Planning a Trip to Istanbul in 3 Days

You came to Istanbul, you want to travel, you searched for places to visit on the internet, you came across many historical places, gardens, parks, but if you do not know which one you should go to first, how to create your route, this article will be for you.

While you are in Istanbul, there are many places you need to visit and understand the history, in this article, I will create routes that you can visit in a short time without getting lost on the roads and losing time in traffic.

First of all, the location of the place you will stay is very important. Staying in central locations is one of the most important options for your route. So where are these central locations? Areas such as Eminönü, Ortaköy, Bebek, Beşiktaş, Üsküdar are easy both in terms of sea transportation and land transportation.

If we have chosen our Hotel to stay, it is time to create our lists because we only have three days to visit the huge Istanbul. Positioning Istanbul as just a place to visit and see will cause us to make a big mistake for our trip, because Istanbul is a city with many streets to see, ferry trips to do, flavors to try, places to go.

While we are creating our list, if we look for and find answers to questions such as why I really want to go here and how long I can spend here, our route can be even better. First of all, if you are coming for the first time, the historical peninsula tour is an inevitable option. Let’s think of our hotel as a hotel on the borders of tram, metro, ferry and start drawing our route. First of all, the tram is a great option for us, a little slow compared to other vehicles, but it is a great option for us as it passes through the center of the city.

1.DAY

First day; The first day of our trip will start with the tram, but we should be careful not to coincide the hours when we will use public transportation with the work-in-out hours (8-9.30 in the evening, 17.00-19.00 in the evening). Depending on the location of your hotel, you get off the tram at the ‘laleli-istanbul university’ stop at 9.30 am. Let’s say the journey takes 20 minutes. The reason we got off at this stop is to see the architecture of Istanbul University and to have the opportunity to walk on the streets of Sultanahmet.

Here are the places you should visit. Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern. All of them are within walking distance of each other and must see areas. Don’t forget to buy Turkish coffee from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi in the bazaars, this flavor is not available anywhere else. When your trip is over, you should definitely eat meatballs and piyaz at Sultanahmet Köftecisi before you leave Sultanahmet, believe me, even as I write, it hurts my heart. You may have to wait in line for this, but believe me, it’s worth it. Let’s move towards Gülhane Park, which is the park that you will not return without seeing when you come to Sultanahmet. If you want, you can take the tram one stop or walk. Gülhane Park will relax you both with its historical smell and because it is a place where you can calm down in that crowd.Our journey to Sultanahmet, which starts at 9.50, can end at 15.00-15.30 by seeing the places we need to see.

After your visit to Gülhane Park, let’s get on the tram again and get off at the ‘Sirkeci’ stop this time, the only reason we got off at this stop is to eat sweets at the dessert shop named Hafız Mustafa. Especially choose the milky desserts suitable for your taste and enjoy the view of Eminönü-Sirkeci with tea. In the meantime, do not forget to rest or look at the photos you took, or even share them on social media.

You know, we have 3 days, we have to speed up. If we get up from the dessert shop named Hafız Mustafa around 17.00, our trip can speed up. Next, we have the Eminönü-Karaköy tour. Eminönü and Karaköy are really close to each other and are places you must see. You can visit the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, this is an alternative, but if you don’t want to, I would like to direct you more towards the Galata Bridge.

You will be in front of this bridge, which you will use while walking from Eminönü to Karaköy, the view of Galata tower, people fishing on the right and left of the bridge. The view of Istanbul is your first stop from the places that will make you say yes, I am in Istanbul. If you want, you can eat fish and bread, you can wander as you wish. On the way to Karaköy, I recommend you to try the chocolates, which will be on your right at Mabel Chocolate Shop. When you come to Karaköy, you will encounter the magic of the street. With a very colorful street in Karaköy, rows of cafes, hamburgers and desserts may make you think for a long time about which one to sit on, but my suggestion would be Karaköy Köşkeroğlu. There is a dessert part and a food part.

We wandered around, we were tired, we deserved dinner. Now it’s time to sit down at Köşkeroğlu and eat lahmacun, stuffed meatballs, kebab etc. After our meal, let’s take a walk towards the galata tower. I recommend walking because it is really worth seeing. The way to Galata tower is a bit of a hill, but I think it’s worth it. When you come to the Galata tower, you should definitely go to the top. Don’t forget the rumor when you leave “You will marry the first person you go to Galata with.” After the Galata tower, we are very tired, but you should not return to your hotel without seeing the last route, Istiklal Street. You can buy chestnuts while walking on Istiklal street. You can visit the shops, it will be very nice to walk on the street. You can take the tram from Taksim by metro, funicular,and another option is buses,so you can return to your hotel. You are tired, time to rest.