Can I see Sultanahmet in one day, and in what order?

Yes, if you get the order right. The main sights sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, so the time you lose goes to queues rather than to walking.

Here is an order that works.

  • 09:00 Topkapi Palace. Arrive at opening, since tour groups turn up around 10:00.
  • 11:30 Hagia Sophia. Visitors enter through the upper gallery. On Friday it closes to visitors for a while around midday prayer, so move this stop to the morning that day.
  • 13:00 lunch.
  • 14:30 Blue Mosque. It closes to visitors during prayer.
  • 16:00 Basilica Cistern. Cool and shaded, which helps at the hardest hour of the day.
  • 17:30 Grand Bazaar. Crowds thin out near closing.

Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. Hours shift with the season and with religious holidays, so check the official sites before you set out.

How far is it from Hagia Sophia to the Blue Mosque, and how long are the queues?

The walk takes two or three minutes. Sultanahmet Square sits between them, so you are really just crossing a park.

Queues depend on the hour. Hagia Sophia moves fastest early in the morning and in the late afternoon, and slowest around midday. The Blue Mosque needs no ticket and entry is free, but it closes to visitors five times a day for prayer and stays closed to tourists on Friday until the early afternoon.

Shoulders and knees must be covered, women cover their hair, and shoes come off at the door. Scarves are handed out at the entrance.

When and where should I stop for lunch?

Eat between 12:30 and 13:30. That is when museum queues run longest and the sun is hardest, so sitting down indoors costs you nothing and saves you a wait.

Yerebatan Caddesi is a practical street to aim for. It runs between Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, a few minutes from the square. Sultan Grill House stands on that street, directly across from the cistern, open every day from 09:00 to 02:00. The kitchen is halal certified and the grill burns oak charcoal.

For something light, look at the soups and the meze, small cold starters meant for sharing. For a proper meal, kuzu şiş, skewered lamb, will carry you through the afternoon. If you are avoiding heat, look at the Urfa kebap instead of the Adana. Adana is the spicy version and Urfa is the same hand made kebab with the heat taken out.

Can I fit Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar into the same day?

You can, but do not put them back to back. Topkapi covers a lot of ground and two hours goes quickly. The Grand Bazaar asks for a different kind of energy.

Distances from Hagia Sophia.

  • Topkapi Palace gate, a few minutes on foot
  • Grand Bazaar, roughly 15 minutes straight along Divanyolu
  • Basilica Cistern, right at the edge of the square

Put Topkapi in the morning and the bazaar in the late afternoon, with lunch and the cistern in between. The bazaar closes on Sundays and on religious holidays, so pick your day accordingly. Last admission at the museums can fall an hour before closing, so confirm on the official site.

How do I get to Sultanahmet by tram?

Take the T1 line and get off at the Sultanahmet stop. The line runs between Kabataş and Bağcılar and passes Eminönü, Sirkeci and Beyazıt along the way. Coming from Taksim, the simplest route is the funicular down to Kabataş and then the tram.

Buy an Istanbulkart to pay. You buy the card once and top it up as you go, and it also works on the metro, the buses and the ferries. Fares change, so read the current rate posted at the stop.

The stop is on Divanyolu. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern all sit a few minutes’ walk away, so you will not need to ride again.

How should I end the day, and what time is dinner?

Aim for dinner between 19:00 and 20:30. The museums have closed, the square empties, the mosques are lit, and even in summer the heat only breaks around then.

The Basilica Cistern runs evening visits on a separate ticket. If that appeals, plan it either side of dinner. Walking around the square costs nothing and stays pleasant late into the night.

After a long day on your feet a slower table helps. Mixed grill comes in portions for two and for four, and the fish is bought daily. For dessert, künefe arrives hot, with unsalted cheese stretching between layers of shredded kadayıf pastry, and it works well with Turkish coffee.

Summer afternoons are the busiest hours in the square, so lean the day towards the morning and the early evening.