Skip to main content

Istanbul travel guide in 48 hours: Where to stay and eat and what to do

Travel to Istanbul: Get ready for amazing architecture and tasty kebab

Few cities offer as singular a skyline as Istanbul. Its bridges span the Golden Horn on its European side — the city sprawls across two continents. If you look to the northeast, you’ll spy Galata Tower protruding from the hillside neighborhood of Beyoglu. Look southwest and watch the sun set behind the minareted mosques lining the crest of Sultanahmet. Head over to the Asian side of the city and you’ll find views of the Bosphorus Bridge and the lights along the Bosphorus Sea.

As a constant traveler who has enjoyed many extended visits to Istanbul, I know all too well that it’s a massive place with so much to offer that it’s difficult to know where to begin. To make it even more challenging, most visitors only stay for a couple of days, meaning they’ve got to make every minute matter. Here’s what to do when you travel to Istanbul and only have 48 hours.

Istanbul skyline.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

Where to stay in Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul has several neighborhoods that are excellent options, depending on what you’re looking for. The Moda district on the Asian side is a hip, youthful, green area with lots of cafes, art galleries, and shops. The residential district of Zeytinburnu to the west of the European side offers an affordable, more authentic look at day-to-day life in Istanbul. These are both great places to stay if you’ll be in Istanbul for a while and want a quiet, cheap base from which to explore the city.

Recommended Videos

For a short visit, however, there are really only two practical choices: The Galata/Taksim area to the north of the horn, or pretty much anywhere in the central Sultanahmet region to its south — the nearer to the Grand Bazaar, the better and more convenient travel will be. The former is a trendy neighborhood running from Galata Tower up the hill to the Taksim shopping area, but be warned — there’s lots of walking up steep hills. The latter, Sultanahmet, is where you’ll find all the major mosques and museums. Stay in Taksim if you’re looking for bars and nightlife, and stay in Sultanahmet if you’re chiefly concerned with the history and standout tourist attractions.

A big Turkish breakfast.
This breakfast is all intended for one person. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Where and what to eat in Istanbul, Turkey

For all practical purposes, the food in Istanbul begins and ends with kebab: Thin slices of spiced and slow-roasted meat, typically lamb, served with rice or — with increasing frequency — in a sandwich or a wrap called a dürüm. Kebab varies in quality depending on what neighborhood you’re in. The more “traditional” the neighborhood, the more you can count on stopping at any hole in the wall and eating something delicious. The touristy spots tend to be more hit or miss.

Hamdi is a solid option. It has three locations, two of which offer beautiful settings just above the Golden Horn in Beyoglu and just below it in upper Sultanahmet.

Also be sure to order a Turkish breakfast. These impressive spreads include eggs, sliced meats, cheeses, olives, peppers, fried dough, bread with various jellies, honeys, and butters, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and — of course — tea. Great breakfast spots abound, but you can’t go wrong on Beşiktaş Kahvaltıcılar Sokağı, aka Breakfast Street. It’s lined with outstanding, affordable breakfast options.

Galata Tower in Istanbul.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

What to do in Istanbul: Day one

Your first day will and should be spent in Sultanahmet. You can’t really say you’ve been to Istanbul until you’ve visited the principal mosques and markets found there.

Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

Check out the mosques

Facing one another across a park of palm trees, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are about as iconic as it gets. The lines are somewhat long, but these masterworks of Islamic architecture worth the wait. Note that the dress code is very conservative — shoulders and knees must be covered, and women must cover their hair — so be prepared for that.

The Istanbul Grand Bazaar.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shop the bazaar

From there, head up the tram line a few stops to the Grand Bazaar, where you can easily spend hours browsing countless stalls offering a vast array of wares: Lamps, lanterns, rugs, blankets, clothing, jewelry, art, pipes, chess sets, souvenirs, and so on. This is also a good place to load up on Turkish coffee in one of the alleyway coffee spots.

Eat with a sunset view

Shopping your way in and around the bazaar might take several hours depending on your proclivities, so after this it’s probably best to do something seated. Head north to the waterfront and hop on one of the boat tours. Bosphorus Tours is an all-around solid, affordable option for sunset or dinner cruises along the shoreline.

Alternatively, find a rooftop restaurant with a view. Loti is a good spot in Sultanahmet. Zula Galata is a great option if you’re heading up the hill. After dinner, if you’re looking for nightlife, simply zigzag through the streets and alleys around Galata and up along Taksim.

