Istanbul itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · TürkiyeJune–September
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 40
- Per day
- ≈ 3,100 TL
- First stop
- 09:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Istanbul itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 40 stops, hour by hour, for June–September. The first three days:
- Day 1 Sultanahmet and Süleymaniye: three landmarks, a madrasa courtyard, sunset over the Golden Horn
- Day 2 Karaköy, Galata and Cihangir: Genoese streets, a free bank museum, sunset in a mosque courtyard above the Bosphorus
- Day 3 Kadıköy, Yeldeğirmeni and Moda: murals, market stalls, a Marmara-side meyhane with a holy spring
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Day 6 is a day trip out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about 3,100 TL a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 09:00–21:00
Sultanahmet and Süleymaniye: three landmarks, a madrasa courtyard, sunset over the Golden Horn
Culture
Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern Guided Tour
Pick the 09:00 group; the queue for Hagia Sophia's upper gallery runs to an hour after 10:30. In the Basilica Cistern's new lighting, shoot the Medusa heads from behind the column; flash is banned. Tickets and guide are included in the tour, so bring only a headscarf and water.
≈ 2,850 TL per personTickets: GetYourGuideFood
Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabı
On Hocapaşa Street in Sirkeci, a 10-minute walk from Sultanahmet; among the tourist-trap kebab places, this is where people from Erzurum eat. Ask for 4-5 skewers of cağ kebab per person plus ezme and ayran, and wrap the meat in lavaş; skewers arrive one at a time and they keep coming until you say 'enough'. A local lunchtime queue forms after 13:00, so go early.
≈ 600 TL per personCulture
Caferağa Madrasa
Just behind Hagia Sophia on Caferiye Street, a madrasa built by Mimar Sinan; its courtyard houses marbling, calligraphy and tile workshops, and you can drink tea in the shade. It is the coolest corner in the midday heat, and if the workshop doors are open the craftspeople let you watch them work. Closed Monday, open 09:30-18:00.
≈ 200 TL per person- 2 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Süleymaniye Mosque
Come up via the Grand Bazaar and Fetva Yokuşu; the terrace wall on the Golden Horn side of the outer courtyard is Istanbul's best free view. Go inside as the afternoon prayer finishes, when the light hits the dome at its best. Don't miss Mimar Sinan's tomb in the grounds; most visitors leave without seeing it.
FreeFood
Mimar Sinan Teras Cafe
The rooftop of Mimar Sinan Han on Fetva Yokuşu: the Süleymaniye dome, Galata Tower and the Golden Horn in one frame, with sunset around 20:30. The menu offers gözleme, mantı baked in a clay dish and köfte; it isn't sophisticated, but people come for the view, 600-800 TL per person. Sit down at 19:00 for a window table; by 20:00 there are none left.
≈ 700 TL per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Historic Kuru Fasulyeci Ali Baba (Süleymaniye)Right next to the Süleymaniye Mosque, serving white beans with rice and pickles since 1924. There is only one dish, so don't ask for a menu; the line moves fast. After 12:30 it fills with local tradespeople.
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic ArtsInside Ibrahim Pasha Palace on Sultanahmet Square; air-conditioned halls hold Seljuk carpets and an ethnography section. Ideal for the midday heat, and the Museum Pass is valid. The courtyard café lets you drink tea looking at Hagia Sophia.
Day 2 · 09:30–21:45
Karaköy, Galata and Cihangir: Genoese streets, a free bank museum, sunset in a mosque courtyard above the Bosphorus
Food
Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Istanbul's baklava benchmark; at 09:30 the trays come fresh out of the oven, so ask at the counter for 'hot su böreği (water pastry) + a slice of dry pistachio baklava + tea'. Pay at the till and take the receipt to the counter; tables are self-service. Tour buses arrive after 11:00.
≈ 350 TL per personCulture
Arab Mosque
In the middle of the Thursday Market, a 14th-century Genoese church of San Domenico; its minaret is still a Gothic bell tower. It is Istanbul's most interesting mosque yet gets a single line in guidebooks. Look at the wooden ceiling and the Genoese gravestones in the courtyard; walking in through the hardware-shop streets is part of the experience.
Free- 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Karaköy Lokantası
With its turquoise-tiled walls, it is a tradesmen's lunch spot by day and a meyhane (tavern) by night; the lunch menu is much better value. Choose the day's olive-oil dish at the counter, plus a meat dish and ayran, then ask for tavuk göğsü (chicken breast pudding). They don't take reservations, so arrive before 12:30.
