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Set within the Nakkastepe Millet Bahcesi, a public garden on the Asian shore in the Uskudar district, the Istanbul zipline lets visitors fly out over a hillside with one of the finest views in the city as their backdrop. The park occupies some ninety thousand square metres of greenery high above the Bosphorus, laid out with picnic grounds, walking and running paths, a tennis court, ponds, children's play areas and an adventure ropes course, and the zipline is its biggest thrill. The steel cable runs around two hundred and fifty metres and riders can reach speeds of up to eighty kilometres an hour, launching toward the strait with the 15 July Martyrs Bridge filling the view ahead and the water and the European shore spread out beyond, so that the rush of speed comes wrapped in a panorama that few zip wires anywhere can match. The cable is engineered to carry many tonnes and the activity is run by experienced staff with safety harnesses and briefings, making it accessible to first-timers as well as thrill-seekers. The surrounding park is free to enter on foot and popular with families at weekends, so a turn on the zipline can be combined with a picnic, a walk or a coffee at the cafe while taking in the Bosphorus view. The garden is reached most easily by metrobus to the 15 July Martyrs Bridge stop, followed by a short uphill walk, and the zipline operates to set hours through the day, with tickets bought on site. For visitors wanting a dose of adrenaline and an unusual vantage point on the strait, it offers a memorable few minutes and a story to take home, best enjoyed on a clear day when the view runs far down the Bosphorus. The Nakkastepe garden was opened in recent years as one of the city's new public millet parks, created on a hillside that commands one of the best outlooks over the lower Bosphorus, and the zipline was added as a way of putting that dramatic setting to use. The launch toward the bridge and the strait gives the ride a backdrop quite unlike the wooded or mountain settings of most zip wires, turning a short burst of speed into a memorable encounter with the city's signature view. The wider park makes the trip worthwhile even for those not riding, with its lawns, ponds, play areas and viewing terraces drawing families and walkers, and its cafe a pleasant spot to rest. Because the activity runs to set hours and weather can affect operation, it is worth checking before making the journey, and weekday visits avoid the busiest times. For an inexpensive thrill with a view to match, the zipline is one of the more unusual things to do on the Asian side of Istanbul.