Topkapı Palace
Topkapı Palace
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
This lavish palace was the royal residence of the Ottoman empire for almost 400 years. Here, you can peek into the imperial life of the sultans as you wander through the grand courtyards, pavilions and ceremonial rooms that display an impressive collection of artefacts and treasures. With a separate ticket, you can also venture into the Harem—a private world decked with over 400 exquisitely decorated rooms where the sultan shared with his wives, concubines and children. To skip the snaking lines, buy a fast-track ticket or a multi-day Museum Pass, which provides access to the city’s other top sights. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Admission tickets
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AU$90.50
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Sultanahmet
With so many unmissable attractions within a mere stroll of each other – and all set around the site of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome – Sultanahmet is an overwhelmingly popular tourist destination, and a prime location for visitors to be wowed on a truly epic scale. Beyond the wonders of the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more, this relatively small area of Istanbul somehow manages to retain an air of peace and calm. It offers visitors a significantly less celebrated but nonetheless pleasant network of quaint lanes and side streets, majestic panoramas of the Bosphorus, and an impressive assortment of accommodation options for all budgets and tastes.
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See what travellers are saying
  • tinkle_24
    Northampton, United Kingdom1,785 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exquisite pavilions and lovely grounds!
    This is a massive complex and will need at least half a day to do it justice. We could not get into the museums due to long queues but palace grounds were most pleasant. Views of the Bosporous and Marmara Sea were pretty. Also ornate and artistic pavilions dotted around. A complex worth visiting!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 October 2023
  • SR20
    Durham, United Kingdom97 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place to visit
    Great place to visit, so much history, very beautiful. Queues can be long so we went early and bought tickets when we got there. Didn’t get the audio tour as needed physical passports. Lovely grounds, museums, rooms. Highly recommend a visit but go to the harem too which is extra but worth it.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 October 2023
  • Susan K
    New York City, New York1,222 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much to see so plan on a few hours-
    This palace reminded me of the forbidden city in China. There are many courtyards and gates . There are separate tickets depending on what you want to see- the Palace, Harem, Haghia Eirene., everything! There were very long lines for the Treasury. I never made it to the kitchens, but was told this was a must see if you have interest in crystal, china, and silver. I personally enjoyed seeing the Imperial Wardrobe which has amazing royal robes worn by both the Sultan and his family. I found the print material just stunning! Hilights of the day included staff of Moses, 86 carrot diamond, writing on shirts, caftans.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 October 2023
  • Patric D
    Sandbach, United Kingdom1,059 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful palace
    Great place to visit, ot just for the palace itself but for the many displays and exhibits in many of the palace rooms. We particularly enjoyed the clock collection, the clothing displays and especially the Treasure Houses. Wonderful, but you need to queue unless you get there early
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 November 2023
  • Richard D
    Ciutadella, Spain766 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must see while in Istanbul
    Topkapi palace is one of my favorite museums worlwide. There is a great view of the Dadanelles and the Bosphorus and many unique exhibits, including clockwork, jewelry, weaponry, etc. Highly recommend.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 November 2023
  • SB01
    Sonning Common, United Kingdom936 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Treasure Trove
    Visiting the Topkapi Palace was a long hold ambition. I was not disappointed. The grounds and palace buildings alone would make it special. Add in the treasury, the historic costumes and the relics from the birth of Islam and you have a remarkable landmark. Even in November it was busy, but it’s a large site so absorbs the people quite well. The exception is the Imperial Treasury, which had a long queue and was packed with elbows out visitors. However, the displays are well laid out and very well lit. The quality and workmanship is incredible, with numerous diamonds, emeralds and rubies adorning beautiful items. There are also many examples of ornate arms and armour and richly decorated kaftans and other clothing. Deeper into the complex is the audience chamber with precious relics sacred to Islam. It’s a very special place, even to an agnostic like myself. The entrance fee was 750 or 950 lira, the latter including access to the harem which was unfortunately closed when I visited. This is a lot of money in Turkey, but I think it’s well spent. Toilets and food outlets are quite limited in the palace so you need to consider this. It’s a big site, so be prepared for a lot of walking.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 4 November 2023
  • IlyaNJ
    Marlboro, New Jersey990 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting
    The palace is large, with many separate pavilions and collections, and is a bit short on wow factor. Treasury, clock collection, library, several halls here or there, a couple of those pavilions are interesting enough, and it requires over 2 hours to see the place more or less thoroughly; probably half a day if you listen to everything on the audio-guide. The Harem is included on a higher-price ticket, but not on the basic one. Technically, there is not much in the Harem that is not seen elsewhere. St-Irene is also included, but it is entirely empty with not much to see. In the morning, the ticket line is short, but it quickly grows to unbearable.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 6 November 2023
  • christine s
    Stourbridge, United Kingdom685 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Certainly not to be missed,this is in the top must do venues in ISTANBUL.
    We stayed 5 minutes walk from here,but still had to que for 45minutes to enter,so book on line,we paid 950 TL each,then we were in endless que all day,6 hours viewing all the rooms,tresures,jewels,Mesmerising,superb,history you would not belive,we were totally amazed. The crowds here are endless,ques,packed rooms,so go early when it opens,its not so busy but still packed,various stages of rooms and do not forget the gardens and views of theBospherous. you can exit into the park ,if you finish in the gardens,with a leasurely stroll back. Take plenty of water,and a face mask as crowds are at very close quarters inside the rooms.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 November 2023
  • leonardo_1964
    977 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A top palace to visit in Istanbul
    Topkapi is the most famous palace of Istanbul which is quiet logic given the beauty of the palace, the harem and the gardens. You should forecast at least 3 hours of time to enjoy it. In some areas you will have to queue but the waiting times are manageable.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 November 2023
  • shvarz
    New York City, New York275 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit in Istanbul, but no food and dirty toilets
    Very interesting place, must visit harem for full experience, it's worth the extra cost. Don't miss two treasuries (relics and gems). The place is large with extensive grounds, lots of different buildings and exhibitions. Audio guide is free and it's decent, provides some basic information. The worst thing is the visiting experience. There was no food save for two coffee stands that had some candy and non-appetizing sandwiches (the second one was tucked away, so it's very hard to find). Only two small bathrooms, which are quite dirty and also not easy to spot.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 November 2023
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles28,230 reviews
Excellent
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2,590
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irina j
London, UK3,555 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I’ve been really looking forward to this visit and thought it would be a highlight however the palace didn’t really live to its expectations.

