3 vs 4 days in Istanbul

Hi,
The answer is, it a depends. What do consider the high lights. Obviously AyaSofia and the Blue Mosque. Very close together and also very near by is Topkapi Palace and the Arkeological Muse. Chora Church is out by the wall of Theodosius and in walking distance of the church of St George, pope of the Eastern Orthodox Church head quarters. Grand Bazarre? Really a massive tourist trap I would skip and replace with a walk from Suyleman's mosque winding your way down to the spice market. Which is another tourist trap, but not as bad as the Grand B. get outside and around the Spice Market for more real market of sheep's heads and stomachs. Fish at the foot of the Galata bridge, either end although the Taksim side has better fish and supplies real lemons. This is just a start...sun a beach available most everywhere in the world or Istanbul available ONLY in Constantinople. Wayne iNISTANBUL

I love Istanbul and could easily spend weeks there. But if you just want to see the major sites AND you only have one day for the Italian part of your vacation (I say that because you mention a second day there), then I guess I'd say 3 days will do it, and take the extra day for Italy.

I'll second the suggestion that if you only have one day budgeted for the Naples/Amalfi area then you should add a second day there. The ruins of Pompeii are vast and will take almost full day to explore. That won't leave you any time to ride along/visit towns along the coast, visit Capri, or see Naples depending on your interests. There is plenty to see to easily use more than four days in Istanbul. However, in three days you can see the marquee sites. Most of the top sites are in Sultanhmet, so I recommend that you stay there to minimize travel time. Plan on two solid days to see the biggies, if you're willing to do a bit of turbo touristing. Here are the top don't miss sites in my opinion along with the time required for a decent visit: the Aya Sophia (2 hours), Topkopi Palace (6 hours), Blue Mosque (1 hour), Archaeology Museum (4 hours) and Islamic Art Museum (2 or 3 hours). In the evenings some suggestions are to walk around the Hippodrome area, head over to Istiklal Street and Taksim Square, or watch a Dervish ceremony/show. On the third day consider some mix of the following: the Kariye Church/Museum (1 hour), Basilica Cistern (1 hour), Suleiman Mosque (1 hour), Galata Bridge/Galata Tower and adjacent markets (2+ hours), Grand Bazaar (2 hours), Rustem Pasa Cami (<1 hour), Spice Bazaar (<1 hour) City Walls (1 hour). Have fun!

You can hit the highlights of Istanbul in 3 days and the Amalfi cost for sure needs a second day.

Agree with others... do all you can in 3 days and then move on. You can cover lots and I have to say that although the Grand Bazaar is definitely for tourists its worth a quick look. I would opt for it rather than the Spice Market, but both are worth a look. It's kind of iconic to go to the Bazaar and haggle for an item.

We have spent a total of 9 days in Istanbul and did not see everything on our list. But,as RS says, we will return. In your case, I too would spend only 3 days there leaving the 4th day for the coast.

Last spring we spent 5 nights in Istanbul and never crossed over the Galata Bridge we were so enamored of the Old Town side. But, you could rush and see most of the famous landmarks in 3 days. The Topkapi palace is absolutely crushed by tourists from the cruise ships until maybe 3PM, so arrive then using your museum passes and it's practically deserted. Be sure and see the Muslim war trophies taken from the Christians when they took the city--the sword of King David, Moses' staff, the turban belonging to Joseph, and footprints of Mohammed. Fascinating place, Istanbul, with a stunning history.