Headout is a brand trusted by millions of guests worldwide offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.
Radu
Pedro
Ernest
+2 more
Michael
+1 more
Elena
Borhene
Laurent
Jonathan
The Topkapi Palace, once home to Ottoman sultans and their court, offers a fascinating glimpse into the empire’s power and opulence. Spanning over 700,000 square meters, the palace complex offers grand courtyards, lavish chambers, and vibrant frescoes that tell the stories of centuries past. With a variety of ticket options, including exclusive access to the palace's hidden Harem and expert-led tours, you can choose an experience that suits your interests and pace.
The palace was the official residence of Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, from the 15th to the 19th century, and served as the center of political power, housing the Sultan’s court, administration, and the elite Janissary military corps. Major political decisions were made behind closed doors, often in secret, with the sultans relying on advisers and viziers for public affairs.
Unlike the strict symmetrical European palaces, Topkapi was built to ensure the Sultan’s privacy and security. A key feature is the Harem, a labyrinthine complex where the sultan’s wives and concubines exerted significant influence over foreign policy and royal succession.
The palace showcases vibrant Islamic and Ottoman art, with colorful frescoes, intricate tiles, and hand-painted manuscripts highlighting the empire’s grandeur. The Imperial Treasury stands out with its priceless treasures like the Topkapi Dagger and the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, one of the world’s largest.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the most influential empires in history, shaping everything from trade routes to religion to military strategy across the world. Topkapi Palace served as the base from which sultans directed the empire’s vast reach, largely controlling Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia.
Perched on a hilltop, the palace offers scenic views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus Strait, with the city’s ancient and modern architecture stretching below. On clear days, the Asian side of Istanbul comes into view, offering a glimpse of how the palace once overlooked both sides of the empire.
Located within the palace's heart, the Harem was home to the Sultan’s wives, concubines, and female relatives. Beyond its luxurious rooms, it was a political center where women like Roxelana held significant influence, affecting royal succession and foreign policy.
Yes, book Topkapi Palace and Harem skip-the-line tickets to bypass long ticketing lines and enjoy direct access to the palace, with a multilingual audio guide included in over five languages.
All our tickets include full access to the main palace courtyards, exhibition halls, and the Harem section.
Yes, every Topkapi Palace ticket we offer includes access to the Harem, giving you the chance to explore the sultans’ private quarters as part of your visit.
Yes, audio guides are available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Turkish. They're included in your Topkapi Palace and Harem skip-the-line tickets or available for separate rental at the entrance.
Topkapi Palace guided tours offer skip-the-line access, expert storytelling, and context for each exhibit, which can be especially helpful in a museum as large and historically layered as this former Ottoman palace.
Yes, most guided tours meet near the Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hümayun) and enter with group access, which typically allows you to bypass the main ticket queue.
Yes, especially during peak months (April to October), skip-the-line tickets help you avoid long queues at both the ticket office and Harem entrance, saving up to 30 to 60 minutes.
Hagia Sophia is not included in the standard ticket but is often bundled with Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia combo ticket options or select guided tours.
If you're staying a week or more in Istanbul, the Istanbul Megapass offers flexible access to 2, 4, or 9 top attractions, like Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and more, plus a 5-ride transport card to help you explore the city with ease.
Yes, children under 6 typically enter for free, and students with valid ID may qualify for reduced pricing, though discount eligibility can vary by ticket type.
An enjoyable experience all round. The Topkapi Palace with its harem and beautiful gardens, beautiful view of the Bosphorus and outstanding collections. A pleasant time of the day with a guide who provided the necessary information, superlative appreciation.
Quick and easy purchase. Even faster entry with skip the line up organized . I really liked the gardens and the overview from the terraces the ballroom and the doctor's residence hall
It was great to have tickets up front as that meant we would have had be in two queues - this way we got in faster. The Topkapi Palace & Harem are not to be missed.
The Palace is amazing and very interesting to discover. Booking the tickets by the app is the best thing ever. The thing not so great is when you loose the conection to audioguide.
