UPDATED MAY 2024! At the end of my summer trip to the Caucasus region, I finally had the chance to visit a city that’s been high on my bucket list for years: Istanbul. With flights being slightly cheaper to fly through Istanbul on my way back to the UK, I knew I had to take advantage! I even have a complete budget breakdown for the trip, including my time in Istanbul. I only had two full days in Istanbul. And to be honest, I spent most of one of my precious days lying in my bed in my hostel, with some sort of extremely painful illness or food poisoning.

Istanbul is a HUGE city. The urban population is about 15 million! The city is also geographically enormous. There’s literally so much to see and do here, there’s no way you could do it in a week let alone a mere 48 hours. I didn’t get a chance to see everything I wanted (especially after getting sick), but I gave it a good shot!

First of all, my biggest piece of advice would be to pick a handful of the most important things you want to do. Then research opening times, since you can wait in long lines for tourist attractions! Make sure to get to those few places early in the morning, right when they open. With such limited time, there’s no way to see everything – but you can see quite a lot if you plan it well. Researching prayer times/opening times for mosques is also very important in Istanbul!

If you’ve only got a short time in Istanbul, these are my recommendations on what to do. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Istanbul!

Topkapi Palace

Due to being unable to walk, and the fact that this is closed on Tuesdays, I unfortunately missed visiting the Topkapi Palace. Which is why it’s FIRST on my list of things to see, so don’t make my mistakes! This beautiful structure, originally home to the Ottoman Sultans, was constructed between 1460 and 1478. You can visit the Palace (now a museum), the Hagia Irene Church (at the front of the palace complex), and the Harem section. The Harem section of the palace is meant to have some of the most incredible tiles and designs! This should not be missed! (Unless you’re me, trying not to puke your guts out.)

You can book your ticket for Topkapi Palace in advance (either audio guide or guided tour) below!

The Blue Mosque (Sultanhamet)

One of the most iconic symbols of Istanbul is its mosques. And one of the most famous ones is the Blue Mosque, or Sultanhamet. This mosque is free to enter, although it will be closed throughout the day for prayer times. Make sure to check in advance when the prayer times will be – and if it’s open, go ahead and get inside! You’ll need to be dressed appropriately to enter – no shorts and no bare shoulders. Women should also cover their hair. They offer scarves and wrap-around skirts to cover your legs (for both men and women) at the entrances for free.

Hagia Sophia

Where to even begin with the Hagia Sophia?! This incredible monument dates back to 537 AD and the Byzantine Empire. It was formerly an Eastern Orthodox church, then a mosque following the invasion of the Ottomans. Today, it functions as a museum. It’s simply a phenomenal place to visit, with so much to see. My favorite part was going up to the upper gallery, and looking down to all the sections below. This is one of the most important places in Istanbul, in Turkey, and in Europe as a whole. Don’t miss it!

You can book your ticket for Hagia Sophia in advance below!

Basilica Cistern

There are hundreds of cisterns beneath the ground in Istanbul, But this one is by far one of the most impressive and was built in the 6th-century AD. The cistern has the capacity to store 80,000 cubic meters of water, but today there’s rarely more than a foot or two at the very bottom. One of the biggest highlights are the columns holding the cistern up. Towards the back of the cistern, you can see two columns with a carved Medusa head at the base.

You can book your ticket for Basilica Cistern (either an optional audio tour or a guided tour) below!

 

Grand Bazaar

There are a lot of markets and places to do your shopping in Istanbul. But the Grand Bazaar is one of the most famous, and with good reason. It’s one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the world, and home to over 4000 shops. The architecture of the bazaar itself is stunning, and it’s a lot of fun just wandering around looking at all the different shops and stalls. Even if you’re just window-shopping and don’t actually buy anything, I do recommend going at least once when in Istanbul!

Bosphorus Cruise

If you’re short on time and won’t be able to get out of the historical quarter (Eminönü/Sirkeci), my top tip would be to spend a few hours on a Bosphorus Cruise. Istanbul is divided into two parts, a European side and an Asian side. The city is geographically enormous, and without a lot of time you honestly just won’t be able to see it. So book yourself onto a boat cruise that will take you up and down the waterway so you can see both sides of the city. Nearly every tourist shop, restaurant, business, etc. around the main historic sites will be able to book you one of these.

I just walked into one of these places, said I wanted to do the 2-hour cruise, and I was able to pay in cash and was walked to the pick-up point! The cruise itself wasn’t the greatest (we had to wait 40 minutes until it was full and we could leave), and the boat we went on wasn’t anything special. But getting to relax and so see so much of the city from the water was a great experience! Obviously I would have loved to have had more time to explore all the different neighborhoods myself on foot. But I really can’t recommend this enough if you are short on time! I did a 2-hour cruise on both sides of the Bosphorus and it cost 8€ per person.

You can book this Bosphorus Cruise below!

If you’re interested in a different cruise, I’d recommend a dinner, sunset, or nighttime cruise. Check out the options below!

Tours in Istanbul

Whether you’re after skip-the-line-passes, unique experiences, or a guided tour of the city, check out everything the city has to offer with the tours below!

Istanbul, Turkey: The Basics

Istanbul is the capital of Turkey. The urban population of Istanbul is about 15 million. Turkey as a whole has a population of nearly 80 million people. The official language in Istanbul is Turkish, although English is widely spoken at all tourist venues in Istanbul. The currency is the Turkish Lira, although Euros are commonly accepted (but at a poor exchange rate). As Turkey is a Muslim-majority country, remember that mosques will call out the call to prayer five times a day in loudspeakers throughout the city. Always make sure you’re dressed appropriately before entering mosques or other religious buildings.

Getting Around Istanbul

Istanbul is a huge city. Luckily, there is a very proficient public transportation system. The Metro has 6 different lines on both sides of the Bosphorus. I also used the Marmaray trains – they’re very fast! – which are still a work in progress. There is also a huge tram system. Public transportation is generally easy to use and modern. You buy tickets or a Metro card beforehand, and validate it when entering. Istanbul Ataturk Airport is easy to get to by public transportation – there’s a Metro station on the M1 line at the airport. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is another story – pay and reserve a spot on a shuttle (roughly 10€ from Sirkeci). A lot of the main sites in the historic center are walkable.

Where I Stayed in Istanbul

I stayed at Harmony Hostel for my 3 nights in Istanbul. I absolutely loved this hostel! The location was perfect for my time in Istanbul. It was so centrally located, I could get to everything I wanted to see and do in about 15 minutes walking! There was a great free breakfast (cooked omelette!), and the views from the rooftop are incredible. While the hot water didn’t always work, I would absolutely come back here. You can book Harmony Hostel here!

If you have more time, there’s so much more to do and explore in Istanbul: eat kebabs, smoke some shisha, marvel at mosques, and enjoy your time. But if you only have 48 hours, in Istanbul this is how I recommend spending it!

You might like my other posts:

How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Caucasus And Istanbul For 2.5 Weeks?

What to See and Do in Marrakech, Morocco

How Much Does it Cost to Spend 1 Week in Marrakech?

Have you ever been to Istanbul? What would your top picks be with limited time?

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