With less than 2 days to spend in Istanbul, I felt overwhelmed with what to put on my itinerary. There’s so much to see and do in the city and I wanted to see it all. So with careful planning and lots of walking (I’m talking OVER 13 miles), I managed to see all the highlights of Istanbul in just one day.
Here are some of the highlights from Istanbul in a day!
The Blue Mosque
One of the most famous and iconic destinations for tourists in Istanbul is commonly referred to as the Blue Mosque. It was built in 1616 and there are over 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles!
The Grand Bazaar
One of my favorite stops was the Grand Bazaar. It is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world – built in 1461, stretching 61 streets and consisting of over 3,000 shops!
Istanbul by Rooftop
The best way to see Istanbul is from a rooftop and there is no shortage of epic opportunities in the city. Most rooftop locations are safely guarded by locals, so it was an amazing experience to have one all to myself.
Hagia Sofia
Hagia Sophia has been standing for more than 1400 years. It served as an Orthodox Cathedral until 1453 until Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (who conquered Istanbul) converted it into a mosque.
During the conversion, the Sultan covered the religious symbols rather than removing them, so today visitors can witness a unique monument that straddles time and religion.
Turkish Coffee Stop
A trip to Istanbul wouldn’t be complete a pit stop for a cup of Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is the rocket fuel of caffeinated concoctions. It’s a bit thicker in consistency than espresso and has a distinct flavor of cardamom.
The grounds left after drinking Turkish coffee can also be used for fortune-telling!
Be sure to read my The Solo Female Traveler’s Guide to Istanbul for more tips and recommendations! And if you’re looking to visit Istanbul, be sure to check out my guide on The Best Time to Travel to Turkey!
Istanbul is really a mesmerizing place to visit. I visited their with my friends last year. I totally fell in love with the city. Although, its not easy to cover up the entire city in just 1 day, but you have mentioned the must-see places in your post.
Thanks so much for writing such a wonderful post and motivating travelers to experience such an awesome place. And, last but the least The Blue Mosque picture which you have shared with us is beautiful.
Thank you so much! I was only there fore a few days but had an awesome experience and got to see a lot of the city and taste some delicious dishes 🙂
Hey there,
First of all I want to say that you are an amazing inspiration to women. It wonderful to see someone not afraid to explore the world on her own.
I was thinking of traveling to Turkey this August but I don’t know if is a safe choice. All of the things I have researched on line seem to discourage it. I really would love to hear your opinion on the matter. Do you think it’s safe?
Cheers,
Leana
Hi Leana, Thanks for reaching out about this!
There have definitely been issues lately which makes me question how safe it is for solo female travel. My advice would be to look into travel restrictions before going if you choose to, and also consider doing a tour instead of solo travel- just from experience, I did the tour with Walks of Turkey which made me feel more safe having experts and locals available to help me should I need it. You can reach out to the tour or company ahead of time and get their opinion on safety as they will have more real-time information.
I hope that helps! xx