While most visitors to Istanbul make a beeline for its ancient sites, the crowds in this Turkish city of roughly 16 million can sometimes begin to feel overwhelming. Yet even as you tour the metropolis’ highlights, you can take a break from the sightseeing throngs and get outdoors to wander the seaside, explore the city’s green spaces or sample local food at its source. Here’s how:
Take a breather in Gülhane Park
Escape from the Old City crowds with a quick stroll under the sycamore and cypress trees in this leafy urban green space. The 163-acre Gülhane Park is adjacent to the Topkapı Palace — the park was once a part of the royal grounds — and only a short walk from the neighborhood’s other top sights, including the Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet Mosque (more commonly known as the Blue Mosque). Established as a public park in 1912, the attraction’s gardens are awash with color in the spring and summer, when thousands of roses and tulips bloom.
Cruise to the Maiden’s Tower
You can choose among a variety of different cruises along the Bosphorus Strait, which separates Istanbul’s Asian and European sides. One worthwhile excursion, combining history with views of the area’s notable landmarks, brings you to Kız Kulesi (the Maiden’s Tower), which is set on an island between the two continents. The island itself was a customs point as early as the 5th century BC. A wooden defense tower was constructed here in the 1100s, which Sultan Mehmed replaced with a stone castle in the late 1400s.
After cruising to the stone tower, which reopened in 2023 after a lengthy restoration, you can climb to the top for vistas of both sides of the Strait, or take a break at the onsite café, for coffee with a city view. Several local companies offer Bosphorus cruises that visit the Maiden’s Tower, departing either from Karaköy on the European shore or Üsküdar on the Asian side.
Day trip to the Princes’ Islands
Istanbul residents escape the city to the Princes’ Islands, a string of nine isles in the Sea of Marmara where you can hike the forested hills, visit secluded churches and dine on fresh fish by the sea.
Five of the islands, known as Adalar in Turkish, are populated, and most visitors head for either Büyükada or Heybeliada, the two largest. On Büyükada, a scenic hiking destination is Aya Yorgi, a Greek Orthodox monastery also called the Church of St. George. While the church itself is small, the views from the hilltop around the place of worship spread out for miles.
The ferry trip to the Princes’ Islands is part of the fun, offering vistas of the city and the islands themselves. Once you dock, you’ll need to catch an electric bus or shuttle, rent a bike or walk, since the isles prohibit private cars. Just be prepared to trek up and down the many hills if you’re under your own power.
The islands do get crowded, especially on summer weekends. For a more relaxing outdoor adventure, schedule your visit midweek or outside the July-August peak season.
Walk the waterfront between the bridges
Several top hotels, including the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul and Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, sit along the waterfront on Istanbul’s European shore. While it might be hard to tear yourself away from these opulent accommodations, you can take a long walk heading north along the water here, between two of the Bosphorus-spanning bridges, for a deep dive into Istanbul’s daily life.
As you approach the seaside in Ortaköy, stop at one of the many food stalls for kumpir (enormous stuffed potatoes). You choose your own topping — options include cheese, pickles, olives, corn, peas and even “Russian salad,” a mayonnaise-based potato salad for the ultimate potato-on-potato experience. Further north, as you pass rows of boats docked along the Bosphorus, you can refuel with a Turkish coffee at any number of waterside cafés.
Just before you reach the city’s Second Bosphorus Bridge, visit an unusual art gallery in a brick tower. Located in a corporate office that houses a weekend-only art space, Borusan Contemporary hosts changing exhibitions that are among Istanbul’s most avant-garde. Wrap up your walk with a snack or drink in the gallery’s café overlooking the Bosphorus.
Immerse in village life at a women-owned cooperative
Get out of urban Istanbul entirely when you join a workshop in foraging, harvesting or cooking in the small village of Ovacık. In this community of about 100 residents an hour outside the city, you’ll not only learn about the region’s plants, fruits and other typical ingredients, but you’ll support a women-owned venture that’s sharing local food knowledge and serving tasty traditional meals.
You might start your day with a breakfast of freshly fried dough slathered with homemade berry jam, paired with firm feta cheese, before heading into the woods to hike or forage for mushrooms. Other activities include cooking classes, where you could bake sourdough bread or learn how to pickle or preserve local greens or fruits.
To book, contact Istanbul-based outfitter Hike’n Sail Travel, which has partnered with this community-based tourism venture, to coordinate all the arrangements and transportation for this one-of-a-kind escape from the city. The same company leads hiking excursions on the Princes’ Islands and cycling tours across Istanbul, providing even more unforgettable outdoor adventures.
