How to Spend 4 Days in Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

If you’re currently planning a trip to Istanbul, the largest and most visited city in Türkiye, then you’re probably wondering how many days you should spend there. After staying an entire week in Istanbul, we think 4 days would be the ideal amount of time for a visit.

In this guide, we’ll share a day-by-day itinerary that you can follow, or completely customise based on your own personal interests. Istanbul is a massive city and, thanks to its rich history and culture, it is packed with historical landmarks, impressive mosques and other religious buildings. Add in huge bazaars, plenty of cafes and restaurants serving some of the most delicious foods, colourful streets and countless seagulls, and you can quickly see that there is a lot to do here.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in the city, then make sure to watch our Istanbul Part 1 and Istanbul Part 2 videos on our YouTube channel. For more Türkiye videos check out our Türkiye Series.

How to Spend 4 Days in Istanbul, Turkey

You can totally customise the itinerary below based on your interests. It’s worth noting that a few places, especially museums, might not be open every day, so it’s worth checking that in advance of your visit. You’ll find links to more detailed blog posts for each individual neighbourhood, which include all of the necessary information you’ll need when visiting. So check those out as well when planning your 4 days in Istanbul.

In addition, make sure to read our Istanbul travel guide post aimed at first time visitors, which has useful information on how to get to the city, how to get around, where to stay, and where to eat.

Day 1: Explore the Sultanahmet Neighbourhood of Istanbul (Historical Area)

Morning

The best way to start your 4 days in Istanbul is by exploring the historical area of the city, also referred to as the Sultanahmet neighbourhood. Firstly, you can visit one of the most popular places in Istanbul: the Hagia Sophia. Note that although it’s a mosque, you’ll have to pay a 25EUR entry fee.

After the Hagia Sophia, walk around Sultanahmet Park and Square on your way to the Blue Mosque. Also known as the Hippodrome, the square was once the heart of Byzantine Constantinople. From the park, you can also appreciate just how huge both mosques are.

The Blue Mosque, or Sultanahmet Camii, is one of the most iconic mosques in Istanbul. Its stunning interior is decorated with around 20,000 handmade blue tiles, which is where it got its more commonly used name from.

After your visit, you can go and see an ancient cistern that lies underneath the streets of Istanbul. There are only two open to the public: Basilica Cistern and Cistern of Theodosius.

Afternoon / Evening

Another must visit place in the Sultanahmet neighbourhood of Istanbul is Topkapi Palace Museum. It is a massive site and you could easily spend the majority of your afternoon walking around it. Make sure not to skip a visit to the Harem, which is the most beautiful part of the palace.

You can finish your first day in Istanbul by watching the sunset at the Galata Bridge on the banks of the Golden Horn, before attending a Whirling Dervishes ceremony at Hodjapasha Cultural Center.

Day 2: Wander Around the Beyoglu District of Istanbul (Modern Area)

Morning

Start your second day in Istanbul with a traditional Turkish breakfast in the Beyoglu District. A classic Turkish breakfast includes a variety of sweet and savoury bite-sized foods that will set you up well for the day.

After breakfast, head over to one of the most recognisable landmarks in Istanbul: the Galata Tower. It is one of the city’s oldest structures, from where you can enjoy panoramic views of Istanbul.

From the tower, walk along Istiklal Street, the busiest pedestrianised street in the city. You’ll see plenty of modern and old-fashioned shops, eateries, art galleries, churches, passageways, and museums as you walk along. The street ends at Taksim Square, which is the beating heart of Istanbul. If you don’t want to walk along the entire length of the street, then just hop onto the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tram.

If you enjoy historical buildings, art, museums, antique shopping and cute cafes, then definitely go for a wander around the Cihangir and Cukurcuma areas.

Afternoon / Evening

In the afternoon you can visit the stunning Dolmabahce Palace, located along the banks of the Bosphorus. It is the largest monoblock palace in the whole country, so definitely plan to spend a good chunk of your afternoon here.

If you still have some energy left, then you can go even further north and visit Ortaköy Mosque. It is located in close proximity to the Bosphorus Bridge, or the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, that links the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. You can also get a pretty clear view of Camlica Mosque, the largest mosque in the country, from here.

At end of the day, you can make your way back towards Galata Bridge and watch the sunset with the beautiful mosques in the background. To make the evening even more special, you could also join a sunset cruise along the Bosphorus, or just a normal daytime sightseeing cruise.