≈ 750 TL per personCulture
SALT Galata
The former Ottoman Bank building, free to enter; downstairs are the vault hall and a bank museum, upstairs exhibitions and a huge library. Spend the midday heat in the air-conditioned reading room; the back terrace looks over the Golden Horn. Closed Monday, open 11:00-19:00.
Free- 2 h 45 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Cihangir Mosque
The locals' sunset spot: sit on the courtyard wall facing the Bosphorus, with the Maiden's Tower, Üsküdar and the Historic Peninsula skyline across the water. Get tea from the small tea stand next door and sit on the wall; there is no Instagram crowd, just neighbours and cats. Golden hour is 19:45-20:30.
≈ 50 TL per personFood
Fıccın Cihangir
The new Cihangir branch of Asmalımescit's legendary Circassian restaurant Fıccın, on Akarsu Slope. Order Circassian mantı (with yoghurt and garlic) + fıccın pastry + Circassian chicken; a portion of mantı is 300-350 TL. Beer and wine are served, the feel is a neighbourhood restaurant, and no reservation is needed.
≈ 750 TL per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Asmalı CavitAsmalımescit's genuine old meyhane; pick your meze from the display. Get the liver and the fava without fail; tables are tightly packed and crowded, but it is still Beyoğlu's friendliest rakı table. Be sure to book by phone for the evening.
- Kamondo StairsA curving Art Nouveau staircase from the 1870s climbing from Bankalar Street to Galata. Empty before 10:00, and a photo taken from top to bottom is the classic shot. From the top of the stairs it is 3 minutes to Galata Tower.
Day 3 · 09:30–21:30
Kadıköy, Yeldeğirmeni and Moda: murals, market stalls, a Marmara-side meyhane with a holy spring
Landmark
Yeldeğirmeni Neighbourhood
Ten minutes uphill from the Kadıköy ferry pier, the giant murals of the Mural Istanbul festival (Karakolhane and Duatepe streets) photograph best in morning light. The area has 1900s apartment buildings, the Notre Dame du Rosaire Church and third-wave coffee shops; you don't need a map to walk, just get lost in the streets. Cafés are empty before 11:00.
FreeShopping
Kadıköy Historic Market (Güneşlibahçe Street)
Fishmongers, pickle sellers, olive sellers and spice merchants all on one street; have a glass of pickle juice at Özcan Turşucu (the local way to cool off in summer heat). Browse the fish stalls; July is sardine and horse mackerel season. Dried fruit and cheese samples are tasted free, there is no haggling, and prices are labelled.
≈ 200 TL per personFood
Çiya Sofrası
Musa Dağdeviren's archive of Anatolian cuisine, on Güneşlibahçe Street; you pick plate after plate at the counter and the bowl is priced by weight. Depending on the season there is plum stew, perde pilavı (pastry-wrapped rice) and various kısır; for dessert, definitely pumpkin dessert with tahini or candied aubergine. A queue forms at 13:00, so go in at 12:30 sharp.
≈ 750 TL per personFood
Baylan Patisserie
On Muvakkithane Street since 1961, a Kadıköy afternoon ritual: the Kup Griye (ice cream + caramel + brittle + cream), and nobody puts the spoon down. Air-conditioned and calm; a perfectly timed break in the hot hours. 250-350 TL per person, cards accepted.
≈ 300 TL per person- 2 h 15 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Moda Coastal Park
On the meadow at Moda Point, locals wait for sunset on blankets with beer and simit (sesame bread ring), with the Princes' Islands and the Historic Peninsula in front of you. Walk to the historic Moda Pier (1917, Vedat Tek) and have tea in the tea garden above it. You can also come on the nostalgic tram from the Kadıköy pier.
≈ 150 TL per personFood
Koço Restaurant
At the end of Moda Street since 1928, the only meyhane with the Aya Ekaterini holy spring beneath it; ask the waiter 'can we see the ayazma (holy spring)' and they will take you down the stairs. Butter prawns and grilled octopus are the signatures; share the mezes, and for dessert get the 'atom'. Call 1-2 days ahead for a sea-view table; on weekdays same-day can work.
