rick steves istanbul walking tour

Historic core of Istanbul walking tour inspired by Rick Steves

If you only have a few days in Istanbul, or even one, and wondering what to do, then the historic core walk is your best bet. Sultanahmet, the center of old Istanbul, is home to many of Istanbul’s must see sites including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and the Hippodrome.

The walk begins at the park between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia not far from the Sultanahmet tram stop. You are now standing in the heart of the…

Table of Contents

Sultanahmet District

At the center of the historic core of Istanbul is the Sultanahmet District. The old town of the city was built on seven hills. Sultanahmet is located on the first hill.

The city of Byzantium was founded here by Greek settlers. The city was prized for its strategic location, which was surrounded by water on three sides.

Today, Sultanahmet is popular with tourists who flock here for many world class sites including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Hippodrome. If you are hungry for some great Turkish food, then stop by one of the many restaurants found in the area.

To get a sense of the area, walk to Sultanahmet Park between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Once you are at the park, take a seat at one of the benches. From here, you can take in all the sights, sounds, and people. The views of Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia from this spot are stunning. This area is usually busy with locals, tourists, dogs, and cats at all hours of the day.

From the water fountain at Sultanahmet Park, cross the small road and enter the beautiful…

Hagia Sophia

Even with the current construction going on, the Hagia Sophia is by far one of the most amazing, beautiful, and historic buildings in the world. Over the years, Hagia Sophia has changed from a church, to a mosque, to a museum.

Hagia Sophia was built in 532 during the Golden Age of Emperor Justinian. It took over 5,000 workers and five years to complete the structure, which at the time seemed impossible. The magnificent building, and the giant dome, are without a doubt the greatest architectural achievements of the Byzantine Empire.

For over 900 years, the church also known as Megalo Ekklesia (Great Church), served as the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.

It was not until 1453 that the church fell to the Ottomans and Sultan Mehmet. Impressed with the beauty of the building, Mehmet converted the church into a mosque. The church was converted into a mosque the day Constantinople fell.

For over 500 years, the mosque was the most important in Istanbul. Much of what you see today is from when Hagia Sophia was used as a mosque. Most of the decorations that decorated the church were removed.

In 1934, the mosque was converted into a museum.

Words cannot describe how small I felt the first time I walked inside Hagia Sophia. Even my camera could not take in all the beauty of the building which is truly a marvel of man’s ingenuity. To this day, the well preserved Hagia Sophia remains a reminder of the history of the city from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire.

When you exit the Hagia Sophia, make an immediate right. Cross the first street (watch out for trams) and continue to reach the red and white striped entrance on the left to the…

Underground Basilica Cistern

If you are afraid of the dark, then the underground Basilica Cistern might not be the best place for you to visit. Those who are not afraid of the dark, or getting a little bit wet, will be rewarded with a unique and dark experience underneath the city of Istanbul.

After you buy your ticket, carefully walk down the slippery stairs into the cistern.

This vast dark and damp underground reservoir dates back to the sixth century Byzantine Empire during the rule of Emperor Justinian. The cistern gets it name from the basilica that once stood at this location years before.

During the rule of Justinian, the empire and Constantinople enjoyed a Golden Age. With Constantinople growing so fast, the demand for water increased. The cistern, the largest reservoir in the city at the time, was built to keep up with this demand. The reservoir can hold about 27 million gallons of fresh water.

The columns you see in front of you, 336 in total, are used to support the brick ceiling above. Many of these columns were recycled from Roman ruins.

Thanks to a walkway, you can walk around almost the entire reservoir. Before the walkway and lights were built, the cistern was pitch black and could only be accessed by boat. Watch out for dripping water as you work your way around.

From the exit of the cistern, make a right and retrace your steps back to Sultanahmet Park. On the opposite side of the park is the towering…

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)

When you think of Istanbul, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the Blue Mosque , also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. This mosque is quite possibly one of the most famous and beautiful mosques in the entire world.

When I first arrived in Istanbul, I took the tram from the airport to the Sultanahmet. Immediately exiting the tram station, I was a little disoriented and lost. As I crossed the street, there it was, the Blue Mosque. I stood there for a moment and stared in disbelief about how big and magnificent the mosque was, especially when it was lit up at night.

