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Guided Tours

Topkapi Palace & Harem Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Topkapi Palace Harem interior with ornate decor and seating area, Istanbul.
Visitors on a guided tour inside Topkapi Palace Museum's ornate Harem section.
Armory display of chainmail and helmets at Topkapi Palace's Imperial Treasury in Istanbul, Turkey.
Topkapi Palace fourth courtyard with tourists exploring the pavilion and gardens.

Duration

1 hr - 4 hr

Open today

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Guided tour

Skip the lines and enter the Topkapı Palace, home to the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years, and enjoy a guided tour.

4.4/5

(3,870)

Karen Venegas

Karen

Aug 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Our Topkapi guided tour with our guide, Vusra, was great! We had a small group of about 12 people, and Vusra was a wealth of info. We were able to go through the whole palace. Skip the line was great. Allot the whole afternoon if you want to go through everything with reasonable detail. Blue Palace entry is free so dont get duped into including that in a paid package.
Aisha mannan

Aisha

Aug 2025
Verified booking
4/5
It was a wonderful experience. An initial glitch regarding the guided tour but the issue was resolved quickly. Topkapi palace was grand. Every section was amazing, absolutely loved the holy relics section. Our guide Busa was very good and knowledgeable, she answered all the questions. You need almost half a day to see the whole palace but it is worth it.
Chiara Tavasci

Chiara

Aug 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Our guide Cem was super! We were a small group, she explained the history of the palace and the city without ever making us bored and suggesting how it was best to continue to visit the smaller rooms on our own, about which she gave us historical and artistic notions enriched by interesting anecdotes!
    • Tour the UNESCO World Heritage site – Topkapı Palace along with an expert multilingual local guide and enjoy priority admission with skip-the-line access.

    • Explore the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.

    • Admire the lavish interiors, see the brilliant artifacts on display, and bask in the glory of the Ottoman Era.

    • Visit the Harem section and see the lavishly decorated marble hallways, and arched doorways with over 400 rooms!

    • Fun Fact: The Palace has 20 chimneys in the kitchen, where roughly 800 employees worked making this the largest kitchen in the Ottoman Empire at the time.

    • 1-hour guided tour

    • English-speaking guide

    • Skip-the-ticket-line entry to Topkapi Palace

    • Access to Harem Section

    • Audio guide for IOS & Android is available in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. Instructions to download will be shared with your ticket. Do bring your own headphones.

  • You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

  • 4.4
    3,870 reviews

    How do we collect reviews?

    These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.

    2.8K
    470
    160
    164
    269
    Guests from United States, United Kingdom, Australia and over 10 countries have loved this experience

    What our guests say

    Tamara Urosevic

    Tamara

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Bürsa (hope I wrote it right) was an amazing guide. She gave us very interesring facts about the palace and cool advices how to investigate the space best way possible. We ejoyed our experience!
    Kelly Ryan

    Kelly

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Derek was a very good guide. The meeting was a little chaotic but turned out well. Amazing palace. TY
    Asad Jamil Siddiqui

    Asad

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    The tour operator Ibrahim was great but overall the tour was very short (for an one hour). The guided tour just included two sections of the entire palace. For the haram, entry is included but not thr guided tour.
    María del Mar García Álvaro

    María

    Oct 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    The tour guide OGUZ the best, he made the tour super interesting, with a common thread that kept you hooked to the story. Highly recommended!!!
    Sophie Debrauwere

    Sophie

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    After a three-hour walking tour in the morning, we arrived tired at Topkapi in the afternoon. But Ozzy was an excellent guide. He highlighted the key sights and entertained us with anecdotal information. Personally, I wouldn’t have minded if the tour had lasted longer than an hour.
  • Queue less, see more

    See the spectacular Topkapı Palace for yourself, the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for nearly 400 years. As the most visited museum in Turkey, Topkapı Palace is an absolute must-see, so make sure to add it to your itinerary! This ticket has everything to make your visit convenient: skip-the-line entry, the services of a representative who will lead you to the entrance, and the company of an expert guide. Topkapı Palace is home to many unique collections on display. Follow your expert guide as they narrate the fascinating history of the palace and all that you see around you.

    A journey through history

    You'll find here weapons of the Ottoman Army, beautiful fabrics, jewels, and art. The Palace kitchen boasts an astonishing collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain too. See the Holy Relics Chamber, which contains items associated with legendary historical figures. Find here personal artifacts of the Prophet Muhammad, the staff of Moses, and the sword of David, to name only a few. What a collection! There's all this and more to explore here. Don't miss it for the world! Explore the Harem, once ruled by the Queen Mother who wielded domestic and political power. Admire the Turkish baths, Sultan's apartments, rooms of the Chief Black Eunuch, Queen Mother's rooms, and many more.

  • Topkapi Palace

    Monday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm
    TuesdayClosed
    Wednesday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm
    Thursday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm
    Friday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm
    Saturday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm
    Sunday09:00am - 04:45pmlast entry 03:45pm

    Basilica Cistern

    Monday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Tuesday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Wednesday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Thursday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Friday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Saturday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
    Sunday09:00am - 10:00pmlast entry 06:30pm
  • What to bring

    • Stay ahead of the game; download the audio app beforehand to dodge any network glitches at the location.

    • Don’t forget your trusty earphones for an immersive audio guide experience.

    Additional information

    • You skip the ticket lines but you cannot skip the security check. The security check can take up to 60 minutes during peak seasons.

    • Audio app for IOS and Android is available in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

    • Children will be asked to present their valid passports at the entrance of the museums in order to validate their age.

    • This attraction cannot be accessed directly by presenting the digital Pass at the museum. You need to enter with the tour guide.

    • It is mandatory for guests to use a headset during the tour. For this reason, be sure to bring your ID card with you when you come to the Topkapi Palace Tour. ID cards will be taken during the use of the headset and will be returned at the end of the tour.

    • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
    • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.
    • Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.

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