≈ 1,500 TL per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Yanyalı Fehmi LokantasıSince 1919 in Kadıköy Market, serving Ottoman palace-style pot dishes; hünkâr beğendi (lamb on aubergine purée) and paper kebab are the classics. You choose at the counter, and at lunch it fills with tradespeople. It closes early in the evening, so think of it for lunch.
- Süreyya Opera HouseA 1927 Art Deco opera house on Bahariye Street; its façade and foyer can be seen free in the daytime while the box office is open. In summer, ask the box office for the concert programme; tickets are generally 300-600 TL. The bull statue opposite is Kadıköy's meeting point.
Day 4 · 10:00–22:15
Balat, Fener and Eyüp: the Golden Horn's multi-faith district, with a synagogue, patriarchate, mosaics and an 1890 meyhane
Culture
Ahrida Synagogue
Dating from the 1430s, with a boat-shaped bimah (Noah's Ark / the ships that brought Jews from Spain), it is Turkey's oldest active synagogue; you must book at least 3 days ahead with an ID photocopy through the Balat Ahrida Synagogue Foundation (+90 532 217 26 78, @balatsinagoglari). Weekdays 10:00-14:00; closed Friday afternoon and Saturday. Ask the attendant before taking photos; men wear a kippah.
FreeCulture
Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
The Vatican of the Orthodox world; the Church of St George is free to visit. The gate where the Patriarch was hanged in 1821 remains shut, and you enter through the middle door. Inside are a piece of the column to which Christ is said to have been bound and mosaic icons. Photograph the red-brick Phanar Greek Orthodox College above from Sadrazam Ali Paşa Street; it can't be entered.
Free- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Forno Balat
A neighbourhood bakery with a stone oven on Kireçhane Street in Fener; come at lunch for lahmacun and minced-meat pide, with thin dough and crisp edges. For two people, 4 lahmacun + 1 pide + ayran is enough, 500-700 TL per person. Kiremit Street with its colourful houses is 2 minutes uphill, so walk through for afternoon photos.
≈ 600 TL per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Culture
Chora (Kariye) Mosque
Byzantium's best-preserved mosaics and frescoes (Chora); reopened as a mosque in 2024, free for Turkish citizens, 20 € for foreigners. On Friday it is open for worship only; other days 09:00-18:00, with a 15-minute break at prayer times. Tilt your head up for the 'Anastasis' fresco in the parekklesion; daylight is enough to make the mosaics glow.
Free- 3 h · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Pierre Loti Hill
From Eyüp Sultan, the cable car (TF2) with Istanbulkart takes you to the top in 3 minutes; you see the whole Golden Horn, the Fener-Balat shore and Süleymaniye behind. Drink samovar tea at the historic café and take your spot 30-40 minutes before sunset. On the way down, walk through the cemetery to the courtyard of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, which is enchanting at the evening call to prayer.
≈ 200 TL per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Food
Agora Meyhane 1890
A meyhane opened in 1890 by the Greek captain Asteri in Balat's Çıfıtçarşı and faithfully restored in 2014; wooden ceiling and old photos of Balat. Mezes are chosen from the cabinet, with lakerda (cured bonito) and topik standing out, 1,500-2,000 TL per person with rakı. Closed Monday, open 13:00-24:00; be sure to book by phone for the evening.
≈ 1,600 TL per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Cibalikapı Balıkçısı HaliçA meyhane since 2001 in a three-storey wooden building next to Kadir Has University; the upper-floor terrace looks onto the Golden Horn. Signatures are sea bass-stuffed lettuce and sardines in vine leaves. Booking is essential at weekends.
- Bulgarian St Stephen ChurchOn the Golden Horn shore, the world's only cast-iron church (1898, cast in Vienna, the parts shipped in). After its 2018 restoration the gilded interior is very photogenic, and the entry fee is modest. It is a 10-minute walk along the shore from Fener.
Day 5 · 09:00–23:30
The Bosphorus's European shore: breakfast at Rumelihisarı, a park, a fortress, fish in Arnavutköy and a night cruise
Food
Sade Kahve
At Rumelihisarı since 2002, a neighbourhood café at the foot of the fortress wall looking over the Bosphorus; locals come here instead of Bebek's pricey breakfast places. Skip the serpme spread and ask for 'çiğ börek (fried pastry) + Apikoğlu sucuk sandwich + Turkish coffee cooked in embers', 450-600 TL per person. At weekends there is a queue after 09:30; weekdays are relaxed.
