How to Spend 3 Days in Istanbul Turkey | Itinerary w/ Sunset Spots, Street Food, & Classics

Istanbul in three days sounds impossible but here's the truth. It is possible to see the main historical sites and still experience daily life in the city. Each day ends in a different neighborhood where people usually stop for a tea, a walk or a simple view of the city. The goal is to balance landmarks, neighborhoods and everyday food culture in limited time. We start day one in So the first thing first here is Hagia Sophia. By the morning about 8.30 or 9 you should visit Hagia Sophia first. This is one of the most important monuments not for only Turkey for the entire world. This is a masterpiece. It was built in 537 AD by Roman Empire. Served as a nearly a thousand years until Mehmet the second the Ottoman ruler. He conquered the city in 1453 and then they converted the church into a mosque. You can give an hour like some people they spend even 30 minutes and the first floor is here just right behind me for prayer. Turkish citizens there are a lot to go inside. The second floor it is where the gallery and the museum is. So to go there you have to buy a ticket which is 25 euros. After Hagia Sophia we continue to our second stop the underground Basilica cistern. It used to be a cistern for Roman Empire. It's a magical place to see. So here you can spend half an hour right after the Hagia Sophia. It is the best place to visit. The Basilica cistern was built in the 6th century during the Byzantine period. It was designed to store water for the great palace and nearby public buildings. Inside the cistern is supported by hundreds of marble columns including the well-known Medusa hat bases. After spending some time in the cool underground air it's time to head back outside. Here is your third place to visit. The Blue Mosque. It was completed in 1616. It was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet. They used about 20 000 blue iznik tires to complete the walls. So this is why tourists call it the Blue Mosque. We never call it Blue Mosque. As Turks we call it Sultan Ahmet Mosque. As you see it has huge garden here, marble. Also free to visit. That is awesome, huh? You're not paying for this one. So in Islam people worship five times in a day. During the noon, afternoon, by the sunset and night and the early morning when sun is rising. During that time be careful because people are praying inside. Praying is taking like 15 minutes but be quiet, take your shoes off and stay a bit behind. But it is taking like 15 minutes to complete a prayer. All mosques are free in Turkey. It wouldn't be taking more than 30 minutes to see the mosque. Some people though sit inside, take their time and feel the place. When you step outside the Blue Mosque you enter a large open area. This is not just a square. Hippodrome. It used to be place for sports, chariot races, social area during the Roman Empire. It is just right in front of the Blue Mosque. Ottomans used that as a square. The Ottomans kept a lot of things from Romans. For example this is Egyptian obelisk. It was brought here from Egypt by Romans. This is my favorite piece here. Three and a half thousand years old man. Isn't it awesome? Older than city. In the square you can spend 30 minutes. It is a good place to rest and feel the city. Just cross the Blue Mosque. Your next stop. Museum of Turkish and Islamic art. That is 17 euros in the US. Still like $19 to visit. So let's go check inside. That used to be one of the Ottoman palaces. Now used as a museum. So here you are going to see the Islamic art, Turkish craftsmanship and the best part of this museum is definitely carpets. Huge carpets. Huge. Oh darn. That's so big. That is 16th century. 500 years. Carpets if you like them. This is right spot for you. So I walked entire museum. It took around half an hour. About 45 minutes maybe. It will be well enough. If you are finding museums boring for you then it will take like 15 minutes. Right after that museum this is the Sultanahmet area. We are walking to Grand Bazaar. It is about half a mile. 800 meters if you want to walk. But if you want to take tram it is just two station. So I prefer walking always. I like to see that street. Full of history man. I love Istanbul. So afternoon we're gonna spend around Süleymaniye. There you would see less touristic but still historic area. Also full of real Turkish food. I forgot what I was gonna say because food is paralyzing my brain. I'm shaking. It's a dinner time man. This is a really small place in just corner but this is so famous. As we are Turkish people we come here. Eat that dinner. Meat dinner. That's my sandwich dinner. Hello little dinner. Tender beef. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. If I don't show you the real Turkey who's gonna show you? So help me back. Like this video and subscribe. Real Turkey. Now we head into a maze where it is easy to lose your sense of direction even after visiting many times. The Grand Bazaar. It was built in 1461 by Mehmet the Conqueror who conquered the city in 1453. Right after eight years that was one of the first things that he built. So he knows the trade was super important for Istanbul. The center of the world by that time. So I'm walking here right now through the streets. Older than five centuries. Thousands of shops. It's like a maze. You will lose yourself here. I would say there is no time limit here. I don't know if you want to show up but I think an hour maybe four or five minutes will be enough to see. So you can balance your time. Next is the Suleymaniye mosque. My special one. You're gonna see good things there man. Just outside of the Grand Bazaar you find a street here full of