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, Itanbul 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 of Europe's most popular cities.

It found that the Turkish capital was number one with an impressively low total walking distance of 2.5 km. This takes tourists past major attractions such as Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar in a compact area. To explore, it'll only take about 3,250 steps and half an hour of walking.

Given my love of walking, I decided to hit the pavement hard during my first trip to Istanbul, only to quickly discover that I'd bitten off more than I expected. So much so, I take major issue with the claim the city is Europe's most walkable.

If you decide to do the same, here are some of the hurdles you'll likely come up against.

My visit came in December. Although the weather was balmy compared to the misery going on back in the UK, it was not warm. In fact, the temperatures regularly dropped close to 0 °C at night. When combined with intermittent bursts of drizzle and winds that whipped off the Bosphorus River as it runs through the centre of the city, staying outdoors remained a bit of a challenge. Which was no real hardship, given the many exceptional bazaars, luxurious chocolate shops, and tea houses on most streets in Istanbul.

Flip to the summer and you've got the opposite problem. The Turkish capital is absolutely roasting during June, July and August, regularly hitting the high 40s. For most walkers, that'll be simply too much. Which is why the shoulder seasons are the time to visit this beautiful city.

Although I don't dispute Braw Scottish Tours' maths, I question its relevance. The city does feature a dense concentration of world-class museums in its historic Sultanahmet district. Key sites include the Topkap Palace Museum and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. I spent a lovely afternoon wandering between them. But calling Istanbul a walkable city based on this is the same as declaring London easy to get around because the National History, Science and V&A museums are all next to each other.

In truth, Istanbul is a vast city that offers far more than this small corner. In fact, by some measures, it is the biggest city in Europe, with its 55,461 square kilometers only competing with Moscow in the size charts.

One morning, I set out to find one of Istanbul's legendary flea markets. I found myself inadvertently clocking up 20km, having got lost in the great, empty expanses of Fenerbahçe, before eventually making it to a vast temporary bazaar beneath a bridge. It is possible, and fun, to walk around much of Istanbul, but you'd better wear comfy shoes and be willing to take on some slightly non-descript stretches between the main events.

As well as being physically massive, Istanbul is huge in a demographic sense. The Turkish Statistical Institute put its population at 15.7 million at the end of 2024, although some have claimed the large number of undocumented residents brings the total closer to 20 million, or twice the size of London.

Istanbul also has a very high population density of approximately 2,900 people per square kilometer, living in a city that had a population of just 1.5million in 1950.

All of this means that the Turkish capital can feel very crowded at times, particularly in the Grand Bazaar and Taksim Square. Adjust your estimated walking times accordingly.

Despite being a major destination for millions of Brits each year, using a UK SIM card in Turkey can land you with a massive bill. I found the best way to stop the data-related pounds from piling up was to get an eSIM. For five days, £10 on Airalo was enough for WhatsApp, significant mobile maps use and - to my shame - to hail an Uber at the end of a particularly long, but enjoyable, day of trudging.