≈ 550 TL per personNature
Emirgan Park
The grove of Khedive Ismail Pasha and Istanbul's best-kept park; there is a pond in front of the Yellow Pavilion and walking terraces facing the Bosphorus. Do a 45-minute loop in the cool of the morning, then sit in the tea garden by the Pink Pavilion. From Rumelihisarı it is 5 minutes on bus 25E/22.
FreeCulture
Rumeli Fortress
The fortress Mehmed the Conqueror had built in 4 months in 1452; climb the Halil Pasha Tower and frame the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. Entry is free with the Museum Pass, and a modest fee otherwise; closed Wednesday, open 09:00-19:00 in summer. The stairs have no railings, so wear trainers.
≈ 100 TL per personFood
Adem Baba Fish Restaurant
Started in 1992 on a boat in Bebek bay and now an alcohol-free fish restaurant on Arnavutköy's Satış Square; locals eat here, while tourists go to the expensive fish places next door. Fish soup + the day's fried fish (sardines or horse mackerel in July) + salad, 1,000-1,300 TL per person. There is a queue, and 13:30 is the cut-off.
≈ 1,100 TL per person- 2 h 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Ortaköy Mosque
The Grand Mecidiye Mosque and the 15 July Martyrs Bridge in one frame: Istanbul's most printed postcard, shot from the left corner of the pier square. Walk 30 minutes from Arnavutköy along the shore past the waterfront mansions and you arrive as the daylight softens. You don't need to eat at the kumpir stands on the square, as dinner is on the boat.
Free- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Nature
Bosphorus Cruise and Dinner (Private Table)
A dinner cruise leaving Kabataş at 20:30; Dolmabahçe, the Maiden's Tower and the bridges are lit up, with folk dancing and live music included. The 'private table' option doesn't seat you at a group table, so it suits a couple; drinks are limited on the alcohol-free menu, and the alcohol package costs extra. From Ortaköy to Kabataş it is 20 minutes on bus 22RE, so be at the pier at 19:45.
≈ 1,950 TL per personTickets: GetYourGuide
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Arnavutköy BalıkçısıA classic fish restaurant among the waterfront mansions on the Arnavutköy shore, for a lunch with rakı. Mezes are chosen from a tray, and grilled fish is priced by the kilo; ask the price before you pay. Book for weekend lunch.
- Aşiyan MuseumJust above Rumelihisarı, the wooden house the poet Tevfik Fikret designed himself in 1906, now an IBB museum, free. The Bosphorus view from the upper-floor balcony is great for photos, and on weekdays it is almost empty. Closed Monday.
Day 6 · 09:00–21:00Day trip
Büyükada: an island day by ferry, a climb to Aya Yorgi, meatballs at the top, a locals' cove, dinner at a 1935 restaurant
Nature
Şehir Hatları Princes' Islands Ferry (Kabataş Pier)
The Şehir Hatları ferry from Kabataş reaches Büyükada in 1.5 hours (board with Istanbulkart; it takes twice as long as the fast boats, but you get an open deck and simit with tea). Sit on the right side (Anatolian shore) and you pass the Maiden's Tower and Kınalıada. On summer weekends the 08:40-09:00 sailings fill up, while weekdays are relaxed; note the last return sailing from the pier sign (in summer there are also Turyol/Dentur services after 21:00).
≈ 180 TL per personCulture
Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery
Take the electric vehicle from the pier to the Lunapark stop (Istanbulkart, ~120 TL), then walk a steep 25-minute stone path to the top. It has a 360-degree view of the island and the Marmara; the church is free, you can light candles inside, and wish ribbons hang in the trees along the path. If you set off before 11:00, you climb in shade and cool.
≈ 120 TL per personFood
Yücetepe Kır Gazinosu
Right beside Aya Yorgi, at 200 m altitude, tables sit under pergolas; you get köfte with piyaz (bean salad) and cold Bozcaada wine or beer with kilometres of sea view. The menu is short and good: köfte, chips, cheese toasties, gözleme. Be there at 12:30 for the seaside tables, as the afternoon crowd comes up later.
