I HAVE THREE DAYS IN ISTANBUL
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What to do if you have three days in İstanbul?
This tour is the perfect blend of modern with historical İstanbul and gives you with a great overview of the city in three days.
Your private professional tour guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel every morning and take you to different parts of town.
Highlights:
Explore the most significant sites from the Ottoman and Byzantine eras with an expert of both empires’ history who will bring each storied structure to life.
Skip the line at The Underground Cistern and Topkapı Palace, getting ahead of the crowds will help you appreciate the cistern even more.
Travel with a local to keep waiting times at a minimum at Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, also explore the great shops at The Grand Bazaar and Spice Market where locals shop with minimum prices and high-quality products.
Have the once-in-a-lifetime experience, passing between Asia and Europe continents on the water, the Bosphorus, with a private yacht tour
We recommend exploring the modern side of the city with panoramic views on the first day to orient yourself better. Finest way to orient yourself is to go on the private yacht tour along the Bosphorus. This is the most relaxing and informative way to learn about İstanbul. Your guide will tell you all about the city during this yacht tour as you take photographs of the beautiful monuments and houses along the Bosphorus.
Following the yacht tour, you will explore the modern face of the city where you will be walking around the most picturesque neighborhoods along the Bosphorus as well as the up-and-coming ones around Taksim Square & Galata neighborhoods. You will have a chance to appreciate the antique stores around Çukurcuma, visit the first museum dedicated to a novel (Museum of Innocence) if you wish and wander among the cool stores of Galata neighborhood.
On the following two days, you will explore the wonder world of Sultanahmet (the historical peninsula) and visit the must-see monuments like Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar. Apart from the most visited monuments in Sultanahmet, you will also get a chance to appreciate the most beautiful examples of Byzantine mosaics at Fethiye Museum.
The order of the itinerary will be customized based on your arrival date, special interests, needs and expectations, however a suggestion would be as follows:
DAY 1: MODERN ISTANBUL DAY:
- Galata Tower
- Galata Neighborhood
- Taksim Square
- Cukurcuma Neighborhood
- Private yacht tour
- Arnavutköy Neighborhood
- Ortaköy Neighborhood
DAY 2: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HISTORICAL PENINSULA, PART I:
DAY 3: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HISTORICAL PENINSULA, PART III:
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Destination
Sultanahmet, Eminönü, Beyoğlu, Bosphorus & Fener & Balat
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Excluded
VAT / Museum entrance fees / Meals / Personal expenses / Tips
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Included
Private guidance by a professional tour guide / Luxury vehicle with A/C / Professional driver / Parking fees
Sights
Tours You Might Be Interested in
DAY 1
- Galata Tower: Finest panoramic view of the city
- Galata Neighborhood: Historical neighborhood that has been gentrified with hip youngsters and designer stores
- Taksim Square: So- called center of the city that is famous with the ”Statue of Independence”
- Cukurcuma Neighborhood: Up and coming neighborhood with historical buildings & antique stores
- Private yacht tour: Best way to start exploring Istanbul is from the water
- Bebek Neighborhood: Upmarket, residential neighborhood by the Bosphorus
- Arnavutköy Neighborhood: Picturesque neighborhood with historical wooden houses and narrow streets
- Ortaköy Neighborhood: Picturesque neighborhood with a monumental mosque by the water
DAY 2
- Hippodrome: Former city center where the Byzantines had horse races and games
- Blue Mosque: Famous 17th century mosque with beautiful blue İznik tiles
- Hagia Sophia: Once the biggest church in the world, Hagia Sophia has been the cathedral of the Byzantines, imperial mosque of the Ottomans and now is a museum
- Underground Cistern: Biggest and best preserved underground cistern of the Byzantines where they stored water for emergencies
- Grand Bazaar: First shopping mall of the world, built in the 15th century, the bazaar is the biggest covered one in the world. Here is where the locals buy gold and silver jewellery, rugs, leather goods and more.
DAY 3
- Topkapı Palace: 15th century palace of the Ottomans. Seat of the council hall and house of the royal family
- Spice Market: 17th century market place with spices, Turkish delight, dried fruits, herbal teas and more
- New Mosque: 17th century mosque right by the Spice Market, has some of the best examples of İznik tiles on her walls.
- Rüstempaşa Mosque: Tiny 16th century mosque with beautiful İznik tiles