Five days in Istanbul: the Old City, Golden Horn neighbourhoods, the Bosphorus and Asia

What five days changes: pace and depth

On a short trip every day is a race. With five days, the real gain is depth rather than time: after the monuments of Sultanahmet you can walk into neighbourhoods that are still very much lived in, streets that carry traces of the city's Greek, Bulgarian and Jewish communities, and the old villages of the Bosphorus. That is why the first two days are dense and the last three looser.

For an hour-by-hour sequence of the first two days, see our one-day and three-day itineraries. Here we summarise those days and concentrate on the three that widen the picture. With several museums over five days, our museum pass guide is also worth a look.

Days 1 and 2: the classics of the historic peninsula

1. Day 1 morning: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, finished before the crowds arrive.
2. Day 1 afternoon: the Basilica Cistern, then Topkapı Palace and the Harem. Remember the palace may be closed on Tuesdays.
3. Day 1 evening: a walk along the Marmara shore or among the floodlit monuments of the square.
4. Day 2 morning: the Grand Bazaar, the booksellers' courtyard and Beyazıt Square. The bazaar is closed on Sundays.
5. Day 2 midday: Süleymaniye Mosque and its Golden Horn view. If you like, continue past the Şehzade Mosque to the Aqueduct of Valens, a few minutes away.
6. Day 2 afternoon and evening: Rüstem Pasha Mosque, the Spice Bazaar, the Galata Bridge and Galata Tower, then the T1 tram back from Karaköy.

Day 3: from the land walls down to the Golden Horn

This is the most distinctive day of the plan and the one that shows the most local Istanbul. Start at the farthest point, walk downhill toward the Golden Horn, and finish on a hilltop in Eyüp at sunset. Reach the starting point by taxi or public transport; our Balat and Fener neighbourhood page explains the options.

1. Morning: Chora (Kariye) Mosque, whose 14th-century mosaics and frescoes are the last great flowering of Byzantine art. It became a mosque again in 2020 and visiting arrangements can change, so check before you go.
2. Short walk: follow the Theodosian Land Walls to the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus (Tekfur Palace), one of the few surviving examples of late Byzantine palace architecture.
3. Late morning: walk downhill into Balat, with its colourful houses, steep lanes and old community schools. People live here, so be considerate with your camera around doorways and windows.
4. Lunch: small home-cooking canteens and bakeries in Balat are perfect for a break.
5. Afternoon: see the cast-iron Bulgarian St Stephen Church on the Golden Horn and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener. Then continue to Eyüp by bus or taxi along the shore, or on the Golden Horn ferry if its timetable suits you.
6. Late afternoon: Eyüp Sultan Mosque and its tomb form one of Istanbul's holiest pilgrimage sites, so dress modestly and keep your voice low. Then ride the cable car, or walk the path through the cemetery, up to Pierre Loti Hill for sunset over the Golden Horn.

Day 4: the European shore of the Bosphorus

1. Morning: take the T1 tram to Kabataş and visit Dolmabahçe Palace. Check its weekly closing day in advance.
2. Midday: follow the shore through Beşiktaş to Ortaköy. The Ortaköy Mosque beneath the Bosphorus Bridge is one of the most photographed scenes in the city, and the stalls nearby sell stuffed baked potatoes and waffles.
3. Afternoon: ride one of the buses that hug the shore to Arnavutköy and Bebek and walk the Bebek promenade. If you still have energy, continue to Rumeli Fortress, built for Mehmed II in just a few months in 1452 at the narrowest point of the strait.
4. Evening: return by coastal bus to Kabataş and the T1 to Sultanahmet. To swap this morning for a full cruise, see our Bosphorus cruise guide.

Day 5: the Asian side or the Princes' Islands

Choose the last day by mood. For the calm, neighbourhood-scale side of the city, go to Üsküdar and Kuzguncuk; for sea air, pine scent and car-free lanes, go to the islands.

1. Option A, Üsküdar and Kuzguncuk: take the ferry from Eminönü to Üsküdar and visit the mosques around the pier square. Walk north along the shore to Kuzguncuk, where a mosque, a church and a synagogue stand almost side by side. A short bus ride takes you on to Beylerbeyi Palace, Sultan Abdülaziz's summer residence. Watch the historic skyline from the ferry back in the late afternoon.
2. Option B, Princes' Islands: catch an early ferry from Kabataş to Büyükada or Heybeliada and spend the day cycling or walking. Plan it with our Princes' Islands day-trip guide.
3. Last evening: whichever you choose, a hammam session melts away five days of walking; first-timers should read our hammam guide.

Keeping five days sustainable

• Day three has the most walking, so keep the evening before it light.
• Avoid putting day three on a Friday: Eyüp Sultan is extremely busy on Fridays and not open to sightseers during the midday prayer.
• Leave at least one afternoon unplanned. A rest on the hotel's roof terrace or a stroll on the nearby seaside path will rescue the rest of the programme.
• Buy an Istanbulkart on day one; the same card works on ferries, trams, buses and the Eyüp cable car.