The mosque was built in only seven years from 1609 to 1616. Though mosques only required one minaret for the imam (prayer leader), the Blue Mosque was built with six. The affluent sultan built six minarets to show off his wealth.

If you are a tourist, you will have to enter the mosque to the right of the inner courtyard during visiting hours. The visiting hours of the Blue Mosque are 8:30am to 11:30am, 1:00pm to 3:00pm, and 4:00pm to 5:00pm. There is usually a line of tourists waiting to enter, but the line usually moves fairly quickly. It is free to enter the mosque.

If you wish to enter the mosque, it is recommended that you dress modestly. It is requested that you do not wear shorts that show your knees and that women cover their shoulders and head with a scarf (you can bring your own or borrow one at the entrance). Everyone who enters must remove their shoes as the floors are carpet.

When you walk inside, take a moment to take admire the beauty of the interior including all the handmade ceramic blue tiles. You will now understand why they call it the Blue Mosque. The massive dome above you, modeled after the one at Hagia Sophia, is 141 feet high and 110 feet in diameter. If you look to the corners of the structure, you will notice four giant marble pillars. These pillars support most of the weight of the building and allow for the many domes and the vast indoor space of the mosque.

Most of the prayers are done in Arabic. If you arrive at the right time, you might be able to hear the imam speaking in English or catch him taking to tourists who have questions about Islam or the mosque.

Once you exit the mosque, walk back to the inner courtyard. Walk through the main exit of the inner courtyard into the…

The long and narrow open space of the Hippodrome was once used for chariot races during the time of Constantinople. It was also here where citizens gathered (and were sometimes slaughtered) during for disputes, clashes, and uprisings.

Dating back to the 4th century, the Hippodrome was the site of many chariot races. Over 100,000 spectators would congregate here to cheer on their favorite chariot riders. Between races, the spectators were entertained by cheerleaders, musicians, and even animals.

After the chariot races went out of vogue, the square was converted into a rock quarry. Over time, the once grand racetrack fell into ruins. When the Ottomans arrived, the area was used for horseback and archery training. Over the years, the area was once again neglected. Dirt from construction sites was often dumped here. Today, the ground level of the Hippodrome is higher than during the Byzantine Empire.

As you walk around the Hippodrome, you will notice monuments from all over the world including the Egyptian Obelisk, the Column of Constantine, the Column of the Serpent, and the German Fountain. If you look closely at the base of each monument, you can see the original ground level of the Hippodrome before it was covered in dirt.

This completes the historic core of Istanbul walking tour.

Last Updated on March 30, 2024

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Rick Steves: Istanbul’s old soul lives on in the Grand Bazaar

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Dodging four men pushing a cart full of honeydew melons, I step out of the noisy traffic of Istanbul, pass through the horseshoe-arched door, and trade one commotion for another. Suddenly the air — heated by millions of watts of electric bulbs — is several degrees warmer. Like carnivorous flowers, merchants seduce from glittering shops. They say “Welcome to the Grand Bazaar.”

This labyrinthine warren of shops is called Kapalı Çarşı, literally “Covered Market.” While much of the bazaar is overrun with international visitors, it still has virtually tourist-free nooks and crannies that offer an insightful glimpse into the “real” Istanbul.

In its heyday, this was the “world trade centre” for the entire Ottoman Empire — locked down and guarded by more than a hundred soldiers every night. The Grand Bazaar remained Turkey’s commercial hub through the 1950s, its 4,000 shops bursting with both practical and exotic wares.

But then the Grand Bazaar was discovered by travellers seeking the ultimate “Oriental market” experience. Prodded by shopaholic tourists with fat wallets, prices and rents skyrocketed, and soon small shopkeepers and manufacturers were shoved to the fringes of the market, crowded out by souvenir and carpet shops.

The main drag is “Hatmakers’ Street” (Kalpakçılar Caddesi). Historically each street, alley, or corner of the bazaar was dedicated to a particular craft or item. They still bear those names — even if hat racks are replaced by jewelry showcases.

