Istanbul in 1 day

S

stephen1381

Registered User
Messages
162
Have a 24 hour layover in Istanbul next month, Would love to hear recommendations to make the best of the day there. Obviously a visit to the Blue Mosque. Also looking for a hotel with easy access to the airport and city. Thanks
 
What time are you arriving/departing? .. traffic can be quite bad coming in from the airport .. there is a metro train but I've never used it - involves a train then connecting to the tram so probably isn't ideal .. taxis are fairly cheap and reliable coming from the airport .. I would stay out of the very touristy Sultanhamet area (near the Blue mosque) .. probably choosing the more modern area of town (Beyoglu or Taksim) .. but if you're only there for one night and haven't been before then maybe this isn't good advice in this case ...

There's a fair few hotels on the coast road in from the airport, but it's probably not worth staying there unless you've a very early flight out as I think they're a bit in the middle of nowhere)
 
Thanks for the reply. I arrive into Istanbul around 8pm and depart the next day at 7pm. I'll be happy if I just get to check out one or two things given the time I have
 
The Topkapi palace is not too far from the Blue Mosque, you need to allow at least 3 hours for the palace and an hour or so for the Mosque...
 
Don't miss the Hagia Sofia and the underground water cistern (seriously!) ... with those two and the Blue Mosque and Topkapi as recommended by 26cb then I think you'll have plenty to keep you occupied for one day and you'll have seen most of the main sights.
 
You don't need 3 hrs for the palace, of all the attractions it was my least favorite. Bit boring I though.

I'd do the following

Blue Mosque - 1 hour

Hagia Sofia - 1 hour - 90 minutes

Eat a quick spot of lunch on the move - freshly cooked fish roll at the waterfront. These are lovely.

Short boat trip down the river and back - 90 mins - 2 hours

Grand Bazar/Spice Market - 2 hours. (Don't miss this its great).

You could swap the boat trip for the palace - personal choice really.

Istanbul done and dusted. What day you going? I think some of the sights maybe closed Sundays or Mondays - check this out before going.

Enjoy, its a great spot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top