Our guide Daphne was awesome! She knew her history of the Palace, she had a Gsoh to, loved the 1 hour tour with her😊
The guide was good but the overall experience was not great due to the sheer number of visitors to the palace. Long queues to enter and for each attraction inside... 😡
The jewels and rooms of the palace are worth seeing. Well maintained gardens. On the downside, there should be a limitation of capacity by time slots because the palace was overcrowded and you could not enjoy the visit calmly and quietly.
On the day set aside for visiting the palace it was pouring rain and cold so the skip-the-line ticket, which works excellently, ga allowed us not to take water at least in the queue. The palace beautiful and interesting but all open and because of the weather was enjoyed less than expected.
Topkapi Palace is beautiful full of history and pageantry. Too bad part of it was closed for construction but it was still fascinating to visit. It was very easy to book with Headout and I liked the organization on the spot. Very accurate and punctual.
Quickly came in without queues, the guide was good very clearly tells everything, half a day were in the palace
We asked the guide repeatedly for the audio guide starting from the main entrance . He repeatedly told us he will once we get into the Harem . We had to wait for all approx 50 people ..and then ask him for the 3 rd time before he shared the QR code . Instead to skip the line we were the last people to enter .The numbers on guide don't coincide with the ones on the attraction either Would reccomend going to the actual till and get tickets would have been quicker and free audio guide there as well . Disappointed .
It crashed several times. If I tried to check steps of the guide it went to the side of the screen and I could see the half of the the meniu only. It happened suddenly and sometimes got fixed without explanation either. However, it was really annoying and I stopped using it after 5-6 times restarting the tour guide. The good side of the tour was your staff and smooth entry. For that I can give 5 star. He was really clear and informative.
Ticketing - easy Entrance to Topkapi - a PAIN. I will not recommend you as there are NO lines at the normal counter (and this is not the first time.) The only lines are at the travel agencies offering "fast track."
Very easy to follow directions. Tour started on time. This was my second trip to Topkapi with family and loved it. Very easy to book online.
The opulence of the Ottoman sultans was on display when we visited the treasury. Overall its a good experience glimpsing through all the courtyards. It takes about 3 hours to finish this tour. Recommended for those who would like to see history and learn something about the past.
The palace is amazing and worth to visit, Regarding the audio guide provided by the ticket salers this is not very easy to use and it will be better to have the original one. Furthermore the ticket does not give access to the church in courtyard one. In general this tour is a little bit expensive
Doruk our Guide was friendly & knowledgable with great English speaking skills. Topkapi palace is beautiful and there is so much to see. Information boards are informative and make sure you download audio guide before the tour. Set aside 3 to 4 hours at least.
Beautiful place. Loved the clocks section - it truely was amazing. Overall good. The only drawback is the number of public toilets in this place is far less compared to the actual number of people coming - especially the ladies section...
We had a great experience with our guide Salah. He spoke excellent English and took his time with the group. He also knew much more than just the standard tour script. Even some historical questions from other guests didn’t throw him off. A fantastic experience! Two Belgian sisters – best regards!
ticketing experience was excellent. Our guide, Derek was very informative and extremely responsive to the group. The pace was perfect for a busy hot day. He explained the history of the Palace and his knowledge of the museums was extremely helpful for when we toured later on our own. Overall we would give Derek 10 our of 10 for his knowledge and service to us and the group as a whole.
Efficient organization, even if you don't actually save much time, except by avoiding the purchase of tickets. We started with the harem, so we had total freedom to move around the palace.
Everything except the way it is organized to come trough. I tought I have the ticket already and don't need to meet somebody in a coffe shop . Also because of thsi I could not get my audio guide. I don't understand why I needed this as there was no line on the ticket office.
The group was huge and so it took a long time for everyone to get in because the guide has the QR code on their cell phone and has to let everyone in individually. The same with the entrance to the harem!