≈ 750 TL per person- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Halik Cove Beach (Büyükada)
On the back of the island at Eskibağ, the locals' cove: an 800-metre pebble-and-sand shore with pine shade and no beach-club music. Reach it by the hourly boat from the pier, or by bike (20 minutes from the Aya Yorgi descent); entry is modest (~150-200 TL in 2026), sunbeds extra. Food is limited, so buy water and fruit at the pier; water shoes come in handy.
≈ 250 TL per personLandmark
Çankaya Avenue Mansions (Büyükada)
Rent a bike near the pier (~300 TL per hour/day) and see the 19th-century wooden mansions along Çankaya Avenue: Con Pasha Mansion, Mizzi Mansion and the Yanaros Mansion where Trotsky stayed (Hamlacı Street). At golden hour the wooden façades turn orange and the streets empty. Horse-drawn phaetons are gone; bikes and electric vehicles now get you around the island.
≈ 300 TL per personFood
Milto Restaurant 1935 Büyükada
Two streets behind the tourist row of restaurants on the pier square, on Gülistan Street, the islanders' restaurant since 1935. Order fried calamari, prawn casserole and the day's grill; share the mezes, 1,200-1,500 TL per person. For dinner before the ferry, sit down at 19:30, then walk 3 minutes to the pier around 21:00.
≈ 1,300 TL per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Ali Baba Restaurant BüyükadaA classic fish restaurant on the pier waterfront from the 1950s; the seaside tables face the ferry lights. The octopus salad and steamed fish are good. Ask the price by weight at the fish counter so there are no surprises.
- Nakibey BeachBüyükada's best-known beach club, 10 minutes by free shuttle boat from the pier. Sunbed and umbrella are included in entry, and there is a restaurant; weekdays are much calmer. A safe, well-run choice for first-time visitors to the island.
Day 7 · 09:30–15:00
Kuzguncuk and Üsküdar: a gentle farewell with a community garden, bakery breakfast, a 1640 hamam and a last view of the Maiden's Tower
Nature
Kuzguncuk Community Garden
As you turn from Icadiye Street into Bostan Street, you find a 700-year-old neighbourhood garden: locals cultivate the plots, and there are children's workshops and harvest days, with free entry. Early in the morning you can exchange a few words with neighbours working the garden, and the smell of tomato and basil hangs 200 metres above the Bosphorus. The nearby street with a mosque, church and synagogue side by side is Kuzguncuk's emblem.
FreeFood
Pita Kuzguncuk
At Icadiye Street 41/A, a neighbourhood bakery with hand-rolled pita and börek; for breakfast, hot spinach pita + cheese börek + tea is enough, 350-450 TL per person. The shop is small, so eat at the two tables outside or on a walk along the Bosphorus shore. Buy cookies from the Historic Kuzguncuk Bakery opposite to take along.
≈ 400 TL per personCulture
Çinili Hamam, Üsküdar
A double hamam built by Kösem Sultan in 1640, where Üsküdar locals still bathe weekly; a real neighbourhood experience at a third of the price of the tourist hamams in Sultanahmet. Ask for the scrub-and-foam package; they supply a robe and towel, and a peştemal is given; men's and women's sections have separate doors (0216 553 15 93 / 0216 334 97 10). Weekday lunchtimes are empty; tip the attendant 100-200 TL.
≈ 1,300 TL per personFood
Kanaat Lokantası
On Selmanipak Street in Üsküdar since 1933, Istanbul's most respected tradesmen's restaurant, with 40 kinds of pot dishes at the counter. Order Uzbek pilaf or tas kebab (stewed lamb) + olive-oil stuffed vine leaves, and for dessert ekmek kadayıfı with clotted cream or 'elmasiye' from the pistachio milk puddings. Cards accepted, no alcohol, 550-750 TL per person.
≈ 650 TL per personLandmark
Salacak Waterfront
A 10-minute walk south along the shore from Üsküdar pier; the closest point on land to the Maiden's Tower, with the Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet and Topkapı skyline behind it in the same frame. Get a glass from the tea seller, sit on a bench on the shore, and take the last photo of your trip here. From here you can get back anywhere by Marmaray or ferry in 20 minutes.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Ismet Baba Restaurant KuzguncukA fish restaurant right on the Bosphorus on the Kuzguncuk shore since 1951; terrace tables overlook the bridge. Pick mezes from the tray and ask for the seasonal fish grilled. Booking is wise for weekend lunch.
