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Istanbul · Mixed

From the Blue Mosque to Galata Tower

This route crosses the historic peninsula from hill to hill and then heads over to the far side of the Golden Horn. It starts at the Blue Mosque, gets lost in the lanes of the Grand Bazaar, climbs to Sinan's masterpiece, breathes in the spices of Eminönü and, after crossing the Galata Bridge, ends at the foot of the Genoese tower.

  • 6 stops
  • 3.9 km
  • 2 h 30 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The stone Galata Tower, with its gallery of windows and conical roof

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 The Blue MosqueSix minarets, more than twenty thousand tiles and the ambition of a twenty-year-old sultan.
  2. 2 The Grand BazaarMore than sixty covered streets and thousands of shops: the market Mehmed II founded after the conquest is still haggling.
  3. 3 The Süleymaniye MosqueSinan's masterpiece crowns Istanbul's third hill and holds the tombs of Suleiman, Hürrem and the architect himself.
  4. 4 The Spice BazaarA market paid for with Egypt's taxes, still smelling of cumin, coffee and pistachio three and a half centuries on.
  5. 5 The Galata BridgeAnglers above, restaurants below, and a Leonardo da Vinci design that was never built.
  6. 6 Galata TowerA Genoese tower from 1348, an Ottoman fire lookout and the setting for a legendary flight over the Bosphorus.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From the Blue Mosque to Galata Tower

Three imperial mosques

The Blue Mosque, the Süleymaniye and the New Mosque, each with its own story.

Centuries-old bazaars

The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, where trading has gone on for centuries.

Across the Golden Horn

Walk over the water and climb up to Galata Tower, with the best view of the old city.

Keep exploring

More routes in Istanbul

Back to Istanbul
HistoryFrom Byzantium to the Sublime Porte: fifteen centuries of power Mysteries & legendsTalismans, Medusas and weeping columns