Hidden Gems walks in Istanbul
3 of the Istanbul walks are about hidden gems.
- 25 walks
- 281 places with a written story
- 25 km of routes in total
- 0.1-5.3 hours per walk
- written in EN, RU, AR, DE, TR, ES
- last walk added 2026-10-17
Walks in Istanbul
Galata ve Pera: Köprüden İstiklal'e İstanbul'un Saklı Hikâyeleri
Karaköy'ün yeraltı camisinden Kamondo Merdivenleri'ne, Galata Kulesi'nden Pera Palas'a ve Çiçek Pasajı'na: Cenevizlilerin, bankerlerin, dervişlerin ve sürgünlerin İstanbul'u
Across the Golden Horn: Hidden Galata and Pera, Istanbul
From the fishermen on the Galata Bridge to an underground mosque, a Gothic church turned minaret, the Kamondo Steps, the Genoese tower, the whirling dervishes, the world's second-oldest underground line and the grand hotels of old Pera
Galata und Pera: Verborgene Treppen, Derwische und deutsche Exilanten in Istanbul
Von der Galatabrücke hinauf zur İstiklal Caddesi: eine gotische Moschee, die Kamondo-Treppe, der Galataturm, der Tünel von 1875 und der Mann mit den Schildkröten
Can I do these walks during prayer times?
The routes pass mosques rather than entering them, so the walk itself is unaffected. If you plan to go inside, mosques close to visitors during the five daily prayers and for longer on Fridays; times shift through the year. The stories work from outside, and the stop tells you what you are looking at whether or not the door is open.
How much walking is involved?
Not much, by distance — these are the shortest routes per stop on the site, often under a kilometre between the first stop and the last. Most of the time goes on standing still and listening. That makes them practical in summer heat and awkward in a crowd, so an early start in the bazaar district is worth more here than on any other walk.
Are the walks available in Turkish?
Not yet — all three Istanbul walks are in English. Place names, addresses and opening hours are in their local form regardless of the story's language, because those come from Google Maps rather than from the text. If you would like an Istanbul walk in another language, creating one takes a sentence describing the route you want.
How much does it cost?
The first story of every walk is free, and the written text of every story stays free for everyone permanently. Paying writes the rest of one walk's stories, from £4.99, after which those stories are free for the next person too. Nothing to install, no account required — the walk is tied to the browser you made it in.