Is walking city title overstepping it?

STEP BACK IN TIME: Istanbul boasts many historic sites such as the Hagia Sophia

- MILO BOYD

The Turkish city of Istanbul is a riot of bazaars and hidden gems but for MILO BOYD, exploring it on foot is a tough ask

THERE is no better way to explore a new place than by walking. When it comes to soaking up the atmosphere, building an internal map of a city and stumbling upon secret spots and hidden gems while travelling, two feet is the way to go.

Earlier this year, Istanbul was named the most walkable city in Europe in a ranking by Braw Scottish Tours, which analysed the walking distance and step count between the five main attractions in 30 most popular cities.

It was number one with an impressively low total walking distance of 2.5km with a route that goes past Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. To explore, it'll only take about 3,250 steps and half an hour of walking.

So I decided to hit the slabs hard during my first trip to Istanbul, only to quickly discover that I'd bitten off more than I expected.