No. 01 · Landmark
Hagia Sophia
A 6th-century basilica turned mosque turned museum turned mosque
Justinian's 537 AD masterpiece, the world's largest cathedral for nearly a millennium and now a working mosque again.
Read more →Turkey
Istanbul
Where Europe meets Asia across the Bosphorus
A 2,500-year-old city straddling two continents — Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques, and the Grand Bazaar that's been trading since 1461.
When to go
April–May and September–October. July–August are hot and humid.
Getting around
Trams reach the old city; ferries cross the Bosphorus; metro is expanding fast.
Istanbul highlights
Don't miss
The top places to start with if you only have a day or two — the essentials before you go deeper.
No. 02 · Landmark
Blue Mosque
Sultanahmet Mosque, lined in 20,000 Iznik tiles
Sultan Ahmed I's 1616 mosque facing Hagia Sophia — six minarets and a cascade of half-domes around the central dome.
Read more →No. 03 · Attraction
Grand Bazaar
One of the world's oldest and largest covered markets
Founded in 1461 — 4,000 shops across 60+ streets, selling carpets, lamps, leather, gold, and çay (tea) at every corner.
Read more →Things to do in Istanbul
4 hand-picked
A curated mix of landmarks, neighborhoods, and museums worth your time in Istanbul, Turkey — grouped by type below.
Landmarks
2 places
Attraction
1 place
Where to stay
1 place
Where to stay in Istanbul
4 neighborhoods
Istanbul splits across continents — base in Sultanahmet for sights or Beyoğlu for nightlife.
Sultanahmet
Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, palaces
Best for: Walking distance to every old-city icon
Beyoğlu
Galata Tower, İstiklal, rooftops
Best for: Nightlife and modern Istanbul
Karaköy
Galleries, design hotels, coffee scene
Best for: Stylish foodies
Kadıköy
Asian side, market, local life
Best for: Repeat visitors after the real city
A 3-day itinerary, your way
If you only have a long weekend in Istanbul.
Day 1
Old City
Hagia Sophia at opening, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, lunch in Sultanahmet, Basilica Cistern, hammam in the evening.
Day 2
Bazaars & Bosphorus
Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, ferry up the Bosphorus, lunch in Ortaköy under the bridge, sunset rooftop in Karaköy.
Day 3
Beyoğlu & Asia
Istanbul Modern, lunch on İstiklal, Galata Tower, ferry to Kadıköy for dinner on the Asian side.