Witness one of the most beautiful and wondrous residences built in Turkey, during the times of the Ottoman era, and get a glimpse into what Ottoman elegance and prosperity means. The Topkapı Palace is one of the most notable sights, not only in Istanbul, but in the country as a whole.
Serving as the primary residence of Ottoman Sultans, the palace holds a long history back in time, which is showcased through the various collections of items exhibited nowadays inside its halls and rooms.
Our Topkapı Palace Guided Tour provides everything you need for an interesting and informative exploration into the palace. Join us for an incredible viewing experience of the palace’s exhibits and get to observe weapons of the Ottoman Empire, fabrics, jewels, art pieces, holy relics, and many more.
The tour is available on a daily basis, except from Tuesdays. However, please refer to the timetable as tour times vary depending on the day. The tour lasts for almost 75 minutes, during which you can preview all the main halls and rooms. It is important to note that, the viewing of the palace’s exhibitions is done with a professional tour guide. Also, the price does not include transfers and entrance fees to the Harem. Therefore, please meet the guide, at least 10 minutes prior the starting time of the tour, at the meeting point. For the purposes of this tour, the meeting point is in front of the Carpet Museum, which is opposite the entrance to Topkapı Palace.
This tour has no hotel transfer, our guests must make their way to the meeting location on their own. Please meet your guide at the meeting point 10 minutes before the tour start time.
The tour starts in front of the Carpet Museum (Halı Müzesi), opposite the entrance to Topkapı Palace. Please meet the guide there.
Getting there
Take the T1 Bağılar – Kabataş tram and get off at Sultanahmet station. Topkapı Palace is an easy five minute walk away, behind the Hagia Sophia Museum.
Get Directions For Meeting Point
You may like to take a look at our all Istanbul Excursions
About Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace is at a central location, which allows easy access, and overlooks the point where Bosporus meets Marmara Sea. It was constructed by Sultan Mehmed II between 1472 and 1478, and hosted 25 Ottoman Sultans until the 19th century. This emblematic building was then converted into a museum in 1924 after a Decree issued by Kemal Ataturk. Within its 700,000 square meters there are a lot to see if you claim to be a sightseeing lover. More precisely, the building is divided into two different sections, the inner palace and the harem. There are bedrooms, offices, kitchens, halls, prisons, and many more. Nowadays, you can tour around and observe the imperial portraits, inscriptions on the gates, the Besir Age mosque, the beautiful gardens and many precious items dating back to the times of the Ottoman Empire.
Topkapı Palace Guided Tour
Our Topkapı Palace Guided Tour invites you to join an exclusive viewing and touring experience within the palace’s premises. If you wish to join this magnificent experience, please be at the meeting point, at least 10 minutes prior the beginning of the tour. A local, professional tour guide will welcome you and offer you a truly memorable touring experience. The tour inside Topkapı Palace is conducted in English and the guide will explain everything you need to know about this iconic landmark. Embark on an interesting exploration of the Ottoman Era and experience from first-hand the elegance, prosperity, and grace of that period.
Meeting point
The meeting point for the Topkapı Palace Guided Tour is just in front of the Carpet Museum, which is opposite Topkapı Palace. The central location of the meeting point allows easy access. If you are willing to use means of public transport, you can follow the T1 line of the tram, direction Bağılar – Kabataş, and get off at Sultanahmet station. From there, you can walk for 5 minutes and reach Topkapı Palace, which is behind Hagia Sophia Museum. The Palace is also accessible via taxis. However, please note that that, you should arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before.
Topkapı Palace Guided Tour: Locals’ tips
Visiting Topkapı Palace with a professional guide is definitely an experience not to be missed, as you can get many interesting tips and insights. For example, did you know that Topkapı Palace is one of the largest and oldest palaces in the world to survive until today? Well, this is true and better still, it is one of the most visited sights in the country. Another interesting highlight is that the palace hosts one of the world’s largest diamonds, with 86 carats. Join the Topkapı Palace Guided Tour to find our more interesting facts about this impressive building.
Easy online booking and well executed tour, 5 stars for sure!! We had just a few days in Istanbul and went only to the most famous places, of course Topkapi was on the list 😊 Met the guide just in front of it and started the tour on time as we skipped the lines. There are many things to see inside and there is a long history going back to the Ottoman times. What I really liked is that we went to the most notable rooms and the guide was telling us some key infos. This tour had everything we wanted to see so I feel like it’s s super value for money.
Done this last month with my 10-year-old son, and he was extremely impressed by the size of this palace. Going to museums can be boring for kids, but I must say he really enjoyed the tour just like I did. Our guide was lovely. The group wasn’t really big, so she was explaining to my son all important things. I recommend his company to all of you. They are professionals and we have some nice memories from that day. Major plus for me was the section with the diamond, I mean, wow it’s huge!! Don’t miss it if you are in Istanbul.
