Turkey 40/48

Update March 22, 2020: Prices have been updated to reflect the most recent price increase. Due to the frequent changing of prices, some of the individual ticket costs may not be up to date, but their relative cost will remain the same.

When you visit Istanbul, you have the option to buy the Istanbul Museum Pass which gets you entrance into most of the major museums in the city including the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Istanbul has so much to see and do so you really need to prioritize where you’re going to visit. This guide will help you decide which museums to visit and whether you should buy the Museum Pass during your visit to the magical city of Istanbul.

Istanbul Museum Pass Basics

You do not need the Istanbul Museum Pass when you visit as you can buy a separate ticket to each location. The prices of the Museum Pass and of single entry tickets to the museums were raised again. As of July 2019 the pass is now 325 lira. Once you scan the pass to enter your first museum, a 120 hour (five days) timer starts. You can visit each of the museums once in that time at no additional cost. The best part is you can go straight to the fast lane to enter. Just flash your pass to the guards and skip the line! You can buy a pass at nearly all of the museums included on the pass (see exclusions below) as well as at machines near the Hagia Sophia. I recommend getting it at one of the lesser-known museums like the Mosaic Museum where there isn’t a line.

Below I’ve listed all the museums you can visit with the pass, their opening hours, their cost without the pass, and whether the museum is worth visiting. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about Istanbul and the Museum Pass so some of this information will not match other sources. 

For a little context, Istanbul Museum Pass costs 220 lira. The Hagia Sophia by itself is 72 tl to enter, Topkapi Palace is another 72 tl and the Topkapi Palace Harem is an additional 42 tl. That’s 186 lira. Skipping the lines at all three is easily worth the 34 extra lira. If you choose to go to a few of the museums below, you’ll make your money back as well.

Hagia Sophia Museum

The Hagia Sophia is the highlight of visiting Istanbul. It’s one of the largest and oldest buildings in the world. It started as a church, then a cathedral, then a mosque, and now a museum. It is a must-see in the city. This one of the most visited places in the city so there is a lot of information and guides inside that you can find. Using the Istanbul Museum Pass in the early morning can get you in before the crowds (as most people buy tickets at the gate). During the busy summer season the line to buy tickets and enter can be HOURS long. The Istanbul Museum Pass allows you to skip the line, taking the Fast Line. Just walk to the front of the gate and flash your pass. The only downside is that the Hagia Sofia is so old that it is almost always having some renovation done so there is scaffolding everywhere.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm (last entry 6pm); Winter: 9am-5pm (last entry 5pm)
Cost individually: 72 tl
Worth visiting? MUST SEE This is probably the most iconic building in Istanbul and you would really be missing out if you skipped it.

Topkapi Palace

Once the house of the Sultan, now a museum for all to enjoy. The whole complex can take a whole day to visit. It has many artifacts and exhibits as well as stunning grounds to walk around and play Sultan. Respectful attire is required for the Sacred Relics room, but it is provided if needed. The terrace near the Circumcision Room is my favorite spot. There are beautiful Iznik tiles and great sunset views of Galata Tower making it an excellent place for sunset Golden Hour. The Harem is not included in the Topkapi ticket. The Istanbul Museum Pass will let you skip the line and you can also save time by not using the entrance near the Hagia Sophia, but instead entering via Gulhane Park.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-6:45pm (last entry 6pm); Winter: 9am-4:45pm (last entry 4pm)
Closed Tuesdays
Cost individually: 72 tl
Worth visiting? MUST SEE Again, this is one of the best attractions in Istanbul. It’s stunning and historical. You must go.

Topkapi Palace Harem

Inside the Topkapi Palace Museum is the Harem. You must enter the palace museum to visit it. You cannot visit the Harem individually. This is important for the Istanbul Museum Pass because it only allows you to enter Topkapi Palace once in the 120 hour period. So if you enter the Palace and leave without going to the Harem, you would have to pay for a second ticket (60 tl) in order to go to the Harem, even with the Museum Pass. The Harem is not very big and wouldn’t take you more than a couple hours to visit so it’s easy to combine with the rest of the Topkapi Palace Museum. It’s also an excellent place to see Turkish Tiles.

