City of Sultans: Istanbul Independently (Self-Launched, 4 Days)
4 days · Istanbul, Turkey
On The Go Tours charges £780
No-markup version: ~£215 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' 4-day "City of Sultans" Istanbul city break — same highlights (Sultanahmet's imperial monuments, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, a Bosphorus cruise and Beylerbeyi Palace), but booked piecemeal by you. Base yourself in a Sultanahmet or Karaköy hostel/guesthouse instead of a 4-star hotel, use Istanbulkart on trams and ferries rather than a private coach, and book a small-group Old City walking tour plus a public Bosphorus ferry instead of a fully guided package. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Istanbul — settle into Sultanahmet
Istanbul (Sultanahmet)
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). From IST take the Havaist bus to Sultanahmet/Aksaray (~£3-4, 60-90 min) or the M11 metro + Marmaray combination; from SAW the Havabüs to Kadıköy then ferry across, or the E-10/E-11 bus. Buy an Istanbulkart at the airport kiosk (~£2 card deposit, top up as you go) — it covers trams, metro, ferries and buses at a big discount versus single tickets. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Karaköy (£15-25/night dorm or budget double). Spend the late afternoon on a gentle orientation walk: Hippodrome Square, the outer courtyards of the Blue Mosque, and Gülhane Park. Eat dinner at a meyhane or esnaf lokantası (worker's canteen) in Sirkeci or Kumkapı — a full plate of kebab or fish with sides for £8-12.
🚌Airport Havaist/Havabüs bus ~£3-4 each way; Istanbulkart for trams ~£0.60 per ride
🛏Hostel or family-run guesthouse in Sultanahmet/Karaköy (dorm £15-20, private double £25-35)
- →Buy Istanbulkart and top up
- →Orientation walk: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque exterior, Gülhane Park
- →Dinner in Sirkeci or Kumkapı
Imperial Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Topkapı Palace
Istanbul (Sultanahmet)
Do the Old City on foot — everything is within 15 minutes of each other. Start early (8:30am) at the Blue Mosque (free, but dress modestly and cover hair; closed to visitors during prayer times). Then Hagia Sophia — entry is charged for foreign visitors and prices change often, budget ~£22-25 and buy the ticket at the gate or via the official site; go at opening to beat the queues. Cross to Topkapı Palace (~£35-40 with the Harem, book a timed slot on the official Milli Saraylar site — pre-booking genuinely skips the ticket queue). Have lunch at a lokanta near Eminönü (£5-8). Afternoon: dive into the Grand Bazaar and the surrounding hans (caravanserais) — free to wander, and the Beş Büyük Cami area gives you a quieter bazaar experience. Optionally add a 2-3 hour small-group Old City walking tour from GetYourGuide (~£25-35) if you want the historical context a guide provides. Sunset from the roof of a Karaköy café or the Galata Bridge with a £1 simit and çay.
🚌Entirely on foot within Sultanahmet; T1 tram if you want to hop between Eminönü and Beyazıt (~£0.60)
🛏Hostel or family-run guesthouse in Sultanahmet/Karaköy
- →Blue Mosque (free)
- →Hagia Sophia (~£22-25)
- →Topkapı Palace + Harem (~£35-40)
- →Grand Bazaar & hans (free)
- →Optional GetYourGuide Old City small-group walking tour (~£30)
- →Sunset at Galata Bridge
Spice Market, public Bosphorus ferry & Beylerbeyi Palace
Istanbul (Eminönü, Bosphorus, Üsküdar)
Walk or tram to the Egyptian (Spice) Market in Eminönü — free to enter, and the best cheap breakfast is a balık ekmek (fish sandwich, ~£2.50) on the waterfront. From Eminönü pier take the public Şehir Hatları Bosphorus commuter ferry towards Anadolu Kavağı (roughly £2-3 with Istanbulkart, ~1.5-2 hrs each way) — this is the exact same strait the tour boats cruise, for a fraction of the cost, with locals on board. Hop off at Beylerbeyi pier and visit Beylerbeyi Palace (~£8-10, closed Mondays and Thursdays). Alternatively take the shorter Çengelköy or Kanlıca stop for yoghurt and a stroll. Return by ferry to Eminönü, then cross to Üsküdar for the Büyük Çamlıca viewpoint — reach it by the Çamlıca Hill minibus or a short taxi (~£4-5) for panoramic city views at sunset. Dinner back in Karaköy or Kadıköy (£8-12); Kadıköy's market streets are the best value food in the city.
🚌Şehir Hatları public ferry ~£2-3 each way with Istanbulkart; minibus/taxi to Çamlıca ~£4-5
🛏Hostel or family-run guesthouse in Sultanahmet/Karaköy
- →Egyptian Spice Market (free)
- →Public Bosphorus commuter ferry
- →Beylerbeyi Palace (~£8-10)
- →Büyük Çamlıca viewpoint
- →Kadıköy food streets
Last morning — Balat, Fener & departure
Istanbul (Balat/Fener)
Check out and leave bags at the hostel. Morning wander through Balat and Fener — the colourful Ottoman-Greek houses, the Iron Church (Bulgarian St Stephen), and the Kariye area — free and far less crowded than Sultanahmet. Coffee and a full Turkish breakfast in a Balat café (£6-9). If time allows, add the Basilica Cistern (~£15-18) or the Archaeological Museums near Gülhane. Then take the T1 tram + Marmaray or the Havaist bus back to the airport (allow 2 hours from Sultanahmet to IST). If you prefer a fixed departure transfer, a shared shuttle booked via GetYourGuide/Klook runs ~£8-15 per person versus the operator's private transfer add-on.
🚌Tram + Marmaray or Havaist bus to airport ~£3-4; shared shuttle transfer ~£8-15
🛏None (departure day) — hostel luggage storage
- →Balat & Fener neighbourhood walk (free)
- →Turkish breakfast in Balat
- →Optional Basilica Cistern (~£16)
- →Optional Archaeological Museums
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£215 | £780 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £565 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£215
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does City of Sultans: Istanbul Independently (Self-Launched, 4 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £215 per person for 4 days in Istanbul, Turkey. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £780 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £215 — a saving of roughly £565 (72%) per person.
How long is the Istanbul, Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Istanbul, Turkey.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Istanbul, Turkey, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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