Kid-friendly Weekend in Istanbul (3-day itinerary)

I fell in love with Istanbul when I spent four months living there back in 2009. Since then, whenever I could, I brought my family to visit the city. Several times over the last 10 years, when flying from Europe to Indonesia, I choose longer layovers in Istanbul so we could spend a day in the city. Once we spent a day in Hagia Sophia, another time in the Basilica Cistern. Other times, we simply walked around, had lunch, and returned to the airport for our connecting flight.

This year, we finally decided to spend several days in Istanbul. Since it was in the middle of the school year, the kids skipped school on Friday, as we flew from Brussels on Thursday evening. Needless to say, after 10 years and traveling between continents, Turkish Airlines has become my kids' favourite airlines, so their journey already felt special from the moment we boarded the plane. 

Hagia Sophia

As a capital of four empires at different points in history - the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires - Istanbul is a city rich in history and monuments. This can make itinerary planning tricky when traveling with kids, as they may not want to visit too many historical sites or museums in one day. Luckily, Istanbul offers much more history, making it easy to combine cultural sights with activities that keep children engaged.

Public transport has been developed rapidly in recent years, so renting a car is unnecessary. Trams and the underground metro are easy to navigate and very practical. Although you can buy tickets from machines, it's not required - you can simply tap in with a contactless card. One ride costs 50 liras (around 1 euro). If taxis are your preference, Uber works very well throughout the city. 

Day 1: Relaxing Turkish Bath, Street Food, and the Historic Peninsula

Since we arrive on a very late flight on Thursday, I decided to start the next day with a special treat: a hammam, the traditional Turkish bath ritual. I took the girls to the beautiful Cagaloglu Hammam, which has been in service for over 300 years. Our ritual began with 15 minutes in the hot room, followed by 10 minutes of scrubbing and 20 minutes of massage in bubbles and foam, on a heated marble surface. We ended the experience with hot tea and Turkish delight, which the girls thoroughly enjoyed.

The lobby of Cagaloglu Hammam before we entered to the spa area

After the hammam, we wandered around the neighbourhood and sampled every street food we came across: roasted chestnuts and corn, simit (a sesame-crusted bread similar to a bagel) and borek. When we finally sat down for lunch, we enjoyed different kinds of kebabs followed by baklava for dessert - and of course, a second dessert of famous Turkish ice cream.

You can easily combine Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on the same day. Since we had visited Hagia Sophia before, we headed straight to the Blue Mosque after lunch. There is no entrance fee, but visitors must dress appropriately, as it is also an active place of worship - head coverings for women and no bare shoulders or shorts for both men and women. If you don't have a scarf, you can borrow one at the entrance. Officially called the Sultanahmet Mosque, izt it is better known as the Blue Mosque for its stunning blue iznik tiles.

Ceiling of the Blue Mosque

Directly across from the Blue Mosque stands Hagia Sophia, built in 537 BC as a church during the Eastern Roman Empire and later converted into a mosque then a museum. My personal favourite in the area is the Basilica Cistern, an extraordinary underground reservoir from the Eastern Roman period. Over 300 marble columns support the structure, including one featuring a carved Medusa head.

It's worth noting that the Historic Peninsula is located on the European side of the city. In the evening, we decided to head to the Asian side for dinner. You can get there by train or car/taxi via the underground tunnel beneath the Bosphorus Strait, or by crossing one of the bridges. 

Day 2: Bazaars, Beyoglu, and Bosphorus Boat Tour

After our street food indulgence on the first day, we dedicated second day to shopping. We started at the Spice Bazaar, knowing our younger daughter's love for spices and dried fruits. The bazaar is filled with rows of colourful stalls offering fragrant herbs, spices, teas and dried fruits. We sampled many things, and our daughters kept returning for more dried fruits. Our second stop was the Grand Bazaar, which is much larger and home for silk, carpets, teapots, lamps, and all kind of souvenirs. Be mindful of your surrounding - it has 22 gates, 4,000 shops, and countless alleys.

Dried fruits and tea blends at the Spice Bazaar

As we walked towards Galata Tower, we crossed the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn. Along the way, the kids enjoyed watching the local fishermen lining the bridge with buckets full of freshly caught fish, which are grilled beneath the bridge to make traditional fish sandwiches called balik ekmek.

Fishing men at the Galata Bridge

On the other side of the Golden Horn, Beyoglu is lively and full of bars and cafes. We started at the Galata Tower - nicknamed the Rapunzel tower by our kids - which has an observation deck offering incredible panoramic views. From there, we climbed uphill, admired the Art Nouveau Kamondo staircase, and walked along Istiklal Street with its European-style architecture. If you don't feel like walking the entire 3 km, you can ride the famous historic red tram from Galata Tower to Taksim Square. 

In the evening, we enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus, spending a couple of hours watching the sunset and admiring the city's skyline from the water. 

The view of Beyoglu, from Eminonu where we boarded our boat

Dolmabahce Palace from our boat

Day 3: Tour the Palaces

Although Topkapi Palace is located just behind Hagia Sophia, I chose to dedicate a full day to it. Visiting too many museums and palaces in one day can be exhausting for kids. After breakfast, we headed to Topkapi and bought tickets at the entrance. Of its vast collection, our kids especially loved the Imperial Wardrobe, which displays ceremonial garments and textiles made of silk, fur, and velvets. The jewel treasury was also impressive, though the section housing the sacred relics felt too crowded and overwhelming for the girls. We spent several hours exploring the palace, courtyards, and gardens before having lunch and calling it a day. 

The garment collection

The view from the Palace

If you have extra time and energy, consider visiting Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus waterfront. With hundreds of rooms, lavish baths, and luxurious interior, it's another impressive stop.

All in all, three days are definitely too short for Istanbul. Still, given our limited time, we managed to fit in a lot and had a wonderful experience. If you can stay for a full week, I'd highly recommend taking a ferry to the the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara - an archipelago of nine islands completely closed to traffic.