Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square: The Walk from Galata to Taksim

İstiklal Caddesi, Istiklal Avenue, is the long pedestrian street that runs through Beyoğlu from Tünel Square, just above Galata Tower, to Taksim Square. It is lined with 19th-century apartment blocks, churches, arcades, bookshops, cinemas and a great many shops, and on a weekend evening it can feel as if half the city is out walking on it.

This guide covers the walk from Galata to Taksim, the sights worth stopping for, the red nostalgic tram and the old Tünel railway, and a few practical points about crowds and scams. Fares and timetables are as of October 2026.

Istiklal Avenue at a glance

A short history

In the 19th century this was the Grande Rue de Péra, the main street of Pera, the district where embassies, Levantine merchants, Greek, Armenian and Italian communities and the city's first department stores, theatres and hotels clustered. European visitors liked to call it the Paris of the East. After the founding of the Republic, the street was renamed İstiklal, meaning independence.

Trams first ran along it in 1914 and were withdrawn in 1961. When the avenue was pedestrianised, the city brought a heritage tram back in 1990, and the red cars have been one of Istanbul's best-known images ever since.

The walk from Galata Tower to Taksim

The classic route starts at Galata Tower and climbs to Taksim. It is about 2 km in total and almost all of the climbing is in the first part, between the tower and Tünel Square.

1. Galata Tower to Tünel. Walk up Galip Dede Caddesi, a steep lane of music-instrument shops. Halfway up is the Galata Mevlevi Lodge, where whirling dervish ceremonies are held (see our whirling dervish guide).
2. Tünel Square. The top station of the Tünel funicular and the southern end of the tram line. Look out for the restored Art Nouveau Botter Apartment and the old Narmanlı Han nearby.
3. St Anthony of Padua. Set back behind a courtyard on the left as you walk towards Taksim, this red-brick neo-Gothic church (1906–1912) is the largest Catholic church in Istanbul. Visitors are welcome outside services; dress modestly and keep quiet.
4. Galatasaray Square. Roughly halfway, beside the gates of Galatasaray High School. Opposite is Çiçek Pasajı, the Flower Passage, an arcade of restaurants, and next to it the Balık Pazarı fish market lanes with their meze and pickle shops.
5. Side passages. Between Galatasaray and Taksim, duck into the arcades such as Atlas Pasajı, home to the Atlas cinema. Narrow streets to the right lead down to Cihangir and Çukurcuma.
6. Taksim Square. The avenue opens onto the square, with the Republic Monument, the Atatürk Cultural Centre and Gezi Park.

The nostalgic tram and the Tünel

The nostalgic tram (line T2) runs about 1.6 km between Tünel and Taksim, with Galatasaray roughly halfway. It is a single track, so the cars pass each other at Galatasaray. You pay with an Istanbulkart, the city's contactless travel card, as on any other line.

Travel guides give an operating day of roughly 07:00 to 22:00 with a tram about every 40 minutes, and a journey of around 15 minutes end to end. We could not find a current official timetable, and the service is sometimes suspended for events, holidays and maintenance (it was stopped on 1 May 2025, for example). Walking is usually faster; the tram is more of an experience than a transport link.

The Tünel (F2) is a short underground funicular from Karaköy, by the Golden Horn, up to Tünel Square. It opened in 1875 and is often described as the second-oldest underground railway in the world after London's. The line is only about 573 m long and the ride takes roughly a minute and a half, but it saves the steepest part of the climb. At the other end of Istiklal, the F1 funicular links Taksim with Kabataş, where you can change to the T1 tram and the ferries.

For Istanbulkart prices, other lines and apps, see our public transport guide.

Taksim Square

Taksim takes its name from the 18th-century stone water-distribution building (taksim means division or distribution) that still stands on the edge of the square. Its centrepiece is the Republic Monument, made by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica and unveiled in 1928.

• Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM): the city's main opera and concert house. The rebuilt centre opened on 29 October 2021 on the east side of the square.
• Taksim Mosque: opened in 2021 at the top of the square.
• Gezi Park: a green space behind the square, useful for a rest.
• Transport hub: the M2 metro, the F1 funicular to Kabataş, buses and the end of the nostalgic tram.

Taksim is the traditional site of large gatherings, so expect a heavy police presence on certain dates, especially around 1 May. On those days the square, the metro station and the tram may be closed.

Side streets worth a detour

• Asmalımescit and Meşrutiyet Caddesi, near the Tünel end: cafés, meyhanes (taverns) and the Pera Museum, known for its Orientalist paintings. Check the museum's website for current hours and prices.
• Cihangir: a hillside neighbourhood of cafés and views over the Bosphorus, a few minutes' walk downhill from the avenue.
• Çukurcuma: antique and vintage shops below Cihangir, and the Museum of Innocence based on Orhan Pamuk's novel.
• Nevizade Sokak, behind the fish market: crowded meyhane tables in the evening.

If you want to stay in this area, our guide to where to stay in Istanbul compares Taksim, Cihangir and Galata with the other districts.

What to eat on and around Istiklal

Istiklal is better for snacking and evening meze than for a quiet sit-down meal. Look out for simit (sesame bread rings) from street carts, stuffed mussels in the fish market lanes, Turkish ice cream, and the famous wet burger (ıslak hamburger) sold at the Taksim end. For a full meal, the side streets around Asmalımescit, the fish market and Cihangir have more choice and calmer tables. Our guide to what to eat in Istanbul explains the dishes.

Is Istiklal Avenue safe?

Istiklal is busy at almost every hour and generally safe to walk, including in the evening. The main risks are the ordinary ones of any crowded street:

• Pickpockets. Keep phones and wallets in front pockets or a closed bag, especially around Galatasaray and in the evening crowds.
• The drink scam. A friendly stranger, often a well-dressed man who speaks good English, suggests a drink at a bar he knows. The bill turns out to be enormous and staff can turn aggressive. Politely decline invitations from strangers and choose bars yourself.
• The dropped shoe brush. A shoe-shiner drops his brush; when you return it, he insists on a shine and then asks for a large fee. Hand it back and walk on.
• Restaurants without prices. Check the menu and prices before ordering, especially in places with touts outside.

For more on areas, taxis and solo travel, see is Istanbul safe?.

Getting to Taksim and Istiklal from the airport

Taksim is about 40 km from Istanbul Airport, normally 40–60 minutes by car. A fixed-price private transfer from Istanbul Airport to Taksim is $65 in a Private Mercedes Vito or $75 in a VIP Vito. From the Asian side, Sabiha Gökçen to Taksim is about 48 km and $70 / $80. If your hotel is near the Tünel end, Istanbul Airport to Galata is $65 / $75. Prices are per vehicle for up to 6 passengers and 12 suitcases, with tolls and waiting included, and you pay the driver on arrival.

Istiklal itself is closed to traffic and many Beyoğlu side streets are steep and narrow, so for hotels on the avenue the driver stops at the nearest point a car can reach and helps with your luggage. Our Istanbul Airport to Taksim guide compares the transfer with the bus and metro.

Planning the rest of your stay? Our 3-day Istanbul itinerary and things to do in Istanbul show how Beyoğlu fits with Sultanahmet, the Bosphorus and the Asian side.

Istanbul VIP is operated by Regatta Turizm (TÜRSAB licence 10138).