Istanbul trip ideas

Trips planned for Istanbul run 3 to 4 days. These are the places they keep coming back to, and the trips themselves, day by day.

  • 2 trips
  • 3 to 4 days
  • 12 places

How many days do you need in Istanbul?

2 trips planned for Istanbul run 3 to 4 days.

A 3-day planA 4-day plan
Map of the most-visited places in Istanbul

What to see in Istanbul

The places Istanbul trips keep coming back to, most often first.

  1. 1

    Süleymaniye Mosque

    Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  2. 2

    Sultan Ahmed Mosque

    Historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey, also known as Blue Mosque.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  3. 3

    Topkapı Palace

    Palace museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

    In 2 of 2 trips
  4. 4

    Fatih Istanbul Mosque

    Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  5. 5

    Zeyrek Mosque

    Religious building from the Byzantine Empire period.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  6. 6

    Laleli Mosque

    Mosque in Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  7. 7

    Bayezid II Mosque

    Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  8. 8

    Rüstem Pasha Mosque

    Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  9. 9

    Istanbul Archaeology Museums

    Archaeology museums in Istanbul, Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  10. 10

    Hagia Irene

    Byzantine church building in Istanbul, Turkey now a hall and museum.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  11. 11

    Little Hagia Sophia

    Former Greek Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul converted to a mosque.

    In 1 of 2 trips
  12. 12

    Sokollu Mehmed Pasha I Mosque

    Mosque in İstanbul, Turkey.

    In 1 of 2 trips

Trips to Istanbul

Sample tripIstanbul in 4 Days · Domes and Palaces Across the Old Cityone traveller · 4 days · 10 mosques · 3 palaces · old city to Bosphorus4 days · October · a solo trip · 16 stopsSample tripIstanbul in 3 Days: Mosques, Palaces and the BosphorusApril · three days · Ottoman courtyards and Byzantine mosaics · Galata to the Bosphorus3 days · April · a couple's trip · 12 stops

Good to know

Do Istanbul's mosques cost money to enter?

The working mosques on this route are free; shoes come off at the entrance and shoulders and knees stay covered. The cistern, museums and Topkapı are ticketed.

Which Istanbul mosque has the best view?

Süleymaniye, from its western terrace over the Golden Horn and the old city skyline; stay past the 45-minute slot.

How many days do you need for Istanbul's mosques?

Four at a moderate pace covers ten of them, from Byzantine Zeyrek and the Fatih era to Sinan's work and the Bosphorus shore, with palaces and museums as rest stops.

Are Istanbul's museums and palaces near each other?

Day two's museums sit in the old palace quarter with Hagia Irene just inside Topkapı's outer court; day four's palaces line the Bosphorus north of the old city.

Is Chora Church a mosque?

Yes, it reopened for worship under its Turkish name, Kariye. The Byzantine mosaics and frescoes remain the reason to visit, so go in the morning and leave time to look up.

How much time do you need at Topkapı Palace?

This trip sets aside two hours, which is enough for the imperial courtyards, the harem and the treasury if you keep a steady pace and let the quieter rooms breathe.

Plan your own Istanbul trip

Tell Triptic your dates and who is going, and get the days, real flights and a place to stay.

Plan a Istanbul trip