Istanbul 4-day Itinerary
Turkey
Where to go and what to see in Istanbul to get the most from your trip – a 4-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Istanbul’s best food & drink
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Turkish cuisine is one of the world’s finest, and Istanbul has always been the best place to eat it. Today it’s the epicentre of the slow-food-style New Anatolian Kitchen movement, led by celebrity chef Mehmet Gurs – discovering, reviving and riffing off thousands of nearly-forgotten dishes and ingredients from across Turkey.
Dishes are fresh and unfussy, served with the local olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes. Expect plenty of seafood, especially golden fried anchovies, and cured hams and lamb dishes.
Turkish food is ideal for vegetarians, with many of the meze dishes (cold and hot starters) based around yoghurt, aubergine and vegetables, with lots of fresh herbs, including mint, dill and parsley. The traditional accompaniment to a meal is raki, an aniseed-flavoured drink, rather like ouzo, which should be mixed with water and ice.
What to try
Look out for local specialties: kebabs, ciq kofte (spicy bulgur patties), balik ekmek (mackerel sandwiches), lahmacun (flatbread with minced lamb), and – for the brave – kokorec (spicy lamb offal in intestines). Sweets and pastries are traditional, from pistachio-stuffed baklava to hot syrup-doused lokma (doughnut balls) and pogaca (savoury layered pastries).
Also try freshly made cherry or pomegranate juice, and salep – a hot, creamy drink made from orchids and available all over town.
Also see our round-up of traditional Turkish foods you must try in Turkey.
The dining scene
Istanbul dining ranges from internationally famous restaurants to meyhanes (traditional bar-restaurants with live music) and simple lokantas (‘tradesmen’s restaurants’ serving simple home-cooked food).
It’s also a street-food capital: street vendors sell delicious snacks such as sesame rolls, lamb pizza, roasted corn and meatballs. Street food tours are highly recommended here, but you can simply wander through the markets and bazaars sampling as you go.
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Price from: £5
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: +
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
You can eat like a sultan anywhere in Istanbul, especially in Beyoglu: rooftop restaurants, bars and clubs overlooking the city are all the rage. Try the open-air seafood places in the Bosphorus villages – but avoid the rip-off Galata Bridge restaurants.
Beyoglu is also the centre for bars and nightlife, especially around Nevizade Sokak and Asmalimescit Sokak (or simply ‘Asmali’). Or join the elite in the glamorous nightclubs along the Bosphorus in exclusive Kurucesme.
When to do it
Chic society dines quite late in Istanbul especially in the summer, heading to a restaurant at 10pm and even later to a meyhane (tavern), especially if you intend on going clubbing. On Sundays, many families gather at 5pm or 6pm for a big meal, usually seafood.
Afternoon tea at the Pera Palace Hotel
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Experience an older, imperial Istanbul by enjoying traditional afternoon tea in a gilded, red-velvet salon at this famous 19th-century hotel.
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Ciya Sofrasi
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Chef Musa Dagdeviren’s temple of traditional Anatolian cuisine in Kadikoy is a must – he has been collecting recipes for over 25 years, and the daily-changing menu offers the chance to try dishes from all over Turkey.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Grand Bazaar
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
The oldest, biggest market in the world that glitters like an Aladdin’s cave. Over 5,000 shops on 66 covered streets.
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Kadikoy Market
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Located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, Kadikoy Market is Istanbul’s foodie central, a gastro-riot of local produce including seafood, fruit and vegetable stalls, herbs, spices and cheeses.
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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
Dating back to the 1860s, this was the last palace to be built in Istanbul for the Ottoman royals – it’s now an opulent 5-star hotel and celeb favourite, set away from the cacophony of central Istanbul.
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Four Seasons Istanbul Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
Superbly staffed, relaxing oasis in an unbeatable location – the luxury choice in central Sultanahmet.
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Hotel Bankerhan
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
A cool, art-filled boutique hotel near the heart of modern Istanbul’s most fashionable shopping and nightlife district.
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Georges Hotel Galata
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey
In the heart of Istanbul’s hip Beyoglu district, this boutique hotel combines understated luxury with a glam rooftop restaurant. One of the best hotels in town for a romantic city break.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Istanbul
Marmara Region, Turkey
Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.
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