Free places to visit in cities around the world
510 places · 72 cities
EUROPE TÜRKIYE
Keep Istanbul outings to one side of the city at a time: pair Sultanahmet Square with Gülhane Park, walk from Eminönü across the Galata Bridge, or spend a separate day around Taksim and İstiklal. Balat and Fener mean steep lanes; Üsküdar is an Asian-side ferry trip with old-city views. The public walks are free, while bazaars, mosques and indoor attractions keep their own schedules and rules.
Browse 10 free-entry places with official visitor links. Check hours, access and booking rules before your visit.
01 IN ISTANBUL
FREEWalk the former Hippodrome between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, stopping at its surviving obelisks and the German Fountain.
Photo: “Hippodrome of Cionstanople Sultanahmet Square.JPG” by Helge Høifødt · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREETake a quieter walk through Topkapı Palace’s former outer garden, beneath old trees and past the Roman-era Column of the Goths.
Photo: “Alemdar utca, jobbra a Gülhane-park bejárata. Fortepan 30824.jpg” by FOTO:Fortepan — ID 30824 : Adományozó/Donor: Krasznai Gyula. archive copy at the Wayback Machine · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEWalk between Eminönü and Karaköy over the Golden Horn, with working fishing lines above and cafés beneath the bridge.
Photo: “Pescadores en el punte de Gálata, Estambul, Turquía, 2024-09-29, DD 38.jpg” by Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEBrowse the L-shaped 17th-century market behind the New Mosque, where covered lanes still trade in spices, tea and dried fruit.
Photo: “Dried vegetables on Spice bazaar in Istanbul 01.jpg” by Miomir Magdevski · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREETake in the Bosphorus from Ortaköy’s small waterfront square, with the ornate Büyük Mecidiye Mosque in the foreground.
Photo: “Büyük Mecidiye Camii - Ortaköy Mosque.jpg” by Eusebius · CC BY 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEWalk through the historic covered bazaar's public passages to see vaulted ceilings and generations of trading streets.
Photo: “Grand Bazaar (Istanbul).jpg” by Nicolas Vigier · CC0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEFollow the pedestrian avenue from Taksim through historic arcades, churches and side streets toward Galata.
Photo: “İstiklal Avenue - Istiklal Street - İstiklâl Caddesi - Istanbul, Turkey (10583233815).jpg” by David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEExplore a hillside route through colourful streets, waterfront views and layers of Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Ottoman heri…
Photo: “Colorful Balat houses.jpg” by Antoloji · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREETake a pause in a green pocket beside the city's central square and Istiklal Avenue.
Photo: “Istanbul, Taksim Gezi Park - panoramio (8).jpg” by Maris Teteris · CC BY 3.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
FREEWalk the Asian-side shoreline for open views across the Bosphorus toward the old city and Maiden's Tower.
Photo: “İstanbul - Üsküdar İskelesi 1142.JPG” by Phyrexian · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP for this site.
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