There are many interesting parts with beautiful intricate designs. However many parts are closed for renovations at the moment. They also charge extra for Harem. Luckily we had Museum pass as I don’t think it’s worth another 40TL. I hired also audio guide for 70TL (the same price as entrance to the main museum) however commentary was very poor and didn’t really tell you much more than was written on the billboards. If you are an English speaker - it’s probably not worth it.

I guess the place gets very busy in the summer. We visited it in Monday when many other museums in town are closed.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stuart Moore
Leeds, UK23 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Visitors need to be aware of some critical things. You pay 320 pp Lira to get in and on offer is a free audio guide. A few yards up the walkway there is a queue to get this guide. We queued, slowly, for almost an hour in the sun get this guide to find that to get it you had to provide a key document as a deposit such as a passport, or driving licence, or $100US or E100 Euros. We did not have any of these, nor sufficient TKL to obtain the guide. We queued all that time for nothing. Why could they not put these requirements upfront, by the engry ticket machines, so you could not if you met the criteria or not? Morons to say the least. It left us furious.
We went inside, and yes, it is something to see and learn about, but for one thing the Harem was extra to get in, and secondly, the queues everwhere were truly horrific, and having queued for no benefit to get the guide we were worn out already.
If you go to this place take a key document or a wad of dollars or Euros, and go in the morning to avoid the hordes.
They do not limit the numbers of people entering the site; they are on a money spinner here there is no doubt.
Written 26 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kanza R
Scotland, UK48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Family
Lots of my family had visited topkapi palace before and had insisted that it was not to be missed. So my husband and I along with our two teenagers made sure to go. The teenagers got discounted tickets of TL 20 each after showing their passports. After that we hired a guide instead of hiring audio guides as it was the same price overall and I’m so glad we did this. Our guide (Fawad) was very very knowledgeable and made our trip so enjoyable. We ended up spending 5.5 hours there (3 with the guide) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Amazing place with so much history and many Muslim religious artefacts.
Written 15 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mohit
Noida, India337 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
I visited Topkapi palace during my second visit to Turkey in the end of December 2019 and was baffled to see so much crowd to see so little. I went to Dolmabahce palace during my first visit to Turkey in October and was astonished by the marvel of the palace. The "richness" of Dolmabahce was something I had never seen before. I was expecting the same thing with Topkapi palace but was mostly disappointed.

First of all, it was much more crowded than Dolmabahce. I guess the same reasoning of Blue Mosque/Suleymaniye mosque comes into picture here. Just like Suleymaniye mosque, even being much more beautiful than blue mosque, is never crowded, Dolmabahce is also not as crowded as Topkapi because both Topkapi and blue mosque are in Sultanahmet area.

There was also a lot of restoration going on when I visited and many parts of the palace were closed down for general public. Even the parts that I visited did not scream "royal". The architecture is very average and you simply cannot imagine that a royal family, the size and grandeur of Ottomans lived here once. There are many forts in my home country of India which are much better than this palace.

