Will you be doing the Turkish Airlines challenge? Here's what to do in Istanbul between flights
Do you think it is possible to spend 48 hours in Istanbul and understand it? I don't know either but at least let's try! Also because [...]
Do you think it is possible to pass 48 hours in Istanbul And understand it? I don't know either but at least let's try! Also because if you're thinking of doing the challenge launched by Turkish Airlines could be a perfect guide to combine the useful with the enjoyable, and you might even meet the Barbone also on the hunt for the million Miles&Smiles.
The challenge launched by Turkey's national airline "obliges" you to pass by the most famous city, but I remind you it is not the capital, of Turkey each time here so having a slight idea of what the city divided between Europe and Asia has to offer might help you in your endeavor.
In this article:
Istanbul is not just a city: it is a bridge between worlds, a labyrinth of smells, colors and voices that overwhelms you from the first moment. In two days you cannot really understand it but you can feel it, taste it, look into its eyes and take away a piece of its soul.
Forty-eight hours in Istanbul is enough to lose yourself among the minarets and markets, to hear the call to prayer bouncing between mosques, to savor a black tea overlooking the Bosphorus. And to realize, with certainty, that a weekend in Istanbul you never forget.
Before landing: all set to explore
No roaming: activate a international eSIM as soon as you land. You'll need it to find your way through the alleys of the Grand Bazaar, book a transfer from your phone, or post a stress-free Golden Horn sunset, select your Among the best eSim of 2025.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
Don't forget good travel insurance, even if you will spend only 48 hours in Istanbul it is preferable to travel protected. Check the prices of Heymondo with discount for TFC readers And insured parties. Also and one lightweight anti-theft backpack: Istanbul is safe, but very crowded, and at peak hours public transportation becomes a flood of humanity.
A bit of history: when three empires were taking turns
Before you dive into the streets of Istanbul, let me tell you an amazing story. This city has had three lives, three names, three different souls. First it was Byzantium, a small Greek colony overlooking strategic waters. It then became Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for more than a thousand years, where the golden mosaics of St. Sophia shone like earthly stars.
In 1453 everything changed: Mehmet II conquered the city and turned it into the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Domes multiplied, minarets pointed skyward, bazaars filled with spices from Asia and silks from China. For centuries Istanbul was the center of the world, a crossroads of trade and cultures. Today, walking through its streets, you still hear the echoes of these three civilizations mingling, overlapping, and speaking to each other through the millennia-old stones.
That is why every corner here tells a different story, because in just a few meters you go from Byzantine to Ottoman, from sacred to profane, from ancient to ultramodern. Istanbul is not just a city: it is an open-air history book.
Istanbul, the Bosphorus and the Galata tower rising among the other buildings
Day 1: Sultanahmet, hammams and sunsets over the Bosphorus
9:00 a.m. - The historic heart of the city (3-4 h). It starts early, when the morning light still gently caresses the domes: the magic of Sultanahmet is revealed at dawn, before the crowds of tourists take over the squares.
Enter the Blue Mosque, and be mesmerized by its domes that seem to float in the air. The atmosphere here is suspended, muffled by Persian carpets and the murmur of prayers. Then cross the square, where you will feel as if you are walking through the centuries, to visit the imposing Aya Sofya. Former church, former mosque, now museum, this building is literally a concentration of world history. Look up: those golden mosaics have seen Byzantine emperors and Ottoman sultans pass through. Don't wait until the last minute, book now the tour of the mosques of Istanbul On Civitatis.
Don't miss the Topkapi Palace, with its courtyards opening one after the other like Chinese boxes, the whispering harem of secrets and treasures shining in the display cases. You need at least an hour and a half to really appreciate it, but every minute is worth it.
12:30 - Lunch with a view (1 h). Now you are hungry, and your stomach is starting to growl. Go up to one of the scenic terraces not far away and order a kebab dish steaming or spicy köfte with fragrant rice. But the food, believe me, will only be an excuse: from up there you will see the Sea of Marmara shimmering, the Bosphorus flowing lazily by and the city's red rooftops fading into the horizon. Take all the time in the world to look.