The many jewelry shops are a reminder that Turks love gold, not because they’re vain or greedy, but because they’re practical. Since their local currency has a tendency to devalue, people prefer to invest in something more tangible. Traditionally, Turks celebrating special occasions — such as a wedding or a circumcision — receive gold as a gift. In fact, in the most traditional corners of Turkey, the groom’s family still must present the bride’s family with gold bracelets before the couple can marry.

Because all this gold is used primarily as an investment tool, and only secondarily as an accessory, it’s most commonly sold in the form of simple 22-carat bracelets (24-carat is too soft to wear). If you see a woman whose arm is lined with these bracelets, she’s not making a fashion statement — she’s wearing her family’s savings on her sleeve … literally.

The Grand Bazaar is made up of a series of bedestens — commercial complexes of related shops. The Sandal Bedesten, one of the oldest, dates from the late 15th century. Over time, the bazaar grew organically — with new bedestens sporadically sprouting up, each one devoted to a particular trade or item. For the convenience of both the shopkeeper and the customer, shops dealing with similar items clustered together.

Surprises await in the low-rent fringes of the market. Hearing a commotion of shouting, I venture into a cluster of alleys packed with boisterous men hollering into cell phones and waving their arms. This is a poor man’s Wall Street, with currency brokers frantically swapping fortunes of euros, dollars, and Turkish lira.

Walking farther, I enter the “Master of All Eunuchs Alley” (Kızlarağası Han), which led to a humble courtyard where sooty smiths labour before furnaces, melting gold shavings and silver fragments from other workshops into a more useable form.

Ayhan, one of the goldsmiths here, welcomes me into his charred little world, proud to let me watch him work. His fire made his shop almost unbearably hot, and then he tosses in some white powder, making it even hotter. Within moments, a tiny shovel of gold fragments is melted, poured, cooled, and a tidy little brick of gold is placed with a smile into my hand. Giving it back, I compliment Ayhan with one of my only Turkish phrases: çok güzel (very beautiful).

Ayhan belongs to a dying breed. Today most goldwork is done in large factories outside the city. But locals believe the Grand Bazaar needs both shops and workshops to be successful. If a product isn’t perfect, the shopkeeper can send it to his workshop for an adjustment. And if workshops like Ayhan’s are forced out by high rents and replaced with more “Made in Taiwan” gift shops, the Grand Bazaar will eventually become a shopping mall only for tourists.

Ayhan steps out of the heat and joins me for tea at a teahouse table across the Master of All Eunuchs Alley. The dainty hour-glass shaped tea glass accentuates the roughness of his goldsmith’s hand. The backgammon board — inlaid, with its softer wood worn below its harder wood — smells like tea and tobacco. The dots on the dice don’t quite line up. Tossing them, I’m thankful the soul of old Istanbul survives. You can find it in the back streets of the Grand Bazaar.

This article is used with the permission of Rick Steves’ Europe . Rick Steves writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours.

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Out of Istanbul

I’m done filming the last three TV shows of our new series (Denmark, Copenhagen, and Istanbul). Tomorrow my producer Simon flies home with the precious tapes. I just gave Simon my second bag (with my printer and extra wardrobe in it), getting me down to my usual light load. I’m heading for the airport — within a couple hours, I’ll be deep into Amsterdam guidebook research.

Driving along the coast in the taxi to the airport, I scan the Bosphorus. A hundred freighters fill the sea — a commotion of ships that reminds me of the force of the D-Day landings. Each is filled with cargo for thriving economies. Many are escorted by tough little tugs. One by one, they enter this maritime bottleneck, fueling this city of 15 million.

In the middle of the strait is a construction site — an industrial-strength pontoon island with heavy machinery digging down, and then out. Istanbul is well on its way to constructing its Bosphorus tunnel. I trace the city’s horizon, from the misty minarets spiking up from the old town, to a distant skyline of modern suburbs where tourists never venture — a forest of modern skyscrapers in league with Shanghai’s.

