Istanbul scavenger hunt
The Topkapi Palace is a majestic Ottoman landmark where a grand collection of courtyards, the imperial Harem, and the sacred relics of the treasury create a monumental residence that served as the primary seat of sultans for four centuries.
Occupying the site of the ancient Roman Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Square forms the historic heart of Istanbul, beautifully situated between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque is a majestic Ottoman landmark where a grand 17th-century silhouette of six minarets and over 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles create a monumental masterpiece of imperial architecture.
The Obelisk of Theodosius is a majestic Egyptian landmark where a grand pink granite monolith from the Temple of Karnak and an intricately carved Roman pedestal create a monumental tribute to ancient history in the heart of the Hippodrome.
Hagia Sophia is a majestic Byzantine landmark where a grand 6th-century dome and towering Ottoman minarets create a monumental architectural marvel that has served as the world’s largest cathedral and an imperial mosque.
Istanbul scavenger hunt
The Topkapi Palace is a majestic Ottoman landmark where a grand collection of courtyards, the imperial Harem, and the sacred relics of the treasury create a monumental residence that served as the primary seat of sultans for four centuries.
Occupying the site of the ancient Roman Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Square forms the historic heart of Istanbul, beautifully situated between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque is a majestic Ottoman landmark where a grand 17th-century silhouette of six minarets and over 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles create a monumental masterpiece of imperial architecture.
The Obelisk of Theodosius is a majestic Egyptian landmark where a grand pink granite monolith from the Temple of Karnak and an intricately carved Roman pedestal create a monumental tribute to ancient history in the heart of the Hippodrome.
Hagia Sophia is a majestic Byzantine landmark where a grand 6th-century dome and towering Ottoman minarets create a monumental architectural marvel that has served as the world’s largest cathedral and an imperial mosque.

Istanbul Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

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Explore the city at your own pace with a self-guided experience.
Buy your ticket, download the app, and start instantly.

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Make a day of itInteractive guides by World City Trail, delivered with your tickets.

What is a city guide?

Your own guide to Istanbul on your phone: hand-picked places, each with why to go, what to order and a practical tip.

  • Tick places off
  • Your own notes
  • One tap to Maps
  • Open now, near me
  • Works offline
  • Print it or save as PDF
See the guides, a short video and all the details →
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved by thousands of travelers and locals

  • No time limit – use your ticket whenever you want
  • Secure checkout - Instant confirmation

Included: your personal Trail Map with every city you finish, the kilometres you walk and your flag collection. See an example →

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Everything you need for a flexible self-guided city experience

Explore the city at your own pace

✔ Discover hidden gems & highlights
✔ Enjoy a flexible self-guided experience
✔ Explore freely with no schedule
✔ Perfect for couples, students, companies, friends & families

How your city experience works

✔ Instant ticket purchase
✔ Easy access via the World City Trail app
✔ Quick setup with your booking details
✔ Start anytime and explore freely
✔ Pause and resume anytime

Why travelers choose this tour

✔ Instant access after purchase
✔ Optional AI voice narration — listen instead of read
✔ Discover top attractions & food spots
✔ Customize your route anytime

What is played on the Istanbul scavenger hunt?

The Istanbul scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. It takes about 3 hours, with around 60 minutes of actual walking over 5.8 km and 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.

Highlights include the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, the Egyptian obelisk in the old Hippodrome, the gate of Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the New Mosque by the Spice Bazaar, the Galata Bridge and the Genoese Galata Tower. The route links Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul on both banks of the Golden Horn, with time for tea, simit and the views from the bridge.

  • Durationabout 3 hours
  • Walkingabout 60 min · 5.8 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch

How the hunt plays out from Sultanahmet to Galata

A riddle outside each monument

The 10 stops carry one riddle each, and the material is always on the outside: the carved base of an Egyptian obelisk, the count of minarets on a skyline, the tiles and inscriptions over a gateway. Looking carefully is enough, and nobody is expected to arrive knowing Ottoman history.

Three thousand years in ten stops

Each answer releases the stories: an obelisk cut for Thutmose III at Karnak about 3,500 years ago and raised in the Hippodrome by Theodosius I in 390, the 336 columns holding up the Basilica Cistern, the legend of Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi gliding from the Galata Tower across the Bosphorus on artificial wings. Turn on the narration and the stories follow you between stops.

Two shores of the Golden Horn

Google Maps keeps you on the line: 5.8 km in total, 60 minutes of it walking, from Sultanahmet down to Eminönü, over the Galata Bridge and up into Karaköy. The last stretch climbs, so the tower is earned rather than given.

