Data · updated 2026-10-24
Istanbul Museum Entrance Fees 2026 and Museum Pass Price
Two state bodies run Istanbul's big sights, and each keeps its own price list. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism prices its museums in euros for foreign visitors. The National Palaces Administration, which runs Topkapı and Dolmabahçe, prices them in lira. Below, both lists sit in one table with the source and the day we checked each price, along with the 2027 prices the Ministry has already set.
Prices at a glance
- Topkapı Palace: 2,750 TL (≈ €49) with the Harem and Hagia Irene
- Galata Tower: €30 (≈ 1,670 TL)
- Hagia Sophia: €25 for the visitor gallery; the separate History and Experience Museum is €25
- Dolmabahçe Palace: 2,000 TL (≈ €36)
- Museum Pass Istanbul: €105 for 5 days, €120 from 1 April 2027
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Entrance fees for foreign visitors, 2026
The ticket office charges the price in the second column. The conversion uses €1 = 55.67 TL (reference rate of 2026-10-23).
| Museum or site | 2026 price | Converted | Set for 2027 | Museum Pass | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topkapı Palace (palace, Harem and Hagia Irene)One-day combined ticket. The Harem or Hagia Irene alone costs 1,050 TL each; the night tour is 4,000 TL. | 2,750 TL | ≈ €49 | not announced | Included | National Palaces Administrationchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Galata TowerWith the Museum Pass, the last entry is 18:14. | €30 | ≈ 1,670 TL | €35from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Maiden's TowerFrom 1 April 2027 a joint Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower ticket costs €60, valid for 72 hours. | €27 | ≈ 1,503 TL | €30from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Hagia Sophia History and Experience MuseumA separate building next to the Hagia Sophia mosque, with its own ticket. | €25 | ≈ 1,392 TL | €30from 1 January 2027 | Not listed | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Dolmabahçe Palace (Selamlık, Harem and Painting Museum)The Full Pass to Dolmabahçe and the other National Palaces sites except Topkapı costs 3,500 TL and is valid for a month. | 2,000 TL | ≈ €36 | not announced | Not listed | National Palaces Administrationchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Istanbul Archaeology MuseumsOne ticket covers the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk. | €15 | ≈ 835 TL | €16from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts | €17 | ≈ 946 TL | €19from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam | €10 | ≈ 557 TL | €11from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Great Palace Mosaics Museumclosed now | €10 | ≈ 557 TL | €11from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum | €7 | ≈ 390 TL | €8from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Rumeli Fortress | €6 | ≈ 334 TL | €7from 1 April 2027 | Included | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
| Istanbul Airport MuseumInside Istanbul Airport (IST); the same €13 applies to Turkish citizens. | €13 | ≈ 724 TL | €15from 1 April 2027 | Not listed | Ministry of Culture and Tourismchecked 2026-10-24 |
Children up to 6 enter the National Palaces sites free. "Not listed" means the site is not on the Ministry's own map of Museum Pass Istanbul venues.
Hagia Sophia ticket price: the mosque and the museum
Hagia Sophia has been a mosque again since 2020. Since 15 January 2024 foreign tourists pay €25 and follow a route through the upper gallery, while the ground floor stays open for prayer. The Ministry announced the fee, but we have not found it in a published tariff, so it stays out of the table. Our source is the report from the day it started (CNN Türk, 15 January 2024).
The Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum is in a separate building next to the mosque and has its own ticket of €25, rising to €30 on 1 January 2027. A ticket for one does not get you into the other.
Is the Museum Pass Istanbul worth it?
The pass costs €105 and covers 13 museums run by the Ministry and the National Palaces for 5 days from the first entry. It rises to €120 on 1 April 2027.
Adding up today's gate prices, it pays for itself once you visit Topkapı Palace, Galata Tower, Maiden's Tower. Every open museum it covers would cost about €161 with single tickets, against €105 for the pass.
Dolmabahçe Palace is not on the Ministry's list of pass venues, the Hagia Sophia mosque has its own fee, and the pass is not valid for the evening openings after 19:00. With the pass, the last entry to Galata Tower is 18:14. You can buy it on the Ministry's e-ticket shop.
Istanbul museum prices in 2027
The Ministry sent its 2027 tariff tables to museums in September 2026. If you are travelling in 2027, check the day each new price starts.
- Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum: €25 now, €30 from 1 January 2027 (up 20%)
- Galata Tower: €30 now, €35 from 1 April 2027 (up 17%)
- Maiden's Tower: €27 now, €30 from 1 April 2027 (up 11%)
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts: €17 now, €19 from 1 April 2027 (up 12%)
- Istanbul Archaeology Museums: €15 now, €16 from 1 April 2027 (up 7%)
- Istanbul Airport Museum: €13 now, €15 from 1 April 2027 (up 15%)
- Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam: €10 now, €11 from 1 April 2027 (up 10%)
- Great Palace Mosaics Museum: €10 now, €11 from 1 April 2027 (up 10%)
- Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum: €7 now, €8 from 1 April 2027 (up 14%)
- Rumeli Fortress: €6 now, €7 from 1 April 2027 (up 17%)
- Museum Pass Istanbul: €105 now, €120 from 1 April 2027
Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism circular E-21871808-166.06.99-8860139 with the 2027 tariff tables (published copy). When we checked, the National Palaces Administration had not published 2027 prices for Topkapı or Dolmabahçe.
Tours and timed tickets: when they are worth it
The prices above are what the ticket office charges. Tours and timed tickets sold online usually cost more because they add a guide, a fixed entry time or transport. They pay off when you want the history explained or are visiting on a busy summer day. Otherwise the gate or the Museum Pass is cheaper.
- Topkapı Palace tours and tickets
- Galata Tower tours and tickets
- Maiden's Tower tours and tickets
- Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum tours and tickets
- Dolmabahçe Palace tours and tickets
- Basilica Cistern tours and tickets
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Getting to Sultanahmet from the airport
Topkapı, Hagia Sophia, the Archaeology Museums and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts are all in Sultanahmet. Our guides work out the taxi fare on Istanbul's official meter and set it next to a fixed-price transfer: see the Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet guide and the Istanbul taxi fare page.
How we check these prices
Every figure in the table comes from the body that sets it, and we link that source on each row. We do not print prices we could only find on ticket resellers or travel blogs. The table is free to cite with a link to this page.
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (DÖSİM price list) · checked 2026-10-24
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum price sheet) · checked 2026-10-24
- National Palaces Administration (Topkapı Palace) · checked 2026-10-24
- National Palaces Administration (Dolmabahçe Palace) · checked 2026-10-24
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Museum Pass tariff, valid from 1 March 2024) · checked 2026-10-24
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism circular E-21871808-166.06.99-8860139 with the 2027 tariff tables (published copy) · checked 2026-10-24
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Topkapı Palace entrance fee in 2026?
The National Palaces Administration charges foreign visitors 2,750 TL (≈ €49) for the one-day combined ticket to the palace, the Harem and Hagia Irene. One-day combined ticket. The Harem or Hagia Irene alone costs 1,050 TL each; the night tour is 4,000 TL.
What is the Hagia Sophia ticket price?
Foreign visitors pay €25 for the tourist route through the mosque's upper gallery, a fee the Ministry of Culture and Tourism introduced on 15 January 2024. The Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum next door is a separate ticket at €25, rising to €30 on 1 January 2027.
How much are Dolmabahçe Palace tickets?
Foreign visitors pay 2,000 TL (≈ €36) for the Selamlık, the Harem and the Painting Museum together. The Full Pass to Dolmabahçe and the other National Palaces sites except Topkapı costs 3,500 TL and is valid for a month. Dolmabahçe is not on the Museum Pass Istanbul list.
How much is a Galata Tower ticket?
€30 for foreign visitors (≈ 1,670 TL), rising to €35 on 1 April 2027. The tower is included in the Museum Pass Istanbul, and pass holders must enter by 18:14.
Is the Museum Pass Istanbul worth it?
The pass costs €105 for 5 days. At today's prices it pays for itself once you visit Topkapı Palace, Galata Tower, Maiden's Tower. Dolmabahçe Palace is not on the Ministry's list of pass venues, the Hagia Sophia mosque has its own fee, and the pass is not valid for evening openings after 19:00.
Will Istanbul museum prices go up in 2027?
Yes. The Ministry has already published its 2027 prices. Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum goes from €25 to €30; Galata Tower goes from €30 to €35; Maiden's Tower goes from €27 to €30; Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts goes from €17 to €19. Most of the new prices start on 1 April 2027. The Museum Pass Istanbul goes from €105 to €120 on 1 April 2027.
What is the Basilica Cistern ticket price?
The Basilica Cistern belongs to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, whose culture company sets its prices separately from the Ministry. Its website did not respond when we checked, so we have left it out of the table until we can confirm the figure.