Welcome to my first article regarding Istanbul, a city that I so easily fell in love with.
But just like in every relationship there are struggles to overcome and moments you truly hate one another, same goes for my relationship with Istanbul.

Why? Because of how hectic, chaotic and unorganized the city can be😅
With a population of a staggering 15.4 million it’s quite obvious that every once in a while you want to escape the hectic streets.

Luckily Istanbul has plenty of amazing parks that will calm your senses and brings you back with Mother Nature.
Let’s get started, here is my list of 5 parks in Istanbul that you can escape to:

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1. Yildiz Park- The most green one
2. Fethipaşa Korusu- The most beautiful views
3. Gülhane Park- The most centrally located
4. Emirgan Park- Full of flowers and famous with tourists
5. Çocuk Park- The best for hanging out and watching the sunset

1: Yildiz Park

First on the list is perhaps also my personal favorite: Yildiz Park in Beşiktaş district.
A densely forested park that attracts lots of locals and tourists alike.
It features many pleasant spots for a picnic, two restaurants, public toilets and lots of remote spots for the lovers out there😜

There are also many scenic routes that will bring you along small ponds, fields of flowers and forested areas, a welcome change of scenery in a such a concrete jungle that Istanbul is.

Yildiz park is also located to quite a few other famous attractions like the: Ortaköy mosque, Dolmabahce Palace and Beşiktaş area.

How to get there: You can take the T1 tram line to Kabataş and from there grab a bus towards the park.
For busses there are many that follow that road, to name a few: 25E/30D and 40T.

To see all available busses I highly recommend to travel around with Google Maps or check beforehand.

TIP: If possible combine the park with the major attractions nearby.
Visit the Ortaköy mosque, grab yourself a delicious kumpir and then start walking to Yildiz Park.

Either that or visit the Dolmabahce Palace early and then slowly walk your way towards Yildiz Park after.

Ortaköy-Yildiz Park: 15min walk(1km walking distance)
Dolmabahce Palace- Yildiz Park: 23min(1.8km walking distance)

2: Fethipaşa Korusu

My personal favorite when you are looking for amazing sights over the city of Istanbul.
The park begins with a stretch of forest and some well paved pathways guiding you through the park.
Pathways that’ll bring you to restaurants, wobbling suspension bridges and scenic picnic spots.

Fethipaşa Korusu also offers the best views over the Bosphorus and it’s famous Bosphorus bridge!
As you can see on the pictures below there are some very beautiful spots that will blow you away.

Sitting on the grass while admiring the Istanbul skyline in the distance is a memory I will cherish forever and I would for sure recommend you to do the same.

The park also features 3 restaurants, all located in different sections of the park.
The one that I would advice is called: Yesil Mavi cafe.
It is a fairly decent priced restaurant that provides you with some amazing sights over the Bosphorus river and the skyline in the distance.

And if you are lucky you might even meet a local legend…
A certain seagull that draws your attention by hitting his beak against the glass panel so that you provide the poor guy with some food

*Based on a true story, just check the video below. Istanbul’s seagulls, true legends and they never fail to impress do they?*

How to get there: Take the ferry from Kabataş to Üsküdar.
From Üsküdar take bus number 15 to the Paşalimanı stop.

TIP: Find the exact same spot where I made my pictures.
Over here you’ll have the best possible views in the park with stunning views over the Bosphorus.
I can’t really tell you how I exactly got there but atleast it was at the edge of the park and pretty far from the entrance.

If you go to the Yesil Mavi cafe I mentioned above then you are going in the right direction. It is around 5min uphill from there.

3: Gülhane Park

Next on my list is Gülhane Park, a centrally located park in the Fatih area close to some of the biggest attractions Istanbul has to offer.
Therefore I’d say this park is a perfect fit after you have visited some of the beatiful sights nearby. Visit places like: Topkapi Palace, the Istanbul archeology museum or the Hagia Sophia mosque and then come here to unwind.

The park has a free entrance and can provide you with a pleasant break from the hectic streets Istanbul is also (in)famous for.

How to get there: Gülhane Park is easy to reach by tram line T1 which stops right in front of the park.

TIP: Walk to the end of the park untill you reach a busy highway, cross that road and you’ll be rewarded with a very beautiful view over Istanbul and the Bosphorus river.

TIP 2: The Istanbul archeology museum is a 4min walk from Gülhane park and is one of the most impressive museum I’ve seen.

It’s collection includes mummies, Roman grave tombs to huge statues and more, a must visit for those who love history!
Entrance fee is just 75 Turkish Lira.

4: Emirgan Park

A very scenic park that lies far away from the city center, still it is well worth the visit and famous for both tourists and locals alike.

Emirgan park features a lot of nice pathways that brings you along fields of flowers, fountains and historical mansions that houses a few restaurants.
Combine all of this with the amazing views over the Bosphorus river and it becomes clear why the place is so well known.

How to get there: Like I mentioned before this park lies quite far from all the other parks on this list.
Getting here will take you about an hour depending on where you stay.

Take the metro line M2 towards the stop İtü-Ayazağa İstasyonu. Then you can take one of these busses: 41C/29S/40B towards the stop Tokmak Burnu.

TIP: On the last 3 weeks of April there is a celebration going on which fills the park with thousands of tulips, making the place even more scenic and lively.

For those of you who like photography or want to boost up their Instagram feed, this is your chance!

5: Çocuk Park

A very cosy and laidback park in the famous Kadiköy area of Asian side Istanbul.
This is a park that many locals love going to in summer and especially to have a few drinks with friends or family.

Visiting these parks just shows me how different people are living here compared to my home country(The Netherlands). Lot’s of people spend there time outside here and especially in summer.

Families bringing their portable chairs, tables + food and drinks to come and spend the evening hours having a good time.

How to get there: Take the ferry from Eminönü towards Kadiköy and from there it will be a 15min walk.
Option 2: Take the Marmaray metro line towards Ayrılık Çeşmesi and then get on the M4 metro towards Kadiköy station.

TIP: Çocuk Park has some of the most beautiful sunset views in the entire city so I for sure advice you stay till the sun goes down.

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