Istanbul is one of my favourite cities I’ve ever visited. The people are friendly, the culture is fascinating, and the architecture tells the story of the city without the use of any words. And let me tell you, after 6 months of traipsing through Europe, it was a breath of fresh air to my eyes that, quite frankly, were done with gothic and baroque architecture.
There is so much to do in this beautiful and vibrant city, but if time is short like it was for me, you will probably want to focus on the biggest and the best. 3 days in Istanbul is a good amount of time, and you should be able to see quite a bit. In no particular order, these would be my picks of the best places to see in Istanbul in 3 days.
I actually visited Istanbul twice in a matter of months because I enjoyed it so much. The first time was for ANZAC day, where I flew from London to Istanbul for a long weekend out in Gallipoli. The second time I spent one day in Istanbul onshore from a cruise, which is an excellent way to become acquainted, but not well enough to dive deep into the belly of the beast. With a city overflowing with history, it’s easy to get lost in the story (and get lost in the bazaar), but here’s where I’d begin if I only had a few days.
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is a huge Muslim mosque in the heart of the city. It is an active place of worship for many Muslims and for this reason I was genuinely surprised that we were allowed to walk (relatively) freely and take photos. If you think it looks spectacular from the outside, the inside will blow you away. Pillars climb to the high ceiling, where dozens of domes decorate the roof and bamboozle the humble onlooker. Though what’s truly stunning is the (probably) millions of mosaic tiles that give the mosque its name.
It’s pretty hard to miss and given that it’s free and in incredibly impressive structure, it should make every Istanbul highlights tour.
Hagia Sofia
Across Sultanahmet Park lies the Hagia Sofia (often also referred to as Aya Sofia, I’m not sure why). This historic structure dates back to the 6th Century and although its 6 minarets and calls to prayer may suggest it is a mosque, it originally began life as a Greek Orthodox Christian Cathedral. The minarets were added in the 15th Century after Constantinople was defeated by the Ottoman Empire. It was at this time that it became a mosque until Emperor Attaturk changed it again in 1935. It is now a museum to the history of Istanbul with its divine dome on full display.
It’s located just across from the Blue Mosque and is one of the most popular things to see in Istanbul.
Related: How to plan your trip to Turkey.
Cruise on the Bosphorus
After a huge couple of days in Gallipoli for Anzac Day and the best sleep of my life, my friend and I made our way down to the Bosphorus for a look around. Some sketchy guy offered us ‘rides up the river’, which I hoped to God was not a euphemism. It was pretty cheap so we jumped in his windowless van, which thankfully took us to a boat that would cruise us down the river.
Along the Bosphorus, we passed plenty of unknown, yet beautiful buildings and after about 45 minutes we were told we were having a half hour break, so get off and go have an explore. ‘Hmmm,’ we wondered, ‘are we going to be able to get back to the city?’ Maybe we did in fact only pay for a ride up the river. We poked around a little street and entertained ourselves on an outside gym until the boat hopefully arrived back.
Mercifully, it did. Though next time, I’d probably opt for a more reputable tour operator that offers some sort of commentary, rather than just some guy who knows a guy with a boat.
Grand Bazaar
I love a good market, and I especially love markets in foreign countries. The grand bazaar goes one step further. The bazaar is a labyrinth of corridors and stone hallways, flanked by so many of the same shop you’ll be lost in minutes. But that’s the fun; you wander, you have a browse, you buy a scarf, a football jersey, a chess set, a shisha pipe, a lantern, or any number of random trinkets, and eventually, you’ll realise where you are and find an exit shortly thereafter.
It’s quite incredible really, and if you ensure you decide that the constant hassle from vendors will be entertaining rather than irritating, you’ll have a grand time.
Spice Bazaar
If you enjoyed the Grand Bazaar, you’ll love the spice bazaar. While on a smaller scale, the concept is the same. Hallways and vendors, obnoxious calls about you not being a local, but instead of seeing the same jerseys repeatedly, it’ll be beautiful towers of coloured spices.
Many of the spices you’ll have no need to buy, but don’t write off purchasing something just yet. It’s a great place to buy some Turkish apple tea, and an even better place to buy some truly authentic Turkish delight. This stuff is the real deal and nothing like that Cadbury garbage. They might let you taste a bit, and if they do, you’ll be hooked.
Unsure where to stay in Istanbul? Check out my friend’s guide here.
Watch Galatasaray play football
This is something I wish I got to experience. I am not by any stretch a Galatasaray fan, nor do I follow Turkish football, but I love the game and seeing a local derby is something that translates easily into every language and league. There are 6 teams based in or around Istanbul so there would be no shortage of sparks flying throughout the season!
Eat a kebab
The kebab is the national dish of Turkey, or at least, that’s what I’m choosing to believe. You might think you know all about kebabs, but until you’ve actually had one in Turkey, you can never know for sure. For example, I’ve eaten my fair share of late night kebabs, but until I ate one in Istanbul one afternoon, I had no idea that they come with chips/fries inside it. It’s like, why didn’t I think of that!?
Drink apple tea
Another thing I learnt very quickly about Turkey is they looooove their apple tea. It took a whole of 10 minutes in the grand bazaar for my friend and I to be offered some apple tea. My friend had just bought a shisha pipe to take home and after the sale, the shop-owner invited us to stay for a cup of the Turkish specialty.
We obliged after he mentioned the word free and it was actually quite pleasant sitting there in his shop, drinking our tea, watching the world go by. We also chose to ignore the fact that he was a total creep and my friend is a very pretty, young, white girl, with whom he insisted on getting a photo. Hmmmm.
If you fall in love with apple tea like I did, you can buy as much as you like in the spice bazaar. I actually bought some banana tea and it was life-changing.
Smoke shisha
Since Islam is the far and away the religion of much of the population, social drinking is difficult and in some instances, illegal. What people do instead of going out for a drink is going out for a smoke. A regular feature of many cafes is a shisha pipe that you put on your table and pass around, and you’ll often see small groups of men at a sidewalk cafe having a puff. It’s a bit of fun, and if you get a good flavour can actually be pretty delicious. That is, once you learn how to actually breathe in the smoke.
As you can see, there is loads to keep you busy during your one day in Istanbul. Embrace the crowds, the food, and the culture and I have no doubt you’ll enjoy yourself. It’s a city like no other and is the reason it often tops my list of favourite cities that I’ve visited.
Written in collaboration with Dealchecker.
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A great post about travelling to Istanbul. As an insider, i have found it very well-written article about Istanbul’s must-see places. Thank you for introducing my city to the people!
amazing blog.
Nice article!!!.
What an colourful place. I can imagine wandering in the spice bazaar. Stunning photographs. I can see why you like Istanbul .