Area Guide

Walking Istiklal Street from the Taksim End

Istiklal Street (Istiklal Caddesi) is a 1.4 kilometer pedestrian avenue running from Taksim Square down to the Tunel area near Galata, lined with shops, historic passages, churches and cinemas. The Tango Hotel Taksim stands about a 3 minute walk from its upper end, so this street will likely be the first and last thing you walk every day of your stay.

The shape of the walk

Start at Taksim Square and simply head downhill; the entire avenue is pedestrianized except for the nostalgic red tram that rattles along its center. International brands such as Zara, H&M, Mango and Sephora occupy ornate 19th century buildings in the upper and middle stretches, which is part of the avenue's odd charm: global retail behind Belle Epoque facades. Interspersed between them are simit carts, chestnut sellers, baklava shops and doner counters that stay open past midnight.

The unmissable architectural landmarks come in the middle third. Galatasaray High School, behind its monumental gate, marks the halfway point and the small square named after it. The Church of St. Antoine, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, sits slightly recessed from the street and is open to visitors. Historic cinemas like Atlas continue to screen films, and the Atlas building also houses a lively arcade of bars.

The passages are the point

What separates a good Istiklal walk from a rushed one is stepping into the covered passages (pasaj). Cicek Pasaji, the Flower Passage near Galatasaray, is the famous one, a horseshoe of meyhanes under a restored 19th century glass roof. Hazzopulo Pasaji hides a courtyard of tea tables and small studios; Suriye Pasaji and Atlas Pasaji reward browsing for vintage clothes, records and books. Just behind the Flower Passage, the Balik Pazari fish market street is a compact strip of fishmongers, pickle shops and mezze counters, and a natural early dinner stop on the evening plan.

Practical notes

Walking the full length takes about 20 to 30 minutes without stops, but nobody should do it without stops; budget two hours with browsing and a coffee. The street is crowded most of the day and densely crowded on weekend evenings, so keep phones and wallets in front pockets. The avenue ends near Tunel Square, from where the short funicular descends toward Karakoy, or you can continue on foot into the Galata quarter; that continuation is covered in the Galata and Karakoy guide. If you tire at the far end, the nostalgic tram runs back up to Taksim, and Sishane station on the M2 metro is one stop from Taksim.

Detailed visitor reviews and current opening notes for the avenue's individual sights are maintained on Tripadvisor's Istiklal Caddesi page, and Turkey's official tourism portal GoTurkiye gives the historical background of Beyoglu's grand avenue. When your legs give out, remember the advantage of staying at The Tango Hotel Taksim: the top of the street is three minutes from your bed.