Istanbul · TICKETS

The 15 Best Tickets & Entry Passes in Istanbul

38 tours  ·  from $11

The good tickets & entry passes fill up early and the best of them go first. Below: the 15 to book before you land, what each one includes and how they differ.

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket & Museum Option - Collecting the ticket near the Blue Mosque
Hagia Sophia Tours, Museums, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket & Museum Option

1.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket & Museum Option

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 4,958 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $33Our pick

Visit Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque with a skip-the-ticket-line pass, multilingual audio commentary, and optional History and Experience Museum access. Expect the grand dome, mosaics, Islamic calligraphy, upper-gallery views, security queues, and a ticket pickup near the Blue Mosque.

“They send is to redeem our reservation in a point there was quite dat from the entrance and when we follow the live map the location was wrong pointed and then we lose a lot of time till the situation was solved. Make it easier, and give this possibility also to the ticket offices near entrance.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide - The Harem: the part you must enter with the host
Audio Tours, Guided, Istanbul Self-Guided Audio Tours, Museums, Self-Guided Tours, Tickets, Topkapi Palace Tours, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide

2.Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,977 reviews · from $61

Meet an English-speaking host near Topkapi Palace, enter the palace and Harem together, then explore independently with a smartphone audio guide. Choose from timed entry slots between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM, and allow at least two to five hours for the courtyards, relics, royal rooms, and Bosphorus views.

“Really love the museum and the experience to walk in a royal palace and see so much history.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Guided Tour w/ Tickets - Meeting at Galataport or in Sultanahmet
Blue Mosque Tours, Guided, Hagia Sophia Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Guided Tour w/ Tickets

3.Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Guided Tour w/ Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,600 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $39

Walk through Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and Hagia Sophia with a licensed English or German-speaking guide. The 2.5 to 3-hour small-group tour includes headsets, reserved Hagia Sophia entry, and Galataport pickup with a tram ride to Sultanahmet. Guides such as Kaan, Emre, Murat, and Umut are often praised for clear storytelling.

“An unforgettable tour – absolutely amazing! This tour was simply fantastic! Our guide Hasan was incredibly warm, knowledgeable, and full of passion. He shared so many insights and stories with us, bringing Istanbul’s rich history truly to life. We started with the Blue Mosque, where Hasan explained every detail - the symbolism, the architecture, and fascinating background stories that you’d never find in a guidebook. Then we continued to the Hagia Sophia, where he shared not only historical facts but also deep cultural and personal insights. His calm, friendly manner and his impressive expertise made this tour the absolute highlight of our Trip. We can wholeheartedly recommend Hasan and this...”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket - The underground hall and its 336 columns
Basilica Cistern Tickets, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

4.Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,270 reviews · 1 day · from $44

Use a pre-booked QR ticket to enter Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern during the 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM day shift. Walk beneath the city among 336 columns, admire the Medusa sculptures and changing lights, and explore at your own pace without a guide. Tickets arrive the day before, or immediately for same-day bookings.

“Beautiful and easy to enter once we purchased our tickets through this app. It was a very quick process despite the lines crawling all the way to the back outside. We recommend this if you have a bit extra to splurge!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide - What the $35 ticket actually buys you
Audio Tours, Guided, Hagia Sophia Tours, Istanbul Self-Guided Audio Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

5.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,246 reviews · from $35

Take yourself through Hagia Sophia with a QR-code ticket and English audio guide app. Explore the visitor area and upper gallery at your own pace, while learning how Byzantine and Ottoman rulers shaped this extraordinary building. Bring headphones, a charged phone, and modest clothing.

“arrived just before opening, were among the first people inside. Felt like we had the place to ourselves. Good experience, recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia Combo Ticket - Using the three-day ticket window
Basilica Cistern Tickets, Hagia Sophia Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia Combo Ticket

6.Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia Combo Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,990 reviews · from $71

Visit Hagia Sophia’s upper gallery and the atmospheric Basilica Cistern with one digital ticket package. You get English audio commentary for Hagia Sophia, flexible use over three days, and access to ticket-entry queues, though security lines remain and the prayer area downstairs is not included.