Yesterday we needed a better spot for our show’s opening shots. We had a reasonable one from the Galata Bridge, but it showed charming old fishermen and tour boats. Instead, I wanted to somehow capture the historic crossroads and contemporary might of this city.

Site selection had led to frustration. Mentally scanning all possible angles, it hit me: We needed a high-wide shot, almost an aerial, showing the freighter-filled Bosphorus just where it’s met by the Golden Horn inlet, with the teeming Galata Bridge, lumbering commuter ferries churning up the port, and a huge nondescript mosque in the foreground (we didn’t want to show the city’s icons — the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia — so early in the show).

We went to the spot I envisioned (above the “New Mosque,” near the famous Spice Market) and surveyed the zone. We spotted a restaurant with a shaded roof terrace, and went to check it out. It was perfect…except that as I spoke into the camera, there was no necessary sun on me. Next door, however, we noticed a toy company with offices that had a small open terrace. It was exactly what we needed. They welcomed us onto their roof and brought us tea. Grabbing a calm moment between the gusts, I gave my lines:

“Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities, period. For thousands of years, this point where East meets West has been the crossroads of civilizations. Few places on Earth have seen more history than this sprawling metropolis on the Bosphorus.”

Then we taxied to Ortaköy, a trendy café scene at the edge of town — too far away for tourists. It sits in the shadow of a Baroque mosque and one of the mighty modern bridges that cross the Bosphorus, lacing Asia and Europe together.

I wanted to get more interaction on camera between me and the locals, and this was perfect — a gang of four charming young Turks joined me to pass around a hookah (big water pipe), sip chai, and play backgammon. Backgammon is the perfect way to create a jolly conviviality with new friends. At the neighboring table, we filmed two sisters — one secular and the other wearing a colorful but conservative Muslim head scarf — chatting as they passed the mouthpiece of their big water pipe. (I hoped this might make both a big water pipe and a scarved Muslim woman less scary to the more insular of my American viewers.)

Then, with the sun low and the chop of the Bosphorus carbonating the scene, I stepped out onto the ferry landing to film the closing shots of the show. The frilly mosque cut the harsh diagonal created by the mighty bridge reached for Asia. Just as a ship entered the frame, I looked into the lens and said:

“Like its bridge, Istanbul brings East and West together. With a complex weave of modern affluence, Western secularism, and traditional Muslim faith, it’s a dynamic and stimulating city, well worth a visit. Thanks for joining us. I’m Rick Steves. Until next time…keep on travelin’.”

Reaching the airport, I tip the taxi — selfishly holding back just enough local lira for a coffee. Enjoying a rare break with my iPod, I listen to Amy Winehouse (“They wanna make me go to Europe, I say yes…yes…yes”) while drifting through all the lines, immersed in the sea of people traveling. An old woman weeps as the security line slowly swallows up her son, with a reaching grandson in his arms. Water and shoes are okay to take through security here — but my watch and belt need to come off. With a thump, my passport is stamped.

In the terminal, I see the big green welcome of a Starbucks, and feel thankful that I no longer have to choose either Turkish coffee or Nescafé. I have 6.05 Turkish lire. A grande latte costs 6.25 (nearly $5). I beg. The Turkish barista says, “No problem.” I’m so happy — the frugal traveler is triumphant, leaving the country with exactly no local currency.

Nursing a good American latte, head buried in my Amsterdam book, I transcribe feedback notes into my work copy of the guidebook. Thinking back, I’m amazed how out of Turkey I already am — ready for the Netherlands.

8 Replies to “Out of Istanbul”

Ha on the coffee…I’ve been living in Bavaria for the past month and my wife was dying for Starbucks (we moved from Olympia, WA). So I programmed the 3 Starsbucks locations into the GPS, drove an hour to Nuremberg, and all the Starsbucks were located in the city center, meaning there was absolutely no way I could find a parking spot. Obviously we miss the Starbucks drive-throughs in the states, but Germany is great nonetheless.

