end the first day you can approach the Kabatas pier to book a Bosphorus cruise at sunset or this night walk with show and dinner.
And in case you have not had dinner on the cruise we recommend you to eat a good kebab at the Galata Kitchen or the F&B Culture, both located near the Galata Tower.
(Extended information of the first day here)
Map of the first day of Istanbul in 3 days
Second day in Istanbul
The second day of Istanbul in 4 days It also starts at 9 in the morning entering the Basilica of Santa Sofia to see its huge dome full of mosaics to leave the building and cross a small park to reach the Blue Mosque, one of the most beautiful in the world.
When you leave this wonder full of tiles you can take a pleasant walk through the Gülhane park that overlooks the Bosphorus Strait from one of its sides and after and before continuing with the route, regain strength in the Seher Kebab Meat House or Bitlisli restaurants , specialized in Turkish food.
Blue Mosque
After eating the Istanbul in 4 days Continue with the visit to the Spice Bazaar and arriving at the Istiklal Caddesi shopping street a street full of shops that will take you to the popular Taksim Square, which is a few meters away from the hammam Aga Hamami, one of the best places to take the famous bath Turkish. You can book this service here in advance.
Upon leaving these baths you will cross the Bosphorus Strait by ferry to see the Üsküdar Asian quarter and watch the sunset from the Café de las Alfombras.
The second day ends by returning at night by ferry to the center (Eminönü pier) and having dinner at the Panoramic Restaurant or at the Mesopotamian Terrace, both with views of Hagia Sophia.
For these first two days it may be a good option to learn more about the history of the city, book this tour of Istanbul in full in 2 days or this one that includes the Bosphorus cruise, both with a guide in Spanish.
(Extended information of the second day here)
Map of the second day of Istanbul in 4 days
Third day in Istanbul
The third day begins with a visit to Dolmabahce Palace and a walk through the Besitkas neighborhood to the Ortaköy Mosque, both located on the banks of the Bosphorus. When leaving the mosque you can board a ferry to have the best views of these two buildings and reach the central port of Eminonu from where a few minutes walk, you will reach the Archaeological Museum that has its great jewel in the Sarcophagus of Alexander.
After visiting the museum it is a good time to stop on the route and eat at the Gulhane Sark Sofrasi or the Bitlisli, two of the best restaurants in Istanbul.
Ortakoy Mosque
The afternoon of Istanbul in 4 days Start by finding the beautiful Rüstem Mosque Pass and taking a taxi or bus 28 to get to the Church of San Salvador in Chora from which after seeing the Byzantine mosaics inside this church, you will head to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, a of the most revered in the city.
After the visit you can walk up or by funicular to the Pierre Loti Café, crossing the cemetery of Eyüp, to see a spectacular sunset overlooking the Golden Horn while having a Turkish tea.
This day you can finish it in the best way by watching this spectacle of Giróvagos Dervishes and dining Turkish food at the Kucukoglu Barbecue or Buhara Ocakbası.
(Extended information of the third day here)
Map of the third day in Istanbul
What to see in Istanbul in 4 days
If you have completed all the visits of the previous 3 days, for this last day we recommend you visit one of the most essential places to visit in Turkey, which are nearby or well connected to Istanbul.
The first proposal is a visit to the increasingly fashionable, Prince Islands. These eight islands located an hour by ferry from the Kabatas pier, are perfect for relaxing by taking a dip in its calm waters and eating delicious fresh fish.
Another option more comfortable than going for free is to book this cruise that passes through Kinaliada, Heybeliada and Buyukada, three of the most interesting Prince Islands.
Another of the best excursions in Istanbul is the visit to Ephesus, one of the best preserved cities of the Roman Empire, a World Heritage Site, where you will see one of the most spectacular ancient buildings in the world, the Library of Celsus.
You can reach Ephesus in less than an hour by plane or if you have more days, rent a car or take a bus that takes about 10 hours.
A more comfortable and interesting way to make this visit that will allow you to know better the history of each building is to book this excursion with a guide in Spanish by plane.
Ephesus
The last recommendation for the last day of Istanbul in 4 days It is the excursion to Cappadocia, one of the most spectacular places in the world.
In this lunar landscape of impossible rock formations, castles and monasteries carved into rock and underground cities, you will be speechless when you fly over it with this balloon ride at dawn.
In addition to seeing it from the heights, you can make hiking or car trails through its most iconic sites such as the Göreme viewpoint, the Devrent Valley, the Uchisar castle and the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu.
The best option to go from Istanbul to Cappadocia is to take a flight that takes a little more than an hour and if you have more days you can take a night bus that takes 12 hours or rent a car.
Another more comfortable alternative is to book one of these excursions from Istanbul with a guide in Spanish:
