One day in Istanbul: a realistic Old City itinerary on foot
Only one day in Istanbul? See Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapı on foot, in an order that avoids the worst queues and crowds.
Sareban Hotel
Itineraries
Itineraries: 8 travel articles written by the Sareban Hotel team in Sultanahmet — practical, up-to-date advice for understanding and planning Istanbul.
Two days in Istanbul: one day for the palace, one for the bazaars
Two days in Istanbul: Topkapı, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on day one; the Grand Bazaar, Süleymaniye, the Spice Bazaar and the Golden Horn on day two.
Three days in Istanbul: the Old City, Galata and both shores of the Bosphorus
Three days in Istanbul: Sultanahmet and Topkapı, a day from the Grand Bazaar to Galata Tower, and a Bosphorus day linking Dolmabahçe and Üsküdar by ferry.
Five days in Istanbul: the Old City, Golden Horn neighbourhoods, the Bosphorus and Asia
Five days in Istanbul: Sultanahmet and the bazaars, a Golden Horn day from Chora to Balat and Eyüp, the Bosphorus, then Üsküdar or the Princes' Islands.
A self-guided Old City walk starting from Küçük Ayasofya
A 7 km self-guided loop from Küçük Ayasofya through the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Soğukçeşme Street and Gülhane Park, returning along the Marmara seafront.
Byzantine Istanbul: a two-day route through Constantinople
Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, Great Palace mosaics, cisterns, the Valens Aqueduct, Chora and the land walls: a two-day route through Byzantine Constantinople.
The Mimar Sinan route: from Sokullu to Süleymaniye
From Sokullu Mehmed Pasha Mosque, steps from our hotel, to Şehzade, Süleymaniye and Rüstem Pasha: a day tracing Mimar Sinan's masterpieces in Istanbul.
A guide to Istanbul's cisterns: Basilica, Binbirdirek and Theodosius
How the Basilica, Binbirdirek and Theodosius cisterns differ, how Byzantine water supply worked, and a walk linking all three cisterns in half a day.