Excellent audio guide round a beautiful palace - (clear English accents) & interesting mix of east meets west and including spectacular glass chandeliers and Harem with marble bathrooms/hammams. Typical unfriendly, aggressive ticket staff (where do they get them from?) but we’ll worth the tram trip. Very short queue at 10am & in some rooms on our own. Great painting museum but other ancillary displays closed.

We went to the palace because it was recommended to us by friends and it was stunning. It is a beautiful building and the garden is a delight for the eyes. However, entry is a little expensive and you are not allowed to take photos inside the palace. Overall still, I would highly recommend paying it a visit.

Had a good time visiting this gorgeous palace. Free audio tour guide with admission avail in various languages. We passed on this d/t the requirement to surrender our passports to take advantage of the audio guide. Worth visiting.

We purchased the only admission ticket offered which included the Selamlik, gardens, Harem, and Art Museum. The Cystal Staircase of Baccarat crystal was very impressive. The palace is opened 9-4 Tuesday to Sunday. We visited on a Sunday and there were many families enjoying the the grounds. There were two lines for tickets and even though they were very long, the line moved quickly. They have a cafe and gift shop. Before entering each of the buildings, you are given plastic shoe covers so flats, and sneakers make it safer to walk. There are lots of stair so be mindful.

The grounds and the garden are very pleasant. The palace is furnished and some of the room have very interesting crystal fixtures, probably from Bohemia. Most remarkable is the last room before the exit, the ceremonial function room. There is a 4.5 ton chandelier tethered to a very high ceiling. Quite unique and impressive.

The palace is huge and varied, with quite a few interesting highlights in different sections, including a number of halls decorated in a very European way. In reality, this is a Renaissance palace with very little in terms of Ottoman or Turkish influence. Just as everywhere, early arrival makes for easier access.

The palace was built to match the European palaces of the time and that's what it feels like - a wannabe European palace. Many almost identical rooms, the ceremonial hall being the most impressive. It's OK to visit, make sure to go to the harem as well, it's a bit more interesting than the main palace. The Painting Museum is great, leave at least an hour for it, the collection is very interesting. There are a couple of cafes on the grounds with reasonable food and service.

We visited Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul today and it was an unforgettable experience. It costs 650 Lira to enter and you can buy tickets at the entrance. There were no queues when we visited so it was easy getting in. The blend of Ottoman and European architectural styles of the palace creates a uniquely majestic ambiance. Inside, the lavish decorations, stunning crystal chandeliers, and intricate gold leaf details bring ottoman living to life. The palace is where Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, spent his last days so it has that historic significance. The palace's gardens are well manicured, with the Bosphorus providing an amazing backdrop. I would have given it 5 stars, but they're not allowing photography inside except a few selected rooms which was disappointing given the ticket costs almost the same as Topkapi palace where photography is allowed.

Worth visiting, very beautiful and well organised route to access. It's quite huge and many paints, displays, old furniture, etc. I spent around 2hours there, that should be enough but photo shooting is not allowed even many many visitors doing so in the rooms.

Mind blowing!!! I have seen many palaces but the Dolmabahce Palace is a stand alone. The guest halls, the 1.5ton chandeliers, the mirrors, the giant pillars - all are unique. The dome color combination of the paintings in the Kings Hall is a flabbergast. We can feel the 32 Mtr heightened arched roof paintings are very closest to us. The architecture of the palace is glorious, the gold plated diamond spoon, the silver painted glass vase and the kitchen/dining utensils in the showcase/display cant be forgotten. A must worthwhile place in Istanbul to visit.