This tour did not meet my expectations. We were taken to the three courtyards, given a bried description and allowed to skip the lines to the harem. That's it. The guide, Muhammed, told us to wait afte scanning us in to the Harem so he can give us the audio guide link - we waited for about 10 mins. He was a no show. He had left after scanning us in! So there we were - no audio guide, and no way to go back to scan the QR code for the audio guide. A totla waste of money and time. Do not recommend this particualr tour.
Everything well arranged and after visiting the harem (because this must be with a guide) you have free time. Beautiful palace, well worth a visit.
Inclusions
Skip-the-line entry into Topkapı Palace
Access to Harem Museum
Audio guide in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
The services of a representative who will lead you to the entrance
2-hour guided tour of Topkapi Palace & Basilica Cistern with entry tickets (optional)
English-speaking guide (optional)
Meeting point easy to find. Quick to receive tickets (once giving the reserve papers of the app) and go inside the palace.
Both the Hagia Sophia and the sunken palace were beautiful! It is very worthwhile. And especially for the Hagia Sophia, it's worth buying tickets online in advance to avoid the queue at the ticket office. It's also worth it for the Basilica Cistern, as there are 2 different queues here and the one for the e-tickets was quicker in our case.
The architecture of the basilica cistern is amazingly beautiful, very well lit and with a well organized traffic. It has generously met my expectations. But the number of visitors per shift or hour should be reduced.
Quick and easy purchase. Even faster entry with skip the line up organized . I really liked the gardens and the overview from the terraces the ballroom and the doctor's residence hall
Tickets were easy to book, great instructions and saved a lot if time by not queuing. In terms of the sites they were really good to see and understand the history behind it. Great addition to our Istanbul trip.
Easy to book. Very clear instructions from the guide in Topkapi, which helps not to miss the Harem and the incredible collections. Jump the queue ticket saved us waiting hours to enter. The experience in Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and Balisica were totally different and absolutely awesome.
The Palace is amazing and very interesting to discover. Booking the tickets by the app is the best thing ever. The thing not so great is when you loose the conection to audioguide.
We made a combined booking with Fastlane. For Hagia Sophia and Cisterna Basilica, the tickets we sent were immediately our valid tickets. Worked perfectly. Both sights were very beautiful and interesting. At Hagia Sophia, as a non-Muslim you "only" get to the first level and can look down into the whole mosque. Also very impressive, but not really explained beforehand. At the Topkapi Palace there was only one reservation in the mailing, which is easy to overlook, and we only noticed in front of gate 2 (where you need real tickets). We then had to go back to an agency outside Gate 1 so that we could finally get in with a tour lady. It worked but with a certain loss of time. The palace itself was huge and very beautiful. Be sure to book a ticket with harem access (as we had), this part is the highlight of the palace. All in all, a great day with lots of wonderful impressions.
Made such a difference avoiding the long queues and getting there relatively early was the wa right call
Simplicity in the directions provided, all ok
It was a good idea to book without queues, since there were a lot of tourists.
There was no line to enter the cistern as we arrived early which made our experience easy and seamless.
Fantastic location, so different from everything else in Istanbul. Skip the line tickets are excellent, we got straight in. Make sure you have downloaded the tickets before arriving so you have a code for them to scan.
Skip the line worked. The lighting at Hagia Sophia was very distracting to take photos. Basilica Cistern was great. Audio guide did not work at Hagia Sophia (was it free for everyone?) so I did not even bother trying at the Cistern.
It crashed several times. If I tried to check steps of the guide it went to the side of the screen and I could see the half of the the meniu only. It happened suddenly and sometimes got fixed without explanation either. However, it was really annoying and I stopped using it after 5-6 times restarting the tour guide. The good side of the tour was your staff and smooth entry. For that I can give 5 star. He was really clear and informative.
We were greeted in a separate queue with entry without delay. We were helped very clearly by the staff to download and use the audio in our language. We loved the experience
The opulence of the Ottoman sultans was on display when we visited the treasury. Overall its a good experience glimpsing through all the courtyards. It takes about 3 hours to finish this tour. Recommended for those who would like to see history and learn something about the past.