You paint such a wonderful picture of Istanbul, in a city of 15 million it appears that all is almost perfect, you do not write about any run down areas or anything negative at all, I cannot wait to visit this city. Reading Jackie’s blog has been wonderful, her young viewpoints make for fun reading, however, you wrote about Andy’s writings. The last I remember you were sitting in a restaurant reading his memoirs, Italy, Bulgaria, side trips and a cruise of the Agean. Many of us are waiting to read this blog, will it be posted soon?

Have a safe trip to Amsterdam. I like Starbucks traveling abroad. Makes me feel more at home. :)

I was in Istanbul last year. I was lucky enough to be there for the start of Ramadan. What a truly exciting experience.As soon as the sun set, the parks and streets in the old town exploded with festive activity. Istanbul hits all your senses…all at once. Thanks for blogging Rick! Garret

Near St. Sophia Mosque there’s a block or so of wooden row houses that look like they belong in San Francisco. We talked to some people who were just leaving one building, and they told us the houses were originally built by an English Company, for their workers. The buildings have been remodeled, and now serve as a hotel. We went to visit Topkapi, the huge palace where 4,000 people once lived and worked. Didn’t find it too appealing, at least not as interesting as the other things we saw in Istanbul. The building was not nearly as interesting as many of the castles and palaces we have seen in Northern Europe. We were here in 1989, nearly 20 years ago, and were told that apartments or houses along the Bosporus can rent for as much as $10,000 per month, while in a more normal location an apartment will rent for more like $200. It’s considered a status symbol to have a large chandelier in a home, and as we rode through Istanbul on the bus the other night, we could see plenty of them through large windows in homes, and in stores with a couple of floors with large windows, with fabulous chandeliers on display. d

Rick, You had me ’til Starbucks. I must admit I’m a tad bit disappointed that you go there when abroad. Everything else about this post and about Istanbul in general sounds amazing. Thanks for bringing people off the beaten path to “scary” places like Istanbul and showing how friedly it is.

Hello Rick! I’ve been a fan of yours since my childhood (I’m 26 now). I used to watch your show on Saturday mornings instead of cartoons – my sister wasn’t so crazy about that set up. My husband and I did our own version of your Best of Europe trip last summer over 23 days. Sometimes I still can’t believe we did it! Your guidebook was our bible (I have pictures of me clutching it close to prove it!). We stayed at Boogaard’s B&B in Amsterdam since all of your suggestions were booked. If you want to add a wonderful place to stay that was not expensive but very homey, check it out while you are there! Thanks again for all the travel dreams you gave me, and the ability to make them reality!

You make a good point about Ortaköy and meeting the locals, but then it sounds like you are discouraging a visit because it’s “too far away for tourists”. I travel to Istanbul frequently on business and cumulatively spent about 35 weeks there before I ever stayed in the Sultanhamet tourist area. 95% of the time I have stayed in one of the 5-star hotels around Taksim. To me, while the tourist area has important sights that are worth seeing, it is not the “real” Istanbul. To get a flavor for the locals, you need to cross the Golden Horn or ferry across the Bosphorus – even only if it is for dinner and a night out. Taxis are great for this, but for the budget minded the Metro is a good option as they keep extending the lines. Istanbul has so many world-class restaurants, it is amazing. Ortaköy is great for food and people watching. One of my favorite Ortaköy memories was shortly after the current Iraq war started. A group of my colleagues (mostly German, one Brit, and an American – me) had eaten dinner and ducked into a cozy little bar that had some live music. The music was Turkish, the crowd was definitely local, and our group was enjoying our drinks and having a good time. A gentleman at the table next to me asked where we were from – I told him – pausing a bit after saying “USA – is that OK?” He laughed and said “Yes, we love America. Welcome to Istanbul.” I think he may have even bought us a round of raki. I’ve never encountered any anti-Americanism in Istanbul. Only very kind, friendly people (assuming you have the right attitude – loud, demanding, insensitive type A personalities will probably not be received well). Neighborhoods where locals hang out include the Taksim, Besiktas, Ortaköy (some great outdoor nightclubs in the summer just north of the cafe area), Ulus, and Bagdat road on the Asian side.

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Travel | rick steves’ europe: istanbul’s old soul lives on in the grand bazaar.

