While on our Intrepid trip in October, we ended in Istanbul. We were on the prowl for things to do in Istanbul in 48 hours (or, actually, even less!). I’ll be sharing more about how my Intrepid experience went (so subscribe), but I absolutely fell in love with Istanbul and Turkiye.
My friend and I had almost ended up in Turkiye by process of elimination – neither of us had expressed a burning desire to see the country or considered it a “bucket list” spot. But I was amazed by this country – to the point where I could see renting an apartment and living there for some time or going back in some way (and if you know me, you know that rarely happens).
I wish we had had more time in Istanbul but, to be honest, we were exhausted when we left. We had just spent a week traipsing around the country and we went HARD when we were in Istanbul. There was so much to see, do, and eat and we wanted to take in all we could. I feel like we succeeded.
My only regret is not having a tour that provided some historical background. Istanbul has been around and influencing cultures for longer than I can conceive. There is so much that happened here. But our Intrepid guide wasn’t a tour guide in that sense and usually Secret Food Tours provide a lot of history, but the guide from the food tour in Istanbul had a different style.
That said, I don’t regret any of the activities we did do – I just regret we didn’t have time for more!
If you can, spend more than 48 hours in Istanbul. But if its 48 hours or not at all, then go.
Where to Stay in Istanbul
Sultanahmet district is where you will want to stay. This is close to all the major attractions, the water, the ferries, and has tons of shops, restaurants, and bars. There are dozens of hotels of various budgets (we stayed, through Intrepid, at a basic hotel).
Getting Around Istanbul
Welcome Pickups was a new-to-me provider that a fellow traveler recommended. We successfully used this service to get to the airport from downtown Istanbul. Our driver was lovely and even took time to drive us by old aqueducts.
Other than that, we mostly walked! By staying in the downtown area, near Galata Bridge, everything we wanted to do (except for Kadikoy) was an easy walk.
When it came to the public ferry and the funicular in Taksim, we bought a card from the kiosks all over the city at transportation stations. You can use one card for multiple people – just hand it over the kiosk back to your travel companion and they can swipe.Â
Public transportation was cheap, clean, and well-marked. If we didn’t understand something we eventually were able to get help with a lot of gesticulating and smiling.
There are a lot of taxis in Istanbul but we never needed one.
Top 11 Things to do in Istanbul in 48 hours (or less!)
Table of Contents
1. Visit the Hagia Sophia.
This is the thing to do if you want to experience some history and get a feel for how old (and conflicted) Istanbul is.
The Hagia Sophia is also called the Grand Mosque. Very fitting with Turkey’s long history as a seat of power and influence over the world, it has been a Christian church, a mosque, and a museum at some point in its life. Also very fitting with any European site, the church burnt down at some point. It was also hurt by an earthquake at another point. In summary: this building has seen a LOT. It has cradled humanity through a lot of changes, triumphs, and disasters. This shows on the inside, and it is breathtaking. If you are here for the architecture alone, “Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.[3]”
Given that the original church on this site was consecrated in 360 (not a typo), there is far too much history to take in here.
But getting inside the Hagia Sophia as a visitor, even if it is a bit pricey. was worth it to me.
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING HAGIA SOPHIA:
- Go first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. We went at sunset and walked right in, no waiting. But lines can be very long.
- You can use Get Your Guide or other websites to purchase a Skip-the-Line ticket or even a guided tour. Any sort of skip-the-line ticket is highly recommended.
- Women must be covered. Bring a scarf to cover the head and hair, and be sure to have your legs and shoulders covered.
- QR codes at Hagia Sophia’s entrance are used to purchase tickets while in line if you have not purchased in advance. It does cost a fair amount (around 25 Euros) to visit the Hagia Sophia.
- Tourists can only view the mosque from the gallery level, the top level. It is still gorgeous, and the views are splendid, but non-worshippers are not allowed on the floor at this time.
- There is a digital audio tour throughout the Hagia Sophia that I found very useful. Be sure to bring headphones/AirPods and you will need some sort of cellular data or service to use it.
2. Visit the Basilica Cistern.
Istanbul is a major city that was built without a reliable source of clean drinking water. (Does that seem crazy to anyone else?) In the 6th century, a huge underground “cathedral” was built, where aqueducts would dump water for storage.
The Basilica Cistern is eerie and haunting in a somewhat lovely way.Â
The place is huge, 105,000 square feet. There are two Medusa heads in the cistern and lore says they are upside down to save us all from her curses. Centuries ago, over 7,000 slaves made the cavern using columns reclaimed from other ruins. The 336 columns don’t match and it is entertaining to see the differences.
Today, it is lit in colorful ways for tourists, with art installations and some boards explaining what the space was for. This was a really interesting experience.
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING THE BASILICA CISTERN:
- The hours here are quite generous to allow for visitation at any time that fits your schedule. It is open nearly every day of the year from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm – with exceptions made for holidays or special events. Be sure to check online. We went very late in the evening.
- It is not cheap to visit the Basilica Cistern. it was around $40 USD per person at the time of our visit – yet it is cheaper earlier in the day.
- There wasn’t a line when we went.
Visit this link for more on Basilica Cistern: yerebatan.com/yerebatan/ziyaret-bilgileri.
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3. Visit the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque was built in 1617 and is still a house of worship today. Its name comes from the predominantly blue-painted floral motifs and tile inside. It is a UNESCO world heritage site (which you know we love), and is very close to the Hagia Sophia, making it easy to visit both in one day.
This is a very traditional mosque in terms of architecture (although it has a rare extra minaret). It was built by a sultan, under some considerable controversy, and it is believed it was intended to rival the Hagia Sophia. It was damaged by a fire in 1912 and has been restored throughout the years.
This is a great mosque to visit to be overwhelmed by the splendor and opulence of these places of worship. It is certainly a tourist destination, though. While in Ankara we went into a mosque that is still actively used predominantly for worship, and it was a very different experience.
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING BLUE MOSQUE:
- Women must be fully covered. Bring a scarf to cover your head and hair, and be sure the legs and shoulders are covered.
- Shoes must be removed.
- This can be noisy inside. There aren’t many enforced rules (unlike Hagia Sophia), so there are lot of guided tours from the cruise boats happening in here at any given time.
- It is free entry.
- We went first thing in the morning and there was not a line to get in – although it was starting to get fairly crowded inside.
- The Blue Mosque is fairly close to Hagia Sophia and the Obelisk of Theodosius (which is outside) if you’d like to do all of these together.
Find the Blue Mosque on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BYveJTXQpZqc9bnX7
4. Shop the Grand Bazaar.
This can be a bit intimidating but it is also incredibly fun.
The Grand Bazaar has 4,000 stalls with vendors selling a bit of everything. It covers 61 streets and is considered one of the oldest and longest-running covered markets in the world.
You don’t need a guide or a destination to enjoy the Bazaar. Yes, vendors will try to get your attention and have you come into their shop. But it wasn’t uncomfortable sales pitching, as it has been in some of the other countries we’ve been to. The vendors were gregarious, friendly, and willing to take “no” for an answer.
Do haggle.
Take cash.
Competitive shop across vendors – although know that once you leave a particular stall you may not be able to find it again unless you pin it on your Google map! The halls are winding.Â
Except for holidays, the Grand Bazaar is open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm every day of the week except Sunday.
5. Visit the Spice Bazaar.
The Spice Bazaar is a companion shopping experience to the Grand Bazaar but definitely different!
The Spice Bazaar is located in Eminönü, a district of Istanbul. The current building housing the Spice Bazaar dates from the 1660s (it was reconstructed after a massive fire destroyed much of Istanbul) and is all inside, covered. There are 85 stalls in the Spice Bazaar.
It smells fascinating and delightful. This is the place to buy fresh teas, Turkish delight, saffron threads, nuts, dates, and more.
Sadly, as the tourism market in Istanbul grows, many of the spice vendors have left and the stalls are full of tourist souvenirs. This is far less appealing to me than the original intended use of the stalls, but there are still enough vendors hawking spices and teas that it was a exotic stop.
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING THE SPICE BAZAAR:
- We went through the Spice Bazaar while on a Secret Food Tour. This was nice in that it provided us with some history and explanations about some of what we were seeing, and we received special attention at a particular stall. We were able to smell different saffron threads and tea blends, taste Turkish delight, and have tea. This also provided us with a translator. But it is not necessary to have a tour to enjoy the Spice Bazaar.
6. Go to a Turkish Hammam.
This was a unique experience and, despite my nervousness about what to expect prior, ended up being one of my favorite experiences. It is recommended to book your appointment in advance, particularly if you are interested in one of the more top-end bath houses. Read more about the Turkish hammam in this post.
7. Take the Ferry to Kadikoy.
Kadikoy is on the Asian side of Istanbul and came highly recommended to us by people who have lived in Istanbul: they love it.
Kadikoy is grittier, hipster, and lively. There is street art all over, bars and restaurants spilling out into the streets, and a wealth of different kinds of people. It is a busy shopping district and on the weekends becomes a mecca to shoppers looking for secondhand books and vintage records.
We took the public ferry from the Taksim district and back to the Galata Bridge. The public ferry was very easy to use and cheap – we used a kiosk to load up our public transportation card.
It was also an experience to cruise the water looking at this remarkable city.
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING KADIKOY:
- There are upscale cruises on the Bosphorus Strait you can take. But we used the public ferry. It was very convenient, easy to use (well, with a lot of pointing and asking questions to double-check we were on the right boat and knew where the docks were since I felt very tired and confused at one point), and cheap.