Opening Hours: Same as Topkapi Palace
Closed Tuesdays
Cost individually: 42 tl (in addition to the 72 tl for the Topkapi Museum)
Worth visiting? Absolutely! If you’re already going to the Topkapi Museum (which you really must), then it just makes sense to add the Harem.

Istanbul Archaeological Museums

These museums are all part of a single complex between Topkapi Palace and Gulhane Park. There are three of them as well as a small gift shop and cafe inside. The museums are the Archaeological Museum, Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk Museum. The last one is my favorite as its exterior is stunning and it’s another excellent place to see Turkish Tiles. The other two museums are worth a visit if you have time and are interested in history and artifacts. One is under construction and if you have to choose to skip a museum it would be that one. Definitely leave time to have some Turkish coffee at the cafe. It is surrounded by gravestones and columns from around the city arranged in a nice little garden.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm; Winter: 9am-5pm
Closed Mondays
Cost individually: 36 tl
Worth visiting? This is personally my favorite hidden gem in the heart of Istanbul. It’s quiet, relatively ignored by tourists, and the tiles and artifacts are beautiful and interesting. If you have a free afternoon it’s certainly worth a visit.

Istanbul Museum of Science and Technology in Islam

The name might be a mouthful, but this museum’s aim is pretty simple. It houses many examples broken down by field of study of the influence of Muslim scientists throughout history. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts displayed are replicas, though there is a lot of information presented. Sciences presented include wartime technology, medicine, maritime technology, astronomy and more. One of the best features is that the museum has built replicas based on guides in books and this visualization helps to teach about the science behind the machines or buildings. This is a great spot to visit with school age children. NOTE: you cannot buy a Museum Pass at this museum. The closest place to get one is Topkapi Palace.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm; Winter: 9am-4:45pm
Closed Mondays
Cost individually: 14 tl
Worth visiting? This museum certainly does a good job educating about Islamic scientific influence and is well-designed. However, unless it’s a topic you’re particularly interested in or you have a lot of time, I would recommend skipping this one.

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

This museum is located near the Blue Mosque and like that mosque houses excellent examples of Turkish art. You won’t find a lot of Iznik tiles here, though, if that’s what you’re after. Instead this museum focuses on other arts including illumination of texts, pottery, and probably most interestingly, carpets. This museum also has a nice cafe that overlooks the Hippodrome and is quite quiet considering its location. There is a holy relic section where you need to wear proper clothing which is provided if you don’t have any.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm; Winter: 9am-5pm
Closed Mondays
Cost individually: 42 tl
Worth visiting? After the main attractions of Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia, this museum is probably the most worth visiting. It’s well-designed and interesting even if you don’t know about Islamic art. Its location and cafe also make it a worthy spot to spend an afternoon in.

Istanbul Mosaic Museum

This little museum is tucked away behind the Blue Mosque near the Arasta Bazaar (which I highly recommend doing some shopping at). It’s quite small, you can fully enjoy it in under an hour. When I visited there was no one else there. You can get really up close and personal with the mosaics. Most of them date back to the Roman times making them well over a 1000 years old. Here you can also learn a little about this period of the city’s history.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm (last entry 6:30pm); Winter: 9am-7pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Cost individually: 24 tl
Worth visiting? I certainly think this museum is worth a little visit. As I said, it doesn’t take long to see all of it. I would say, though, that it’s only worth it if you use the Istanbul Museum Pass. It’s much too small to be worth the ticket price by itself. I would recommend getting your Museum Pass here as it’s not very popular and it’s unlikely to have a line.

Hagia Irene

This is the Hagia Sophia’s little sister located in the Topkapi Palace complex but not inside the museum so you can visit it separately. It was built around the same time as the Hagia Sophia, also as a stone Orthodox Church, though the Hagia Irene was never converted into a mosque. The inside is basically hollowed out and not really decorated except for a large black stone cross on the inside of the dome. It has a quiet and meditative atmosphere. There isn’t much information inside the museum as of right now though plans are in place to renovate it.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-6:45pm (last entry 6pm); Winter: 9am-4:45pm (last entry 4pm)
Closed Tuesdays
Cost individually: 36 tl
Worth visiting? To be completely honest, this museum is boring. Unless you’re super bored or super interested in architecture, there’s not much to see or do. Certainly not worth paying to go in separately. If you get out of Topkapi Palace early and have time, you can pop in, but otherwise skip it.

