Istanbul Museum Pass Tourist Card

Istanbul Museum Pass Card 2020 – Where To Buy? Worth The Price?

There are 3 ways to jump the long lines in the top museums of Istanbul.

1st option: To see the museums in a short time, with reduced admission fees and no waiting in the lines, you may consider buying a museum pass.

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2nd option: You may also hire a private tour guide to get inside the museums quickly. If you are interested in private guided tours, you may check my HALF DAY and FULL DAY Old City Tours.

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3rd option: You can also consider skip-the-line tickets. These online tickets are a bit more expensive than the original ticket but it offers a guided group tour.

Easy cancellation with a FULL REFUND up to 24 hours in advance

• Hagia Sophia skip-the-line ticket
• Topkapi Palace skip-the-line ticket
• Basilica Cistern skip-the-line ticket
• Dolmabahce Palace priority access tour

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You might consider these options seriously due to the long lines to get in to Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Especially April, May, June, September, October considered as the high season in Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia Entrance When It’s High Season

Istanbul Museum Pass Price 2020

Istanbul Museum Pass cost is 325 Turkish Lira as of 2020. Children under the age of eight do not need it. Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace museums are free for little kids.

Note: The price of the museum pass is updated by 1st of March 2020.

Considerations for Children

• However you still need to get to ticket office to obtain free entry ticket. Passport copy is required as a proof of the children’s age. If you do not want to get stuck in long queue, perhaps you might want to buy the pass for kids too.
• If the child’s age is obviously smaller than age of 8, the attendants let him/her pass with you from the museum entrances. (It works especially at the busy places like Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia)

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Istanbul Museum Pass for 5 Days (120 Hours)

What is Istanbul Museum Pass? Where I Can Use It?

The 5 day pass is sold for 325 Turkish Lira. Free entry is provided with the card for the listed museums below. The Istanbul Museum Pass is activated after the first use of the pass. It can be used for 120 hours following the activation.

Istanbul Museum Pass List – Which Museums to Visit?

• Hagia Sophia Museum
• Topkapi Palace Museum (including Hagia Irene Church and Harem)
• Istanbul Archaeological Museum (Inside Topkapi Palace Complex)
• Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Near Hippodrome)
• History of Islamic Science and Technology Museum (within Topkapi Palace walls in Gulhane Park)
• Great Palace Mosaic Museum (Byzantine Palace Mosaics – Near Blue Mosque)
• Chora Church or Kariye Museum (Best Byzantine Mosaics – in Edirnekapi)
• Rumeli Hisarı Fortress (Citadel at the Bosphorus)
• Yildiz Palace (One of the Ottoman palaces in a park – in Besiktas)
• Galata Mevlevi House Museum (Whirling Dervishes Museum – in Galata)
• Istanbul Fethiye Museum (Former Byzantine Pammakaristos Church – in Balat)

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Istanbul Museum Pass ve Museum Entrance Fees Cost Comparison

Considering that entry to Topkapı Palace costs 100 TL (Harem +70 TL – Hagia Eirene Church +60 TL) Hagia Sophia another 100 TL = Total cost of visiting the most important two museums of Istanbul will be 330 Turkish Lira.

If you would add Istanbul Archaeology Museums (50 TL) and Turkish Islamic Art Museum (50  TL) to your itinerary that would cover the price of the museum pass. Total cost of these four museums will be 430 Turkish Lira which is more expensive than the museum card itself.

Istanbul Museum Pass Worth The Price?

If you visit these four museums in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district in detail, it is worth the money you pay for the museum pass. In short, the card is not very useful for those who visit the city daily. Those who will stay for at least two days and who will visit all the museums can benefit from the card. But keep in mind that the museum pass is worth buying even just not to wait in the queue.

Museum Pass Provides Fast Entry to Topkapi Palace

Additional Discounts

The Museum Pass provide you some discounts at other museums and attractions. They are listed below. I recommend you to check the Museum Pass advantages from their official websites.

• Istanbul Sehir Hatlari Ferries (Official Bosphorus Cruise Tour Company)
• Museum of Innocence (Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk’s museum)
• Istanbul Military Museum (Located in Besiktas area by Bosphorus)
• Pera Museum (Located next to Istiklal Street At Beyoglu)
• Rahmi Koc Museum (Located in Golden Horn shores)
• Sakip Sabanci Museum (Located at the Bosphorus at Emirgan)
• Sadberk Hanim Museum (Located further up the Bosphorus at Sariyer)

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Manage Your Time Efficiently

Istanbul Museum Card allows you to avoid waiting in the ticket buying lines at each museum. However you are still obliged to wait for security-check line, so you will have to spend some time waiting in line (considerably shorter time). Do not forget this while you plan your visit to these sights.

Museum Pass Provides Fast Entry to Hagia Sophia

Planning Your Museums Visits

Istanbul’s popular museums are closed for one day a week. The closure days of the museums (which are located in the same district) usually different than each other. Therefore you should plan your itinerary carefully.

• Hagia Sophia: Monday
• Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum: Monday
• Grand Palace Mosaic Museum: Monday
• Topkapi Palace: Tuesday
• Kariye Museum – Chora Church: Wednesday
• Grand Palace Mosaic Museum: Wednesday
• Fethiye Museum: Wednesday

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Istanbul Museum Pass for Dolmabahce Palace & Basilica Cistern?

Favorite touristic attractions like Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace run by other establishments. Istanbul Museum Pass is not used for Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Basilica Cistern and Galata Tower.

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Where To Buy Istanbul Museum Pass?

The Museum Pass Istanbul is sold at museums listed below. You can buy the card from the ticket offices of the museums. Passport is not needed but carrying a copy of your passport recommended. (especially for children who need free ticket)

• Topkapi Palace Museum
• Hagia Sophia Museum
• Chora Museum
• Istanbul Mosaic Museum
• Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
• Istanbul Archaeological Museums

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Museum Pass is Not Used for Basilica Cistern

How To Buy Istanbul Museum Pass Online?

• Select the amount of cards you want to purchase
• Make sure you enter the correct personal information and credit card details
• In the address line, enter your hotel’s address.

You can buy Istanbul Museum Pass Online from this link: https://www.muze.gov.tr/

You may also consider Istanbul Tourist Pass as an alternative product. It has 3, 5 and 7 day options. It provides airport transfer, Bosphorus cruise, hop-on/hop-off Bus tickets and guided museum visits. You can check the details from this link.

Istanbul Museum Pass Map

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Off The Beaten Path Istanbul: Fener Balat Walking Tour

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Written by Serhat Engul

Licensed Tour Guide in Istanbul, Turkey