Things to do in Istanbul
Ottoman mosques, Bosphorus lunches, and one dinner worth every lira.
This is Istanbul for people who want to eat like a local and still sit down to one dinner that lingers. Day one is Karaköy and Galata, day two runs up the Bosphorus villages to Yeniköy, and day three is the Old City, from Hagia Sophia and the Cistern to Topkapı. It suits anyone who'd rather spend on a great meal than a fancy room.
Day 1: Karaköy, Galata, and ROKA
Start with Turkish coffee in the neighbourhood, earn your panorama by climbing Galata Tower on foot, then end the day at ROKA for the kind of Japanese-inflected dinner Istanbul does better than it has any right to.
- 9:30 AM
Savoy
Local neighbourhood café, start the day with a proper Turkish coffee or espresso before heading out.
Map - 10:15 AM
Kılıç Ali Paşa Camii
Mimar Sinan's 1580 mosque in Tophane, modelled on Hagia Sophia at small scale; quiet in the morning.
Map - 12:30 PM
Casius Antioch Kitchen
Great-value Turkish kitchen, honest Antakya-style food at great value, beloved by locals.
Map - 2:15 PM
Galata Kulesi
Climb the medieval Galata Tower for a 360° panorama of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, iconic and earned on foot.
Map - 7:30 PM
Day 2: Up the Bosphorus to Yeniköy
A forested park walk at Emirgan, a waterside lunch in Yeniköy, an afternoon at the Sabancı mansion museum, then Lokanta Limu for something worth the tab.
- 10:30 AM
Emirgan Korusu
Wooded hillside park over the Bosphorus with three Ottoman pavilions; tea on the terrace of the Yellow Pavilion.
Map - 12:30 PM
Apartıman Yeniköy
Casual acclaimed Turkish lunch at a neighbourhood favourite right by the water.
Map - 2:30 PM
Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi
Bosphorus mansion turned museum: Ottoman calligraphy, big touring shows and a garden over the water. Closed Mondays.
Map - 7:30 PM
Lokanta Limu
Yeniköy dinner of modern Turkish meze and grills by the water; book ahead on weekends.
Map
Day 3: Sultanahmet to Topkapı
The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia at opening, the Basilica Cistern, an Ottoman lunch at Deraliye, Topkapı Palace, then meze at Karaköy Lokantası.
- 9:00 AM
Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
Free; see the İznik tiles in morning light before the tour groups. Shut at prayers and Friday noon.
Map - 9:45 AM
Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia)
Take the upper gallery route, ticketed for foreign visitors, for the Deesis mosaic and the view down.
Map - 11:00 AM
Yerebatan Sarnıcı (Basilica Cistern)
Sixth-century cistern of 336 columns; walk to the far end for the two Medusa heads used as column bases.
Map - 12:15 PM
Deraliye
Recipes from the Ottoman palace kitchens; order mahmudiye, chicken with apricots and almonds.
Map - 1:30 PM
Topkapı Sarayı
Sultans' palace for four centuries; see the Harem, then the Baghdad Kiosk terrace. Closed Tuesdays.
Map - 7:30 PM
Karaköy Lokantası
Tiled lokanta by day, meyhane by night; build a table of cold meze, then grilled fish, with rakı.
Map
Where to stay
The Stay Boulevard Nisantasi
A mid-range Nişantaşı address that keeps you close to Day 1 in Karaköy without charging Bosphorus-view prices.
The Stay Bosphorus
The Stay Bosphorus sits at the practical midpoint of all three days and keeps the bill honest for a traveller spending on food, not the room.
Make Istanbul your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Hagia Sophia: a few days ahead
- Basilica Cistern: a few days ahead
- Topkapı Palace: a few days ahead
- Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour: a few days ahead
- Galata Tower: a few days ahead
- Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Skip Bosphorus dinner cruises with a dance show. Take the public long ferry and a fish lunch instead.
- Avoid restaurants on Sultanahmet Square, Divan Yolu touts and under Galata Bridge with picture menus.
- Never follow a stranger to a bar they pick. That is the drink scam, and the bill can be huge.
- Ignore the shoe shine brush drop, the mosque is closed pitch, and free guides who lead to carpet shops.
The full Istanbul travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around