Day 3: Visit the Colourful Balat, Fener and Eminönü Neighbourhoods

Morning

You can start your third day in Istanbul by visiting the colourful Balat and Fener neighbourhoods. Balat has a rich history and diverse culture, and used to be a hidden gem. However, in recent years it has become a popular part of Istanbul to visit. The main reason people venture out to Balat is to see the colourful houses the district has become known for. However, there is definitely more to Balat than just the row of rainbow-coloured buildings on Kiremit Street.

You can also see the colourful stairs at Incir Agaci Kahvesi. These were created by a group of local artists and residents as part of a community art project. Balat also has some beautiful street art and murals adorning the sometimes crumbling walls. Thanks to the neighbourhood’s rich history and ethnic diversity, you can find a number of different religious buildings in this neighbourhood too.

There are a ton of antique, vintage and second-hand shops in Balat if you want to find something unique. Lastly, you can definitely have a little rest at one of the many cool and quirky cafes.

Afternoon

To escape the afternoon heat (especially if you’re visiting in the hotter months) you can spend some of your afternoon wandering around the best markets in the Eminönü district of the historic centre: the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. Here, you can browse through 4,000 shops, spread out across nearly 60 streets, to find your perfect souvenir.

If you’re more into gastronomy, then definitely don’t miss a visit to the Spice Bazaar. It is a popular place to buy a variety of spices, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, teas, Turkish Delight and other things, like cheeses and sausages.

There are some beautiful mosques you can visit in this area such as Süleymaniye Mosque, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, and the New Mosque (Yeni Camii).

Day 4: Spend a Day on the Asian Side of Istanbul (Anatolia)

Morning

Being the only transcontinental city in the world, you can’t visit Istanbul without taking a trip to the Asian side (Anatolia) of the city. Although the Asian side doesn’t have as many attractions as the European side, there is still plenty to keep you busy for a day.

Hop on one of the ferries that cross the Bosphorus and enjoy the stunning views from the Strait. Once you set foot in Asia, you can spend the first half of your day walking around Kadiköy neighbourhood. Here you can stop at the popular Kadiköy Bull Statue, go for a ride on the Kadiköy-Moda Tram or just go shopping along the pedestrianised Bahariye Street.

If you enjoy long walks, then don’t miss taking a stroll along the Kadiköy Coastal Path. There are a few points of interest along the way such as the Kadiköy Lighthouse, Moda Pier, and Moda Park.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, go for street art hunting within the Kadiköy district. You can then make your way towards the Üsküdar district to check out a few more landmarks.

Stop at Sakirin Mosque, which has a modern take on the design of the traditional mosques you’ll be used to seeing. Apparently, it is also one of the most carbon-neutral mosques in the country.

Then wander further north to visit Beylerbeyi Palace, located along the banks of the Bosphorus. It looks like a smaller version of Dolmabahce Palace. You can finish your day by visiting the largest mosque in Türkiye: Camlica Mosque.

How Many Days Do you Need in Istanbul?

At this point you’ll probably either be happy spending 4 full days in Istanbul, be wondering if you can fit all this into fewer days, or contemplating adding a few more days to your trip.

The answer is tricky, and it really depends on how much time you can spare. You can definitely see the best of Istanbul in just 3 days by potentially skipping a visit to Balat, and visiting both the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar on your first day. Alternatively, you could also skip a visit to the Asian side of Istanbul, and just spend all three or four days on the European side. However, we personally think that you should try to get across to Anatolia, even if it’s only for a short visit.

If you can, then it’s totally worth extending your stay by a day or two. Many attractions such as Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace and the Grand Bazaar are massive places, where you could easily spend hours at each one of them. Some of the entry fees are also quite pricey, so you’ll really want to make the most of your time there instead of rushing around. Spending longer than 4 days in Istanbul will allow you to go at a slower pace and really take it all in.

Final Thoughts on How to Spend 4 Days in Istanbul

We were fortunate enough to be able to spend an entire week in Istanbul. This really allowed us to see everything we wanted to without exhausting ourselves. Being able to spend hours in some places, such as Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces, was totally worth it considering the high entry fees. Even in spreading our visit across an entire week, we were pretty exhausted after each day.

Have you ever been to Istanbul before? If so, how long did you spend in the city and how much of it did you manage to see? If not, would you want to visit Istanbul in the future? Let us know in the comments below.