Istanbul self-guided walking tour: Sultanahmet to Taksim
Cross the heart of Istanbul on foot, from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia over the Golden Horn to Galata Tower and the length of Istiklal Avenue. Watch the whole route in 4K first, then walk it yourself, stop by stop.
- Distance
- About 5.6 km3.5 miles, on foot
- Time
- 3 to 4 hoursabout 70 min of walking
- Start
- Sultanahmet SquareSultanahmet tram stop, T1
- Finish
- Taksim SquareTaksim Metro, M2
Press play to start at stop 1, or pick any stop below.
Video by European Walking Tours on YouTube
This route follows one continuous walk filmed in July, from Sultanahmet to Taksim. Each stop opens the video where the camera reaches it.
The route, stop by stop
- 1
Sultanahmet Square
Start in the park between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, the two great domes of the old city facing each other across a fountain.
The Blue Mosque is a working mosque: it closes to visitors at prayer times, and shoulders and knees should be covered.
↓ About 4 min walk (360 m) to Hagia Sophia
- 2
Hagia Sophia
Built as a church nearly fifteen hundred years ago and now a mosque again, its huge dome still dominates the skyline of the old city.
Foreign visitors enter on a ticket to the upper gallery; go early to avoid the longest lines.
↓ About 8 min walk (620 m) to Gülhane Park
- 3
Gülhane Park
Walk down past the walls of Topkapı Palace into the old palace gardens, a shady green break with tall plane trees.
↓ About 15 min walk (1.2 km) to Spice Bazaar
- 4
Spice Bazaar
Past the old Sirkeci railway station, the vaulted Spice Bazaar is full of dried fruit, Turkish delight, tea and spices, with the New Mosque in front of it.
↓ About 7 min walk (560 m) to Galata Bridge
- 5
Galata Bridge
Cross the Golden Horn on foot, past the anglers on the bridge and the ferries coming and going below.
Look back from the middle of the bridge for the classic view of the old city's mosques.
↓ About 8 min walk (610 m) to Kamondo Stairs
- 6
Kamondo Stairs
On the Karaköy side, climb the elegant curving stairway built in the late 1800s, one of the most photographed corners of the city.
↓ About 2 min walk (170 m) to Galata Tower
- 7
Galata Tower
The medieval stone tower at the top of the hill, ringed by small streets of cafés and shops.
Going up the tower is ticketed; the square around it is free and lively all day.
↓ About 15 min walk (1.2 km) to Istiklal Avenue
- 8
Istiklal Avenue
The long pedestrian avenue of Beyoğlu, lined with nineteenth-century buildings, passages and churches, with the red tram rolling up the middle.
↓ About 11 min walk (870 m) to Taksim Square
- 9
Taksim Square
Finish at the big open square at the top of the avenue, with the Republic Monument and the Taksim Mosque.
About this walk
Most visitors see the old city and Beyoğlu on different days and travel between them by tram. Walking it in one go shows how close they really are, and the Galata Bridge crossing, with ferries below and mosques behind you, is one of the great city walks of the world.
The route follows a single walk filmed on a July midday, so each stop opens the video at the moment the camera arrives. The only real climb is from the bridge up to Galata Tower.
Good to know
Is this walk free?
Yes, the whole route is free to walk. Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower and Topkapı Palace (beside Gülhane Park) charge foreign visitors for entry.
How hard is it?
Mostly gentle, with one steady climb from the Golden Horn up to Galata Tower. If you prefer, the short Tünel funicular from Karaköy goes up the hill.
Can I walk it the other way?
Yes, and it is downhill most of the way: start at Taksim, walk down Istiklal to Galata Tower, cross the bridge and finish at the mosques of Sultanahmet.
Distances and walking times are approximate. Check opening days and any booking requirements before you go.
Watch the full walk with its key moments on the video page.
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