Istanbul Museum Pass is a useful card for those who want to visit museums in Istanbul. There are long queues in front of museums during Istanbul’s tourist season. Museum Pass Istanbul saves you from waiting in front of the ticket offices. In addition, it provides discounts on entries.

3 Ways of Fast Entry to Istanbul Museums

The most crowded times of Istanbul Museums are April, May, June, September and October. There are three ways to get fast access to museums during Istanbul’s tourist season. You can review these options, including Museum Pass.

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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 Istanbul.

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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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Istanbul Museum Pass Tourist Card

In the following lines, I answered all the questions about Istanbul Museum Pass under 12 headings. As I am a tourist guide, I know well what foreign tourists visiting Istanbul are curious about. If you cannot find what you are looking for in the article, you can write in the comments. I reply to comments within a reasonable timeframe.

1. Istanbul Museum Pass Worth The Price?

If you are going to visit Istanbul museums in detail, Istanbul Museum Pass is definitely worth the money. However, do not forget that you should visit at least 4-5 museums with all sections. Especially Topkapı Palace has three separate sections and Museum Pass is valid in all of them. Even in this museum alone, you will get most of your money back.

In my opinion, Museum Pass Istanbul is worth buying even just not to wait in the queue in front of the ticket office. The pleasure of the trip disappears after hours of waiting at the ticket offices. In these cases, I recommend that you take the Istanbul Museum Card to benefit from fast access.

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2. What is the Cost of Museum Pass Istanbul in 2020

Istanbul Museum Pass cost is 325 Turkish Lira as of 2020. Children under the age of eight do not need it. Most of the museums in Istanbul are free for little kids.

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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3. How to Use the Museum Card

Once the Istanbul Museum Pass is activated, you can use it for 5 days, or 120 hours. The museum card is valid in all Istanbul museums that I have listed below. The museum card is a plastic card just like a credit card and it is very easy to carry. You can activate it in turnstiles at museum entrances.

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4. List of the Places Included in Istanbul Museum Pass

One of the most important issues about the Istanbul Museum Pass is what is included in the price. Below you can find a list of places included in Istanbul with Museum Pass.

Since Hagia Sophia has been converted into a mosque, the entrance fee is no longer charged. However, I still keep it on the list. Because if you click on the headings below, it will go to more detailed blog posts. You can find the visiting hours of Hagia Sophia and other museums in those articles.

• Hagia Sophia Mosque
• 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 Gulhane Park)
• Great Palace Mosaic Museum (Byzantine Palace Mosaics – Near Blue Mosque)
• Kariye Mosque (Chora Church) (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 Pammakaristos Church – in Balat)

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5. Museum Card vs Entrance Fees Cost Comparison

Here I will describe how you will compensate the money you pay for the Istanbul Museum Pass in a day or two. The Museum Pass gives you an advantage when compared to Istanbul museum entrance fees.

For example, Topkapı Palace is a complex consisting of three parts. A separate fee is charged for each section. The main building of Topkapı Palace is 100 Turkish Liras, the Harem is 70 TL and the Hagia Eirene Church is 60 TL. You will visit these three sections on the same day, and most of the money you will pay for the museum card will be covered.

You have received 230 TL of 325 liras so far. 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 three museums will be 330 Turkish Lira which is more expensive than the museum card itself.

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6. Additional Discounts for the Museum Card

Istanbul Museum Card provides 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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7. Benefits of the Museum Card

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.

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8. How to Plan Your Museum Visits in Istanbul

In order to plan your museum visits in Istanbul, you need to take into account the days the museums are closed. Istanbul museums are closed one day a week. In the list below I have noted the days when the most important museums are closed.

• Hagia Sophia Mosque: Open Everyday
• Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum: Monday
• Grand Palace Mosaic Museum: Monday
• Topkapi Palace: Tuesday
• Kariye Museum (Chora Church): Wednesday
• Great Palace Mosaic Museum: Wednesday
• Fethiye Museum: Wednesday

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9. Places Not Valid for Istanbul Museum Pass

Unfortunately, Istanbul Museum Pass is not valid in some of Istanbul’s popular museums. Because those museums are operated by different official institutions. The Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace and Galata Tower are among the museums where Istanbul Museum Pass is not valid.

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10. Where to Buy the Museum Pass?

You can buy the Istanbul Museum Pass from the museums listed below. You don’t need a passport when buying a card. However, do not forget to carry the passport copies of your little children with free entrance to the museums. Children under 8 years old can enter the museums free of charge. However, you will be asked to prove the kid’s age with the passport.

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

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11. How To Buy Istanbul Museum Pass Online?

Istanbul Museum Pass can be obtained online from the official site. You can access the link to Museum Pass’s original website by clicking here.

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.

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12. Istanbul Museum Pass Map

You can find the map showing the locations of the museums you can visit when you get the Museum Pass. I did not load it in full screen to avoid slowing down the page opening speed. To reach the full resolution of the Istanbul Museum Pass map, you can click the link noted below the image and get a 4k image.

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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