Filming locations in Istanbul

Visiting Istanbul: a set-jetting guide. The city that straddles two continents, all domes, bazaars and ferries across the Bosphorus, is a natural stage for rooftop chases and spy intrigue, and James Bond duly took it for a spin. Skyfall, the 2012 entry in the series, opens with a breathless chase that tears across the rooftops and through the covered lanes of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, a sequence that ends with a motorbike careening over the tiles.

What rewards the trip is that the location is no abstract set but a living, centuries-old marketplace you can simply walk into. The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest covered markets on earth, a labyrinth of vaulted arcades, lamp sellers and carpet stalls, and tracing the film's route through it makes the chase feel real in a way no screen can. Just keep your bearings, because the maze is genuinely disorienting.

The bazaar sits in a walkable old core that packs in the rest of Istanbul's headline sights. The Spice Bazaar is a short walk downhill, fragrant with saffron and tea, while the great monuments of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque stand close by. The whole cluster makes an easy, dense day on foot, threaded with mosques, courtyards and tea stops.

The Grand Bazaar is free to enter and open daily except Sundays, busiest around midday, so go early for a calmer wander. Haggling is expected and part of the fun, and a strong sense of direction or a downloaded map saves a lot of backtracking. Base yourself in the old city, in Sultanahmet or just over the river, and you can fold the Bond locations into a wider stroll through one of the world's great historic centres.