Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Online tickets
Dolmabahçe Palace
The Bosphorus residence of the last Ottoman sultans.
In the 1850s the sultans left Topkapı for a new palace on the Bosphorus shore, built in a European manner and furnished on a scale meant to impress. Dolmabahçe was the seat of the last Ottoman rulers and, later, Atatürk’s residence in Istanbul.
The visit crosses the Selamlık, the official half of the palace, to the vast Ceremonial Hall, then continues into the Harem — interiors of crystal, gilding and parquet with the water just outside the windows.
What you will see
The Ceremonial Hall
A domed hall hung with one of the largest chandeliers of its age.
The crystal staircase
Balusters of Baccarat crystal on a double flight rising to the upper floor.
The waterfront
Gardens and gates opening straight onto the Bosphorus.
Good to know
- The palace is closed on Mondays; the ticket offices close at 17:00.
- Plan to arrive by 15:00 to see the Selamlık, the Ceremonial Hall and the Harem without rushing.
- Audio-guide devices are lent on site against an identity document.
Istanbul’s other three
Basilica Cistern
Justinian’s great underground reservoir: 336 columns in still water and the two Medusa heads. Fast-track entry with a digital audio guide.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s cathedral, the sultans’ mosque and a working mosque again today. The ticket admits you to the upper visitor gallery.
Dolmabahçe PalaceBuy tickets