14:00 - Hammam or bazaar? (1-2 h). You have two choices, both irresistible. You can immerse yourself in the hot steam and relax in a historic hammam such as the Çemberlitaş or the Hurrem Sultan, where the tellak will massage you with black soap and you will leave with silky skin. Or you can lose yourself in the Grand Bazaar, that maze of hundreds of stores where Persian carpets hang from the ceiling, colorful spices overflow from sacks, jewelry sparkles in display cases, and the voices of merchants mingle in a muffled chorus. Allow at least an hour, and plenty of willpower not to buy everything.
17:00 - Sunset Navigation (2.5 hrs). Book a mini cruise on the Bosphorus: you will see Ottoman palaces reflected in the water, elegant neighborhoods climbing the hills, mosques that seem to float between sky and sea. As the sun begins to set and the air fills with saltiness, Istanbul will seem even more unreal, almost a dream city.
20:00 - Dinner between Karaköy and Galata (2-3 h). Get down on the ground with your legs still wobbly with excitement and head for Karaköy. This once neglected and dusty neighborhood is now teeming with cozy little restaurants, modern bistros and bars overlooking the Bosphorus where locals gather for drinks. After dinner, walk up to the Galata Tower: if you are lucky, you will find live music in the square and the illuminated city lying at your feet like a carpet of lights.
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul
Day 2: Street food, mosques and modernity
9:00 a.m. - Turkish breakfast and coffee scent (1 h). Start the day with a real Turkish breakfast, what the locals call the kahvaltı: creamy eggs, shiny black olives, fresh cheeses, freshly baked bread that still smells like the oven, rose preserves, and lots of piping hot black tea served in small glass glasses. It is not just a meal, it is a ritual that gently prepares you for the day.
10:00 a.m. - Eminönü and the Suleiman Mosque (2-3 h). Stroll along the Galata Bridge, among patient fishermen casting their lines and street vendors shouting out their wares. The air smells of fresh fish and the sea. Reach Eminönü, which overlooks the Golden Horn like a natural terrace, and visit the spectacular Suleiman Mosque. Often ignored by tourists rushing to more famous destinations, but according to many it is the most beautiful in the city. From there the view is pure silence, and Istanbul stretches out before you in all its majestic beauty.
13:00 - Balık ekmek and street food by the sea (1 h). Now it's time for the most authentic street food: order a balık ekmek (freshly caught grilled mackerel sandwich) from one of the boats docked in Eminönü. The fish still sizzles on the grill, the bread is warm, and the raw onions provide just the right spiciness. Sit on the stone steps, amid hopeful circling seagulls and laughing children chasing each other. It is one of the simplest and truest moments of the whole trip.
14:30 - Istiklal and Taksim: the modern soul of Istanbul (2-3 h). Take the red streetcar puffing and squeaking like a vintage toy, and walk the entire length of Istiklal Street, the city's most vibrant and pulsating street. Here you find old bookstores where you can lose hours among dusty shelves, contemporary art galleries, trendy stores, and historic cafes where writers and artists hang out. Reach Taksim Square, beating heart of the new city, where the secular, young and dynamic heart of Istanbul beats. The two souls of the city-the traditional and the modern-meet and dialogue here.
17:30 - Last hours with a view (2 h). End these unforgettable 48 hours in Istanbul by sipping fragrant apple tea on one of the many rooftops of Beyoğlu. As the muezzin calls to prayer with his voice rising to the sky and the sun sets the horizon on fire above the city, you realize that Istanbul has won you over. It greets you, but it doesn't really let you go.
Other excursions we recommend you book
If your trip to Istanbul is longer than two days or you still want to personalize your weekend there is no shortage of alternatives. For example, a guided tour of the colored neighborhoods of Vader in Balat discovering every corner of this area. Or you can Participate in a workshop on making the famous Turkish coffee to bring some of Istanbul's magical aroma back into the home. Or why not take advantage of a Free tour to discover the alternative Istanbul?
48 hours in Istanbul and the city stays in your heart
Istanbul is not a destination to "check off" the list. È a city that sticks with you Like a lingering perfume. It gets in your eyes with its changing colors, in your nose with its spicy smells, in your ears with its perpetual concert of voices, traffic and calls to prayer. And even if you spend only 48 hours in Istanbul, it leaves you wanting to return. To lose yourself once again between East and West, between sacred and profane, between the whispering past and the calling future.
