The Best 7-Day Istanbul Itinerary, According To This Beautiful New Guidebook

Over the last five years, Istanbul has been the one place I’ve found myself going back to over and over again. For the culture, the beautiful scenery, the food, and I can’t forget the people.

One of which is Sinan Sökmen. His company, Istanbul Tour Studio, is the reason I’ve experienced so many different sides to the Imperial city, and one of the driving reasons why I continue to return.

It’s because of him I’ve found myself rowing the calm waters of the Golden Horn in the early morning hours before rubbing elbows with hardworking locals far away from the breakfast spots overrun by tourists. Why I’ve discovered the wooden Ottoman mansions and fallen in love with the fishing village of Arnavutköy. And how I learned to always – and I mean always – trust the waiters at Zübeyir Ocakbaşı. Basically, I wouldn’t have seen or eaten half of what I have in Istanbul without his expert help and local knowledge.

And now, in collaboration with Turkey’s leading editor and travel journalist, Seda Domaniç, travelers can experience the same on their own thanks to the beautiful new guidebook, Monday to Sunday Istanbul.

Under Domanic’s direction as Editor in Chief, and with Sökmen as Curator, the duo has also enlisted the help of international travel writers, gifted photographers, and a creative direction team that strives to provide a fresh angle to a city that is thousands of years old to share more than 110 uniquely curated experiences in Istanbul.

Monday to Sunday Istanbul offers a beautifully curated look into Istanbul, breaking down the city into seven carefully selected itineraries for each day of the week, perfectly matched with the specific time of day.

For a city that’s been written about and covered by guidebooks and travel publications to death (guilty as charged), it’s a refreshing new look at the city not just through their eyes, but also through the eyes of the chefs, artists, documentary makers, academics, designers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and architects who live and work there.

It’s through these interviews and paired with seven days of immersion into the culture, history, art, design, and gastronomy of Istanbul that the real taste and soul of the city is felt, even through the pages.

Find your footing in the sights, smells, and sounds of the ‘The Imperial City’ and Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and the Golden Horn on Monday.

Glide down the ‘Glamorous Bosphorus’ alongside ferries, fishing boats, and luxury yachts on Tuesday.

Take a walk on ‘The Asian Side’ and embrace the lively street culture of Kadıköy and its cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and galleries on Wednesday.

Set your heart free on the ‘The Princes’ Islands’ and indulge in live music, caviar, and dancing on Thursday.

Sooth your soul with the ‘Art, Antiques and Activism in Beyoglu,’ the beating heart of Istanbul’s cultural life and home to the city’s thriving art scene, on Friday.

Step ‘Inside the City’s Creative Heart’ and wander along the backstreets and between the old neoclassical apartment buildings in Nisantasi and Bomonti, taking in the grand entryways and façades, on Saturday.

And, finally, wind down as you look ‘Toward the Black Sea’ and a day of escape from the hustle and bustle of central Istanbul as you find safe haven in the neighborhoods of Yeniköy, Sarıyer, and Kilyos on Sunday.

Monday to Sunday Istanbul can be found in bookstores across Istanbul or ordered online here.