- We ate at Ciya Sofrasi. It came highly recommended. It has been written about in the New Yorker and many food magazines, the chef has been featured on Netflix’s The Chef’s Table, and it is a top 50 restaurant. It is, however, incredibly unassuming and casual. The cuisine is all traditional Turkish food. There are three different “Ciyas” on the street, though. One is a take-out window, one is more like a diner, and one is a sit-down restaurant. So be sure you choose the adventure you want. We did the sit-down restaurant (after some trial and error) and it was a wonderful experience. We had the chef’s choice. We didn’t know what we were eating, but it was all delicious.
- Try to time this excursion so you get some time on the ferry at night. Seeing the mosques lit up against the hills was gorgeous.
8. Sample all the Food You Can.
I was surprised by how delicious everything in Turkiye is – and how many different types of dishes and cuisine are available! I didn’t associate Turkiye as a foodie destination but I was in love with the smells and tastes of this country.
While traveling across Turkiye, we had testi kebab, Turkish sweets I still don’t know the names of, baklava, raki, and pide.
Sit down in restaurants and try everything! As we did in Kadikoy – let the chef pick! Ask questions! Don’t limit yourself. The food in Turkiye was delicious and a journey in and of itself.
9. Eat Street Food in Eminönü.
Street food is something a lot of tourists tend to shy away from, opting for “safer” restaurants with TripAdvisor and Google Reviews. But I love street food – a lot. I still say the best food we had in Antigua Guatemala was from the abuelas selling fresh grilled and fried things from their carts. Â And Istanbul has a wonderful food culture, where street food is not forgotten.
You can try fish sandwiches (Balık-Ekmek), kokoreç, (lamb intestines rolled around a skewer and cooked horizontally over a fire) and midye tava (mussels stuffed with rice and tomatoes – which I loved).
You can find kumpir stands all over the city. A kumpir is a baked potato that is taken out of the oven, sliced, and stuffed with a heap of goods and sauces you select. This video shows this phenomenal potato situation.
If you are brave try the Kelle Söğüş (sheep’s head).
While street food exists throughout Istanbul, there seems to be a heavy concentration of stalls and shops in the Eminönü area, which is on the Golden Horn side of the Galata Bridge.
Things to try:
- fish sandwiches (Balık-Ekmek)Â
- kokoreç (lamb offal)
- steamed mussels with the meat and rice stuffing (Midye Tava)
- “wet” burgers
- kumpir (baked potato-like bar)
- doner
- simit (a bagel-like food sold in stands, great for a quick breakfast or snack)
10. Walk the Galata Bridge.
You pretty much have to do this anyhow to get around town. This bridge spans the Golden Horn. There have been five versions of the bridge here since the 19th century, and they all have linked  Eminönü and Karaköy.
The views from the bridge are beautiful, of course. But it is also fun to see the fishermen lined up in droves, flanking the sides of the bridge. Fishing off the bridge is very popular with residents of the city.
The top of the bridge is for cars and fishermen, but the lower level of the bridge has restaurants, shops, and bakeries. This is where tourists get the now-famous San Sebastian cheesecake. (Although quick note: this cheesecake is not original to Istanbul or a particularly old tradition. The dessert is from Spain and became famous in Istanbul due to viral social media posts some time in 2022).
11. See Taksim Square, Walk Istikal Street
Taksim District is referred to as “modern Turkiye.” This means that incredibly old buildings and streets have been populated with new banners like Burger King, Gap, Starbucks, etc. The long pedestrian street is buzzing with energy and people.
The square itself was once home to a reservoir, then a huge artillery. There is an old tram system that runs up the street (reminding me of San Francisco). One of the world’s oldest funiculars, or subway stations, is here. We walked the length of Istikal Street as a group, trying to take it all in.
It’s a short walk (with lots of simit stands to hit along the way!), but take your time doing this.
To get to Taksim district and square, you will have to walk through Karaköy, which we enjoyed seeing. (Read more about Karaköy in this fun article.)
As I noted above, if you and your crew want to experience the (in)famous Turkish ice cream with the tricks and all, there were quite a few shops offering that here.
About Topkapi Palace.
We really wanted to do this. But we just didn’t have time with everything else on our itinerary. Everything we’ve read and heard about Topkapi Palace indicates that you need a least a halfday of time to visit.
If you do want to go, though, this is the website you’ll want to check: muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/topkapi. And you will definitely want to pay ahead for skip-the-line tickets.
With More Time:
- Visit Another Mosque. There are so many mosques all over Istanbul and as we talked to locals and people who had spent more time in Istanbul, they recommended other mosques as preferred experiences over Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. While we experienced a local mosque in Ankara, it would have been interesting to have had a different mosque experience in Istanbul.
- Take a History Tour. As I said above, it would have been nice to get more historical context for everything we were seeing.
Visiting Istanbul was exotic and exciting. It felt safe while also stretching us to try new things. The people were friendly. As we meandered streets, full of Turkish coffee and fish sandwiches, I felt the breeze coming over the Bosphorus Strait, around the Golden Horn, and couldn’t believe I had the privilege of seeing all of this. Even if I only had less than 48 hours in Istanbul, it was worth.
It was a magical trip.
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