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You
can see all of Istanbul's top
sights in 2 or 3 days, perhaps
with a recommended Licensed
Private Guide, then
take one-day or overnight excursions to
other places. Here are the possibilities
(see also my Istanbul
Weekend page.)
DAY
1 - OTTOMAN ISTANBUL
Istanbul's
top sights are grouped right around
the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet
Square:
Topkapi
Palace (9-5, closed Tuesday;
stay 2-3 hr). Get there at 8:45
am and go straight to the Harem,
which gets overcrowded.
Ayasofya (Hagia
Sophia) (9-4, closed Monday; stay
1 hr). Right next to Topkapi. Don't
miss the best mosaics, on the upper
level.
Blue
Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)
(stay 1/2 hr). Just across the
park from Ayasofya, on the Hippodrome.
The mosque is closed to visitors
for 25 minutes after each call
to prayer, and for several hours
midday on Friday.
Byzantine
Hippodrome (stay 1/2
hr). Enjoy the monuments in the
park—if the postcard and carpet
vendors will let you!
Museum
of Turkish and Islamic Art (9-5,
closed Monday; stay 1-2 hr).
Right on the Hippodrome across
from the Blue Mosque, this is
a treasurehouse of Anatolian
art.
Sunken
Palace Cistern (Yerebatan
Sarayi) (9-5; stay 1/2 hr). At
the NE end of the Hippodrome
beneath the little park.
A Turkish
bath (1-3 hr) can be
amazingly refreshing after a
long day! If not today, then
later.
DAY
2 - BYZANTINE CONSTANTINOPLE
Today
you visit Istanbul's top Byzantine (4th
to 14th centuries) sights, and go shopping.
Divan
Yolu (1 hr walking tour)
Walk from the Hippodrome uphill
along this historic boulevard,
the ancient Roman Mese, to
see the tombs of the Ottoman sultans,
other Ottoman buildings,
and Çemberlitas (Forum
of Constantine) to Beyazit
Square (Forum of Theodosius)
and Istanbul University.
Take a bus or taxi to Edirnekapi
and the Kariye Museum.
Kariye
Museum (9-4, closed Wednesday;
stay 1-2 hrs). Come for the brilliant
gold Byzantine mosaics that
cover the ceiling and walls.
Nearby is Tekfur
Saray, Istanbul's only extant Byzantine palace,
built into the huge 4th-century city
walls.Take a bus or taxi
back to Beyazit
Square and the Grand Bazaar.
Grand
Bazaar (9-5, closed Sunday;
stay 1-2 hrs, longer if you're
really shopping). With its 4000
shops, it has something you
want! Finding it is great fun.
Have lunch at one of the
little restaurants right in the
bazaar. When you're done, walk
downhill along Long-Market Street or take a tram or taxi to Eminönü and
the Egyptian Market.
Egyptian
(Spice) Market (9-5,
closed Sunday; stay 1/2 to 1
hr) Right next to the southern
end of the Galata
Bridge, it's much smaller
than the Grand
Bazaar, but the surrounding
district is full of other shops
selling food, clothing, kitchen
utensils, etc. It's interesting.
The tram will
take you right back to Sultanahmet.
DAY
3 - 19th-CENTURY ISTANBUL
Explore
the romance of late Ottoman Istanbul on
a walking tour of Beyoglu,
and a visit to the sultan's most
lavish palace.
Galata
Bridge (stay 1/2 hr)
Start at the bridge over the
Golden
Horn which links Old and
New Istanbul. Take in the view,
then walk north through Karaköy (Galata) and uphill to...
Galata
Tower (9-7, discount
on Monday; stay 1/2 to 1 hr)
Best views of the city from this
Genoese cone-topped stone tower.
Continue uphill to Tünel Square and...
Istiklal
Caddesi (Grande Rue de
Péra; 1-2 hr walking tour)
Lots to see along the main boulevard
of 19th-century Istanbul: a whirling
dervish hall, grand old embassy
buildings, the Pera
Palas Hotel, and lots of
boutiques. Plenty of restaurants for
lunch.
Taksim
Square From this hub
of modern Istanbul, go downhill
to Dolmabahce Palace or
north to the Military Museum.
Dolmabahce
Palace (9-4, closed Monday
and Thursday; stay 1-2 hrs) With
a facade almost a quarter mile
long, this is the mother of all
Ottoman palaces, and a must-see
if you're into magnificence.
Military
Museum (9-5, closed Monday & Tuesday;
stay 1-2 hr) North of Taksim
along Cumhuriyet Caddesi past
the Istanbul
Hilton, the museum chronicles
1000 years of Turkish military
history—quite fascinating. At
3 and 4 pm you can hear the Ottoman Mehter,
the world's original military
band, in costume with period
instruments.
DAYS
4 & 5 - EXCURSIONS
You've
seen Istanbul's top sights, now get
out of the city. Here are the best one-day and overnight trips.
Recommended
Licensed Private Guides
Istanbul
Weekend
Istanbul
in 1 Day
1
to 5 Days in Turkey
6
to 10 Days in Turkey
11
to 15 Days in Turkey
16
to 23 Days in Turkey
24
to 30+ Days in Turkey
Recommended
Itineraries
Special
Interest Trips
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