In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Foreign visitors pay ₺2,000 for the Selamlık, the Harem and the Painting Museum together. Dolmabahçe is shut on Mondays, on New Year’s Day and on the first day of both bayrams (9 March and 16 May 2027). The National Palaces’ e-ticket is valid for 90 days, works once and cannot be refunded or changed; the ticket office is open 09:00 to 17:00. The Museum Pass does not cover it. Allow about 2 hours. Or add a boat: the palace is on the Bosphorus shore, and a sunset and daytime cruise from Kabataşad is from €7.
The tickets
Prices come from the Directorate of National Palaces’ Dolmabahçe Palace page, and the e-ticket is sold on its ticket page. Search results for “Dolmabahçe Palace tickets” are filled with sites that carry the palace’s name in their web address and resell tickets.
| Ticket | Foreign visitor | Resident | Discounted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selamlık, Harem and Painting Museum | ₺2,000 | ₺250 | ₺150 |
| Full Pass: Dolmabahçe and the Anatolian and European-side palaces, pavilions and kiosks (not Topkapı or the Küçüksu picnic area) | ₺3,500 | ₺750 | ₺300 |
| Dolmabahçe, Yıldız Palace and the European-side palaces and pavilions | ₺2,750 | ₺500 | ₺200 |
| Dolmabahçe and the Anatolian-side palaces and pavilions | ₺2,750 | ₺500 | ₺200 |
- Free: ages 0 to 6.
- Students: the discounted price applies to ages 7 to 25 with a student card. Foreign students pay twice the discounted price (₺300) and show an ISIC card from ages 12 to 25.
- The e-ticket: valid for 90 days, one use, with no cancellation or change after the sale. Foreign visitors buy the foreign e-ticket; Turkish citizens must buy the domestic one.
- Combined tickets: valid for one month, and each place can be entered once.
- Closed days: Monday, 1 January, and the first day of Ramazan Bayramı (9 March 2027) and of Kurban Bayramı (16 May 2027). Yıldız Palace closes on Wednesday and Topkapı on Tuesday.
- Winter: the ticket office closes at 17:00.
- Resale tickets: reseller “skip-the-line” tickets for the palace cost more than ₺2,000 and do not skip the security check.
Tours worth paying for
The palace faces the Bosphorus at Beşiktaş, so a boat trip suits the same day. None of these includes a palace ticket, so book the palace separately. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Sunset and daytime cruise from Kabataş
From €7 · 2 to 3 hours · 4,578 reviews
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sunset & Day Time Cruise, Drinks & Snackad by Pereme Tours with Dentur Avrasya boards at the Dentur Avrasya Kabataş pier on Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi. It has an audio guide, with soft drinks and snacks if you choose that option.
Yacht sunset cruise with a live guide
From €18.86 · 2 to 6 hours · 4,058 reviews
Istanbul Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Yacht with Live Guidead by Golden City Tours boards at Kabataş, reached by the T1 tram, and is not a private cruise. The sunset option has an English-speaking guide, with tea, coffee, lemonade, water, cookies, baklava and fruit on board.
Audio-guided sightseeing cruise
From €7.90 · 2 hours · 19,723 reviews
Bosphorus Day/Sunset/Night Sightseeing Cruise & Audio Guidead by HGR Cruise Travel Agency on the Mega Lüfer yachts has a mobile audio guide in 9 languages and unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee. The operator cannot guarantee an open-deck seat.
What to see
Sultan Abdülmecid had the palace built between 1843 and 1856 to replace Topkapı. It has 285 rooms, 44 halls, 68 toilets and 6 hammams on 14,595 m², which the National Palaces call the largest palace in Turkey. It is built in Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical forms, and the decoration uses Hereke carpets, Baccarat crystal and Sèvres porcelain.
The waterfront facade of Dolmabahçe Palace. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The Selamlık (Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn). The state half, where the government was run.
- The Ceremonial Hall (Muayede Salonu). Between the Selamlık and the Harem, used for the sultan’s greetings on the holidays and for state ceremonies.
- The Harem. The private apartments of the sultan and his family.
- The Painting Museum. Included in the ticket, in a separate building.
- Atatürk’s rooms. Atatürk stayed in the palace for four years between 1927 and 1938 and died there.
The chandelier in the Ceremonial Hall of Dolmabahçe Palace. Photo: Dan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
How long: about 2 hours. The order: the Selamlık, then the Ceremonial Hall that joins it to the Harem. What to skip: the Painting Museum, on a short visit.
The gate to the Bosphorus at Dolmabahçe Palace. Photo: Moonik, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Practical information
- Hours: ticket office 09:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays.
- Getting there: the T1 tram ends at Kabataş, and the palace is a walk along the shore road from there. Istanbul public transport has the Istanbulkart and the ferry fares.
- Not covered by the Museum Pass: the Museum Pass leaves out Dolmabahçe, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.
- Other palaces: the Full Pass covers Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian shore. All National Palaces locations are shut on Monday except where the list says otherwise: Topkapı closes on Tuesday and Yıldız on Wednesday.
Pair it with Topkapı Palace on another day, as the two have different closed days. What to book before you go to Istanbul has the closed days for every sight, the Bosphorus cruise compares the public ferry and the tour boats, the Bosphorus dinner cruise adds a meal and a show, and where to stay in Istanbul covers the areas.
Common questions
How much is Dolmabahçe Palace for foreign visitors?
₺2,000 for the Selamlık, the Harem and the Painting Museum together. Ages 0 to 6 are free, and students aged 7 to 25 pay the discounted price, which for foreign students is twice the discounted price: ₺300.
What day is Dolmabahçe Palace closed?
Monday. It is also closed on New Year's Day and on the first day of both bayrams: Ramazan Bayramı (9 March 2027) and Kurban Bayramı (16 May 2027).
Where do I buy Dolmabahçe Palace tickets?
On the National Palaces' website, which has an e-ticket for foreign visitors, or at the palace's ticket office, open 09:00 to 17:00. Turkish citizens must buy the domestic ticket.
Can I refund or change a Dolmabahçe e-ticket?
No. The National Palaces say there is no cancellation or change after the sale. The e-ticket is valid for 90 days and the QR code works once.
Does the Museum Pass Istanbul cover Dolmabahçe?
No. The ministry's pass does not list Dolmabahçe.
What is the difference between Dolmabahçe and Topkapı?
They are different periods. Topkapı was the sultans' home from the 1460s; Dolmabahçe was built from 1843 to 1856 in a Western style and was the home of the last sultans and, from 1927 to 1938, Atatürk.
How long does Dolmabahçe Palace take?
GetYourGuide's palace products are listed at 2 hours, which covers the Selamlık and the Harem.
