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Istanbul Attraction & Museum Ticket Prices
The main sights and museums in Istanbul: official ticket prices and booking sites, plus what to know before you book.
Booking tips before you go
Foreigner prices, and which currency you are billed in
Turkish state sites charge foreign visitors far more than Turkish citizens, and the currency depends on the operator. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism prices Hagia Sophia (€25), Chora (€20), Galata Tower (€30), Maiden's Tower (€27) and the Archaeology (€15) and Turkish and Islamic Arts (€17) museums in euros, while the National Palaces administration bills Topkapı (₺2,750) and Dolmabahçe (₺2,000) in lira, at rates that rose on 1 January 2026. Lira prices move with inflation, so re-check them on the official page just before you go.
Sources: Ministry of Culture and Tourism tariff table (dosim.ktb.gov.tr), muze.gov.tr and muze.gen.tr pages, millisaraylar.gov.tr; checked 2026-09-19. Prices change often, so treat as a guide and confirm at booking.
Is the Museum Pass Istanbul worth €105?
At the ministry's own prices, Galata Tower (€30), Maiden's Tower (€27), the Archaeology Museums (€15), the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (€17) and Rumeli Fortress (€6) total €95, so the €105 pass only pays off if you also use the Topkapı palace section and a few smaller museums within its 5 days. The big-ticket sites (Hagia Sophia, Chora, Dolmabahçe, Basilica Cistern) are not covered at all. Since 7 May 2026 the official courier delivery of the pass has been suspended, so buy the e-card on muze.gov.tr or at a museum ticket booth.
Sources: muze.gov.tr Museum Pass Istanbul page and ministry MuseumPass tariff; muze.gen.tr order page (courier suspension notice). The Topkapı palace-only price is not separately confirmed here.
Avoid ticket touts, and know the mosque rules
Around Sultanahmet, buy from the official booth (Hagia Sophia's is opposite the Sultan Ahmed III Fountain) or the ministry and National Palaces sites, not from people offering tickets on the street. Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye entry is free (donations optional), with shoes off, shoulders and knees covered, and women covering their hair (scarves are lent at the door); both close to visitors around each of the five daily prayers and on Friday mornings. The Grand Bazaar is also free to enter, and its scam risks are covered in our separate guide.
Sources: muze.gen.tr Hagia Sophia page (booth location); 2026 visitor guides for the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye rules, not primary-verified with the mosques themselves. Prayer-time closures shift through the year.
Ticket Prices by Attraction & Museum
Prices come from each attraction's official booking site where it could be read; otherwise they are cross-checked against independent 2026 sources, and each item's note says which. Re-check the official site for the current price before booking.
Hagia Sophia (Upper Gallery Visit)
€25Ayasofya-i Kebir Mosque (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
Foreign-visitor ticket for the upper gallery, billed in euros (€25 full ticket in the ministry tariff); the ground-floor prayer hall is for worshippers. Under-8s are free, the Museum Pass is not valid, and tourist visits pause around prayer times.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
FreeWorking mosque, free entry
No ticket is needed (donations optional), but it is a working mosque: shoulders and knees covered, women cover their hair, shoes off. Visits pause around each prayer and on Friday mornings, so anyone selling you a ticket is a tout.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Topkapı Palace (Palace + Harem + Hagia Irene)
₺2,750Presidency National Palaces Administration
Combined foreigner ticket billed in Turkish lira (Harem alone or Hagia Irene alone is ₺1,050); it was ₺2,400 in mid-2025. Closed Tuesdays, and the Museum Pass does not cover the Harem or Hagia Irene.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan)
₺1,950 (last posted)Run by the General Directorate of Foundations since June 2026
Last published foreigner daytime tariff (February 2026), billed in lira; the night session was ₺3,000. The cistern passed from the Istanbul municipality to the state Directorate General of Foundations on 2 June 2026 and reopened on 6 June, and no new tariff was confirmed, so check the ticket office. Not covered by the Museum Pass.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Dolmabahçe Palace (Selamlık + Harem + Painting Museum)
₺2,000Presidency National Palaces Administration
Foreigner ticket billed in Turkish lira, covering the ceremonial Selamlık wing, the Harem and the Painting Museum together; Turkish citizens pay a fraction. Closed Mondays, and not covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Galata Tower
€30Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Foreigner price billed in euros, valid for one person and a single visit on the purchase date; it can be bought online on the official page. Covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Bosphorus Cruise (Public Ferry, Long Tour)
₺640Şehir Hatları (Istanbul city ferries)
Foreigner round-trip fare on the Long Tour (Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı, about 6 hours with a stop); domestic passengers pay ₺320, and the short tour is ₺340 for foreigners. Cross-checked from two 2026 sources because the official fare page blocked our fetch, so confirm at the pier; private 1 to 1.5 hour cruises set their own prices, so compare route and duration first.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Süleymaniye Mosque
FreeWorking mosque, free entry
No ticket; donations at the exit are optional. The same modest-dress and no-shoes rules apply, and visits pause around prayers and on Friday mornings. Based on 2026 visitor guides, not confirmed with the mosque itself.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Istanbul Archaeological Museums
€15Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Foreigner price billed in euros. The official page notes the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk were closed for restoration, so check what is open; covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Chora (Kariye) Mosque
€20Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Byzantine mosaics)
Foreign-visitor fee billed in euros (or the lira equivalent); Turkish citizens and worshippers enter free. The Museum Pass is not accepted, tourists are not admitted during prayer times, and modest dress is required.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi)
€27Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Admission for foreign visitors, billed in euros; the shuttle boat from Salacak (Asian side) or Karaköy is charged separately at the pier (about €5 to €8 depending on the page, so confirm on site). Museum Pass holders still pay the boat.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
€17Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Ibrahim Pasha Palace)
Foreigner price billed in euros; open daily per the official page and covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Istanbul Modern
₺1,000Karaköy waterfront museum
International-visitor admission billed in lira (Turkish residents pay ₺600); closed Mondays, and online sales for a given day close at 17:00. The official page still lists some 2025 holiday dates, so confirm the price when you book.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Pera Museum
₺300Beyoğlu private museum
Full admission in lira, the same for foreign and Turkish visitors per the official page (students and seniors ₺150). Free for everyone from 18:00 on Fridays; closed Mondays. The page carries no date stamp, so confirm the price at the door.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisarı)
€6Hisarlar Museum, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Foreigner price billed in euros; closed Mondays per the official page and covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul. The cheapest Ministry site on this list, best paired with a Bosphorus-side walk.
Checked: 2026-09-19
Museum Pass Istanbul (Official E-Card)
€105Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MüzeKart)
Billed in euros; 5 days from first use, one entry per site across 13 Ministry museums. It does not cover Hagia Sophia, Chora, Dolmabahçe or the Basilica Cistern, nor the Topkapı Harem and Hagia Irene.
Checked: 2026-09-19