the New District --- walking tour of Istiklal Street, the main pedestrian drag of the city;

• You may extend your tour to also include the Golden Horn walk.

Pera, or the Istiklal Street area, was the first non-Moslem residential district of Istanbul that developed outside the Old Town back in the 19th century. This walk will give you a chance to look at cosmopolitan Istanbul and its people.

The walk begins at Taksim Square, city's transportation hub. We will walk the Istiklal Street all the way to Tunel, station of the 19th century subterranean train.

The street has an ongoing action all through the day, and night; art nouveau theatres, art galleries, pubs, cafés are frequented by locals. You can see all sorts of people on the streets, from yuppies to Istanbul ladies following the early 20th century vogue.

The walk covers the picturesque Fish Market, besides other attractions. We will also make a short detour to take a look at the impressive Orientalist painting collection at the Pera Museum.

tour duration: approximately 4 hours
walking: easy to moderate


Pera, or the Istiklal Street area, was the first non-Moslem residential district of Istanbul that developed outside the Old Town back in the 19th century. This walk will give you a chance to look at cosmopolitan Istanbul and its people.

The walk begins at Taksim Square, city's transportation hub. We will walk the Istiklal Street all the way to Tunel, station of the 19th century subterranean train.

The street has an ongoing action all through the day, and night; art nouveau theatres, art galleries, pubs, cafés are frequented by locals. You can see all sorts of people on the streets, from yuppies to Istanbul ladies following the early 20th century vogue.

The walk covers the picturesque Fish Market, besides other attractions. We will also make a short detour to take a look at the impressive Orientalist painting collection at the Pera Museum.

After a break, we will continue on to the Galata Bridge, with impressive views of the Old Town, the Horn, and the Bosphorus. We will walk to the renowned Spice Market that still has the ambience of a true oriental bazaar. After the orientation, we will take the lively back streets to Sirkeci Station, the last stop of the Orient Express.

tour duration: approximately 6 hours
walking: moderate

• entrance fees to sites and museums listed in the itinerary
• services of a certified SRM guide
• excludes lunch, and personal expenses

• half day tour; USD 100.- per person
• extended tour; USD 125.- per person
• %5 discount for readers of Rick Steves Istanbul book