3-Day Istanbul Itinerary for First-Timers | Turkey
How to Spend 3 Days in Istanbul?
“This enchanting, sprawling city really is a city of two halves, where East meets West. Istanbul is split in two by the Bosphorus Strait, one side is in Europe and the other is in Asia. It will leave you enthralled by its turbulent history, rich culture, stunning architecture and mosques, colourful bustling markets, and numerous teahouses, cafes and restaurants.
Istanbul is built on seven hills, and to try to see all it has to offer in three days would be an impossible task. Even with three months, you’d be hard pushed to see everything. That is why I’ve created this 3-day Istanbul itinerary to help you get the most out of your first short visit to this incredible city.”
Lately, we hosted Tanya Korteling of ” Can Travel Will Travel” on our tours, and here is why they think we do a great job leading tours in Istanbul!
- Hagia Sophia was one of our favorite stops on our walking tour and definitely not to be missed on your first visit to Istanbul
- Blue Mosque gets its nickname from over 20,000 cobalt-blue Iznik tiles that adorn the interior and domes. The stunning interior is lit with light flooding in from more than 250 stained glass windows and chandeliers that contain ostrich eggs (apparently to keep spiderwebs at bay)
- We really enjoyed wandering around the old Hippodrome, you can just imagine the crazy chariot racing and royal ceremonies that were once held there.
- Süleymaniye Mosque was our favorite mosque in Istanbul; it certainly lives up to its reputation as being the finest Ottoman building in the city.
- Whether you like shopping or not, the Grand Bazaar should definitely be included in any Istanbul itinerary. And, if shopping is your thing you’ll be in your element, you’ll easily be able to lose yourself there for several hours.
Also, Tanja really has great hints for things to do in Istanbul and beyond like the hot air balloon ride in Cappadoccia!