counterfeit goods and everything you can find here. Every brand that is replica of course. Suleymaniye mosque is the next stop. Located about 10 minute walk from the previous site. So pretty. It is not less pretty than the Blue Mosque. A 16th century mosque designed by architect Sinan. He is the most famous architect of Ottoman Empire. So most of the monuments today they were designed by architect Sinan and this mosque is one of them. This mosque was commissioned by Suleyman the Magnificent. His tomb is located right here within the ground of the Suleymaniye mosque. This is the tomb of Suleyman the Magnificent lying right here. He ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566. Suleyman the Magnificent and his wife attract visitors from around the world. Largely because of the TV series Muhteşem Yüzyıl. The Magnificent Century. Because of this millions of people visit their tombs here each year. Let's call it a day here. I'll show you a special place where you can end your first day in Istanbul. Garden of Suleymaniye mosque. So here you have magnificent view. You can see entire Istanbul from here. That is a place where you will find this city speaks to you. Come here if you want to end your day and if you want to watch the city and understand the beauty and the real Istanbul. So it's a beautiful place. After a full first day it's best to rest early. Day two starts with something special again. Here is the first thing you got to visit. Topkapi Palace. The heart of Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. I cannot give you exact time how long you should take here but I think at least two hours. But some people even see it in an hour. Some people spend entire day. Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Keep that in your mind. Inside the palace you can see the imperial weapon collections used by the Ottoman army and the royal guards. You will also visit the private living quarters where the royal family and the sultan lived. The palace can be tiring. So we continue the day at a park to slow things down a bit. Right after the Topkapi Palace I recommend coming here. Gülhane Park. It used to be part of the palace but it is open area now. It's public area and spend here like half an hour enjoying your time here relaxing and thinking of what you have seen. I love this place man. So it's time for lunch. Food heaven. Istanbul. Now we eat at the local Esnaf Lokantası where working locals usually eat. You can recognize these places by the dishes displayed behind the window. So in these restaurants you give your order and take it yourself and you got unlimited options here. The salads and everything. This is where the real Turkish people eat and it is in just heart of touristic places. Unlimited desserts. I love these places but I'm gonna go for a soup right now. This is a head soup. So for that soup I paid 170 liras and I'm looking at the street. I'm seeing places they are colorful. They are designed really authentic to attract tourists. Expensive huge labeled menus with like 10 different languages. Of course that's not the place where I eat and I'm trying to do my best to show you what is good about this country. Our next stop is Spice Bazaar. After having our lunch it is just like half a mile by foot. That is one of the oldest in Istanbul. Animal street dogs. I know this guy for a long time. He is the street animals in Turkey. They make these things man. Dogs when they pretend like they're crippled. They are limping. You can think oh that animal is so poor. Let me give it a bit of food. That's an old trick. As you walk by you are gonna see a lot of history everywhere. And prayer is calling right now Edan. And Edan is a call for them. Hey it is time for prayer. Let's go come to mosque and pray. They can pray at home too. When you are in Turkey you will hear that and sometimes like right in the morning like 5 a.m. And you're like whoa what is happening. You know if the mosque is so close to your hotel that's what is gonna happen. That's a Yeni Cami. New mosque. It is called but still 400 years old. Egyptian Bazaar or spice market we say. So that is around 400 years old. Let's go check in. You can spend here like half an hour or an hour. But to me I think half an hour around 30 minutes will be enough. So let's go and check in. So that's the reason why we call it spice market. We have spice here. Ottoman empire was selling things. The goods they were brought from Egypt. So that's why we call it Mısırcarşı or in English Egyptian Bazaar. Not only spice but you can have the textile here and jewelry. Ah the ceiling. Do you see the ceiling? Spice spice spice. Spice everywhere. History. Now let's get out of beautiful market to where the Turks we shop. You should see. I'm turning the camera around. Looking for a Turkish coffee right after you are out of Egyptian Bazaar. This is the most famous place. Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi. So that's the place you get the Turkish coffee from. Turkish coffee production. These guys are working non-stop and still not enough. I recommend you take a stroll through that street. Hasırcılar street. We came here buy dessert you know spice nuts everything basically. Inside there it's a bit touristic. Prices yes touristic prices but that street and cheap and Turkish. So if you want to buy something maybe it's better idea. They will ask you things to try like this. No money I have honey. So you can taste it before you buy it. You don't feel like you have to buy it. It's so delicious man. One of the best things that you can do is taking frees in Istanbul. You can take free from Eminönü which is the historic site here right after the spice market. I think two three hours you can serve it for Asian continent. In Bosphorus it is only enough reason to do that. Each way is charging around a dollar. It's nothing right. Welcome to Iskider. My beautiful neighborhood. The first thing that you will notice is the local feeling. So here in the main square you got three famous mosques. The first one is here Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and other this one right there it is Valide Sultan Mosque and the other one is just there by the water Kuşkonmaz Mosque. Also on our YouTube channel I made a video about Üsküdar neighborhood guide. So if you want detailed video go and check this one. Here in Üsküdar Salacak you can sit on the benches facing the Maiden's Tower and watch the sunset behind the historic Fatih Peninsula. This is a very simple spot but it shows a very genuine side of Istanbul. Let's end the day here. The day third and you're in Sultanahmet. You can take that tram T1 from Sultanahmet station to the Kabataş station which is the last station on this direction. There you will see the Dolmabahçe Palace. Tram is passing right now from the Golden Horn or Halic as we call it in Turkish. Here we go the last station. To go to the palace you just get out here and walk. It's like a thousand feet. Well here is Dolmabahçe Palace. It is 18th century palace. It shows how Ottoman Empire adapted European style. So that was the second administration center of Ottoman Empire after Topkapı Palace. It's not allowed to film inside. You can only film inside the main garden however not in the main building. Two hours would be well enough for that building and the ticket is about 28 dollars. Beautiful palace. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk the founder of modern Turkey died here at Dolmabahçe Palace. His room is preserved exactly as it was on the day he passed away. After seeing the Dolmabahçe Palace we are gonna go to Taksim Square which is up there. It's on the hill. F1 Taksim Kabataş We're gonna take this one. So that tram goes every after like seven eight minutes to Taksim. So to use that I use Istanbul card. If you see our videos in previous videos you're gonna see how to get Istanbul card and then how to get public transportation. Just check this out. And I'm out here Taksim Square. All right there are things to see here. İstiklal Avenue that goes to the Galata Tower. I'm just gonna show you everything on the road. You're gonna see that mosque just standing right on the square. That is new. It's been built like five years ago. That's 111 years old tram that is going through the İstiklal Street. You can use this one if you want to have that nostalgic feeling. You can get in with your Istanbul card again but I always walk. That's what I'm gonna do. Pehlivan for example one of the good spots to eat food. You can choose any food from that display. Like to walk entire road it is like one mile until Galata Tower but you can spend one hour or just 30 minutes. The perfect spot it is full of food, full of shops, everything you're gonna find here. It is so difficult to walk in this street. Food everywhere man. How am I supposed to have a strict diet in this country? Do you think that cat is for sale? No man. Turkey is a cat country. Istanbul. Cats are running this city. Just street cat. It just went inside and lies on here. Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. So Merry Christmas everyone. Do we officially have Christmas in Turkey? No we don't but we have churches in Istanbul right? Where you will find Christmas is being celebrated and this is the most famous church here on the İstiklal Avenue. So this is the end of the road. So here I started walking down to Karaköy. We're gonna visit the Galata Tower. I would say it's like 200 meters. You are finding the Galata Tower right there. Galata Tower. One of the most significant symbols of Istanbul. It used to be part of fortifications around this area. So most of the fortification was demolished so it remained as a sign. You see that line, that red line. They're actually representing different timeline. Upper side it was collapsed after an earthquake and other ones they built upper side. 30 euros. That is about 35 dollars for the Galata Tower. Expensive? Yes it is. But for the view just go and check this out. So you go up with the elevators. There's a game here. So you're trying to guess which place where. Oh look at that. I am on the top of the Galata Tower. It is a 14th century building monument. It was built by a Genoese originally and still standing but it's really high. If you are afraid of the high be careful. It's really high. So you see the Bosporus there. That is the sea dividing the city into two. Asian continent and here it's European continent. After Galata Tower we are walking down to Karaköy. We have still things to do there. From Galata Tower I walk here to Karaköy neighborhood. It will take like 5 to 10 minutes. Here it's a really colorful and vibrant neighborhood. There are some local food here. Especially fish roe. Well that's book and coffee shop actually just on the ferry station here in Karaköy. Sunset here is amazing man. You see where the sun is setting right now. Historic peninsula right here. Here get your coffee, get your Turkish tea and just sit here and enjoy the view. You are just in front of the water. Cheap, good, relaxing and a true hidden gem for you from me again. At the end of the third day here is a true hidden gem for you. This is the Halic metro station. A recently built station with the open platform facing the Golden Horn. It is not commonly visited by tourists but it's a good spot to watch the sunset over the city. This is where the three days itinerary comes to an end. Thanks for watching!