Luxury hotels in Istanbul

Istanbul guide

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Bosphorus

Byzantine and Ottoman masterpieces, the Grand Bazaar and a private boat between two continents.

Hagia Sophia, built as a cathedral in the sixth century and now a mosque, is Istanbul's most cited sight, alongside the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans, all part of the Historic Areas UNESCO site. Foreign visitors to Hagia Sophia use a ticketed upper-gallery route, and modest dress is required in mosques.

The Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar are close by, and a private boat on the Bosphorus at sunset, between Europe and Asia, is the essential experience. Spring and autumn are ideal, and the city's food is a highlight.

The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, with some 4,000 shops under painted vaults, is one of Istanbul's most cited sights. A guide or a trusted dealer helps when buying carpets, ceramics or jewellery, and bargaining is part of the experience; it is closed on Sundays.

The Spice Bazaar, by the Golden Horn, is fragrant with spices, dried fruit and Turkish delight. Nearby, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque has some of the finest İznik tiles in the city.

The Bosphorus by private boat

A cruise on the Bosphorus, the strait between Europe and Asia, is one of Istanbul's most cited experiences: a private boat at sunset passes the Dolmabahçe and Çırağan palaces, the wooden yalı mansions of the shore, the Rumeli Fortress and the bridges linking the continents.

Stops can include lunch in a fish restaurant in Arnavutköy or Bebek and a visit to the Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side. Dolmabahçe Palace, the nineteenth-century residence of the sultans, has one of the largest chandeliers in the world.