Istanbul Museum Pass is a useful card for those who want to visit many museums in Istanbul. The most important feature of the card is that it saves you from waiting in line at museum entrances.
In this article you can find a list and map of places where you can get Museum Pass Istanbul. In addition, after the insider tips I will give you in the article, you will be able to decide whether the museum card is worth its price.
Istanbul Museum Pass 2023
In the following lines, I answered the most frequently asked questions about Istanbul Museum Pass in 2023 under 14 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 It?
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 3 or 4 museums with all sections. Especially Topkapi 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 just to avoid waiting in line at ticket offices. Because waiting for a long time at museum entrances can ruin your day. For this reason, the museum card can be bought even for fast track advantage.
2. Istanbul Museum Pass Price (January 2023)
Museum Pass Istanbul price is 700 Turkish Liras as of January 2023. The price was last revised on July 1, 2022. Since the Turkish Lira has lost value against the Euro and USD in recent years, the price of the Museum Card is quite reasonable for foreign visitors.
Free Admission for Children Under 8 Years Old
The museums affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Istanbul are free for children under the age of 8. 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 the long lines in each museum, you may want to buy the pass for kids too.
There is also an easy way I can suggest you about this. However, I cannot guarantee it will work 100%. If the child’s age is obviously smaller than age of 8, the attendants let him/her pass with you from the museum entrances. Although this depends on the decision of the authority on the turnstile, it usually works in crowded museums such as Topkapi Palace.
3. How to Use the Museum Pass?
Once the card is activated, you can use the Museum Pass Istanbul 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 tool just like a credit card and it’s very easy to carry. You can activate it in turnstiles at museum entrances.
4. What’s Included in Istanbul Museum Pass?
You can find the list of museums included in the Istanbul Museum Pass below. You can find much more detailed information about each of these museums by clicking the blue links.
Don’t be surprised when you don’t see Hagia Sophia in the list below. Because Hagia Sophia has been turned into a mosque since 2020 and there is no entrance fee. Thus, there is no need to use a card at the entrance.
- 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)
- Galata Tower (Near Taksim Square)
- 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)
5. Museum Card vs Entrance Fees
Here I will describe how you will compensate the money you pay for the Istanbul Museum Pass in a day or two. The Museum Card gives you an advantage when compared to Istanbul museum entrance fees.
For example, Topkapi Palace is a complex consisting of multiple sections. The cheapest ticket to visit Topkapi Palace is 320 Turkish Liras. This ticket includes the 4 main courtyards of the palace and the Hagia Irene Church. You have to pay an extra 100 TL to visit the Harem Rooms since the combined ticket that includes all three costs 420 TL.
You have covered 420 TL of 700 Liras so far. If you would add Istanbul Archaeology Museums (100 TL) or Turkish Islamic Art Museum (100 TL) or Galata Tower (175 TL) to your itinerary that would cover the price of the museum pass.
6. Additional Discounts for the Card
Istanbul Museum Card provides you additional discounts at other museums and attractions. You can find these museums in the list below. I recommend you to check the latest offers from the museums’ official websites.
- 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)
7. Be aware of the Security Queues!
The museum card saves you from waiting in line to buy tickets. However, this does not mean that you will enter the museum without waiting. In most museums, there is a security queue after passing the ticket offices. You leave your bag on the x ray machine before you scan your ticket and pass through the turnstiles. Security checks take time due to crowds during the tourist season, and even if you own a museum pass, you may have to wait here.
The photo above was taken when Hagia Sophia was still a museum. The long queue in front was to buy tickets. You could skip this queue with the museum card. However, the crowd after passing the gate was due to the security check. For this reason, I recommend you to take into account the loss of time when making sightseeing plans.
8. Fast Track Guided Tour Tickets
There are fast track guided tours for the most important tourist attractions you can visit in Istanbul. Skip-the-line guided tour tickets are slightly more expensive than standard entry fees but it provides easy access to the museum. With the reference number given to you, you will meet the guide at the entrance and enter with the group. You can buy these tickets by clicking the links below.
- Hagia Sophia skip-the-line ticket
- Topkapi Palace skip-the-line ticket
- Basilica Cistern skip-the-line ticket
- Dolmabahce Palace skip-the-line ticket
9. 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 attractions are closed.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque: Open Everyday
- Galata Tower: Open Everyday
- Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum: Monday
- Grand Palace Mosaic Museum: Monday
- Topkapi Palace: Tuesday
- Great Palace Mosaic Museum: Wednesday
- Fethiye Museum: Wednesday
10. The Pass is not Valid in These Places
Unfortunately, Istanbul Museum Pass is not valid in some of Istanbul’s popular museums. Because those museums are operated by different government institutions. The Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace are among the museums where the museum card is not valid.