Dodging four men pushing a cart full of honeydew melons, I step out of the noisy traffic of Istanbul, pass through the horseshoe-arched door, and trade one commotion for another. Suddenly the air – heated by thousands of electric bulbs – is several degrees warmer. Like carnivorous flowers, merchants seduce from glittering shops. They say, “Welcome to the Grand Bazaar.”

This labyrinthine warren of shops is called Kapali arsi (kah-pah-luh chahr-shuh) – literally “covered market.” While much of the bazaar is overrun with international visitors, it still has virtually tourist-free nooks and crannies that offer an insightful glimpse into the “real” Istanbul.

In its heyday, this was the “world trade center” for the entire Ottoman Empire – locked down and guarded by more than a hundred soldiers every night. The Grand Bazaar remained Turkey’s commercial hub through the 1950s, its 4,000 shops bursting with both practical and exotic wares.

But then the Grand Bazaar was discovered by travelers seeking the ultimate “Oriental market” experience. Prodded by shopaholic tourists with fat wallets, prices and rents skyrocketed, and soon small shopkeepers and manufacturers were shoved to the fringes of the market, crowded out by souvenir and carpet shops.

The main drag is “Hatmakers’ Street” (Kalpakcilar Caddesi). Historically each street, alley, or corner of the bazaar was dedicated to a particular craft or item. They still bear those names – even if hat racks are replaced by jewelry showcases.

The many jewelry shops are a reminder that Turks love gold, not because they’re vain or greedy, but because they’re practical. Since their local currency has a tendency to devalue, people prefer to invest in something more tangible. Traditionally, Turks celebrating special occasions – such as a wedding or a circumcision – receive gold as a gift. In fact, in the most traditional corners of Turkey, the groom’s family still must present the bride’s family with gold bracelets before the couple can marry.

Because all this gold is used primarily as an investment tool, and only secondarily as an accessory, it’s most commonly sold in the form of simple 22-carat bracelets (24-carat is too soft to wear). If you see a woman whose arm is lined with these bracelets, she’s not making a fashion statement – she’s wearing her family’s savings on her sleeve…literally.

The Grand Bazaar is made up of a series of bedestens – commercial complexes of related shops. Sandal Bedesteni, one of the oldest, dates from the late 15th century. Over time, the bazaar grew organically – with new bedestens sporadically sprouting up, each one devoted to a particular trade or item. For the convenience of both the shopkeeper and the customer, shops dealing with similar items clustered together.

Surprises await in the low-rent fringes of the market. Hearing a commotion of shouting, I venture into a cluster of alleys packed with boisterous men hollering into cell phones and waving their arms. This is a poor man’s Wall Street, with currency brokers frantically swapping fortunes of euros, dollars, and Turkish lira.

Walking farther, I enter the “Master of All Eunuchs Alley” (Kizlaragasi Han), which leads to a humble courtyard where sooty smiths labor before furnaces, melting gold shavings and silver fragments from other workshops into a more usable form.

Ayhan, one of the goldsmiths here, welcomes me into his charred little world, proud to let me watch him work. His fire makes his shop almost unbearably hot, and then he tosses in some white powder, making it even hotter. Within moments, a tiny shovel of gold fragments is melted, poured, and cooled, then a tidy little brick of gold is placed with a smile into my hand. Giving it back, I compliment Ayhan with one of my only Turkish phrases: ok güzel (Very beautiful).

Ayhan belongs to a dying breed. Today most goldwork is done in large factories outside the city. But locals believe the Grand Bazaar needs both shops and workshops to be successful. If a product isn’t perfect, the shopkeeper can send it to his workshop for an adjustment. And if workshops like Ayhan’s are forced out by high rents and replaced with more “Made in Taiwan” gift shops, the Grand Bazaar will eventually become a shopping mall only for tourists.

Ayhan steps out of the heat and joins me for tea at a teahouse table across the Master of All Eunuchs Alley. The dainty hourglass-shaped tea glass accentuates the roughness of his goldsmith’s hand. The backgammon board – inlaid, with its softer wood worn below its harder wood – smells like tea and tobacco. The dots on the dice don’t quite line up. Tossing them, I’m thankful the soul of old Istanbul survives. You can find it in the back streets of the Grand Bazaar.

