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As a first-time visitor in Istanbul, you’ll no doubt be itching to see some of the city’s most renowned and historical sites. This can be a frustrating experience given how decentralized the online system is to buy tickets for most of the city’s most popular sites. It’s totally bewildering to look on the official site for some of these places and then be redirected from there to buy tickets on Get Your Guide, where there are a hundred different options. So to take some of the guesswork out of your trip to Istanbul, here is a complete guide to how to buy tickets to Istanbul’s major attractions.
Buying tickets in person
As a general rule, it will be cheapest to get your tickets in person… as long as you’re paying attention to what you’re buying. If you buy a “skip-the-line ticket” online, you’re always paying a bit of a premium on the base price of the ticket. The downside to buying tickets in person is that you will usually encounter many long lines, wasting precious time. You could be waiting as long as an hour… and that doesn’t include the line for security which is a must whether you prebooked tickets or not. We went in February so we had no trouble getting into the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, or Galata Tower, but if you’re traveling during peak season, you may be better off securing your tickets ahead of time.
An alternative is to go later in the day when the site is about the close and most people have come and gone for the day. The Basilica Cistern, for example, is open until 10 pm, and most people go during the day, so you’ll usually have less of a wait if you go in the evening. On the other hand, the evening tickets are more expensive.
Another downside to buying tickets in person is that you may get ripped off. Ticket prices for the Hagia Sophia are not even listed at the box office, and you may end up getting a bundled museum ticket you don’t want. You may also be sold audio guides and other add-ons that you’re not interested in. So be sure to check that the price you know the tickets to cost is what you’re being charged and clarify with the ticket attendant if there is a discrepancy.
How to buy tickets online to Istanbul’s top sites
Some attractions and museums can be booked online through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, including Galata Tower and Maiden Tower, here. However, some of the city’s most important sites are not available there. A visit to the Hagia Sophia can be booked online through the DEM Museums portal. However, only the €50 ticket that also includes a visit to the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum is available online. If you want to visit only the mosque, you need to buy a ticket in person or through some private agency via Get Your Guide.
Topkapi Palace tickets must be bought in person unless you buy through an agency online, but that will have at least a €10 markup on an already pricey €50 ticket. Dolmabahçe Palace, however, can be booked online here. You can buy tickets online for the Basilica Cistern here, but you’ll be upcharged. An alternative is to find a ticket bundle on Get Your Guide that often includes the Hagia Sophia or Topkapi Palace
Something to note about the skip-the-line tickets through Get Your Guide and other independent agencies is that many of them allow you to skip the line because they’re technically group tickets even if you’re not getting a guided tour. This means you may have to coordinate a meeting place to pick up your ticket and enter with a big group. It’s important to read reviews so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
If you are looking for a guided tour, keep in mind that you won’t be able to roam the places included in the tour on your phone. For example, one guided tour includes the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, and Basilica Cistern in 4 hours. We spent 4 hours alone at Topkapi Palace, so you might feel those tours a bit rushed.
Buying Istanbul museum passes instead of individual tickets
Another way to get into Istanbul’s major attractions is to buy a Museum Pass. For example, the MuseumPass Istanbul is good for 5 days from first use and includes entrance into 13 museums in the city including Topkapi, Galata Tower, and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. However, it does not include entrance to the Hagia Sophia or Basilica Cistern. So you’d pay €105 for potentially a lot of things you don’t want and still have to pay for several things you do.
A better option is the MegaPass Istanbul, which does include the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Basilica Cistern. It also allows you to choose the attractions of your choice, depending on how many of these you’re interested in. There are different tiers of this pass, allowing you to select 2, 3, or 9 of the included attractions. This includes walking tours and a Dervish ceremony, not just museums. Every pass includes a Bosphorus cruise and transportation pass by default, which is a simple way to get a lot of what you want to see as a first time visitor in one place.
Any of these passes will mean not having to wait in a potentially long line to buy tickets.
So is it better to buy tickets to Istanbul attractions online or in person?
This really depends on you and what you’re looking to do on your holiday. If you’re a completist and you want to see everything, you’ll probably get your money’s worth for one or the passes even if the price seems extravagant. If you’re the kind of person who believes that time is money, you’ll also find it worthwhile to prebook tickets online even if it’s more expensive.
For what it’s worth, I did what I thought would be cheapest, since the lines weren’t an issue during our visit, and still spent more than I intended. At Galata Tower, for example, they quoted the price in euros for only entry to the tower but then charged me in lira for entry and an audio guide. I also ended up paying double the price for the Hagia Sophia in person because they automatically included the cost of the corresponding museum. So if it helps, if I could do it again, I would probably just book online to avoid seething over the blatant dishonesty everywhere I went.
Hopefully this guide can help you avoid a similar fate.
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