Many of Istanbul’s popular attractions and most visited sites are open 9 AM to 7 PM with last entry and ticket windows closing one hour before. Opening hours can also differ between tourist seasons, with summer offering an extra hour or two until close compared to winter. On Sundays, some places like the Grand Baazar and the Pera Museum open a couple of hours later than usual.
Closure Warnings
Be forewarned that with the coronavirus still affecting tourism throughout Turkey, there are a lot of unannounced changes to opening schedules throughout Istanbul. Keep an eye on the calendar, since holidays, especially those related to religious ceremonies can affect opening schedules too.
COVID-19
It’s unclear when things when the clock will turn back to pre-coronavirus times, but opening hours throughout Istanbul are likely to return to normal in April if a vaccine has been introduced.
In the meantime, we’ll update the opening schedules as best we can and suggest visiting the venue websites to confirm any scheduling or price changes.
Holidays
National holidays and the first day of religious holidays like Ramadan tend to have a lot of closings, so be sure to check the official website if you plan on touring on these days.
Bazaars
The shopping market bazaars in Istanbul are generally open from 09:00 daily with some exceptions on Sundays and national holidays.
Grand Bazaar
The Kapali Carsi market is open daily from 9:00 am except Sundays, and national holidays when it is completely closed.
Access can also be restricted during the Muslims’ Friday worship at noon, due to lack of space at the nearby Beyazit Mosque.
Ticket Price
- Free entrance
Opening Hours
- Monday to Saturday: 09:00 – 16:00
- Closed on Sundays and National Holidays
Spice Bazaar
The Egyptian spice market (Misir Carsisi) is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 and on Sundays from 11:00 am. The closing time from Monday to Saturday is 9:00 pm, while on Sundays they close early at 7:00 pm.
Ticket Price
- Free entrance
Opening Hours
- Monday to Saturday: 09:00 – 21:00
- Sundays: 11:00 – 19:00
Theme Parks
The theme parks of Istanbul tend to be open seven days a week with later closing times on weekends. Currently, though due to COVID-19, amusement parks are generally closed for the winter and only scheduled to re-open in March.
Isfanbul
The Isfanbul theme park is currently closed for winter and only re-open on March 13th. The expected opening hours are from 10:00 am to 6::00 pm.
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the park does.
- 99 TL (10,50 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- March 3rd onward: 10:00 – 18:00
- Currently closed
Miniaturk
Open every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Ticket Price
- 20 TL (2,20 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Daily: 09:00 – 19:00
Sea Life Aquarium
Open daily from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm.
Ticket Prices
- 99 TL (10,50 €) – Regular admission fee
- 49 TL (5,25 €) – Purchase online
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 19:30
- Closed on Mondays
Legoland
In non-COVID times, Legoland use to open daily at 10:00 am daily and close at 8:00 pm.
COVID Opening Hours
Due to the coronavirus, they’re now only open from noon on Friday to Sunday and close at 6:00 pm. On Monday through Thursday, they are now closed.
- Friday to Sunday: 12:00 – 18:00
- Closed Monday to Thursday
Ticket Prices
The ticket window closes 2 hours before the park does.
- 80 TL (10,50 €) – Regular admission fee
- 62 TL (10,50 €) – Purchase online
Normal Opening Hours
- Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 21:00
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 20:00
Istanbul Aquarium
Open every day from 10:00 am with a later closing time on weekends (10:00 pm) than on weekdays (7:00 pm).
Ticket Prices
- 125 TL (13.20 €) – Regular admission fee
- 112,5 TL (11.90 €) – Purchase online
Opening Hours
- Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 19:00
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 20:00
Istanbul Dolphinarium
Open every day except Monday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Ticket Prices
- 160 TL (17 €) – Standard admission fee
- 250 TL (26,50 €) – VIP Tribune Admission
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday: 09:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
Museums
The museums of Istanbul are generally open from 9:00 am and usually have one day a week when they are closed. Typically, it’s Monday closure, but some museums close on Tuesday or Wednesday so they can attract the Monday crowd.
Hagia Sofia is an exception to the rule since it’s also a place of worship that’s open all day, every day.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
The doors to Hagia Sophia are open 24-hours a day with no entrance fee or admission cost.
