Istanbul is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. If you have not visited this country and are at least trying to have a sneak peek at the city for one day, this article is for you. This article recommends the most iconic places, which you must visit in your one day in Istanbul. Well, a 24 hour Istanbul itinerary is never enough to see the 1/10th of the largest city of Europe.
Over the last two years traveling around the world has changed a lot, and probably changed forever. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to revisit the way we have traveled and the way the tourism industry has operated. This article is going to be a workable 2022 travel recommendation for Istanbul City. So, let’s start exploring the list.
Table of Contents
The Blue Mosque also Known as The Sultanahmet Mosque
The Blue Mosque is also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. This mosque is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. It is also one of the most beautiful mosques in the world according to the culture trip. You can spend the whole day exploring the history and architectural wonders of the mosque. Well, as you have only a day to cover most parts of Istanbul we prefer you to start the day with this mosque. One important thing to note is to please confirm the mosque opening and closing time. As this mosque is a functional mosque during the prayer times it does not allow all kinds of visitors but the devotees only. There are dress codes for entering the mosque. Please check our detailed article about the Sultanahmet Mosque here if you are interested to know more about the mosque.
Hagia Sophia also Known as Ayasofya in Turkish
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish), officially known as the Holy Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and formerly the Church of Hagia Sophia is a late antique place of worship in Istanbul. It is presently being used as a mosque and a museum too. This iconic place is just opposite the Blue Mosque. So, you should enter the Hagia Sophia after the Blue Mosque. You have to stand in the queue to get the entry pass. I have visited this place number of times both alone and with family, and every time I was overwhelmed by the majesty and beauty of the structure. For the last couple of years, the Turkish government is reconstructing the structure to preserve the details and keep it intact. If you have seen the Turkish series ‘The Protector’ on Netflix, you have seen a lot of it already. If you are visiting this place with your family, and if your family includes toddlers, please be careful while climbing the stairs. If you are keen to know details about the Hagia Sophia, you may get audio guides at the entrance spending some extra money.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey, which has been built in the 6th century during the reign of the Byzantine Empire. This cistern is 138 meters long and 65 meters wide (source: Wikipedia) and it used to provide filtered water for the great palaces of Constantinople and later to the Topkapi Palace. It is located just 150 meters southwest of the Hagia Sophia, and therefore we recommend you to visit this place right after Hagia Sophia. Well, since at present the Basilica Cistern is temporarily closed due to reconstruction of part of the places, you should confirm its functionality before hitting there.
The Grand Bazar
From the Basilica Cistern, you may either go to the Grand Bazar or to the Galata Bridge as well Tower. If you have plans to do shopping at the Bazar, we recommend going there later. But, if you have a place to leave your packages somewhere around the Blue Mosque/ Hagia Sophia, you should visit Grand Bazar right after the Cistern. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It has 61 streets and over 4000 shops on a total area of 30,700 square meters. Every day more than 250,000 to 400,000 visitors visit this Bazaar. This market has almost everything someone needs. When you are visiting this place, we request you take care of your belongings and not be fooled by the vendors. Though the market still attracts visitors from all over the world it has lost a lot of its charm due to cheap products, pickpocketers, unethical vendors, etc. Please remember, it’s not a good place to buy gold and other expensive products. If you want to take some souvenirs along with you, you may get some fridge magnets, Turkish lights, ceramics products. Besides, Spice Market is also a good place to get spices and Turkish delights. However, bargain ruthlessly for a better price, and do not be ashamed to ask something’s price Lira 500 if the vendor asks for Lira 5000. Well, it’s your own skill and choice, so read the market first and make your decision. And always verify the quality and price of your product from a few other shops. Usually, the guides guide you to their chosen vendors, from whom they get a commission. So, every time we have visited the market without any guides.
Galata Bridge and Galata Tower
From the Grand Bazaar, you should take the tram and go up to Eminonu. If you wish to walk over the Galata Bridge from where you will get a spectacular view of the Bosphorus, getting down at Eminonu is OK. Well, if you prefer not to walk much you may get dropped at Karakoy, the far end of the Galata Bridge. From there you have to walk up to Galata Tower. To get to the top of the tower you have to get a pass. On top, there’s a restaurant, and from there you will get a spectacular view of Bosphorus, Topkapi Palace, and overall Istanbul. We recommend you to go there before the sunset so that you can have both day and night views of Istanbul. Well, if you have plans to go for a night cruise, confirm your time of the cruise before planning for the night view of Istanbul from Galata Tower. Because most of the touring operators, pick up their guests in the afternoon for the night cruise.
Taksim Square and Istiklal Street
Technically Taksim Square and Istiklal Street are two different attractions, but as they are too close to each other we are covering them as one destination. From Galata Bridge/ Karakoy you should take a taxi directly to Taksim Square as taking a tram would cost you too much time.
Taksim Square is considered the heart of modern Istanbul. Turkish people consider Taksim Square a place of great political significance like Red Square to Russia, and Tiananmen Square to China. The Republic Monument, which was crafted by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, and unveiled in 1928 is the main tourist attraction at the Taksim Square. This whole place including Istiklal Street and the surrounding area are the ideal place for shopping, party, tattooing, drinking, and whatnot! Istiklal street is also known as the Grand Avenue of Pera is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. If you are visiting Istanbul during weekends, especially on Saturday, you must visit this place in the evening if required discarding some other destinations. This street has both high-end brands’ outlets and also cheap replica product shops. This street is also full of cheaters and opportunity seekers. So please guard your valuables sincerely. These people are professional, and they are good at manipulating people. So, be aware of these kinds of people. A few of the most famous Turkish delight and donor Kabab outlets are there in this street. Please treat yourself with some delights and Kabab.
