Istanbul

Discover Istanbul with 4 scavenger hunts full of riddles and puzzles at real landmarks.

Along the way you'll pass Topkapi Palace — Imperial Gate, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Şehzade Cağ Kebap, Spice Bazaar Tasting, Balık Ekmek Boats, Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) and Ahrida Synagogue, among other spots.

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Vintage travel-poster illustration of Istanbul with mosque domes and minarets on the Bosphorus

Hunts in Istanbul

Istanbul Old City Mystery

~130 min · 10 stops

Walk the historic peninsula from Hagia Sophia to the Galata Bridge — Byzantine cisterns, Ottoman palaces, covered bazaars and the bridge over the Golden Horn. About 4 km through the heart of Sultanahmet and Eminönü.

First stops

Topkapi Palace — Imperial Gate — The Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hümayun) is the main entrance to Topkapi Palace, commissioned by Mehmed II in 1478. From inside these walls, Ottoman sultans and a court of up to 4,000 people governed an empire that at its peak stretched from Vienna to the Persian Gulf. You can walk through the gate into the First Courtyard for free — the entrance ticket is only needed for the museum gate further in, so this stop costs nothing.
Hagia Sophia — You're standing before one of the world's great buildings. Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 AD under Emperor Justinian I; its dome was the largest in the world for nearly a thousand years. It has been a cathedral, a mosque, a museum, and — since 2020 — a mosque once again.
Basilica Cistern — Beneath the street lies a Byzantine water chamber built by Justinian I around 532 AD — 336 marble columns holding up a vaulted ceiling, with up to 80,000 cubic metres of water once stored here. In the northwest corner, two columns rest on upturned Medusa heads. No one fully understands why.

Istanbul Street Food Trail

~180 min · 10 stops

Eat your way from Sirkeci to Taksim — Erzurum-style cağ kebab, grilled fish off the boats, baklava and Ottoman-imperial pudding in Karaköy, simit on İstiklal, sizzling Adana kebab at a legendary ocakbaşı, and Turkish ice cream at the end. About 3 km of walking and a serious amount of eating.

First stops

Şehzade Cağ Kebap — Start the hunt on Hocapaşa Sokak, a narrow Sirkeci alley packed with kebab houses. Şehzade specialises in cağ kebab — the Erzurum-style horizontal lamb spit. The seasoned lamb is layered onto a horizontal skewer, slow-roasted over a wood fire, then shaved off onto smaller skewers as it rotates. Served with thin lavash, raw onions, tomatoes and green peppers. Mark Wiens called this one of his favourite kebab experiences in Istanbul.
Spice Bazaar Tasting — Inside the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar) the colours and smells compete for your attention — saffron in every shade of gold, towers of lokum dusted in powdered sugar, strings of dried figs, and blends of spices for everything from köfte to tea. Many of the older vendors will let you taste before you buy.
Balık Ekmek Boats — Along the Eminönü waterfront just west of the Galata Bridge — by the row of stalls (Osmanlı Lokması, the turşucu, Deniz Yıldızı) — ornate fishing boats grill fresh mackerel and serve it in crusty bread with onion, lettuce and a squeeze of lemon. 'Balık ekmek' — literally 'fish bread' — has been Istanbul's most iconic street food since at least the 1940s. The smoke curls over the Golden Horn.

Istanbul Hidden Gems: Balat & Fener

~100 min · 8 stops

Wander Istanbul's most photogenic neighbourhoods — painted Ottoman houses, a cast-iron church, the spiritual centre of Orthodox Christianity, and Byzantine mosaics most tourists never see. About 3.5 km along the Golden Horn's western shore.

First stops

Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) — The Chora Church contains the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes that still survive — a series of glittering scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, completed around 1320 under the patronage of Theodore Metochites. The building itself dates back to the 4th century, though most of what you see was rebuilt across later Byzantine centuries. Officially converted to a mosque in 2020, it reopened to visitors in 2024. This is where the hunt begins — from the old land walls you'll walk downhill and east, toward the Golden Horn and into the tangle of Balat and Fener.
Ahrida Synagogue — Ahrida is the oldest and most beautiful synagogue in Istanbul, founded by Jews from Ohrid (today's North Macedonia) in the mid-15th century. Its remarkable wooden tevah (pulpit) is shaped like the bow of a ship — or, some say, Noah's Ark — representing the Sephardic Jewish community's long journey here after their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492.
St. Stephen of the Bulgars (Iron Church) — The Church of St. Stephen of the Bulgars is extraordinary: it is made entirely of cast iron — prefabricated in Vienna in 1898 and shipped down the Danube and across the Black Sea in pieces. Every column, every arch, every ornamental detail is metal. It is perhaps the finest example of a cast-iron church anywhere in the world.

Istanbul Kadıköy Food Tour (Asian Side)

~180 min · 8 stops

Take the ferry from Karaköy or Eminönü to Kadıköy — the food neighbourhood locals say beats the European side. A walking tour from the ferry terminal through the Çarşı food market, past Çiya Sofrası and Sayla Mantı, finishing at a century-old patisserie and the Moda waterfront. About 2 km of walking on the Asian side.

First stops

Kadıköy Ferry Terminal — Welcome to the Asian side. You arrived here on a 20-minute ferry from Karaköy or Eminönü — the cheapest intercontinental crossing on Earth. Kadıköy is what locals point to when you say 'Istanbul food'. The Çarşı (market district) just south of the terminal is a few square blocks of fishmongers, butchers, spice shops, pastry kitchens and restaurants that draw food critics from across Europe. Mark Wiens has filmed entire videos here alone.
Çarşı Simit Vendor — Walk south from the ferry terminal into the Çarşı. The narrow streets fill up with shoppers from dawn. At the entrance to the market district you'll find simitçi carts — the same sesame bread rings you've seen on İstiklal, but here they're a breakfast staple. Grab one warm with a glass of tea (çay) for a couple of lira.
Baylan Pastanesi — On Muvakkithane Caddesi, a minute from the simit carts at the market's northern edge: a century-old patisserie. Baylan was founded in 1923 by Albanian immigrant Filip Lenas, and this Kadıköy branch opened in 1961. In the 1950s Harry Lenas invented their signature dessert: 'Kup Griye' — caramel and vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, roasted almonds, caramel sauce, served in a tall glass with a Belgian biscuit on the side. 'Griye' comes from the French 'grillée' — roasted. Try it.

Frequently asked questions

Scavenger hunts in Istanbul: practical questions

How long does a scavenger hunt in Istanbul take?

The hunts in Istanbul take roughly 100 to 180 minutes and have 8 to 10 stops. You walk at your own pace and can pause and pick up again anytime.

How much does a scavenger hunt in Istanbul cost?

A hunt costs €1.99 as a one-time purchase in the app — no subscription. You can also unlock the whole city with all themes at once.

Which themes are available in Istanbul?

There are 4 hunts in Istanbul: Istanbul Old City Mystery, Istanbul Street Food Trail, Istanbul Hidden Gems: Balat & Fener, Istanbul Kadıköy Food Tour (Asian Side). Each theme follows its own route past different places.

Can I play together in Istanbul?

Yes — play solo, share one phone, or try the co-op duo mode (beta) with two phones. For groups and team outings there are private hunts everyone joins in the browser.

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