11. Where to Purchase the Museum Pass?
You can purchase 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
- Kariye Museum
- Istanbul Mosaic Museum
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums
12. Istanbul Tourist Pass as an Alternative
You may also consider Istanbul Tourist Pass as an alternative product. The Tourist Pass Card 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.
13. Istanbul Museum Pass Online
The Istanbul Museum Pass can be purchased online from the official website. If you want to buy the museum card online, you can access the official website from this link.
14. Istanbul Museum Pass Map
You can see 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. In order to find the Istanbul Museum Pass map as a PDF file, you can check Istanbul Tourist Attractions Map blog post. In this article I recommend, you can find images and explanations about all the tourist places in Istanbul.
Istanbul Museum Pass Card 2023 by Serhat Engul
Thank tou so much for this article!!!
Hi Maria, you are welcome. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi from Toronto Canada,
I really don’t understand what do you mean by Museum Pass is valid only 5 days or 120 hours.
So how should I start using the card.
Thanks
Hi Abdul, the Museum Pass is active from the first use. In other words, the card will be valid for 120 hours from the moment you use it on the turnstiles in the first museum you visit.
There is no discount for Bosphorus Cruise, updated Jan 2, 2020.
Hi Grine, thanks for your contribution. I will confirm and update. Sometimes there are changes that we are not aware of, and unfortunately the Museum Pass’s official website is not informative enough.
Hi Serhat,
Do you have a brasilian discount for students ?
What the best pass or card for Brasilian Studentes
How Much this card for May 2020?
Thanks Lili
Hi Lilian, I do not sell this product. I just explained the details about it. The places that you can buy the card and its current price is noted in the article. I do not think there is any discount for foreign students.
Hi Serhat
I just had a look here (https://millisaraylar.gov.tr/en/visiting-information) to check the fees for some palaces and it’s quite confusing: it says that the museum pass is valid in all palaces affiliated to the national directorate of palaces, but it says also says that the museum card is not valid for the harem in topkapi palace. Do you have any explanation?
thanks for your help
Hello Olfa, there is a product called Muzekart for Turks. According to the latest change, Muzekart is now valid in Dolmabahce Palace. However, I do not think that the Museum Pass card designed for foreign visitors is valid at Dolmabahce Palace. Someone copied the English version of the change, which was noted on the Turkish page there, but the details have nothing to do with the Museum Pass. The Museum Pass is already valid in the Harem section of Topkapi Palace and Hagia Eirene. However, the Muzekart given to the Turks is not valid. the contradiction within the article itself stems from this. I will update the post if there will be a change for Museum Pass.
Hi Serhat
I have read all the posts and your informative replies. Just to clear myself. Do we have to pay any ticket or entry fee for the listed places once we buy the Istanbul Museum Pass?
This pass includes the entry/ticket fee Plus refraining ourselves from standing in lines. Correct ?
Hi Sultan, this post is written to answer this question. The answer is “YES” with some considerations and they are noted in the post.
Hello, do you know if tourists in a wheelchair with helper have discounts and do they have to stand in queues?
Hi Lukasz, when you contact the security at the entrance of the museums, they can help you get through the security queues quickly. However, I do not know whether a discount is provided in your case.
Hi Serhat,
While I tried to order Museum pass from official link I found this
“The cards are shipped in 1 week. On Saturdays-Sundays and the official holidays is not counted as a workday in the museum card sales system and there is no museum card delivery on these days. E-Tickets will reach your e-mail address after you complete the order.”
As we will be there on Sat, will the e-tickets work as same as card? Also, I assume the pass is personal means every member has to buy one, right?
Thanks
Sofia
Hi Sofia yes Museum Pass is something personal. Everyone has to get a separate one for themselves. In addition, as far as I know, the digital museum pass can be used without any problems via QR code. The turnstiles at the museum entrances can read the codes from the phone. I don’t know anything about shipping.
Hello Sehat, Very informative articles, I am a Professor at Oyzegin University and have a work permit, I have my wife and mother on a short-term resident permit card. My brother and his family are visiting us during Bayram, they are from India, so I need to buy Museum Pass for all or whether I can get a discount as a teacher and what about my mother and wife, which card I should buy for them and for me?