“Tickets were easy to get, 1 day before the actual time was scheduled, everything went smoothly, the attraction was perfect, would do it again this way”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour - Getting past the ticket counter
Audio Tours, Hagia Sophia Tours, Istanbul Self-Guided Audio Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour

7.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,767 reviews · from $42

Enter Hagia Sophia through the ticket line with an instant QR pass, then explore its second-floor visiting areas with an English audio guide. Choose a small-group tour led by guides such as Furkan, Ilke, or Oğuzhan, or book a private guide for a more personal visit.

“Oguzhan was very knowledgeable and had good communication skills.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace and Harem Guided Tour with Ticket - Meeting in Sultanahmet
Guided, Tickets, Topkapi Palace Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace and Harem Guided Tour with Ticket

8.Topkapi Palace and Harem Guided Tour with Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,726 reviews · 3 hours · from $55

Spend three hours at Topkapi Palace and its Harem with a live English or German-speaking guide. Guides such as Mert, Furkan, Elif, and Emre are praised for lively Ottoman history, while skip-the-line tickets help you reach the courtyards, royal rooms, and Harem faster.

“We had a great experience with our tour guide, Furkan, who was very kind, accurate and gave us a lot of interesting information about Topkapi Palace and Harem, and about the life at the time of the Sultans. Recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Ticket Line & Audio Guide - Arriving near Topkapi Palace
Audio Tours, Guided, Hagia Sophia Tours, Istanbul Self-Guided Audio Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Ticket Line & Audio Guide

9.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Ticket Line & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,469 reviews · 1 day · from $41

Enter Hagia Sophia independently through the tourist entrance near Topkapi Palace, using a QR ticket and English audio guide. See the upper galleries, Byzantine mosaics, Islamic calligraphy, and dome. The $41 ticket saves the ticket-buying queue, but security and entry lines may remain.

“Great to be able to visit this outstanding historical building. It is really nice to see the religious history co-exist. I feel like signage could have been a bit clearer for the queues to differenciate people who had bought tickets already and people who were buying on the day. The price is also very expensive for what the activity actually is - you spend 40 or so minutes there.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Tour w/Entry Tickets - Sultanahmet puts Istanbul’s story under one roof
Blue Mosque Tours, Hagia Sophia Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Tour w/Entry Tickets

10.Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Tour w/Entry Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,407 reviews · from $37

Spend three hours walking Sultanahmet with an English-speaking guide such as Jan, Deniz, or Fatih. Visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia with priority admission, see the Hippodrome’s obelisks, and finish with practical advice for exploring Istanbul.

“Amazing! The tour guide was really helpful and gave recommendations for restaurants at the end. I would recommend this tour!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul E-pass: Top Istanbul Attractions with Skip The Ticket Line - Blue Mosque, Hagia Irene, and Ottoman art
Tickets, Tour Reviews

Istanbul E-pass: Top Istanbul Attractions with Skip The Ticket Line

11.Istanbul E-pass: Top Istanbul Attractions with Skip The Ticket Line

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,379 reviews · 2 to 7 days (approx.) · from $199Top rated

Use a mobile Istanbul E-Pass for more than 100 attractions, including guided visits to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern. Add Bosphorus cruises, Whirling Dervishes, palace museums, aquariums, and day trips to Bursa or Sapanca. English guidance is included at selected sights.

“The Istanbul e-pass has provided the worst service I’ve experienced with tours and passes booked through Viator. It took numerous inquiries and weeks of back-and-forth through WhatsApp and Viator customer support just to receive confirmations for at least two of my reserved tours. The meeting points for the tours are poorly marked or not located where indicated; for example, the Sunset Cruise meeting point was not clearly identified, and I ended up having to confirm with an unmarked group standing next to a gas pump near the designated spot. These people did have a list of tourists, but the organization was severely lacking. The day trip to Bursa was a…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Basilica Cistern &Topkapi Palace &Hagia Sophia Combo Tickets - Topkapi Palace needs the most time
Basilica Cistern Tickets, Hagia Sophia Tours, Tickets, Topkapi Palace Tours, Tour Reviews

Basilica Cistern &Topkapi Palace &Hagia Sophia Combo Tickets

12.Basilica Cistern &Topkapi Palace &Hagia Sophia Combo Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,306 reviews · 3 days · from $157

Visit Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace and Harem, and Hagia Sophia’s upper gallery with one flexible ticket. You receive digital tickets by email for the cistern and mosque, while a host escorts you into Topkapi at a chosen time. Allow several hours for the palace.