Istanbul Night Cruise/ Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
Whatever you name it, it is the same thing. You have to board on the ship at the evening, and the ship will cruise along the Bosphorus. In between, you will be served with dinner if your package includes dinner. There will be some arrangements of belly dance, music, Turkish folk dance, etc. And after a while, you will get a drop upto your hotel by the operator. Depending on the budget this tour often includes drinks on the ship. And on most of the ships there are bars, so you may get the drinks of your choice by paying at the bar. Well, we have very briefly said what happens in the cruise, but please remember depending on your operator this experience may be the best experience of your one day trip. On the other hand you may end up disappointed. So before booking your place, confirm the ranking and customer reviews of the service provider. For us, it was really an unforgettable night.
Night Walk Around the Sultanahmet Square
Probably you will not be able to enter any of the places at Sultanahmet Square at night as the visiting hours will be over by now. Still, we recommend you to come back to this place at night after touring around all the places we have already mentioned. There’s no hurry. You may go to your hotel, rest for a while, and come back. Night view of the square is overwhelming. You will be fascinated to witness the beauty of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the German Fountain at he square at night.
What to Eat and Where to Eat
You may be worried about the food anywhere in the world but not in Istanbul. The Turkish foods are one of the best foods in the world for certain, but to me it’s the best. Around Sultanahmet Square, you will find number of restaurants covering all ranges from very high-end to very cheap street foods. There are a number of fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, etc as well. Well, to me tasting local food during any travel is a top priority. So, throughout our stay not only in Istanbul but in all other places we have always explored Turkish Foods except a few exceptions. You should not miss tasting street foods. Almost all the Turkish delights shops allow customers to taste their delights, so please do not hesitate tasting Turkish delights whereever you can.
Where to Stay
There are hundreds of hotels around Sultanahmet Square covering all kinds of budget. We recommend you to stay around Sultanahmet. It’s better if you stay at any hotel near Sultanahmet along the Divan Yolu Caddesi (Street). Though hotel prices here may be little more in comparison to other places, but it will give you dividends as you need to utilize every minute of one day. During one of our visits to Istanbul we have stayed at Star Holiday Hotel, which is right on the street we have just mentioned. Moreover, they have rooms of various sizes and prices. On top of everything, the best part is the manager and other staffs are very cooperative and friendly. If you are traveling to Istanbul, try to book your room from any online platform like Agoda, Hostelworld, etc. You may book rooms from Star Holiday Hotel directly from their website as well.
Museum Pass Istanbul
Well, if you are interested to visit more museum-like places like Topkapi Palace, Archaeological Museum, Basilica Cistern, etc you should get a day pass which would allow you to enter these places without standing in the queue for the pass.
Tips for Photographers
- Inside the Blue Mosque do not use flash for photography.
- Respect people and do not cause any disturbance to the worshipers or any fellow travelers.
- Do not take random shots of people inside. People may feel offended and that might result trouble for you.
- Istanbul and this mosque are heavens for street photography. Look around; mosque premises, entrances, parks, etc. You will find extraordinary frames if you can afford some time and can look from a different perspective.
- Must return to Sultanahmet Square in the evening as well to get some night shot of this magnificent place.
- The Grand Bazaar is a heaven for Street Photography. Unfortunately off late the security checks the bag at the gates and do not allow people to enter with big cameras. We faced problem in March 2021 entering the bazaar with cameras.
- If you do not plan any Night Cruise, you should spend the evening at Galata Bridge or the Tower for amazing sunset photos.
- If you want to take photos of famous structures without people in the frame, you should go to these places very early in the morning.
- If you want to have some drone footage, please do get approval from the Turkish authority to fly a drone. But this is going to a challenge to manage in one day. Otherwise, flying a drone from anywhere near the mosque might put you in trouble.
Important Notes
Well, this article has mostly covered the most iconic places, which any first-time traveler must-see. Do not think we have put a few places on this list, and these are only the places which you should visit. Remember, we have covered the places of our interest and thought you would like those too. But, well you should study other suggestions and make your own list as per your priority and likings. There are so many important factors for planning a one-day trip. Such as, depending on your available day hour and night hour your list may vary, depending on your return/ next flight time (morning/ midnight/ afternoon/ etc) your sequence of places and places to visit may change. Depending on the visiting hour, weather/ season, etc your places to visit may also change. Consider everything and plan your trip, please. Remember you need at least one hour from Sultanahmet to Istanbul Airport. And a few more hours to complete airport formalities. So, we guess you will not risk your flight to cover one additional attraction. two Depending on the available 24 hours of (Day hour and night hour) and your return/ next flight time
Final Thoughts
Happy to know that Istanbul Airport ranks second in the ‘World’s Top 10 Airports’ List’ (Source: Istanbul Airport Official Website). This airport is really going to significantly contribute to the Turkish tourism sector. If you are interested to know more about this airport, please read our transit guide for this airport. We are sure that the Turkish government has invested so much here that they are certain it is going to host more and more passengers every day. Not just because of the airport amenities and services but for more travelers every day.
Many years back Napoleon once said ‘If the world was only one country, Istanbul would be its capital!”. Over the years travelers and emperors have proven the significance of this city.
