A weekend in Istanbul: what to see in three days

Istanbul is the city closest to Sofia and the furthest from it in feeling. Three days are enough to fall for it — and to want to come back.

Day one: the old city

Sultanahmet brings Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome into one walk. Start early — the queues grow by the hour. In the afternoon the Cistern and the Grand Bazaar, the city’s oldest covered market.

Day two: along the Bosphorus

A boat along the strait passes palaces and waterside districts on two continents. In the evening Galata and Istiklal Street — for a stroll and sweets.

Day three: the Asian shore

Kadıköy and Üsküdar are quieter and more local: spice markets, cafés by the water and a sunset over the old city across the strait.

Tip: dress for the mosques — shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women.