Istanbul, Retold
Walk through history. Listen to the city.
Cinematic stories, clear routes and an interactive map — explore at your own pace.
No schedule · No meeting point · Start anytime
Istanbul Right Now
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Choose Your Journey
Each journey is a fully narrated, interactive guidebook — tap through the pages, follow the map, and let the story move with you through the streets.
Full Istanbul experience
Not one continuous walk — the Complete Journey is split into flexible route sections, and public transport may be needed between some areas.
Want the full experience? Choose this journey.
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Best if you have 3–5 hours
Short on time? Start here.
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Already out exploring?
Finding your location…
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Routes are flexible — you don't need to complete the whole guide from here. Start anywhere and explore at your own pace.
Best experienced with headphones 🎧
View All Stops on the Map ↓How It Works
Pick Complete or Essential depending on how much time you have.
Each route covers a cluster of nearby stops — start with any one.
Tap any stop to open directions in Google Maps.
Tap play on the page and let the story guide you.
Before You Begin
Use headphones for the best experience.
A mobile internet connection is recommended for audio playback.
Each route can be explored independently.
Some routes require public transport.
Wear comfortable walking shoes.
You can stop and continue whenever you like.
Getting Around Istanbul
Istanbulkart is the standard travel card for Istanbul's public transport network. You can use it across many metro, tram, bus and ferry services.
Some parts of the Complete Journey are too far apart to comfortably walk, so public transport may be necessary.
Istanbulkart Mobile / QR payment is also available in the official app where supported.
For greater transparency, consider requesting a licensed taxi through an app such as Uber.
Depending on the service, the app can help you view vehicle and driver details, follow the trip on the map and see fare information or estimates.
Always confirm that the vehicle and driver details match the information shown in the app before starting your trip.
The Complete Journey is divided into flexible route sections. Not all stops are within walking distance of each other, and public transport may be required between some areas.
The Essential Journey stays within a compact, walkable area of the historic center.
Not Sure Where to Begin?
Every location from both journeys, pinned on one interactive map — a good first look before you set out.
For the full map experience — every pin, directions, and layers — open it directly on Google Maps:
Open in Google Maps ↗Frequently Asked Questions
The most common things travelers ask before starting a journey.
A mobile internet connection is recommended, especially for streaming the audio narration at each stop. Pages you've already opened stay available if you briefly lose signal, but playing a story for the first time needs a connection.
The Essential Journey takes roughly 3–5 hours across 14 stops. The Complete Journey covers 29 stops over 7 flexible routes and is designed to be explored across one or several days, at your own pace.
No. There's no schedule and no meeting point — this is a self-guided audio walk. Open a journey whenever you like and start walking.
Yes. Your progress in each journey is remembered on this device, so you can close the guide and pick up right where you left off.
The Essential Journey stays within a compact, walkable area of the historic center. Some sections of the Complete Journey are far enough apart that public transport (Istanbulkart) may be necessary.
If you have 3–5 hours, start with the Essential Journey. If you want the full experience across one or several days, choose the Complete Journey — you can always combine routes later.
Headphones for the best audio experience, comfortable walking shoes, and a mobile connection for streaming the stories.