Dear Abrarali Saiyed, the relatively cheap muzekart is only given to Turkish citizens. For this reason, anyone who does not have a Turkish ID has to get a Museum Pass.
The price of the Museum Pass is currently 360 Turkish Liras. I think it’s a pretty reasonable price. Because the price of the combined ticket, which includes Topkapi Palace and its extensions, Hagia Irene and Harem Rooms, is 285 TL.
Then, when you visit the Istanbul Archeology Museum, the money of the card is already covered. Moreover, you do not have to wait in line anywhere. (Because even if you buy discounted tickets for teachers, you will wait in line.)
My advice to you is to get the Museum Pass for all family members. Thus, you can go directly to the turnstiles at the museum entrances without waiting.
Merhaba,
This is Robert from Poland.
I have just received such a reply from official website:
“The Museum Pass card is not valid for the Harem and Hagia Eirene in Topkapi Palace. For detailed information about ticket prices, you can visit our website.”
So with the Museum Pass Türkiye or Museum Pass İstanbul I need to buy a ticket for Topkapi or just for the Harem and Hagia Irene ?
Regards
Hello, frankly, I did not quite understand what they were talking about. I think the respondent confused the Museum Pass, which is sold for foreigners, with the Muze Kart, which is given to Turkish citizens.
Because the Museum Pass, which is sold for 550 TL for foreigners, includes Topkapi Palace and its Harem Rooms. You can also visit the Hagia Irene Museum in the first courtyard of the palace with the same card.
On the other hand, the cheap Muze Kart, which only local citizens can buy, covers the main courtyards of the palace, but not the Harem rooms. And in addition, it does not apply to the Hagia Irene Museum.
The Museum Pass Istanbul or Museum Pass Turkey, which can be purchased by those who do not have a Turkish identity card, includes all the extensions inside the Topkapi Palace.
The Museum Pass not only includes the Topkapi Palace, the Harem Rooms and Hagia Irene, but also includes the Istanbul Archaeological Museum and the Museum of The History of Science in Islam, all within the palace walls.
Dear Serhat,
As of November 2022, the official website that sells Museum Pass Istanbul for foreigners points that only 10 museums can be visited in Istanbul with this card, and there are no Topkapi Palace and Hagia Irene among them.
They changed Topkapi and Hagia Irene and Yildiz Palace to Adam Mickiewicz Museum and Istanbul Airport Museum, respectively.
Very strange and not equivalent change, IMHO.
Best regards
Hi Irina, thank you very much for this valuable information. These sudden changes also make it difficult to keep the articles up to date. I will make the necessary adjustments in the coming days.
Hello,
I”m Iustin from Romania. Can I receive the museum pass in my country and how? On their website is not very clear. My phone number from Romania is not accepted to purchase the pass.
Hi Justin, frankly, I don’t know if there is international shipping for the Museum Pass. I think you don’t need to deal with shipping issues for something as simple as buying a Museum card.
When you arrive in Istanbul, you can buy your museum card in 5 minutes from the box office of a relatively quiet museum such as the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, the Great Palace Mosaics Museum or the Istanbul Archeology Museum.
On the other hand, if you buy the Museum Pass from a very busy place such as Topkapi Palace, you will likely have to wait in line. I think now the museum pass can be purchased online and used over the phone via QR code.
Thank you brother Serhat for taking your personal time to help and give such good advice, may god bless you!
Hi Farook, thank you very much for the feedback. When I see such sincere thanks, I realize once again that I am wasting my time for something useful.
Are there any discounts for people over 65 years of age?
Public transportation is free for Turkish citizens over the age of 65 (only if they show a Turkish ID). But I don’t think there is such a privilege for foreigners. In addition, you have to pay the standard price when purchasing Istanbulkart.
Greetings Serhat Engul,
Your portal is very informative and amazing. My wife and me will be visiting istanbul and some other cities this December. We are excited and looking forward to explore this historical & exciting country.. Best regards.
Dear Zainudin, Thank you for sharing your feelings. I hope you have a nice holiday in Turkey.
Thank you for the detailed information. This is what I was looking for.
Could you please advice how many times we can enter one place with a Museum Pass?
Best regards,
Julie
Hello Julie,
The Museum Pass grants only one entry to each museum. When you use the Museum Pass at the turnstiles of a museum, you cannot enter a second time, even on the same day.