Galata Mevlevihanesi (Dervish House)

This museum is built in the house of the famous Turkish Dervishes. Adherents to this sub-sect of Islam find spirituality through a spinning dance so they are also known as Whirling Dervishes. You’ll see pictures and statues of them all over Istanbul and Turkey. In this museum you can learn about their practices, art, and daily life. There’s also a quiet cemetery you can wander through. The museum’s centerpiece is the hall where they have shows of the dancing.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm (last entry 6:30pm); Winter: 9:30am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Closed Mondays or Tuesdays (this changes, visit any other day)
Cost individually: 14 tl
Worth visiting? If you’re already planning to visit Beygolu, the area across the Golden Horn from downtown, then it’s certainly worth popping into this museum. The Galata and Taksim areas around it are certainly worth spending a day in so you can add this to the itinerary. I would say it’s probably not worth buying a separate ticket, though.

Chora Museum

This former church and mosque has some of Istanbul’s best mosaics and examples of Byzantine Christian art. It is currently being renovated so you cannot visit the main chamber, but it still has lots to offer in the small chapel and entryway. Be ready to crane your neck up as this museum’s artwork is mostly on the ceiling. Byzantine depictions of Jesus, Mary, and the apostles cover the walls and ceilings. Located near the trendy and Instagram-famous Balat and Fener districts, this museum is a bit out of the way compared to those previously listed.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm (last entry 6pm); Winter: 9am-5pm (last entry 4pm)
Closed Mondays
Cost individually: 54 tl
Worth visiting? If you’re planning on a visit to the trendy areas surrounding the museum, then it’s certainly worth going. This area is one of my favorites in Istanbul and the Chora Museum is probably the best thing to do indoors there. There’s a lovely cafe right outside that you can get some lunch at as well. I don’t really think the museum is worth making a special trip for by itself.

Rumeli Hisari

This museum is the farthest out from the tourist center of the city. It is an old fort along the Bosphorus that was used to protect the city from attack over water. Now it is ruined, but you can still see the main tower and walls. It’s built into a hill so walking around requires you to climb a lot of stairs. It does offer stunning views of the Bosphorus and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge if you make it to the top. The entrance is along the road at the bottom even though Google makes it appear that you can get there from the top. NOTE: you cannot buy an Istanbul Museum Pass here! Don’t go all the way out there without one.

Opening Hours: Summer: 9am-7pm; Winter: 9am-5pm
Closed Wednesdays
Cost individually: 18 tl
Worth visiting? Only if you have a lot of time on your hands, really like completing things, and already have the Istanbul Museum Pass. You could make a day trip out of it if you added Ortakoy and Dolmabahce Palace to your itinerary. You could also make a trip of it using a hop-on hop-off Bosphorus cruise boat instead of the bus.

Special Note: Fethiye Museum (Pammakaristos Church)

This church is located in the Fener district near the Chora Museum. This area is quiet and very local and near the trendy Balat district as well. The museum itself is another Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, it is closed indefinitely for renovations (as of April 2018). Make sure to check to see if it’s open before you visit. It would be good to double it with the Chora Museum if it’s open.

Opening Hours: CLOSED INDEFINITELY FOR RENOVATIONS (as of April 2018)

Special Note: Yildiz Palace

Some older websites list Yildiz Palace as a location on the Istanbul Museum Pass. As I can attest from personally getting yelled at by guards, the museum is no longer open to the public. The reason is because in 2015 President Erdogan decided to “allocate it for his own use.” So not only is it closed, but it’s surrounded by guards and police. Don’t go. Many websites do not mention this and many people think it’s closed for renovations, but it is not. It’s closed to the public indefinitely. It is no longer listed on new Istanbul Museum Pass lists (like the one posted outside Topkapi Palace).

Opening Hours: CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC! DO NOT GO!!

Overall, I would say the Istanbul Museum Pass is certainly worth getting even if you only visit for a day. It can save you a lot of time seeing the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. And if you have enough time, you can more than make your money back. Here is an interactive map of the locations. If you click the star, it saves the map to your Google Maps. I added some helpful information listed with each location. Happy traveling!

You may have noticed I mentioned Iznik (Turkish) tiles a lot. That’s because I’m obsessed with them! I’ve already written a guide on the best places to see them here:

And if you like that interactive map, you can find more of them for Istanbul and other locations here: