You have two days to tackle the top city in Turkey. 48 hours in Istanbul, a mega-metropolis of 13 million people? With a little focus and nerve, you can do it.

Photo credit

Cruise the Bosphorus

Not literally, of course – you only have two days – but yes, a boat ride on the mighty Bosphorus is both affordable and a good start to develop a sense of this mighty, iconic city. Grab a commuter ferry from Eminönü and hop on and off at Besiktas, Ortaköy and Bebek.

Gape at the Hagia Sophia

The former Orthodox basilica, mosque and now museum is a birthplace of hyperbole. Istanbul is a formost UNESCO World Heritage city, with four areas – the Archaeological Park, Süleymaniye quarter, Zeyrek quarter, and zone of the ramparts – under inscription. Tour ever one but if under a severe time limit, start with the Hagia Sophia.

Spice it up bazaar-style

The ancient and mystical Egyptian Bazaar is a merchant microcosm of the metropolis. A veritable haggler’s Hall of Fame, the market is profuse with Eurasia’s heady bounty of perfumes, spices and sweets. The most atmospheric place to boost your energy stores in Istanbul.

Go for a soak

To hamam is to commune with the very essence of civic quotidian custom in Istanbul. The most memorable baths date back hundreds of years and have exquisite tile-work still in place – you may have to squint in between wafts of steam to catch it.

Rock the rooftops

All the best nightlife in Istanbul seems to take place on rooftops, or close to them. The more floors up, the more posh and hedonistic the vibe. Scour the supper club scene carefully before you go or simply book a hip Istanbul hotel – well worth the splurge for 48 hours.

Get on top of Topkapi

If you only have two days in Istanbul, a visit to Topkapi Palace compels some tourist discipline. You must go, as the palace crowns a vast section of UNESCO World Heritage Istanbul, but to truly see it all takes a full day. Thus, make a beeline for the Treasury and Harem and call it quits.

Navigate the Grand Bazaar

One bazaar is not enough in a city like Istanbul. Not when the Grand Bazaar, a leviathan, labyrinthine marketplace that welcomes a quarter of a million visitors a day, beckons. While here, kill two tourist birds with one stone and nestle into a nargile café for a traditional smoke and coffee.

Mosque meander

Istanbul has close to 3,000 mosques but a few loom more conspicuously than others. Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque is one. Others to tack on the itinerary include Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and the New Mosque.

Go Galata

Galata Tower from Galata Bridge – Photo credit

Rooftop clubs offer some of the best panoramas of Istanbul but for history’s sake, none trumps the Golden Horn vista from Galata Tower. Built in the early 14^th century, the medieval stone tower is a touristy, yet highly necessary, experience.

Istanbul City Guide