In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The combined ticket is ₺2,750 for foreign visitors, covering the palace and the Harem; the Harem alone is ₺1,050. Topkapı is shut on Tuesdays, on 1 January and on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı (9 March 2027). The ticket office is open 09:00 to 17:00 and sells at the palace. On 1 January 2027 Topkapı joins the National Palaces ticket system, so check the palace’s own site after that date. The Museum Pass covers it. Allow 3 hours, and start in the morning. Or book a tour: TOURMANIA’s palace and Harem tourad is from €45 with both tickets included.
The tickets
Prices come from the Directorate of National Palaces’ Topkapı Palace page. Sites that carry the palace’s name in their web address and sell tickets are resellers, and the palace sells at its own ticket office.
| Ticket | Foreign visitor | Resident | Discounted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined ticket (the palace and the Harem) | ₺2,750 | ₺500 | ₺250 |
| Harem alone | ₺1,050 | ₺400 | ₺150 |
- 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, so ₺500 on the combined ticket and ₺300 for the Harem, and show an ISIC card from ages 12 to 25.
- Validity: the combined ticket is valid for one day.
- Closed days: Tuesday, 1 January and the first day of Ramazan Bayramı (9 March 2027). The palace is open on the other public holidays and bayram days.
- Winter: the ticket office closes at 17:00.
- From 1 January 2027: Topkapı Palace is included in the National Palaces ticket system, the one that sells Dolmabahçe’s e-tickets today.
Tours worth paying for
The palace is a set of courts with no single route, and a guide gives the order. Two of these tours include the tickets for about what the palace charges; the third adds two more sights. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Palace and Harem, small group
From €45 · 3 hours · 460 reviews
Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour (Small Group & Fast-track Entry)ad by TOURMANIA includes the entrance fees for the palace and the Harem and a professional guide. The guide meets you in front of the Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. Arrive on time: latecomers cannot join once it starts.
Palace and Harem with headsets
From €47 · 3 hours · 2,027 reviews
Istanbul: Topkapi Palace and Harem Guided Tour with Ticketad by Walks In Europe, shared or private depending on the option, has the tickets for the palace and the Harem and headsets for the guide. Its tickets are timed and expire within 5 to 10 minutes, and nobody can join after the tour has begun. The palace can close without notice for state visits.
Topkapı, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern in one day
From €99 · 4 hours · 1,465 reviews
Istanbul: Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern Tourad by Walks In Europe is a small group with entry for Hagia Sophia, the palace and the Harem, pre-reserved Cistern tickets and headsets. It puts three bookings into one half-day. The Cistern has 50 steps down and up, and there is no lift.
What to see
The palace was built from the 1460s as the sultans’ home and seat of government and became a museum in 1924. The National Palaces describe four sections: the outer palace, the State Council, the Palace School and the Harem. It is entered through the Imperial Gate beside Hagia Sophia.
The Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümâyûn), the main entrance to Topkapı Palace. Photo: Canercangul, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The first court. An open square, the Procession Square, with the Church of Saint Eirene, the Mint and the old bakeries and hospital around it.
- The second court, Divan Square. The Council Chamber (Kubbealtı), where the Council of State met, the Council of State Treasury and the Tower of Justice. The entrance to the Harem is next to the Council Hall.
- The Harem, the sultan’s private home, entered from the second court on its own ticket.
- The third court, the Enderun. The Audience Chamber, the Enderun Treasury, the Pavilion of the Conqueror and the Privy Chamber, today the Apartment of Holy Relics.
- The fourth court. Royal pavilions and terraced gardens: the Baghdad and Revan Pavilions, the İftariye Gazebo and the Tulip Garden wall.
The Tower of Justice in the second court of Topkapı Palace. Photo: Gryffindor, Wikimedia Commons.
How long: the guided tours run 3 hours for the highlights; operators advise a morning visit with the afternoon free for anyone who wants to see every section. The order: the courts run in sequence through the gates, and the Harem entrance is in the second court. What to skip: with under two hours, take the second court, the Harem and the third court, and leave the fourth court.
Inside the Revan Kiosk in the fourth court. Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Practical information
- Hours: ticket office 09:00 to 17:00. Shut on Tuesdays.
- Getting there: the T1 tram stops at Sultanahmet and at Gülhane. The Imperial Gate is a few minutes on foot from Hagia Sophia, and the Sultanahmet walk puts it at the end of the route.
- Security: an airport-style check at the gate; the queue is not skipped by any ticket.
- Pushchairs: not suitable, say tour operators.
- Museum Pass: the Museum Pass Istanbul covers the palace and the Harem.
- Next door: the Istanbul Archaeology Museums are at the Gülhane end of the palace walls.
Hagia Sophia tickets and the Basilica Cistern are the other two big bookings in Sultanahmet, and Dolmabahçe Palace is the later palace on the Bosphorus, shut on Mondays. What to book before you go to Istanbul has the closed days for every sight, Istanbul Old City tours compares the guided combinations, and hotels near the Blue Mosque lists places to stay within walking distance. After a day in the palace, hammams in Istanbul lists the old-city baths.
Common questions
How much is a Topkapı Palace ticket for foreign visitors?
₺2,750 for the combined ticket, which the National Palaces list as the palace plus the Harem. The Harem alone is ₺1,050. 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: ₺500 on the combined ticket.
What day is Topkapı Palace closed?
Tuesday. It is also closed on 1 January and on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı (9 March 2027), and open on the other public holidays and bayram days.
Where do I buy Topkapı Palace tickets?
At the palace's ticket office, which is open 09:00 to 17:00. On 1 January 2027 the palace joins the National Palaces ticket system, which already sells Dolmabahçe and the other palaces online.
Is the Harem included in the Topkapı ticket?
The combined ticket includes it. The Harem is a separate ticket, ₺1,050, for anyone who wants only that part. Its entrance is in the second court, next to the Council Hall.
How long does Topkapı Palace take?
The two guided tours with tickets on GetYourGuide are 3 hours. Operators advise a morning visit with the afternoon free for anyone who wants to see all of it.
Does the Museum Pass Istanbul cover Topkapı?
Yes: the ministry's pass lists the Topkapı Palace Museum and the Harem. Topkapı moves to the National Palaces ticket system on 1 January 2027.
Can I take a pushchair into Topkapı Palace?
Tour operators say the palace is not suitable for pushchairs. Everyone goes through an airport-style security check.
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