Istanbul sightseeing tickets: Topkapı Palace and the Maiden's Tower

When is Topkapı Palace open?

Topkapı is run by the Presidency of National Palaces. Its official visiting information lists:

• Closed on Tuesdays.
• Ticket offices open at 09:00 and close at 17:00. The page's visit planner shows the palace open from 09:00 to 17:30.
• Closed on the first day of Ramadan Bayram. It's open on the other public and religious holidays listed there.
• If a holiday falls on a Tuesday, the palace stays closed.

Mismatch on the official site: The English page lists New Year's Day as open, while the Turkish version lists it as closed. If you plan to visit on 1 January, check with the palace before you go.

What does the Topkapı ticket cover?

The same official page explains the ticket types:

• The combined ticket covers Topkapı Palace, the Harem and Hagia Irene. It's valid for one day from the date of purchase.
• The Harem and Hagia Irene also have separate tickets.
• Museum Pass Istanbul does not cover the Harem or Hagia Irene.
• Children aged 0 to 6 go free. Foreign students aged 12 to 25 need to show a physical ISIC card for the student rate.

You can book skip-the-line entry with an audio guide. Here's how it works, according to the ticket page:

• The Harem is not included, even though the page address mentions it. A live guide and headphones aren't included either.
• You meet a host at Cankurtaran, Soğuk Çeşme Sokak No:1. Arrive 15 minutes early and show your phone voucher.
• Download the audio guide app before you go. There's no internet at the meeting point. The device the host hands you is only for check-in, and you give it back.
• The audio guide comes in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
• At the time of checking, you could cancel or reschedule for free until 24 hours before your visit.

Mismatch to watch: At the time of checking, the opening hours box on the Tiqets page showed Topkapı open from 10:00 to 16:00, with last admission an hour before closing. The official page shows ticket offices from 09:00 to 17:00 and the palace open until 17:30. Both agree it's closed on Tuesdays. Go by the official hours, and use the meeting time on your voucher.

If seeing the Harem matters to you, the official combined ticket is the simpler choice. If you book the Tiqets ticket, expect to buy a Harem ticket separately at the palace.

When is the Maiden's Tower open?

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's official Maiden's Tower page lists:

• Open every day, 09:00 to 18:00.
• The box office closes at 17:00.

The tower stands on a rock about 200 metres off the Salacak shore in Üsküdar. It opened to visitors as a monument after restoration work between 2021 and 2023.

How do I get to the Maiden's Tower?

You can only get there by boat. The official page lists two piers:

• Karaköy, on the European side, from the pier in front of Ziraat Bank on Rıhtım Caddesi. Boats leave for the tower at 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00. They come back at 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30 and 17:45.
• Salacak (Harem), on the Asian side. Boats leave hourly from 09:30 to 12:30, then every 30 minutes until the last one at 17:00. The last return is at 17:45.

The ministry warns that boat times can change with the weather.

You can book this ticket with an English audio guide. Here's what the ticket page says:

• The boat is not included. The page lists it as an extra €8 per person.
• The meeting point is the Maiden's Tower ticket desk at Karaköy pier. You show your mobile ticket to the staff at the entrance.
• At the time of checking, you could cancel or reschedule for free until 24 hours before your visit.
• When we checked, the ticket had only one review, so there's not much feedback from other travellers yet.

Mismatch to watch: The Tiqets page gives the last boat back to Karaköy as 17:50. The official page says 17:45. Plan on 17:45. Also, if your ticket is tied to the Karaköy desk, don't go to Salacak by mistake. Go by the official timetable on the day.

A simple way to group these sights

Before you go

• Check closing days against your dates. Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays and on the first day of Ramadan Bayram. The Maiden's Tower opens every day.
• Decide whether you want the Harem before you buy a Topkapı ticket. The Tiqets ticket doesn't include it, and Museum Pass Istanbul doesn't cover it.
• Download the Topkapı audio guide app at your hotel. There's no internet at the meeting point.
• Leave enough time for the boat to the Maiden's Tower, and budget for the boat fare if your ticket doesn't include it.
• Read each ticket's cancellation terms before you pay. Both Tiqets tickets here could be cancelled for free until 24 hours before when we checked.
• Check the official pages the day before. Hours and boat times can change.

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