Scavenger Hunts, Escape Games & Walking Tours in Turkey

Play a scavenger hunt, outdoor escape game or self-guided audio walking tour in Istanbul and Antalya. Solve riddles at about 10 landmarks, from Hagia Sophia to Hadrian’s Gate, or just hear their stories, and plan with our city guides. 4.7 · 57 reviews2 cities✓ Instant access✓ Start any time✓ No guide needed

Türkiye: more places with city guides

No game here yet, but our guides cover them: where locals eat, what to see, day trips and more.

Self-guided city games in Istanbul and Antalya

World City Trail runs self-guided scavenger hunts in two Turkish cities: Istanbul, from Sultanahmet across the Golden Horn to Galata, and Antalya, in the old town of Kaleiçi on the Mediterranean coast. Each city has three games: a scavenger hunt with a riddle at each stop, an outdoor escape game with a puzzle at every landmark, and an audio walking tour with stories and no puzzles.

Both scavenger hunts take about 3 hours and have 10 stops. Antalya is the gentler walk, about 40 minutes over 3 km; Istanbul covers about 5.8 km, roughly an hour of walking. The escape game takes about 2 hours in Antalya and about 3 hours in Istanbul.

CityScavenger hunt ratingTimeWalkingStops
Istanbul 4.7 (39)about 3 hoursabout 60 min · 5.8 km10See the games →
Antalya 4.7 (18)about 3 hoursabout 40 min · 3.0 km10See the games →

Istanbul or Antalya? The best Turkish city for your trip

Best for a first trip to Turkey

Istanbul

Start on Sultanahmet Square, the old Hippodrome, by the Blue Mosque and the Obelisk of Theodosius, then solve riddles at Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace.

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Best for views and the Golden Horn

Istanbul

Walk down to the New Mosque in Eminönü, cross the Galata Bridge with its fishermen and finish at the Galata Tower above the old port district.

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Best for families and a beach holiday

Antalya

The shorter route, at 3 km, winds through Kaleiçi past the Yivli Minare Mosque, the Clock Tower and Hadrian’s Gate, and ends at the Hıdırlık Tower by Karaalioğlu Park.

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Best for Roman and Ottoman history

Antalya

Hadrian’s Gate was built for the emperor’s visit in the 2nd century, and the old town around it still has its Ottoman houses, mosques and the harbour below the walls.

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How it works

  1. Book online Choose the game and the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
  2. Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
  3. Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.

Why explore Turkey with a self-guided city game

A self-guided scavenger hunt is the easiest way to see the main sights of Istanbul or Antalya’s old town without a guide or a fixed start time. You choose when to go, so you can avoid the midday heat and the busiest hours around Sultanahmet.

Compared with a guided tour, you set the pace and the order of the stops, and you can stop for tea, a simit or lunch and carry on later, even the next day. The riddles make you look closely at domes, fountains, inscriptions and city walls, and the stories that follow explain what you found, from Byzantium to the Ottoman sultans.

One app works in both cities, which suits a common combination: a few days in Istanbul and a beach week on the Turkish Riviera around Antalya.

  • In summer, start in the morning or late afternoon; both cities get very hot at midday.
  • Every stop is seen from outside, so you need no entry tickets. If you also go inside a mosque, cover shoulders and knees and avoid prayer times.
  • Start the escape game in daylight, because its puzzles rely on details of buildings and monuments.
  • The Istanbul route ends with a climb up to the Galata Tower; wear comfortable shoes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best city in Turkey for a scavenger hunt?

For a first visit, Istanbul is the best choice: its route links the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Galata Bridge and ends at the Galata Tower. Antalya is shorter and more relaxed, a good half-day out from a beach holiday.

How long does a scavenger hunt in Turkey take?

Both Turkish scavenger hunts take about 3 hours. The actual walking is about 40 minutes in Antalya and about 60 minutes in Istanbul. You can pause whenever you like, for tea or a meal, and continue later.

Do I need to book a time slot?

No. You book online and receive your booking reference by email straight away. Download the World City Trail app, enter the reference and start whenever you like, with no guide and no time slot.

Can I do a scavenger hunt in Turkey with kids?

Yes. The riddles are solved by observation and logic, not prior knowledge, so children can play along with an adult, and everyone can follow on their own phone. For young children, Antalya is the better choice, with a 3 km route through the old town.

Which languages are the Turkey games in?

Both Istanbul and Antalya can be played in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Istanbul is also available in Dutch.

Is a self-guided tour better than a guided tour in Istanbul?

A self-guided tour is better if you want to pick your own time and pace. You can start early before the crowds at Sultanahmet, stop for tea whenever you like and split the route over two days, which a fixed group tour does not allow.

Ready to explore Turkey your own way?

Choose Istanbul or Antalya, book online and get your booking reference straight away. Start whenever you are there, with no guide and no time slot.

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