Müze Gazhane in Istanbul.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What to do in Istanbul: Day two

Your second day in Istanbul is kind of a wild card. I’d recommend building it around one of three things.

Visit the Istanbul Archeological Museum

Located on the eastern shoulder of Sultanahmet, this extensive museum is full of outright astounding artifacts and art pieces spanning thousands of years. Depending on your level of interest, one can easily spend three hours exploring its many halls.

Dig into Beyoglu

Wandering up the streets and alleys in the Beyoglu around Galata can fill an entire day. There is no shortage of street vendors, little shops and restaurants, hole-in-the-wall cafes and pastry joints, and artistic opportunities. I recommend the gallery Mesher in particular if you’re looking to experience quality local art.

Beyoglu in Istanbul.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

Check out the Asian side of the city

Head to the eastern Üsküdar side of town to see a completely different character of Istanbul. Its Asian half, contradictorily, has a more European vibe than that on the European side, which skews more Middle East-Asian.

The Moda neighborhood, with its cafes and bars packed with university students, is a charming place to eat, shop, and generally explore. Müze Gazhane is a reclaimed industrial site that has become a vibrant community center housing galleries, cafes, and outdoor sitting areas. Make sure to check out Sakirin Mosque, a modernist mosque that is the first in the country to be designed by a woman.

Istanbul at night.
Photo by Nick Hilden Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dinner beneath the bridge

Wrap up your visit by having dinner beneath Galata Bridge, where there are a dozen or so restaurants offering views of the surrounding cityscape. Be warned that the hosts along the bridge can be extremely pushy in their attempts to attract your patronage, but the views are worth the hassle. Just pick a restaurant and stick to it regardless of wheedling along the way. They all offer roughly similar menus of reasonably priced, decent meals to finish up your stay.

Nick Hilden
Nick Hilden is a lifestyle and culture writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Afar…
Amex and Chase just upgraded their travel credit cards: Here’s what’s new
If you love traveling, you’ll want to hear what these cards just added to their perks
a person paying for something online with a credit card

Two of the most popular travel credit cards, the American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, are getting fresh upgrades designed to attract experience-focused travelers, especially Gen Z and millennials.

Amex plans to refresh both its Platinum and Business Platinum cards later this year. New perks include three Centurion Lounges opening in Newark, Salt Lake City, and Tokyo, bringing the global lounge total to 32. 

Read more
Inside The Lodge at Bodega Bay: What it’s like to stay at the #1 hotel in the world
The Lodge at Bodega Bay deserves the title of #1 hotel in the world
Sarah Joseph at The Lodge at Bodega Bay

I recently had the chance to stay at The Lodge at Bodega Bay, which was voted the #1 hotel in the world by the 2024 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards. With modern, top-tier amenities and surreal views of the ocean, it's easily among one of the top five hotels I've ever visited, right up alongside the Gaylord Palms hotel in Florida and the Mountain View Grand in New Hampshire. Here's everything that made The Lodge special, and why you should consider visiting the next time you're feeling stressed.
What makes The Lodge special?

To me, nothing is more relaxing than a seaside escape, where you can just sit for hours and watch the sea and sky. There are many alcoves on campus where you can hide away and take in the view, but most rooms also have private patios. My husband, Gladston, and I particularly loved the outdoor fire pits, where we toasted our hands in the chill spring air.

Read more
This country is now the go-to for solo travel, according to a new study
Italy is the top place to travel solo
Canals in Burano, Venice, Italy

Craving a solo escape that’s equal parts safe and scenic? According to a new ranking from Much Better Adventures, there's one destination that stands out above the rest, and it might surprise you. After analyzing factors like safety scores, affordability, biodiversity, ease of entry, and traveler reviews, the adventure travel company named Italy the number one country in the world for solo travel in 2025.

While seven of the top 10 destinations are in Europe, Italy claimed the top spot thanks to its incredible regional diversity, accessible travel network, and warm, welcoming atmosphere. Each part of the country feels like a unique adventure, from the vineyards of Tuscany to the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, the food markets of Palermo to the alpine trails of the Dolomites. With affordable trains and well-connected towns, traveling between regions is easy, often spontaneous, and always scenic.

Read more