Is a one-day tourist trip to Istanbul from Antalya possible? Yes! From lively bazaars, stunning monuments and rich cultural history, there’s so much to see and do in a day trip to the largest city in Türkiye.

Istanbul is a truly beautiful city that you have to experience yourself. During a weeklong holiday with friends to Antalya, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to carve out a day trip to this picturesque city that’s been on our destinations wish list for the longest time. As a first-time visitor to the city, we arrived with an open mind and were ready to embrace the experience.

Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus Strait waterway linking both Europe and Asia. The city is a beautiful blending of cultures and influences made up of thousands of years of history and legacy based on Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman roots. This legacy shows up in the architecture, mosques, churches, and food. Istanbul certainly lives up to its bustling metropolis reputation of being full of charming tourist attractions, delicious cuisine, shopping and much more.

But how much can you see and do with just one day in Istanbul? Join us as we visit Istanbul for the day.

💡 Money-Saving Tip: Want to skip the logistics of planning public transport, booking separate flights, and navigating the city? You can book your All-Inclusive Istanbul Day Trip from Antalya on Viator or compare options via GetYourGuide.

The plan

After carefully planning our trip to Istanbul, my husband and I settled on the following attractions and activities.

• Cruise along the Bosphorus Straits
• Hagia Sophia Museum
• Blue Mosque
• Grand Bazaar
• Galata Tower
• Galata Bridge
• Dinner in a rooftop restaurant

We booked our return flights for the Friday of our trip. We were under no illusions that it was going to be a very busy day.

6.30am – departure flight

Our taxi arrived to take us to the airport. We opted to fly from the local airport – Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) as our research told us it would offer a quieter terminal experience and give us direct access to Istanbul’s vibrant Asian side.

While our 50 minutes flight was supposed to leave at 8.45am, it was delayed for an hour. So, we didn’t end up leaving till 9.45am. It was a pleasantly smooth flight and the icing on the cake was not having to wait for baggage. We were in and out of the airport within five minutes.

Costs:

• Taxi (Hotel to Airport): €30 (To avoid overcharging, we highly recommend pre-booking a reliable, fixed-rate airport transfer through Welcome Pickups)
• Two return flights Antalya to Istanbul: £178 via Pegasus Airlines but you can also look for cheap last-minute regional deals on Skyscanner)

10.45am – buy Istanbulkart

Aware that we were already running late due to the delayed flight, we decided to grab a quick breakfast of pastries and coffee at the Starbucks within the airport. Opting to eat on the go saved us precious time.

Our research showed that commuting around the city would be best if we purchased an Istanbulkart. The Istanbulkart is a contactless, prepaid card used for public transport across Istanbul, including the metro, tram, buses and commuter ferries. This was so worth it and was our sole means of transportation throughout the day.

The headache started with trying to purchase the actual Istanbulkart. Our research told us that we could purchase the Istanbulkart at the bus station located just outside the airport. The ticket machine is unmanned so there was a bit of confusion, caused by the language barrier, trying to figure out how it worked. We loaded £13 worth [no typo] for both of us which we estimated would cover our commuting costs for the day. Once we loaded up our Istabulkart, luckily there was a Havabus bus heading to Kadıköy – our first destination. The bus ride to Kadıköy takes about 45 minutes.

Costs:

• Istanbulkart for two adults: £13
• Food (Starbucks): £22

11.30am – Arrived in Kadıköy

Kadıköy is a vibrant, culturally rich district on the Asian side of Istanbul. As we got off the bus, the weather was not on our side. It had started raining, but a little rain wasn’t going to dampen our spirits [see what I did there!].

(Note to self: Next time, I will pack my ultra-compact travel umbrella! If you are planning a fast-paced day trip, dynamic weather is always a factor. Check out this lightweight windproof travel umbrella on Amazon that fits right into a small daypack.)

Time constraints meant that rather than going on one of the official sightseeing cruises plying the Bosphorus Straits that we had planned, we decided instead to catch a vapur, a public ferry that takes commuters up and down the Bosphorus instead. The vapur is widely considered to be a scenic and budget-friendly way to cruise the Bosphorus. This saved us both time and money. We enjoyed seeing the stunning coastline from the waterway, along with the local commuters. The views were truly impressive. It was wonderful to see our first glimpse of the Galata Tower and the Galata Bridge from the water.

Alternative Option: If you have better weather or slightly more time, you can secure an Official Bosphorus Strait Sightseeing Cruise ticket on GetYourGuide for under £10, which often includes an audio guide app.

The ferry ride to Eminönü (our next destination), which is located on the European side of Istanbul, takes about 25 mins.

Costs:

• We paid for the vapur by simply tapping our previously bought İstanbulkart passes at the ferry pier turnstiles.

11.45am – arrived in Eminönü

Eminönü is where a number of attractions in our itinerary are located – Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar.

As we got off the vapur, the directions to Hagia Sophia Museum and Blue Mosque (located next to each other in Sultanahmet) pointed towards taking the tram and getting there in five minutes or walking for 28 minutes. As it was still rather wet, we decided to take the tram.

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The tram was an experience. Think of the busiest tube line in London, in the middle of rush hour! We did like the locals and squeezed on to the already full tram. Luckily it was only about a 10-minute journey to Sultanahmet.

12.15pm – arrived at Sultanahmet Square

After exiting the tram, a two-minute walk across the road brought us to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Museum attractions.

Controversially, due to time constraints, we decided not to visit the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque attraction, opting to visit the Blue Mosque instead. The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is a historic landmark and active mosque renowned for its central dome and 1,500-year history. Not to be confused with the Hagia Sophia History Museum, which is nearby and also commands crowds.