Ticket Price
- Free admission
Opening Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Topkapi Palace
Open every day except Tuesdays from 9:00 am with and closing be two hours later in summer (6:45 pm) than in winter (4:45 pm)
Ticket Prices
The ticket window closes 45 minutes before the museum does.
- 100 TL (10,60 €) – Palace Entrance Admission
- 42 TL (4,50 €) – Harem and Halberdiers with Tresses Dormitory Admission
- 36 TL (3,80 €) – Hagia Irene Museum (1st courtyard) Admission
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 18:45
- October to March: 09:00 – 16:45
- Closed on Tuesdays
Dolmabahce Palace
Open every day except Mondays from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm.
Ticket Prices
- 90 TL (9,50 €) – Palace admission fee
- 45 TL (4,75 €) – Harem admission fee
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Saturday: 09:00 – 18:30
- Closed on Mondays
Basilica Cistern Museum
Open every day at 9:00 am with the only exception being the 1st day of the religious holidays where it opens at 1:00 pm.
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 45 minutes before the museum does.
- 30 TL (3,20 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Daily: 09:00 – 18:30
- 1st day of Religious Holidays: 13:00 – 18:30
Madame Tussauds
Open every day from 10:00 to 9:00 pm.
Ticket Price
- 109 TL (11,50 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Daily: 10:00 – 21:00
Rahmi M. Koc Transport Museum
Open every day except Mondays between 09:30 – 17:00 (from 01 October to 31 March), 09:30 – 19:00 (from 01 April to 30 September)
Ticket Prices
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 28 TL (3 €) – Regular admission fee
- 14 TL (1,50 €) – Submarine Ticket
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 20:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 16:45
- Closed on Mondays
- Closed on New Year’s Eve (December 31st) and New Year’s Day (January 1st)
- Closed on 1st day of religious holidays
Istanbul Archaeology Museums
Open every day except Mondays from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (8:00 pm) than in winter (6:00 pm).
Ticket Prices
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 50 TL (5,30 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 20:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
In non-COVID times the museum is open every day except Mondays from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (7:00 pm) than in winter (5:00 pm).
COVID Opening Hours
Due to the coronavirus, the Istanbul Modern Art Museum is now only open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm while being closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It is no longer open late on Thursdays either; it is still closed on Mondays as usual.
- Tuesday to Friday: 11:00 – 17:00
- Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays
Ticket Prices
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 68 TL (7,20 €) – Regular admission fee
- 51 TL (5,40 €) – Students
- 51 TL (5,40 €) – Seniors 65 and older
Normal Opening Hours
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
- Thursday: 10:00 – 20:00
- Closed on Mondays
Pera Museum
Open every day except Mondays until 6:00 pm with Tuesday to Saturday openings at 10:00 am and Sunday opening at noon.
Ticket Price
- 25 TL (2,70 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00
- Sundays: 12:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
- Closed on January 1st (New Years Day) and 1st day of religious holidays.
Kariye Mosque
The doors to Chora Mosque are open 24-hours a day, but unlike Hagia Sofia, there is a 65 TL entrance fee for admission.
Ticket Price
- 65 TL (6,90 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Sakip Sabanci Museum
Open every day except Monday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 30 minutes before the museum does.
- 40 TL (4,30 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday: 12:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum
Open every day except Mondays from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (7:00 pm) than in winter (5:00 pm).
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 18 TL (1,90 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 20:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 16:45
- Closed on Mondays
Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts
Open every day except Mondays from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (8:00 pm) than in winter (6:00 pm)
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 50 TL (5,30 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 20:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
History of Science and Technology in Islam
Open every day from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (8:00 pm) than in winter (4:45 pm).
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 1 hour before the museum does.
- 18 TL (1,90 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 20:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 16:45
Great Palace Mosaics Museum
Open every day from 9:00 am with a later closing time in summer (7:00 pm) than in winter (5:00 pm).
Ticket Price
The ticket window closes 30 minutes before the museum does.
- 30 TL (3,20 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- April to September: 09:00 – 19:00
- October to March: 09:00 – 17:00
Sadberk Hanim Museum
Open every day except Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Ticket Price
- 15 TL (1,60 €) – Regular admission fee
Opening Hours
- Thursday to Tuesday: 10:00 – 17:00
- Closed on Wednesdays
- Closed on January 1st (New Years Day) and 1st day of religious holidays.