Turkey / Other
Taksim Square
Istanbul's modern nerve centre, Taksim Square sits above the Bosphorus with the grand Republic Monument as its focal point, opening onto the long pedestrian sweep of İstiklal Avenue.
At the top of the hill on the European side of Istanbul, Taksim Square functions as the city's contemporary gathering point. The Republic Monument — a cluster of bronze figures set on a stone base — stands at the square's centre, the most recognizable landmark in this part of the city. It was installed here in the late 1920s to mark the new republic declared a few years earlier, and remains a symbol that draws visitors and locals alike.
The View and the Setting
The square sits on a wide plateau. From the southern edge, particularly near the monument, you can look out over the rooftops of Beyoğlu down toward the Galata Tower on the hill opposite, and beyond to the strait. The breeze that comes up from the water catches you here — the square is more exposed and often cooler than the streets below. The surrounding buildings are a mix of mid-century apartment blocks and older stone-faced structures, their facades a record of the city's rapid expansion through the twentieth century.
İstiklal Avenue
South of the square, İstiklal Avenue runs downhill in a long, straight line. This is a pedestrian street lined with shops, bookshops, cinemas, and cafes — on weekends it fills with a slow-moving crowd. The tram that runs down the centre is a century-old tradition, the red carriages rattling past at a steady pace. The avenue passes historic churches and former consulates tucked between the commercial frontages, reminders of the district's European past. At the bottom, the street ends near the Galata Tower, where the quarter narrows into the old tradesmen's neighbourhood of Karaköy.
The Atmosphere
The area around Taksim has a particular energy in the evening, when the restaurants and bars along the side streets fill up and the square itself empties of traffic. The street-level cafes around the monument are popular spots to sit with a tea or coffee and watch the city move. The smell of roasting nuts from the vendors drifts across the pavement, and the sound of the tram bell punctuates the background noise. For visitors passing through on foot between the old city and the northern districts, Taksim is an obvious landmark — a place where paths converge and orientations shift.
On the map
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- Taksim Square Other
Tours that visit Taksim Square
14 Nights / 15 Days
The Ultimate Journey Across Turkey
3 Nights Istanbul | 3 Nights Cappadocia | 1 Night Gaziantep | 1 Night Sanliurfa | 1 Night Diyarbakir | 3 Nights Mardin | 1 Night Van | 1 Night Kars
8 Nights / 9 Days
Turkey's Golden Triangle
8 Nights | 3 Istanbul · 3 Cappadocia · 1 Pamukkale · 1 Kuşadası — Hagia Sophia, fairy chimneys, white travertines and Ephesus.
9 Nights / 10 Days
Turkey's Grand Cultural Journey
9 Nights | 3 Istanbul · 3 Cappadocia · 1 Gaziantep · 1 Şanlıurfa · 1 Diyarbakır — imperial capitals, surreal landscapes and the cradle of civilization.
6 Nights / 7 Days
Turkey's Timeless Classics
6 Nights | 3 Istanbul · 3 Cappadocia — imperial palaces, Byzantine churches and the surreal fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.
Good to know
Before you book you should know
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Is this trip right for you?
Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that.
Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in.
Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month.
How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above.
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Rooms, and travelling on your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three:
- Twin share — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender.
- Travelling as a couple — one double room.
- Individual room — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book.
Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard.
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Accommodation
The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip.
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking.
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Passports, visas and insurance
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight.
Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport.
We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well.
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Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change
Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around.
What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions.
