In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Museum Pass Istanbul is €105, valid 5 days from the first visit, with each museum once. It covers the Ministry of Culture’s museums (13 of them), among them Topkapı Palace and the Harem, the Galata Tower, the Archaeology Museums, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and Maiden’s Tower. It leaves out the three biggest tickets: Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe Palace. On the ministry’s prices, Topkapı plus three other paid sights breaks even, and each sight after that is a saving. Entry to the Galata Tower must be by 18:14, and the pass is not valid for night museums after 19:00. Or book a tour: Walks In Europe’s Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Cistern tourad is from €49 with the Hagia Sophia and Cistern tickets included.
What the pass covers
The ministry’s pass page sells it as an e-card, with a list of sales points, and says to check each museum’s status on the site before you go. The sites on its map include:
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums, with sarcophagi along the garden. Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Topkapı Palace Museum and the Topkapı Harem
- the Istanbul Archaeological Museums (with the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Pavilion)
- the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- the Galata Tower and the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
- Maiden’s Tower
- Rumeli Fortress
- the Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam
- the Adam Mickiewicz Museum
- the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, which is closed
What it does not cover: the Hagia Sophia gallery route (€25) and its History and Experience Museum, the Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahçe Palace, and the Chora (Kariye) Mosque. Hagia Sophia tickets, the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe are bought on their own.
Maiden’s Tower on its islet in the Bosphorus. Photo: Matti Blume, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The sums
Prices are the foreign-visitor prices on the ministry’s fee list in euros, and the National Palaces’ list for Topkapı in lira.
| Site | Foreign visitor | Closed day |
|---|---|---|
| Topkapı Palace and Harem | ₺2,750 | Tuesday |
| Galata Tower | €30 | None |
| Istanbul Archaeological Museums | €15 | None |
| Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts | €17 | None |
| Maiden’s Tower | €27, plus ₺110 for the boat | None |
| Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam | €10 | None |
| Galata Mevlevi Lodge | €7 | Monday |
| Rumeli Fortress | €6 | Monday |
At about ₺57 to the euro, the palace’s ₺2,750 is about €48.
| Plan | Bought separately | The pass | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topkapı, Galata Tower, Archaeology Museums, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts | About €110 | €105 | The pass saves about €5 |
| The same four plus Maiden’s Tower | About €137, plus the boat | €105 | The pass saves about €32 |
| Galata Tower, Archaeology Museums, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Maiden’s Tower | €89, plus the boat | €105 | The pass costs about €16 more |
| Galata Tower, Archaeology Museums, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and Maiden’s Tower, plus the Science and Technology museum, Rumeli Fortress and the Mevlevi Lodge | €112, plus the boat | €105 | The pass saves €7 |
Topkapı does most of the work, because it is the one lira price. It joins the National Palaces ticket system on 1 January 2027, and the ministry’s entry fees change on 1 April 2027 (the Galata Tower goes to €35).
Rules and time limits
- Validity: 5 days from the first museum visit; each museum once.
- Cut-offs: Galata Tower entry by 18:14; the Archaeology Museums and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts by 18:45.
- Night museums: not valid after 19:00, including the Galata Tower’s night session.
- Closed days: Topkapı on Tuesday; the Galata Mevlevi Lodge and Rumeli Fortress on Monday. What to book before you go to Istanbul has the full table.
- Topkapı after 1 January 2027: the palace joins the National Palaces ticket system; Topkapı Palace tickets has the current prices.
Passes that are not the Museum Pass
Resellers sell bundles with “pass” in the name, and none is the ministry’s card. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
The Istanbul E-pass
From €125 · 374 reviews
Istanbul E-pass: Top Attractions with Skip-the-Line Accessad by Istanbul E-pass bundles a Hagia Sophia guided tour with ticket, fast-track tickets for Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern, entry to Dolmabahçe Palace, Maiden’s Tower, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Chora (Kariye) Museum, a whirling dervishes show, Bosphorus cruises, public transport tickets and one free private airport transfer. It is valid for 2 years. At Hagia Sophia, foreign visitors on it enter the gallery floor only, and security checks still apply.
The Top Museums Guided Pass
From €145 · 2.5 to 3 hours · 69 reviews
Istanbul: Top Museums Guided Passad is a guided visit to Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, with Dolmabahçe as an addition.
Which to buy
- Buy the Museum Pass for five days that put Topkapı and at least three of the Galata Tower, the Archaeology Museums, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and Maiden’s Tower on the list.
- Skip it if your plan is Hagia Sophia, the Cistern, Dolmabahçe and one or two museums.
- See the Archaeology Museums, the Mevlevi Lodge and the rest on Istanbul museums, and the free alternatives on free things to do in Istanbul.
- Plan the days on Istanbul in one or two days, which builds the closed days in.
Galata Tower tickets has the tower’s hours and queue. To stay close to the museums, see hotels near the Blue Mosque.
Common questions
How much is the Museum Pass Istanbul?
€105 for foreign visitors. It is valid for 5 days from the first museum visit, and each museum can be entered once.
Is the Museum Pass Istanbul worth it?
Only for a museum-heavy five days. Topkapı with the Harem, the Galata Tower, the Archaeology Museums and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts come to about €110 bought separately, so the pass saves about €5 on those four and more with each museum added.
Does the Museum Pass cover Hagia Sophia?
No. The pass leaves out the Hagia Sophia gallery route, the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum, the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe Palace.
Does the Museum Pass let me skip the queue?
It replaces buying a ticket at each museum. Everyone still goes through the security check.
What are the Museum Pass's time limits?
Entry to the Galata Tower must be no later than 18:14, and to the Archaeology Museums and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts no later than 18:45. The pass is not valid at night museums after 19:00.
Where do I buy the Museum Pass Istanbul?
Online on the Ministry of Culture's site, muze.gov.tr, or at the sales points the site lists.
Is the Istanbul E-pass the same as the Museum Pass?
No. The E-pass is a reseller's bundle of guided tours, tickets, cruises and an airport transfer, from €125. The Museum Pass is the ministry's own card.