The palace is amazing and worth to visit, Regarding the audio guide provided by the ticket salers this is not very easy to use and it will be better to have the original one. Furthermore the ticket does not give access to the church in courtyard one. In general this tour is a little bit expensive
In none of the three places we had to wait in line, we were able to enter directly without any problems. In the Topkapi Palace, once inside, there were many people and there were queues for the treasure and the relics.
The queue was cut at the Citerne and the reception staff were very helpful, sharing the connection with us so that we could collect our tickets. But it was more complicated at Topkapi, where you had to collect your ticket from a hut outside the site, which wasn't properly explained. And there's no real queue cutter.
We went yesterday around 4pm to the Cistern. The entrance line was very long and we were able to enter in minutes through the online tickets entrance. We downloaded the audio guide prior entrance in our phones and were able to follow all detailed explanations throughout the visit.
Beautiful place worth seeing, we could not connect them to audioguide because once you enter there is no coverage, no one warns you about it.
We had misread the instructions and entered the palace. We were directed to the ticket office and the clerk told us where to find our guide. Once there, he accompanied us to join a group who were already going through the entrances, so we didn't have to wait 30 minutes for the next departure (very nice of him). The fast pass allowed us to do all 3 activities without a hitch, although you need to allow quite a bit of time for the palace and less for the cistern and Saint Sophia. It was really great
The group was huge and so it took a long time for everyone to get in because the guide has the QR code on their cell phone and has to let everyone in individually. The same with the entrance to the harem!
Well, the security queue was fast. We had a problem with downloading one of the ticket QR code PDFs but the Hagia Sofia staff resolved it quickly.
Explore Istanbul’s 'Big Three' — Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern — with one flexible, skip-the-line combo ticket.
Inclusions Basilica Cistern
Skip-the-line entry
Audio guide downloadable in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, & Turkish
Hagia Sophia
Skip-the-line entry
Access to Hagia Sophia's Upper Gallery visiting area
Audio guide downloadable in English, German, French, Italian, & Spanish
Topkapi Palace
Skip-the-line entry
Access to Topkapi Palace Harem (Royal Apartments & Imperial Hall)
Access to Topkapi Palace Museum (Treasury & Sacred Relics Room)
Audio guide downloadable in English, Arabic, French, German, & Spanish
Basilica Cistern
Tip: Follow the full loop before heading out—the Medusa heads are tucked away at the far end and worth a close look from every angle.
Skip-the-line tickets are very helpful, but all visitors must go through standard security screening.
For a more peaceful visit, go early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it’s less crowded. The space feels a lot more serene then!
The lighting is kept low to preserve the atmosphere. Switch to night mode or steady your phone to capture clearer photos.
Make sure you wear shoes with good grip to avoid slipping in some areas.
Hagia Sophia
Tip: Security checks are a must at the venue. During summer months, checks can take extra time with queues stretching into the courtyard.
Only the Upper Gallery area is open to visitors, while the main floor is reserved for worshippers.
You cannot enter the mosque during prayer times, so plan your visit around the daily schedule.
Modest dress is mandatory for all, so make sure you wear clothes that cover your head, shoulders and knees. Headscarves are available at the entrance for women.
Due to the Friday prayer, the Mosque will be closed to tourists from 12pm to 2pm. For a smoother experience, it's recommended visiting after 4pm to avoid the lengthy security line anticipated between 2pm and 4pm.
Topkapi Palace
Headout helped to make the visit for all locations seamless, for a first-time visitor. The App came with very clear directions for all sites along with online pdf (QR codes) tickets. This saved considerable time.
Both the Hagia Sophia and the sunken palace were beautiful! It is very worthwhile. And especially for the Hagia Sophia, it's worth buying tickets online in advance to avoid the queue at the ticket office. It's also worth it for the Basilica Cistern, as there are 2 different queues here and the one for the e-tickets was quicker in our case.