Your own hours

Nothing is timed, so a glass of tea by the bridge or a plate of fish costs you no progress. Break off and continue in the evening or the next day, and if your hotel stands in Karaköy, set the order in the app so that you walk the route from the tower towards the obelisk.

See the route and attractions →

How it works

  1. Book online Choose 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.

Who gets the most out of the Istanbul hunt

Old Istanbul in one walk

Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul line up over 5.8 km: the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, the gate of Topkapı, the mosques of the commercial quarter, the Golden Horn and Galata. The riddles slow you down at each of them, which is usually what a first day in Istanbul is missing.

Children in Sultanahmet

Clues you can point at keep children interested: the six minarets of the Blue Mosque to count, the emperor watching chariot races on the obelisk base, the rods of the anglers along the Galata Bridge. The team cannot be children only. The climb to Galata and the cobbled lanes rule out a wheelchair and make a pushchair heavy work.

A group splitting into teams

Five players to a team at most, each following the game on their own phone, so a group of friends or a company outing can send several teams the same way and gather at the foot of the Galata Tower. No part of it is reserved, because the riddles belong to squares, quays and streets.

Good to know

  • Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
  • No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
  • Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
  • Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
  • Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.

The route: from the old Hippodrome over the Golden Horn to Galata

10 stops · about 60 min walking · start: Obelisk of Theodosius · finish: Galata Tower

The hunt starts at the Obelisk of Theodosius in the old Hippodrome and takes you to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the gate of Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern. Through the old commercial streets you reach the Vilayet Mosque and the tomb of Sultan Abdülhamid I, then walk down to the New Mosque in Eminönü, cross the Galata Bridge and finish at the Galata Tower. In the app you can move the start to another stop and rearrange the sequence, and because the riddles are answered from the outside of every building, the hunt itself asks for no entry ticket at all.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Obelisk of Theodosius

    1Obelisk of TheodosiusStart

    This granite obelisk was made for Pharaoh Thutmose III at Karnak in Egypt about 3,500 years ago. Emperor Theodosius I had it set up in the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 390. The marble base shows the emperor and his court watching the chariot races.

    Read the full story →

  2. Blue Mosque

    2Blue Mosque

    Sultan Ahmed I had this mosque built between 1609 and 1616 by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa. Its nickname comes from the blue İznik tiles inside, and it is known for its six minarets. It is still an active mosque, facing Hagia Sophia across the square.

  3. Hagia Sophia

    3Hagia Sophia

    Emperor Justinian I had Hagia Sophia built between 532 and 537 to designs by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453 it became a mosque and minarets were added. It served as a museum from 1934 and has been a mosque again since 2020.

  4. Topkapı Palace

    4Topkapı Palace

    Mehmed II began this palace after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and it was the main residence of the sultans for about four centuries. It became a museum in 1924. Outside its Imperial Gate stands the richly decorated Fountain of Ahmed III from the 18th century.

  5. 5Basilica Cistern

    This vast underground reservoir was built in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian I and supplied water to the Great Palace of Constantinople. Its roof rests on 336 marble columns, two of which stand on carved Medusa heads. The Ottomans called it Yerebatan Sarayı, the Sunken Palace.

  6. Vilayet Mosque

    6Vilayet Mosque

    This small mosque takes its name from the vilayet, the Ottoman word for a province, whose governor's seat at the Sublime Porte lies close by. After the imperial mosques on the route, it shows the modest scale of an everyday neighbourhood mosque in the old commercial district.

  7. Tomb of Abdülhamid I

    7Tomb of Abdülhamid I

    Sultan Abdülhamid I, who reigned from 1774 to 1789, is buried in this domed tomb in Bahçekapı. It was part of a charitable complex he founded, and nearby Hamidiye Street is named after him. Look for the curving Ottoman baroque details of its façade.

    Read the full story →

  8. New Mosque (Yeni Cami)

    8New Mosque (Yeni Cami)

    Safiye Sultan, mother of Sultan Mehmed III, began the New Mosque in 1597, but it was only completed in 1665 under Turhan Hatice Sultan. It dominates the Eminönü waterfront on the Golden Horn. The Spice Bazaar next door was built as part of the same complex.

  9. Galata Bridge

    9Galata Bridge

    The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn between Eminönü and Karaköy, and bridges have stood here since the 19th century. The current bridge opened in 1994. Anglers line its upper deck, while restaurants fill the level below.

  10. Galata Tower

    10Galata TowerFinish

    The Genoese built this stone tower in 1348 as part of the fortifications of their colony of Galata. Its conical roof is one of the best-known shapes on the Istanbul skyline. According to legend, Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi flew from the tower across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar on artificial wings in the 17th century.

