Istanbul in One Day
Istanbul is a beautiful and well developed city. Rich in culture, food, and history, making it one of our favorite cites. Spending one day in Istanbul is not what I recommend, but if you only have time for one day here is quick itinerary of some things you can do.
Hagia Sophia
Catch the first tour to the Hagia Sophia (usually around 10 am). Giving you enough time to sleep in a little and catch a quick breakfast. The Hagia Sophia is one of the most iconic buildings in Istanbul. Originally built in the 6th century, commissioned by the Emperor Constantine I. Originally built as a church, then converted to a mosque, then a museum, then back to a mosque. The history is kind of complicated, but intriguing. Make sure to check the hours when visiting, since the Hagia Sophia is still an active place of worship it will be closed to visitors during the call to prayer.
Tip:
Get there by 8:00am and you will have the outside of the building almost to yourself. Highly recommend cause it is so peaceful and there is a fountain and little greenery that makes the place so calming when visiting early.
Blue Mosque
Just a short five minute walk away from Hagia Sophia is the Blue Mosque. Built during the Ottoman Empire to display their power. The Blue Mosque is only one of three mosques in Turkey that have six minarets (the tall towers on the side of the building) making it one of the largest mosques. It is also free to enter.
Tip:
Since the Blue Mosque is also an active place of worship, they require women to wear a head covering ( a scarf will work) and modest clothing. You will also need to take your shoes off before entering the main section of the building.
Basilica Cistern
Also, within the area is the Basilica Cistern. Only about a five minute walk from the Blue Mosque. The Basilica Cistern was constructed during the Byzantine empire. Providing water to the Great Palace while the emperors lived there. This place is massive and quite stunning. Able to hold up to 80,000 cubics of water and has 336 columns supporting the cistern.
Tip:
The Great Palace is within a 10 minute walking distance from the Basilica Cistern, making it easier to add to your day, if you have the time.
Spice Bazaar
One of the largest covered markets in the area. You can roam from booth to booth finding a variety of spices, nuts, and of coarse the infamous Turkish delight. Don’t forget you can haggle the price at the Spice Bazaar.
Bosphorus Strait
This waterway is connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and at the same time separating Europe from Asia. There are two main ways to explore the Bosphorus Strait. One is to book a Bosphorus tour on a boat that can typically cost anywhere from $20-$70. The other way is to buy a public ferry ticket that takes passengers to different spots on the Bosphorus Strait. Only costing around $2. I bet you can guess what option we went with.
Turkish Bath
Experiencing a Turkish Bath is a fun way to be apart of unique tradition in the Turkish culture. Originating in the 7th century, the practice was an influence of the Roman Empire during the time of occupation. Linking the importance of cleanliness to the purifying of the soul. The process of the Turkish Bath is much the same of our Moroccan Hammam experience, going into a room to rinse off, another room to sweat, and another room to get scrubbed and rinsed off. The only difference was I received a coffee scrub with the Turkish Bath.
There you have it, one full day in Istanbul. We crammed this Itinerary into one day and at the end we were exhausted feeling like we didn’t give ourselves time to truly enjoy what we saw and experienced. Therefore, you can do all these things in a day, but I would not recommend it. Try to split it into two days and if you only have one day, then only pick a handful of the activities and truly enjoy them.
Hope this helps and if you have any questions feel free to reach out!
