Istanbul is one of the most unique cities I’ve ever been to – it’s very European in nature, but it’s home to some of the most impressive mosques in the world. The number of days you’ll need here depends on your travel style. I think you need at least two full days here, but I would recommend three full days if you don’t want to feel rushed.
I stayed at the Moxy Istanbul Taksim and really enjoyed it. I would recommend staying in the same area I did or staying in the Sultanahmet area if you want to be closer to the main tourist sites. It’s very easy to get around Istanbul via ferries and public transit, but you can also Uber.
I visited in December of 2025, and I think Istanbul is a great place to visit year-round. Like most places, the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are going to be a great time to visit when the weather is warmer, but there are fewer crowds. This blog will give you an idea of how to spend 2-3 days in Istanbul – read on and enjoy!
Day 1: Dolmabahce Palace & Kadikoy (Asian side)
On your first full day in Istanbul, I would enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading to Dolmabahce Palace. This complex replaced Topkapi Palace as both the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and the Sultan’s residence. If you are a fan of architecture, ornate design, and palaces in general, you will love this place, although tickets are very expensive at around $40 per person.
Dolmabahce Palace does not allow photos inside, so you’ll have to take my word for it that the inside was just as impressive as the outside. Speaking of the outside, though, the area around the palace is incredibly beautiful. I think you need between 2-3 hours here to take it all in.
Dolmabahce Palace fast-track tickets with audio guide
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The more popular palace in Istanbul is Topkapi Palace, which served as the Sultan’s residence before it was replaced by Dolmabahce Palace. Given that it is more popular, tickets to Topkapi Palace cost around $62 per person. If you’re trying to decide which one you’d rather visit, I would recommend looking up photos/videos, as well as considering the cost and proximity to other things on your itinerary (Topkapi Palace is closer to the mosques, which is one reason why it’s more popular).
As you may already know, Istanbul spans across two continents: Europe and Asia, with the Bosphorus strait dividing the two parts of the city. I think it’s worth visiting the Asian side (as you’ll hear it referred to) in the afternoon. The easiest and most scenic way to get there is by taking the ferry. You can find the routes on Google maps by searching for walking directions to the Kadikoy ferry terminal.
The best thing to do on the Asian side is to walk around Kadikoy and explore – there are tons of jewelry stores, boutiques, and vintage shops, as well as bars and restaurants. I spent about an hour and a half just walking around, looking at the street art, and shopping. There is an Umbrella Street on the European side of Istanbul that is well known, but there’s another one here!
I stopped into Fil Bistro Moda for a pint of Guinness before continuing on to Moda Sahil Park. You can buy some snack and drinks at a bodega and take them with you to watch the sunset over the water from the park. Then you can either get dinner in Kadikoy or head back towards your hotel!
Day 2: Sultanahmet (Historic Old City)
On your second full day, you can visit two of the most famous mosques in Istanbul – the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is free to enter, and like any other mosque, women must have their hair covered to enter. If you don’t have a scarf or covering of your own, they have some you can borrow as you walk in. (Note that my pictures are all of the Blue Mosque, and I went after sunset instead of in the morning!)
The Hagia Sophia costs about 25 euros to enter, and I unfortunately did not get to visit on my trip, so I can’t speak to the experience. You can also visit the Basilica Cistern nearby, which is an underground Roman water source held up by over 300 marble columns – tickets to Basilica Cistern cost about 28 euros.
Combined Hagia Sophia + Basilica Cistern tickets with audio guide
You can spend the afternoon doing some shopping in the Grand Bazaar. This is a great place to pick up some Turkish towels, ceramics, jewelry, Turkish delights, teas, leather, etc… you can shop till you drop at the over 4,000 stalls here! You’ll want to get cash before going to the Bazaar if you haven’t already – most vendors will expect you to negotiate and pay in cash.
After the Grand Bazaar, you will want to walk to Galata Bridge to see all of the fisherman lined up – they span the entire stretch of the bridge, on both sides! You can walk along the bridge and people watch for a bit, and this is a great spot to watch the sunset if the day has gotten away from you.
If you can, I would go for a sunset dinner on a rooftop overlooking the Hagia Sophia, like Deraliye or Seven Hills. Or if you’d rather, you can book onto a Bosphorus River cruise for sunset and have dinner near your hotel afterwards. If you have extra time before dinner, you can visit Suleymaniye Mosque. It’s further away from the other mosques, but it’s just as impressive. This is also where you can visit a studio like Taht Istanbul for *the* photo spot you see all over Instagram.
Bosphorus sightseeing cruise with audio guide
Day 3: Istiklal and Galata Tower
By your third day you’ll have seen most of the major sites, so this morning can be spent however you’d like! This would be a great opportunity to visit one of the palaces if you haven’t seen them both, or you can spend some time walking down Istiklal Street and checking out the shops.
From Istiklal Street, you’ll be ready to head down into the Galata neighborhood. You will want to make sure you are heading towards Galata Bridge, which will allow you to walk downhill instead of climbing up the whole way. As you walk down the streets towards Galata Tower, you’ll pass a ton of souvenir shops and boutiques – if you haven’t already found something you liked in the Grand Bazaar, this is your chance!
Galata Tower is frequently recommended as the best spot to get a birds-eye view of the city, and as far as 360 views go, that’s probably true. However, Galata Tower costs around $38 per person. That’s why I recommend visiting one of the area’s many rooftop bars instead – you’ll get a similar view, and you’ll get a beverage! I recommend the rooftop bar at Barnathan Istanbul, which even offers a view of Galata Tower. The rooftop of Hi Italia is also a great choice if you want a view of the bridge.
After you’ve had your rooftop moment and explored Galata, you’ll want to stop by the iconic Umbrella Street (if you search for Ben’den Karakoy on google maps, you’ll be able to find it).
If you’re looking for a place to have a drink and meet the friendliest local, look no further than U2 Irish Pub. It’s owned by a man named Leo, and he goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcomed and include you in the fun. It’s a very small place and it is cash-only, but I loved it so much I went twice on my trip! If you ever go – tell Leo I sent you. 🙂
Final Thoughts
I completely understand why Istanbul is so popular – there’s no shortage of things to do here, and it’s a fun place to just walk around and explore. If I had more time on my trip, I would have visited a Turkish hammam for a spa experience or taken a day trip to the Princes Islands.
If you are interested in visiting Istanbul, here are the most important things I would tell you:
- Don’t pack your itinerary too full: Part of Istanbul’s charm is how much fun you can have walking around, popping in shops, or stopping for a coffee. If you try to do too much, you won’t have any time to sit back and enjoy it!
- Don’t hail a taxi directly: You run the risk of encountering a taxi scam or getting charged more than expected. To avoid this, order taxis and rideshares through the Uber app.
- Book tickets in advance if you are traveling in peak tourist season: I did not need to book anything in advance in December, but the closer you get to the summertime, the more things will sell out. If there’s a something you really want to see, get your ticket ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
- Organize your days by area: Istanbul is HUGE – structure your itinerary to avoid traveling large distances multiple times in one day.
If you made it this far and are interested in booking a trip to Turkiye for yourself, I would love to be your travel advisor! Shoot me an email at courtney.brooks@fora.travel to get started.