Topkapi Palace Tours

Topkapi Palace featuring outdoor eating, landscape views and a sunset
Choose one or more items to build your trip:
The official residence of the Ottoman sultans for about four centuries is now accessible to the public and home to sacred relics.

Topkapi Palace is among the best preserved Ottoman palaces, located on the spot where settlement in Istanbul began. A visit to its quarters provides insight into the Ottoman history of the Turkish city. The 15th-century Topkapi Palace was converted into a museum under Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in 1924.While the palace is a dream for history buffs, some visitors come here just for the views the palace looks out over the Golden Horn, a natural harbor in Istanbul, the Bosphorus Strait and the Sea of Marmara.The site covers 173 acres (70 hectares) and is surrounded by over 3 miles (5 kilometers) of walls. Admire the towering gates, tree-lined courtyards and classical Turkish buildings, which once housed Ottoman sultans and their followers. It grew and changed over the reigns of successive sultans, each of whom would leave his own mark on the palace.Visit the harem, the private space in the palace where a sultan’s family lived along with the concubines and eunuchs in their service. The harem was traditionally inaccessible to outsiders, which invoked myths and legends about what happened there. These days, only part of it is open to the public, but you can still see the 40-roomed section allocated to the sultan’s mother and the large baths and domed hall where the sultan spent his free time.Even after hundreds of years, the palace is still a place of grandeur. The courtyards hold numerous striking examples of Turkish art and architecture. In the kitchens there are 12,000 pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain. In the outer courtyard, admire the Hagia Irene, a striking Orthodox church that is now often used as a concert hall. It’s also a museum, but you’ll need special permission to visit.The Topkapi Palace in the Old City of Istanbul has no tour guide service, but you’ll find plenty of private tour guides waiting in front of the ticket booths. The palace is open daily, except Tuesdays.

Plan a trip to see Topkapi Palace

GLK PREMIER Regency Suites & Spa - Special Class
Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class
Richmond Istanbul
Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Browse tours and tickets to explore Topkapi Palace

Reviews of Topkapi Palace

4.6
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
961
" "5 - Excellent 66.87543493389005%
4 - Good
369
" "4 - Good 25.678496868475992%
3 - Okay
89
" "3 - Okay 6.193458594293667%
2 - Disappointing
9
" "2 - Disappointing 0.6263048016701461%
1 - Terrible
9
" "1 - Terrible 0.6263048016701461%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Sep 8, 2019

Treasury under reconstruction and important items unseeable- wait 3 years to come.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Aug 27, 2019

The new mosque in chamlege

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Aug 15, 2019

Huge, takes a long time to see it all

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
May 13, 2019

Don’t miss the whole kitchen wing, which has incredible displays of porcelains, as well as coffee services, table linens. Audio guide is lousy

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Mar 30, 2019

most of the buildings inside the palace were closed to visitors.

5/5 - Excellent

HijabNomani
Mar 18, 2019

Go here earlier in the morning, so that you can beat the rush. Plan to spend a few hours here as there is a lot to see.

Popular places to visit


Best Lodging Options Near Topkapi Palace

Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class
Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class
4 out of 5
Piyer Loti Cad No:7, Istanbul, Istanbul
Sultanhan Hotel - Special Class
GLK PREMIER Regency Suites & Spa - Special Class
GLK PREMIER Regency Suites & Spa - Special Class
5 out of 5
Akbiyik Cad No 46, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Istanbul
GLK PREMIER Regency Suites & Spa - Special Class
Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel
Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel
5 out of 5
Divanyolu Cd. Alemdar Mah., Ticarethane Sk. No 10 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Istanbul
Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel
Radisson Hotel President Old Town Istanbul
Radisson Hotel President Old Town Istanbul
Tiyatro Caddesi, No. 25, Beyazit, Istanbul, Istanbul
Radisson Hotel President Old Town Istanbul
The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul
The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul
5 out of 5
Suzer Plaza, Askerocagi Caddesi, No:6, Elmadag/Sisli, Istanbul
The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul
Hotel Sari Konak
Hotel Sari Konak
Mimar Mehmet Aga Cad No: 26, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Istanbul
Hotel Sari Konak
Seven Hills Palace & Spa
Seven Hills Palace & Spa
Sultanahmet Mahallesi Kadi Cikmazi Sok., No 11 1 Fatih, Istanbul
Seven Hills Palace & Spa
Hotel Arcadia Blue Istanbul
Hotel Arcadia Blue Istanbul
4 out of 5
Dr. Imran Oktem Cad. No:1, Sultanahmet, Istanbul
Hotel Arcadia Blue Istanbul
Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul
Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul
5 out of 5
Visnezade Mah. Acisu Sok. NO. 19, Macka Besiktas, Istanbul, Istanbul
Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.