39 reviews for Istanbul Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Fănică– Romania –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Énigmes un peu dure Pour les enfants

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    Maya-Hungary –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jack-France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Henry-Ireland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  6. Rated 3 out of 5

    Robert-Hungary –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  7. Rated 5 out of 5

    Ellie-France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  8. Rated 4 out of 5

    Isabella-Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Eleanor-Denmark –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  10. Rated 3 out of 5

    Stephanie-Norway –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Joshua-Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Harper-Slovakia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  13. Rated 3 out of 5

    Lucas-Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  14. Rated 3 out of 5

    David-Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Andrew-Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Eleanor-Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    Owen-Croatia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    Eli-France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    Abigail-Czech Republic –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

    Scarlett-Czech Republic –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Lucy-USA –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria-Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    Ryan-France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Victoria-Czech Republic –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  25. Rated 5 out of 5

    Brooklyn-Netherlands –

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  26. Rated 5 out of 5

    Marie-Norway –

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    Laura-France –

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  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Eli-Portugal –

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  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Josiah-Hungary –

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  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nathan-Australia –

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  32. Rated 5 out of 5

    Aaliyah-Germany –

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  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jack-Latvia –

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  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jonathan-Sweden –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jorge– Chile –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Buen guía para conocer y ubicarse

  36. Rated 5 out of 5

    Stamatios– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    What a wonderful way to explore Instabul! This activity offered us an enjoyable morning! Will definitely do that again in our next exploration!

  37. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Very basic tour. You solve some quests, but that’s all. No other interactions and not possible to play it nice as a team. Also the app is very average – maybe even less.

  38. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We enjoyed the activities, the program exceeded our expectations. Having into account that the team was international… they all loved it!

  39. Rated 5 out of 5

    Juliet B –

    We agreed that the game is very smart. For some of us some of the riddles were a bit hard, but we had John who managed to find the solutions! Thank you John, haha! We enjoyed so much the walk, think it is the best of the city in a walkable distance.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Istanbul scavenger hunt, in time and distance?

Set aside about 3 hours. Walking takes 60 minutes of that, the route measures 5.8 km and there are 10 stops, and the rest goes on the riddles, the photographs and the tea. You are free to stop at any stop and take up the rest later.

Where exactly do we start, and where do we come out?

The hunt opens at the Obelisk of Theodosius on the old Hippodrome square and ends at the Galata Tower, the stone tower the Genoese built in 1348. From Karaköy or Beyoğlu it makes more sense to flip the order in the app and work back towards Sultanahmet.

Is a guide included, and must we pick an hour?

No guide and no hour. The reference in your confirmation email opens the hunt in the World City Trail app, and the first riddle is there whenever you are ready for it, on any day you like. Each player holds a ticket, and the game then advances on every phone in the team.

Is any one of the stops behind a paid entrance?

Not for the hunt itself, because all 10 riddles are read from outside: from the Hippodrome square, the courtyards, the quays and the street. Several stops are working mosques, though. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the New Mosque hold prayers, so if you do step inside, dress modestly, remove your shoes and keep clear of prayer times. Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern are separate paid visits, and so is the Spice Bazaar's own programme of shops; the riddles use the Fountain of Ahmed III outside Topkapı's Imperial Gate and the street side of the cistern, so the game works whether or not you go in.

Does it work with children in the team?

Children do well on this route, on condition that an adult is playing too. There is a great deal here that children spot first: six minarets on one mosque, the chariot races carved into the obelisk base, the fish and the rods on the upper deck of the Galata Bridge. A wheelchair cannot manage this route, and pushing a buggy up to Galata is a workout.

Which languages does the app offer here?

The hunt is playable in Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, German and English, six versions in all. The choice is made in the World City Trail app before you walk out onto the Hippodrome square.

Can colleagues play it as one big group?

They can, in teams. One ticket for each person, five players to a team at most, and as many teams as you need along the same 5.8 km; start them from the obelisk at intervals and let the Galata Tower be the meeting point. Nothing is hired, so no room and no departure time have to be organised.

What should be in the bag for Istanbul?

A charged phone with mobile data for each team, a power bank, shoes with grip for 5.8 km of cobbles and the climb to Galata, water, and something to cover shoulders and knees if you plan to step into one of the mosques. The whole game is outdoors, so dress for the weather and bring earphones for the narration.

The obelisk is where it begins

Book one ticket per player and the reference lands in your inbox the same minute. You choose the day you stand on the old Hippodrome square, open the app and read the first riddle off the base of a stone that was carved in Egypt.

Book your tickets →

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