5 Days in Istanbul: A Journey Through History and Culture

Norma Malpartida Fantini

17 Nov 2023

Join me on a captivating 5-day adventure in Istanbul, Turkey. Explore ancient treasures, visit stunning museums, and immerse yourself in the vibrant Turkish culture.

Trip to Istanbul

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1

$72

$ 7

Hotel Instambul

Depart from your stay 🏨

12 - 15 min

Directions

Historic sprawling network of indoor souks & market streets peddling leather, jewelry & gifts.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

5 - 6 min

Directions

Museum featuring Byzantine-period mosaics from the Great Palace of Constantinople.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

•

$24

7 - 10 min

Directions

Huge underground Roman water source held up with 336 marble columns covering 9,800 sq. meters.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

•

$48

7 - 9 min

Directions

Covered, 17th-century market known as the Egyptian Bazaar, with spice, food & textile shops.

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

•

Free

Day 2

$72

$ 4

Hotel Instambul

Depart from your stay 🏨

14 - 17 min

Directions

Neoclassical museum showing the country's rich archaeological heritage within landscaped gardens.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$39

7 - 10 min

Directions

Iconic, storied mosque set within a vast, domed former Byzantine church with stained-glass windows.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

Free

7 - 10 min

Directions

Palace museum of Islamic & Turkish art, opened in 1983 & displaying ceramics, carpets & glassware.

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

•

$33

Day 3

$231

$ 5

Hotel Instambul

Depart from your stay 🏨

11 - 16 min

Directions

Ornate 16th-century mosque with gardens, plus a terrace with views over the Golden Horn.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

11 - 14 min

Directions

Restored 14th-century tower and former prison overlooking the Bosphorus with a top-floor restaurant.

9:30 AM - 10:15 AM

•

$102

12 - 17 min

Directions

Art museum in an ornate former hotel with paintings, ceramics & rotating shows of modern masters.

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

•

12 - 15 min

Directions

Huge, opulent 15th-century palace, occupied by sultans for 400 years, housing Ottoman treasures.

12:15 PM - 1:45 PM

•

$81

4 - 6 min

Directions

Byzantine, former Orthodox church dating from the 4th century, open as a museum.

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

•

$39

Day 4

$114

$ 7

Hotel Instambul

Depart from your stay 🏨

13 - 16 min

Directions

Historical center featuring a large panoramic painting of the conquest of Constantinople.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

$45

13 - 16 min

Directions

Park with Turkish landmarks, including the Blue Mosque, depicted in miniature format.

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

•

$24

5 - 6 min

Directions

Museum on transportation, industry & communications with a car collection & some hands-on exhibits.

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

•

$45

Day 5

$144

$ 10

Hotel Instambul

Depart from your stay 🏨

13 - 16 min

Directions

Riverside museum with Turkish & international modern & contemporary art collections, plus a cinema.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

$33

8 - 10 min

Directions

Grand, domed sultan's palace, now a museum, including collections of art, calligraphy and carpets.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$72

16 - 20 min

Directions

This 19th-century palace with gardens was once a summer residence for Ottoman sultans.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

$24

33 - 40 min

Directions

European-style mansions home to a vast private collection of ancient & Ottoman-era artifacts & more.

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

•

29 - 35 min

Directions

Museum of religious art on the site of a church that was first built here in the 6th century A.D.

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

•

Budget breakdown: $663 In total

Activities & Food:$633

Transport:$30