Istanbul Tour

The morning starts at Sultanahmet Square: the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia stand side by side, barely a walk apart. An early hour genuinely matters here — the square fills up towards noon.

Then Topkapı Palace. The palace alone is a wide site; an hour or two goes inside it, and the Harem section is an add-on with its own ticket if you want it.

After the lunch break come the bazaars: the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. They are within walking distance of each other, and the architecture is worth seeing even if you do not shop.

The last part of the day is on the Bosphorus — the boat trip is at its best in the late-afternoon light. On the way back there is time for Galata and Karaköy for anyone who wants it.

Eight hours carries that order comfortably. Squeezing in more turns the day into a rush; dropping one stop to stay longer at the others is always possible.

It suits: first-time visitors to Istanbul, anyone interested in history and architecture, and those who want the headline sights in a single day. For people who like photographing, the stops do not run out.

It can be hard for: anyone who struggles to walk. Three to four kilometres are covered during the day, and most of Sultanahmet's streets are cobbled; a pushchair moves heavily over that surface. Topkapı itself is a wide site.

With small children the pace can be dropped: keeping to two main stops and giving the afternoon to the Bosphorus usually works better — children do not tire on a boat.

In mosques, shoulders and knees must be covered and women need a headscarf; shoes come off at the door. Mosques are closed to visitors during Friday midday prayer, and the day is planned around that.