The architecture of the basilica cistern is amazingly beautiful, very well lit and with a well organized traffic. It has generously met my expectations. But the number of visitors per shift or hour should be reduced.
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Quick and easy purchase. Even faster entry with skip the line up organized . I really liked the gardens and the overview from the terraces the ballroom and the doctor's residence hall
Tickets were easy to book, great instructions and saved a lot if time by not queuing. In terms of the sites they were really good to see and understand the history behind it. Great addition to our Istanbul trip.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazing experience in 3 main attractions, Hagia Sophia / Topkapi Palace / Basilica Cistern!
It was a very nice experience and the information in the audio guide was great! Tip: download it before you go in as there is no network downstairs and bring your own headphones.
It was great to have tickets up front as that meant we would have had be in two queues - this way we got in faster. The Topkapi Palace & Harem are not to be missed.
The place is breathtaking...you can't imagine what you are about to see and, of course, pictures of the place are not the same as seeing the cistern live and direct. It is an exciting, moving place, so full of history. A not very long visit that allows you to be in the historic district of Istanbul with the Hagia Sophia and Sultanhamet mosques and the Topkapi Palace, as neighbors. In addition, a cool place that helps to coexist with the heat of the city. It has a good back-up auditory.
Easy to book. Very clear instructions from the guide in Topkapi, which helps not to miss the Harem and the incredible collections. Jump the queue ticket saved us waiting hours to enter. The experience in Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and Balisica were totally different and absolutely awesome.
Thr queue was way to long so booking online was great. We did have help to do the online booking by one of the ladies working there. The cistern was amazing. The history of Istanbul is one to behold. Loved it
The Palace is amazing and very interesting to discover. Booking the tickets by the app is the best thing ever. The thing not so great is when you loose the conection to audioguide.
The guide was good but the overall experience was not great due to the sheer number of visitors to the palace. Long queues to enter and for each attraction inside... 😡
The jewels and rooms of the palace are worth seeing. Well maintained gardens. On the downside, there should be a limitation of capacity by time slots because the palace was overcrowded and you could not enjoy the visit calmly and quietly.
Topkapi Palace is beautiful full of history and pageantry. Too bad part of it was closed for construction but it was still fascinating to visit. It was very easy to book with Headout and I liked the organization on the spot. Very accurate and punctual.
We made a combined booking with Fastlane. For Hagia Sophia and Cisterna Basilica, the tickets we sent were immediately our valid tickets. Worked perfectly. Both sights were very beautiful and interesting. At Hagia Sophia, as a non-Muslim you "only" get to the first level and can look down into the whole mosque. Also very impressive, but not really explained beforehand. At the Topkapi Palace there was only one reservation in the mailing, which is easy to overlook, and we only noticed in front of gate 2 (where you need real tickets). We then had to go back to an agency outside Gate 1 so that we could finally get in with a tour lady. It worked but with a certain loss of time. The palace itself was huge and very beautiful. Be sure to book a ticket with harem access (as we had), this part is the highlight of the palace. All in all, a great day with lots of wonderful impressions.
Made such a difference avoiding the long queues and getting there relatively early was the wa right call
Simplicity in the directions provided, all ok
Magnificent site, spellbinding story!
The lines were extensive to enter the Basilica Cistern , so having the beat the line pass was essential
It was a good idea to book without queues, since there were a lot of tourists.
It was really easy to get in, no queues and no problems.
There was no line to enter the cistern as we arrived early which made our experience easy and seamless.
Very easy to access, beautiful historic building amongst a busy city, highly recommend visiting
Inclusions Basilica Cistern
Skip-the-line entry
Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian
Free time to explore
Topkapi Palace
Skip-the-line entry
Skip-the-line entry to Harem Museum
Audio guide in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
Free time to explore
Basilica Cistern
Topkapi Palace
Basilica Cistern
Topkapi Palace
Explore Istanbul’s iconic landmarks - Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, in 1 day with an expert guide.