“It was easy to use the e-tickets and it was great we could skip the line. We found the audio guide for Topkapi Palace difficult to use.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Basilica Cistern Guided Tour & Skip the Line Ticket - Meeting the guide at the Basilica Cistern exit gate
Basilica Cistern Tickets, Guided, Skip the Line, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Basilica Cistern Guided Tour & Skip the Line Ticket

13.Basilica Cistern Guided Tour & Skip the Line Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,288 reviews · from $40

Meet your English-speaking guide by the Basilica Cistern exit gate, marked by a MegaPass flag. Learn the reservoir’s Byzantine and Ottoman story, hear the legends of the Medusa heads, then stay inside as long as you like. The guided talk may last about 10 to 40 minutes.

“We are very happy with the tour. Basilica Cistern is spectacular and worth visiting! Our guide Cem was knowledgeable, polite, and he answered all our questions. He also suggested a few more worthwhile spots to visit. Many thanks !”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour Skip-the-Line Ticket - The four courtyards and the palace route
Skip the Line, Tickets, Topkapi Palace Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour Skip-the-Line Ticket

14.Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour Skip-the-Line Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,112 reviews · from $73

Enter Topkapi Palace with a hosted skip-the-line ticket and an English-speaking guide. See the four courtyards, Audience Hall, Treasury, Harem, Holy Relics, and Hagia Irene, then explore at your own pace. Guides such as Furkan, Oguzhan, and Augusto are praised for clear stories and useful tips.

“Fantastic to skip the lines, ( which were huge) l so much to see and the guide, was awesome. He knew where to go and beat the crowds. Venue only had one toilet so was a huge line, be prepared.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Istanbul: 1 or 2-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour Ticket - Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and the old city
2-Day Experiences, Istanbul Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul: 1 or 2-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour Ticket

15.1 or 2-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 863 reviews · from $62

Start beside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, then circle Istanbul by double-decker bus past Ottoman palaces, bazaars, Galataport, Taksim, and the Bosphorus Bridge. You get an eight-language audio guide, internet access, and the freedom to ride the full 2.5-hour loop or hop off at selected stops.

“2 long stops that weren't really necessary, (driver smoke break) 🤣 But great value, good way to start your Istanbul visit, takes about hour & half to do whole circuit!”

Check availability →Read our full review

New in Tickets

★ 4.9Hagia Sophia Guided Tour with Skip-the-Ticket-LineFrom $23149 reviews
★ 4.8Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque Tour with TicketsFrom $48153 reviews
★ 5.0Topkapi Palace and Harem Guided tour with Skip-the-Line TicketsFrom $120156 reviews
★ 4.0Aquarium Ticket with Shuttle Bus from SultanahmetFrom $31155 reviews
★ 5.0Istanbul private tour with skip line tickets includedFrom $196168 reviews
★ 4.2Topkapi Palace Skip-the-Line Ticket & Guided TourFrom $80178 reviews
★ 4.0IstanbulBasilicaCistern/fastEntranceEnglish/Spanish (not tickets)From $59184 reviews
★ 4.0Vialand Theme Park Tickets with Package OptionsFrom $65184 reviews
★ 3.7Galata Tower: Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio or Guided TourFrom $43182 reviews
★ 5.0Istanbul Guided Tour Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, Cistern with TicketsFrom $119206 reviews
★ 4.0Basilica Cistern Skip the Line TicketFrom $51193 reviews
★ 4.7Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Ticket-Line Guided TourFrom $23194 reviews
★ 4.6Chora Mosque Entry TicketFrom $27211 reviews
★ 5.0Small-Group Topkapi Palace and Harem Tour with TicketsFrom $48245 reviews
★ 4.7Topkapi Palace and Harem Museum Tour with TicketFrom $94247 reviews

Keep browsing

Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruises29Hagia Sophia Tours26Istanbul Old City Tours16Istanbul Food Tours11Istanbul Turkish Baths and Hammams14Cappadocia Tours from Istanbul8
Scroll to Top

Pick a day in Istanbul

A boat, a dome, a bathhouse or a coach out of town.

On the water

Bosphorus CruisesDinner CruisesSunset CruisesYacht CruisesGolden Horn

The old city

Hagia SophiaBlue MosqueTopkapı PalaceBasilica CisternDolmabahçe

The Turkish table

Food ToursCooking ClassesTurkish CoffeeTurkish NightsMarkets

Out of town

CappadociaGallipoliTroyBursaPrinces’ Islands