Street in Istanbul
Istiklal Avenue is Istanbul’s main pedestrian boulevard, running from Taksim Square to the Galata Tower end, with a nostalgic red tram rattling down its center. Free to walk. The avenue is lined with bookshops, record stores, churches, consulates, and cheap restaurants on the side streets. Budget travelers walk the full 1.4 kilometers and find that the side alleys (especially around Nevizade Street) have the cheapest food and the best atmosphere.
On foot
Free and low-cost routes that stop at Istiklal Avenue.
The Bosphorus Shoreline Walk follows the European waterfront from the Ortakoy neighborhood toward Bebek, passing Ottoman-era wooden mansions, waterfront cafes, and views across to the Asian shore. Free and one of the best self-guided walks in Istanbul.
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Balat is a historic neighborhood on the Golden Horn, the former Jewish and Greek quarter of Istanbul, now a colorful district of painted houses, antique shops, cafes in converted warehouses, and the Chora Church nearby. Free to walk.
The Basilica Cistern is a vast underground water storage chamber from the 6th century, supported by 336 marble columns in atmospheric low lighting. Entry costs a modest fee.
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is free to enter and famous for over 20,000 handmade Iznik tiles covering the interior. Visitors enter outside of prayer times through a side entrance.
The cheapest way to "cruise" the Bosphorus is the public commuter ferry that runs between the European and Asian sides. A crossing from Eminonu to Kadikoy or Uskudar costs the same as a bus ride (a few lira with an Istanbulkart).
The Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) is a Byzantine church in the city walls district, famous for its 14th-century mosaics and frescoes that are considered among the finest surviving examples of Byzantine art. Entry conditions vary (it has alternated between museum and mosque status).
Ciragan Palace is a 19th-century Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus waterfront between Ortakoy and Besiktas, now operating as a luxury hotel. Free to view from the outside and the Bosphorus shoreline walk.
Working out what Istanbul costs?
The whole of Istanbul