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Guided Tours

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

Topkapi Palace Courtyard with fountain, benches, and arched colonnade in Istanbul.
Guide explaining Topkapi Palace history to tourists in Istanbul.
Visitors exploring ornate corridor in Topkapi Palace Harem, Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace Harem interior with ornate decorations and seating area, Istanbul.

Duration

1 hr - 3 days

Opens tomorrow

09:00am - 06:00pm

Free cancellation

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

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Guided tour

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Mobile ticket

Relish an insightful tour of the Topkapi Palace and its harem with exclusive fast track tickets. Get a chance to see all of its rooms, galleries, and gardens, and learn the story of the harem firsthand from an expert historian guide!

4.3/5

(2,947)

Peta Vivienne Butson

Peta

Jun 2025
Verified booking
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.
Sarah de Keyzer

Sarah

Jun 2025
Verified booking
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!
Popovici Georgeta

Popovici

Jul 2025
Verified booking
Doruk was our guide and presented the information to us professionally, his English was impeccable, it was a successful visit and we learned a lot about the history of the place. We will recommend Doruk, passionate about his job but especially for the respect he shows to us.
    • Explore the home and headquarters of the Ottoman Empire during the 15th and 16th centuries.

    • Avoid the long queues and get easy entry into Topkapi Palace with skip-the-line tickets.

    • With an English-speaking historian guide by your side, delve into the rich history and culture of the Topkapi Palace.

    • Discover one of Istanbul’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites and explore its expansive museum collection along with the Harem section.

    • Learn more about the sights you see from an immersive audio guide.

    • 1-hour tour of Topkapi Palace
    • Skip-the-line entry
    • All-area access including Harem
    • Expert English-speaking historian guide
    • Audio guide
    • 2-hour Historian Guide (Optional)
  • You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

  • How do we collect reviews?

    4.3
    2,947 ratings
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    490
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    128
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    Guests from United States, United Kingdom, Australia and over 40 countries have loved this experience

    RADU ANA

    Radu

    Jun, 2025Verified booking

    5/5
    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.
    Adil Sabyrakunov

    Adil

    May, 2025Verified booking

    5/5
    Quickly came in without queues, the guide was good very clearly tells everything, half a day were in the palace
    Felix Wolff

    Felix

    Jul, 2025Verified booking

    3/5
    The tour was very brief and superficial. The guide was very friendly and helpful, but he only gave generally known information, no concrete explanations or historical context. A guided tour with such a superficial level is superfluous.
    Popovici Georgeta

    Popovici

    Jul, 2025Verified booking

    5/5
    Doruk was our guide and presented the information to us professionally, his English was impeccable, it was a successful visit and we learned a lot about the history of the place. We will recommend Doruk, passionate about his job but especially for the respect he shows to us.
    Cherie McNeill

    Cherie

    Jun, 2025Verified booking

    5/5
    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.
  • The Topkapi Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as the headquarters of the Ottoman Empire during the 15th and 16th centuries. The palace complex houses hundreds of chambers, rooms, and gardens, and the most important ones are accessible to the public. Your ticket includes a fast track admission into the historic attraction, saving you nearly 2 hours of time With an expert historian guide by your side, you can learn some of the greatest secrets of the Ottomans.

    The tour will begin at the Topkapi cafe/Meeting Pub OUTSIDE Topkapi Palace. You will hear engrossing tales as you pass through each of the famous gates and learn surprising facts and details of legendary figures.

    The final stop is at the Imperial Harem, where your guide will entertain you with some more legends and myths about the attraction. By the end of the tour, you will have had a much better understanding of Ottoman history!

  • Topkapi Palace

    Monday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    TuesdayClosed
    Wednesday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Thursday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Friday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Saturday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
    Sunday09:00am - 06:00pmlast entry 05:00pm
  • Important Information

    • Don't forget to carry your camera with you.

    • Wear comfortable footwear as there is a moderate amount of walking involved.

    • While the ticket ensures that you skip the entry lines, you cannot avoid the security lines. This can take up to 30 minutes during peak season.

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

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

    • Please note that 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

    • Please display the voucher on your mobile phone along with a valid photo ID at the meeting point

    • If you have purchased reduced-price tickets, please carry a valid photo ID for verification

    • Please ensure that you arrive at least 15 minutes in advance to avoid any delays

    Meeting Point

    • Meet your Istanbul Welcome Card Tour Guide at the "Topkapi Cafe / Meeting Pub" OUTSIDE Topkapi Palace, across the Carpet Museum.

    • Please note you cannot go directly to the Topkapi Palace. Meet your guide at the meeting point, who will then take you to the palace

    Get Directions to the Meeting Point

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