Top 10 Things to Do in Istanbul

Using this list

Ten of Istanbul's landmark experiences as a tickable checklist, spanning both sides of the Bosphorus and both halves of the city's history.

Sultanahmet holds most of the list

Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace, and the Hippodrome sit within a short walk of each other. That's a full day and arguably two — Topkapı alone, with the Harem as a separate ticket, takes several hours.

Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are working mosques. That means dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered, a head covering for women — and that they close to visitors around the five daily prayer times. Check prayer times before planning your morning.

Cross the water, more than once

The Bosphorus ferry is the cheapest good thing in the city and the best way to understand its geography. Kadıköy and Üsküdar on the Asian side are where the city feels lived-in rather than visited, and they're twenty minutes from Eminönü.

The bazaars are for the experience

The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar are worth seeing and are not where locals shop. Haggling is expected. So is being invited for tea, which is genuine hospitality and also a sales technique — both things can be true.

Practicalities

Get an Istanbulkart for ferries, trams, and buses. The Grand Bazaar closes on Sundays. Distances between neighbourhoods are longer than the map suggests and traffic is heavy.

Timing

Run it plain, or add due dates from your arrival date.