(Rick Steves ( www.ricksteves.com ) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick’s favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.)

(c)2023 Rick Steves. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Ephesus Day Tour from Istanbul - How much walking is required?

Hi - My wife and I are planning a day trip to Ephesus. We will have a toddler and my 68 year old dad who has had knee replacement. My question is how much walking is needed to see the ancient site? Are there benches/other spots to rest?

I visited Ephesus as part of the Rick Steves Best of Turkey tour, stopping regularly for the guide to describe what we were seeing. We spent 2 hours, walking mostly downhill from the entrance we used down to and past the stadium to the exit. The walkway was a mix of crushed rock and uneven paving stones.

If you visit the residences, there are uneven stairs and metal walkways. One of our tour members had a great deal of difficulty walking through there and had to be taken to sit down.

I don't recall many places to sit and rest, except for the rough rock seating in the ancient theaters and ancient stadium. If you go into the stadium, you can stay at the lower level, or climb the uneven stairs to get a view from the top.

My travel friend, who is a bit younger than your Dad and had 2 knee replacements in the 12 months prior to our visit, did just fine.

A day trip from Istanbul? It’s maybe 5 1/2 to 6 hour drive each way depending upon where in Istanbul you are. There is a lot of walking as Ephesus is absolutely fascinating yet I think the entire day would be too much for a toddler and especially the parent in charge of the toddler.

Would your father be comfortable in a car or bus that long after knee replacement surgery? There is uneven pavement too.

A day trip from Istanbul?

I'm guessing OP meant a day trip from...maybe Izmir? Kusadasi? A day trip from Istanbul might require a flight...

To the question, like most large ancient sites, there's going to be more than a little walking. Ephesus is probably the largest, most visited ancient site in Turkey outside of Istanbul (and it's easy to see why). Lots of tour buses, people coming off cruise ships at nearby ports, they are set up to handle crowds. Most of the required walking is on mostly-level paths paved with loose gravel and large slabs of ancient marble (those might be a tad slippery if it's rained recently). The walking surfaces are not entirely uniform. It's not quite "ADA" accessible, but it's probably better than many famous ancient sites. There will be some stairs/steps and non-level surfaces. It's a pretty large site.

A daytrip to Ephesus from Istanbul can be done -- I have. You do need to fly. It's a very long day (and we did not have a toddler!), but if you get an early flight to Izmir and an evening flight back, it's possible, and I'm glad to have done it, having had limited time in Turkey and really wanting to see Ephesus. We arranged for a private driver to pick us up at Izmir airport and then return us to airport. What the others say about amount of walking is consistent with my recollection. If you have time try to see the museum in the nearby town of Selcuk as well as the site itself, as many of the artifacts are there. I should note that my trip used Istanbul's former airport which I think is closer to the center city than the new one is.

There are 2 entrances, one at the top and one at the bottom. People walk downhill through the site. Except for the Residences, the whole site is outdoors exposed to the sun. The Library, church ruins, and Stadium are closer to the lower entrance. Seemed like it was 2+ miles from top to bottom.

I would say that Pompeii (which is even bigger) is more difficult, because of the chariot ruts in the old, uneven anyway, paving stones. But Ephesus is a close second for walking difficulty. I would imagine that a stroller, especially a folding -stroller (I mean with small diameter and tread-width wheels) would be difficult to roll while loaded. I would expect a lot of sun exposure, and few shady spots. I don't remember about water vendors.

I'm inclined to say there are some old walls to sit on, and I certainly remember sitting in the Roman public toilets (!) at Ephesus.

Like someone said, six hours each way in your rental car? Not a day trip. Our cruise ship stopped in Ephesus and in Bodrum, as well as Istanbul.

Hi all - Thanks so much for your responses. I meant day trip from Istanbul, which would require taking a same day flight.

Based on everything I read here, it sounds like it would be a fairly long day and given the uneven path, it may not be stroller friendly either. We decided to skip visiting Ephesus.

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