Everything You Get: A 7-hour guided walking tour in English, and visit to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace with ample time to explore each site.
Why Choose This:. Thoughtfully curated to make the most of your time, this expert-guided tour lets you dive deep into Istanbul’s rich history, legends, and architectural wonders. Cover more in a day than most do in three!
Inclusions
Exclusions
Our guide Daphne was awesome! She knew her history of the Palace, she had a Gsoh to, loved the 1 hour tour with her😊
This tour did not meet my expectations. We were taken to the three courtyards, given a bried description and allowed to skip the lines to the harem. That's it. The guide, Muhammed, told us to wait afte scanning us in to the Harem so he can give us the audio guide link - we waited for about 10 mins. He was a no show. He had left after scanning us in! So there we were - no audio guide, and no way to go back to scan the QR code for the audio guide. A totla waste of money and time. Do not recommend this particualr tour.
A pro tip for future visitors is put a good amount of time aside if you want to see and experience the entire palace. The guided tour is only for an hour and covered the basics. I never realised I could stay on as we weren't allowed to at other sites we toured. Take a power bank for your phone there is so much to see and take photos/videos of and my phone went flat. It is absolutely amazing. The only thing I was disappointed in was that it wasn't clear when I booked my ticket that I could stay on after the guide left and I had arranged the driver to come get me at a specific time based on the tour time of one hour, even bring able to extend it by an hour wasn't enough time. I feel the price was quite expensive for only an hour and although we skipped the queue to get on there were huge cues going in to the different parts of the castle mostly from cruise ships so make sure what's happening on the day you want to go. I missed so much of it so was really upset
There were too many people in the party. The organizers squeezed so many into one group that it was hard to listen and appreciate the tour. No explanation on how or when to use the audio guide.
Ibrahim was a really good guide and well prepared. Maybe next time it would be nice to have headphones in order not to miss any explanation if the group is big. Also, it would be nice to know in advance if the explanation will happen outside of the rooms. We didn't expect the Harem to be that big and it would have been nice to have someone guiding us inside.
Well paid off experience. Our guide Daphne was great, told us a lot, answered all question straight away. Also things you could not learn off internet easily. So recomended for sure, you will not regret it!
Relatively quick entry. Guide tells interesting info about the Topkapı Palace and the sultans. Duration is one hour, which is fine.
We liked our guide, he explained things very well and in detail.
Cem was a great tour guide he gave a great tour with plenty of history and humour
Excellent guide. Informative without being overwhelmed by facts. Skip the queue very useful.
Our guide Salh was a font of knowledge and had a good sense of humour to boot. It was an excellent guided tour.
Daphne did a good job bringing the location to life. Nice anecdotes.
Inclusions
Ship-Bosfor Tur and dinner
I liked the mosque very much but we could only visit the upper part because the lower part is reserved only for Muslim worshippers. This was not clear: I knew it was a mosque but I was not clear that it could not be visited.
I thought the value was phenomenal. We were able to do all that the tickets included except the whirling dervish show. The etickets and skip the line worked very well. The only disappointment was the dinner show and cruise which was awful all around. The meal was mediocre, as expected. The show, what little we saw of it, was nothing special. The guests all crowded around the performers, so no one else could see. They did have a video of it but it was very grainy. If I had wanted to see a video of it I could have done so at home. And everyone was smoking despite the signs forbidding it. I got home and had to shower and was the clothes. If you want to see all the hihglights of Istanbul and are willing to cram lots of activites into a few day, this is definitely a great deal.
I haven't seen much difference between carrying a purchased ticket or not. The line to buy tickets at most Lis sites is minimal. What there is is a lot of people to snitch at the security checkpoint.
It was very straightforward and everything worked.
We were refused entry to HAREM in TOPKAPI
Build your perfect Istanbul adventure by picking 2 to 10 attractions, from iconic landmarks like Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace to cultural gems like a hammam or dervish show.
Inclusions
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