- Fethi Pasha GroveA 16-hectare grove on the slope between Kuzguncuk and Paşalimanı; the walking paths look toward the Bosphorus Bridge, and it is free. Do a 30-minute loop in the cool of the morning and stop at the tea garden at the top. A footpath down to Kuzguncuk links it with the neighbourhood.
Hidden gem: Ahrida Synagogue
Founded in the 1430s by Romaniote Jews from Ohrid in Macedonia, it is Turkey's oldest synagogue still open for worship; its bimah is boat-shaped, symbolising either Noah's Ark or the ships that brought Sephardim from Spain in 1492, and there is no other like it in the world. Tourists who come to Balat are drawn to the colourful houses and walk past; for security reasons there is no sign at the door, and nobody is let in without an appointment.
- How to get in
- At least 3 days ahead, send the Balat Ahrida Jewish Synagogue Foundation a visit request with an ID/passport photocopy (via the form on the website or by email). Visits are weekdays 10:00-14:00; closed after 12:00 on Friday, on Saturday and on Jewish holidays. At your appointment time an attendant meets you at the iron gate on Kürkçü Çeşmesi Street; you show your ID, and men are given a kippah.
- Local tip
- In the same request, say you also want to see the Yanbol Synagogue 200 metres away; one application opens two synagogues, which most visitors don't know. Photograph the curved wood of the bimah at 10:00, with light coming through the dome windows; ask the attendant about Sultan Bayezid II's 1492 edict welcoming the Sephardim, as they love to tell it.
- When
- Weekdays all year; closed during the weeks of Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur (September-October) and Passover (April). In summer demand is low and appointments are easy.
- Contact
- +90 532 217 26 78 / info@balatsinagoglari.com / Instagram @balatsinagoglari (Balat Ahrida Musevi Sinagogu Vakfı — Mois Gabay)
Getting around: get an Istanbulkart
Every move in the plan, including the Sultanahmet tram, the Karaköy-Kadıköy ferry, Bosphorus shore buses, the Eyüp cable car, the Büyükada ferry and the electric vehicle on the island, is paid with a single card, and the transfer discount applies automatically within 2 hours. A single ride is ~46 TL; daily and tourist cards work out more expensive for two people at a slow pace in Istanbul. One card can be tapped twice in a row by two people, but separate cards are more practical at the ferry turnstiles.
Good to know: 7 things that make an Istanbul trip easier
- Payment: cards are accepted nearly everywhere, but carry 1,500-2,000 TL in cash for tradesmen's restaurants, market stalls, the beach boat on the Princes' Islands and tea gardens.
- Transport: a single Istanbulkart gets you on everything, including the metro, tram, ferries, cable car and the Princes' Islands ferry; the transfer discount applies automatically within 2 hours. One card can be tapped twice in a row by two people.
- Tipping: 5-10% in a restaurant is enough and is not added to the bill; in a meyhane it is left on the table. In a hamam, expect to tip the attendant a separate 100-200 TL.
- Dress: knees and shoulders covered for mosque and Patriarchate visits; headscarves for women are provided at the entrance, but if you carry your own shawl you won't have to wait in line. Kippahs are provided for men at the synagogue visit.
- July heat: spend 12:00-15:00 in the shade, in an air-conditioned museum or in the sea; carry a water bottle, as you can refill at fountains. Sunset in July is around 20:30, and golden hour starts at 19:45.
- Safety: in Sultanahmet and Eminönü, don't fall for the 'shoe-shiner drops his brush' and 'let's have a tea' tricks; prefer ferries and trams to taxis, and if you must take a taxi, order one via the BiTaksi or Uber app.
- Etiquette: in a meyhane, don't drop ice into your rakı glass, as water is mixed in first; feeding gulls with simit from the ferry is a tradition, but cover your drink on deck. In mosque courtyards, visits pause at prayer times (especially Friday noon).
Spending: ≈ 21,600 TL per person for 7 days
- Food12,650 TL
- Entry and tours7,050 TL
- Local transport1,300 TL
- Other600 TL
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
On world lists: 1 place in this city
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Istanbul?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 6; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Istanbul cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about 3,100 TL per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Istanbul?
The first stop is at 09:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which places in Istanbul should you book in advance?
In this plan, it's worth booking ahead for: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern Guided Tour (day 1), Bosphorus Cruise and Dinner (Private Table) (day 5).
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers June–September. There is a separate plan for October–May: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.