Overall, I was mostly disappointed with my visit here and if I have to recommend, I would highly advise tourists to go to Dolmabahce palace is you are pressed on time and just want to see one palace.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mtupou207
London, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
This massive Palace system actually has several interesting sights to visit and we could have spent another 2-3 hours just wandering around the grounds.
Like with everything in the old city, there's layers upon layers of history here and it's a little mind blowing. I'd recommend getting the audio tour so things make a little more sense but be ready to hand over a cash deposit, a drivers license or your passport as a deposit for the FREE audio guide that is only included if you chose the ticket option with the FREE audio guide. There were some colourful conversations between surprised visitors and the attendants at the FREE audio guide shack.
That aside, allow plenty of time to see your fill of beautiful titled throne rooms, the Harem, religious relics and the stunning views from nearly every vantage point. They were stopping visitors from entering 2 hours before the closing time with the explanation that they'd not have enough time to see most things.
There were substantial lines for a couple of the sections - summer holidays or is Istanbul always this busy? - so be prepared to stand around and wait.
Despite those lines, we managed to see everything we wanted and a good bit more!
Written 8 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Evalu8
Greater London, UK1,059 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Situated in a large enclosed area next to the Bosphorus, the palace is made up of a number of separate sections, each with a different feature and attraction. The garden areas are extensive and the many buildings in each, house numerous interesting places. We were met by some lovely ceremonial horses on the way in, a nice touch, and the variety of mini museums within were all fascinating. Our favourite was the religious artefact rooms which apparently hold the hat of Moses, the famous bejewelled dagger and the robe of David. It was quite small inside, so expect to wait in line for a view, but everything was interesting. There is also a section with ornamental armaments - e.g. guns, knifes, swords, suits of armour etc., the detail on which was amazing. You can even enter the old cooking quarters where the chefs cooked for thousands at a time, and the final section overlooking the grounds and Bosphorous were a great panoramic view. You could easily spend a few hours here and there is a reasonably priced cafe on site if you wish a quick bite to eat of hot drink. Well worth a visit.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shaliza G
Brampton, Canada140 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
We visited Topkapi palace on our 3 day visit to Istanbul . We were expecting huge lineups but may be March is a off season so we were able to purchase tickets from kiosk . We decided to not buy Museum Pass because the only other museum we wanted to see was Hagia Sophia . Palace was ok ok with some similar kind of looking rooms . It was a good glimpse into history but was quite repetitive. The watch collection was a must see. We decided to not see Harem since it was quite expensive with 70TL just to see Harem.
If you are on a budget and time crunch it is a place which can be skipped as there is so much more to see and do in Istanbul.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Seyuran N
Johannesburg, South Africa41 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
It’s very large and there’s a lot to see, in terms of like artifacts such as weapons, cutlery and crockery and other items that the ottomans used in their daily lives and during special occasions. It’s not as beautiful as the Dolomabacye Palace, but there’s a lot of interesting things to see and read about because the audio guide here is at a separate charge. The view of the Bosporus river from here is truly magnificent. It costs about 75TL I think it’s something to definitely see but not the most essential should your budget not be able to accommodate it.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

carolyn teng... o
Geneva, Switzerland15 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2019
Some persons from a certain Middle Eastern country ( and, no I am not prejudiced against anyone ) with exceedingly bad manners, just, with their entire Family, go straight to the front of the line, in front of everyone. So I stood in line for 1 and a half hours because of this. There should be someone regulating the line.
The outside and the stunning, magnificent artifacts displayed on the inside were historical and beautiful. The Ottoman Heritage is unbelievably majestic and vast. BUT, you can not pause for 2 seconds to admire any object : one is hustled in ,through the rooms, and out at top speed. You do not, even, have time to read the plaques which explain the objet in question. So I bought the Topkapi Art book ( the museum shop is excellent ) but that is not the same.
I visit, only, museum cities and was born in one: this is was my most rapid visit.
You need 2 -3 hours to , really, to take in all of this beauty and history.
Written 27 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jasmine D
California428 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Solo
Go early. Go early. Go early. You have to go through security/metal detectors first then head to the ticket office, which is within the palace grounds. The entrance next to the Archaeological Museum is much less crowded as compared to the main gate (that is behind Hagia Sophia). Paying the extra fees for entrance into the Harem is absolutely worth it as some of the most ornate rooms and tiles are in this section. Head there first then check out the four courtyards. Bring your passport (or 100 USD or EUR) to leave as a deposit to get the free audio guide. I arrived at 8:45 am and was the first one in line when the ticket office opened at 9 am. I was done seeing everything and out by 11:30 am, going the opposite direction from the throngs of tour groups entering.
Written 9 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Topkapı Palace - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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