Are four days enough for Istanbul?

Enough to see the city in outline: the historic peninsula, the Bosphorus and Beyoğlu fit comfortably into four days. What does not fit is out-of-town trips — adding Sapanca or Bursa breaks this programme. On a four-day visit, leaving the day trips for next time works best.

Is the hotel included in this programme?

We can arrange the hotel too, or you can stay at your own — the programme runs either way. When we suggest a hotel we tell you in advance what the neighbourhood is like and how many minutes it is to the metro. With accommodation added, the total comes as a single figure.

Why is the first day left open?

A programme that starts while the flight is still on you is no pleasure; with children especially, pushing the first day tires the next three. If you land early and feel fresh we can use that day too — moving the programme forward takes one message.

4 daysIstanbul

Istanbul in 4 Days

The historic peninsula, the Bosphorus and Beyoğlu — Istanbul in outline, without leaving the city.

Day by day

1Day
Arrival and welcome
Met at the airport with a name board and taken to your hotel. Depending on your landing time, a short walk near the hotel; the first day is deliberately left open — the programme does not start while the journey is still on you.
2Day
The historic peninsula
The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace within walking distance. In the afternoon the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. We stop for prayers at mosques along the route, and lunch is somewhere with halal options.
3Day
The Bosphorus and Beyoğlu
A Bosphorus cruise in the late-afternoon light — the waterfront mansions and mosques look their best then. Before it, Galata Tower and Karaköy; after it, free time along the Ortaköy shore.
4Day
Shopping and departure
Half a day for shopping, depending on your flight: Nişantaşı, Bağdat Avenue or one of the large malls. The vehicle stays with you all day so purchases go in the car. Then the transfer to the airport.

What the programme includes

Airport meet-and-greet and return transfer
Private air-conditioned vehicle and fuel
Arabic-speaking guide or driver
An itinerary built around prayer times

Common questions about this programme

The programme bends to you

These are a starting point. You can add a day, drop a stop or reorder the route — the tours are private, so you never have to fit a group's schedule.

How the price is set

Price on request

A package price depends on the number of travellers, the hotel class and the dates, so we do not publish a fixed figure. Send your dates and party size and we will put the total in writing the same day. Nothing starts until you approve it.

Ask about this package

Cities covered

Istanbul

What sets the price

We do not print a fixed figure on the programme pages, and the reason is that the same programme does not cost two families the same. Four things set the price.

How many people
The cost of the vehicle and driver is per car, not per person; the vehicle side of a programme for two and one for six is almost the same. That is why the per-person figure drops noticeably for larger families.
The date
The summer months and the two Eid periods are the highest; November to March is the easiest. The gap is wider on the hotel side and narrower on the vehicle.
Hotel class and district
You choose the hotel part of the programme. The same programme can be built around three stars in Sultanahmet or five on the Bosphorus shore.
Whether flights are included
Domestic and international tickets are not part of the programme; if you want, we buy them in your name, and if not, you buy them yourself.

Once you send us those four, we reply the same day with the total and a day-by-day draft. The figure we give does not change afterwards.

Who this programme suits

Four days is the shortest span that covers Istanbul's headline sights. The historic peninsula, the Bosphorus and the bazaars fit at a comfortable pace.

It suits: first-time visitors to Istanbul, those on short leave, and anyone who wants to focus on one place without leaving the city. The first day is deliberately left open — for the flight, settling into the hotel and the first evening.

It may not be enough for: anyone who also wants to see Bursa or Sapanca. Squeezing a day trip into four days eats one of the city days; the six- or eight-day programmes sit better then.

With children the pace can be dropped: two main stops a day with the afternoons left free carries all four days comfortably.

The programme does not have to be taken as it stands. We set the number of days, the stops and the pace of the day together.