Sadly, while we wished to visit the Blue Mosque, because it was a Friday, we learned that they were observing prayers and would be for the next hour. We decided to use that hour to quickly swing by and visit the Grand Bazaar.

1.45pm – visiting the Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar was a 10 minute walk away, uphill along cobblestones. It was a pretty and charming walk. The route was lined with lots of cafés and tourist shops full of souvenirs. We stopped off for an ice cream break (£7 for the both of us).

The Grand Bazaar, as the name suggests, is truly ‘grand’ in the sense that it is huge. Made up of a myriad number of small avenues that lead off into several other groups of avenues. Each one lined up with stalls selling everything you can think of, full of touristy trinkets, souvenirs and much more.

Pomegranate is an important fruit in Turkey and so we decided to buy some pomegranate tea. After a taste test, the one we liked best was the version that was mixed in with sugar so not the natural one, but it still tasted nice, so we got quarter pound worth, which cost around £7.

A quick toilet break, (20p using the Istanbulkart) and we started to head back to Blue Mosque.

Costs:

• Ice cream: £7
• Pomegranate tea: £7
• Toilet facilities: 20p

2.45pm – Blue Mosque?

Arriving back at the Blue Mosque, we were confronted by the longest queues we’d ever seen snaking around the building! We were told it would take around two hours to get to the front. By now it was approaching 3pm and we had already bought tickets to go up the Galata Tower. We regretfully left after taking some external pictures.

Lesson Learned: When you only have one day, waiting in lines is a time-killer. If we did this again, we would have booked a skip-the-line Guided Tour of Sultanahmet via Viator. This gives you fast-track access and an expert guide to explain the rich history of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia quickly.

3pm – headed to Galata Tower

We boarded the tram to take us back to Karaköy where the Galata Tower is located, about 10 minutes away.

Karaköy is a historic and trendy harbourside neighborhood located in the European side of Istanbul. With its steep, hills and cobbled streets and loads of trendy restaurants, Karaköy evoked Lisbon vibes for me.

A word of warning, the route to the Galata Tower is up a very steep hill made of cobblestones so prepared to put that work in. (Seriously, make sure you wear comfortable footwear! I survived because of my supportive walking sneakers!). The streets are filled with street snacks, little food stalls, souvenir shops, et cetera. Halfway through the climb, we stopped off for a much-needed refreshing pomegranate juice break.

When we got to Galata Towers, we were confronted with another long queue, despite our pre-booked tickets. We ended up waiting about an hour to get to the front of the queue.

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4pm – Galata Tower rooftop views

The Galata Tower is a dominating landmark in the Istanbul skyline. Initially a 14th-century medieval stone watchtower that stands 62.59 metres tall, the iconic attraction has been an Ottoman prison, an astronomy observatory, and a fire watchtower. Today it stands as a museum over several floors and a rooftop observation deck offering unparalleled 360-degree views of the Istanbul skyline. A lift takes you to the top of the tower. Coming down is via a circular staircase.

Standing at the top of the tower was the highlight of the day for me. The views were incredible and being able to literally walk around the circular tower to spot some of the other landmarks we’d seen through the day was special.

Costs:

• Prepaid entry tickets: £68 for two adults (Make sure to secure your entry time slots well in advance on GetYourGuide to ensure you don’t miss your window!)

4.45pm – walk along Galata Bridge

A 15-minute downhill walk brought us to Galata Bridge. We had seen the bridge earlier in the day and wanted to experience it close up. We discovered that a key feature that tourists enjoy was observing the amateur fishermen that lined the bridge, hoping for a big catch of the day from the water below. Due to the rain, we didn’t linger too long.

Costs:

• Free

5.15pm – dinner at Altura Rooftop Restaurant

After a hard day of tourist-ing, we found an elegant rooftop restaurant to help us refuel. Altura Rooftop Restaurant is only a short walk from the Galata Bridge. The Altura was just what we were looking for. Offering panoramic, 360 views, this restaurant was a gem.

Excellent service and truly delicious food, we recommend you check them out.

Costs:

• Dinner (Two starters, two mains, soft drinks): £75

Looking for more romantic dining ideas? Check out more highly rated spots on Tripadvisor’s Best Rooftop Restaurants in Istanbul to book a table with a view. 

6.15pm – the mad dash back to Antalya

With our return flight scheduled for 8pm, we couldn’t risk taking a taxi as we were now in rush hour. Instead, we took the ferry from Eminönü back to Kadıköy, which took about 25 mins again. A short walk to Kadıköy Metro Station and then we jumped on the Metro (M4 Line) heading toward Sabiha Gökçen Airport. This journey was about 45 minutes. We were cutting it very fine to catch our flight, and the journey got our hearts pumping extra hard, but we made it!

On returning to Antalya, a taxi ride to our hotel was about 30 minutes. And that concludes our one day trip to Istanbul.

Costs:

• Taxi (Antalya Airport back to hotel): €26

In conclusion: is it worth it?

It was a packed day with probably an overly ambitious itinerary, but we truly feel that we experienced the real Istanbul. We had a magical day and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.

If you are staying in Antalya and want a change of scenery, jumping on a quick domestic flight is a thrilling way to see a completely different side of Türkiye. Just make sure to buy your attraction tickets in advance!

So, have we inspired you to take a day trip to Istanbul? Let us know in the comments below!

Planning your own Turkish adventure? Here are our top resources:

• Luggage & Daypacks: Keep your hands free during tight itineraries with these top-rated anti-theft travel daypacks on Amazon.
• Travel Insurance: Never travel without peace of mind, especially when taking regional flights. We protect our trips using Insure & Go.
• Staying Connected: We avoided roaming fees by downloading a digital eSIM before we left. Grab an affordable data plan via Airalo eSIMs.