ABOUT FREE TOUR TOPKAPI PALACE

Free Tour Topkapi Palace is a pay-what-you-want walking tour that covers a guided visit to the most important Ottoman palace in Istanbul’s old city center. The meeting point for the tour is in front of the Museum Pass desk at Sultanahmet Square at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 14:00 pm every day except Tuesdays.

You are expected to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before our tour starts! Our tour guides wearing red T-shirts will be waiting for you by the Museum Pass desk.

Please consider that you need a ticket to enter the Topkapi Palace Museum. Museum Pass holders do not buy an admission ticket for the Topkapi Palace Museum including the harem section. You can get your Museum Pass at the meeting point. If you want to get tickets instead of the pass, our guides can also help you to buy museum tickets. It is essential to note that Museum Pass gives you the free skip-the-line admission.

There is no set price for the tour. Once your tour is over, it is up to you to decide what the tour was worth. You can tip your free tour guide depending on your satisfaction.

Reminders

Entry to the Topkapi Palace Museum is ticketed. Museum Pass holders do not buy tickets at the Topkapi Palace Museum including the harem section.
You can buy a Museum Pass or a museum ticket at the meeting point.
This is a pay-what-you-want tour. At the end of the tour, you are free to decide what the tour was worth and tip your guide depending on your satisfaction. Some of our guests give €10 per person, some others give €20. So, it is up to you to set the price.
The museum is closed for visits on Tuesdays.Therefore, there is no Free Tour Topkapi Palace on Tuesdays.
If you are interested in visiting the Topkapi Palace with an experienced guide at your own pace with your own family or friends, please contact us! Along with free tours, we also offer private tours in English, Spanish and Russian.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOUR

Take a guided visit to the stunning Topkapi Palace
Learn about the rich history of the Ottoman Empire
Visit all rooms, courtyards and galleries in the palace·
Explore the Harem section and learn about the courtiers, concubines and eunuchs
Marvel at the Holly Relics, the Spoonmaker’s diamond and the beautiful Iznik tiles

What’s included

· A licensed English-speaking guide

· 1,5-hour tour of Topkapi Palace including the Harem

What’s not included

Museum Pass (or museum ticket)
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Tips

Free Tour Topkapi Palace covers

Hagia Eirene

Fountain of Ahmed III

Topkapi Palace

Harem

The Imperial Council Hall

Holy Relics Chamber

Imperial Treasury

Imperial Kitchens

Imperial Mint

Weapons Collection

Mecidiye Kiosk

Revan Kiosk

Baghdad Kiosk

The Gate of Felicity

The Marble Terrace

Library of Ahmed III

LEARN ABOUT THE RICH HISTORY OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE ON FREE TOUR TOPKAPI PALACE

Topkapi Palace served as the royal residence of the Ottoman Sultans and home to their courts and family until the middle of the 19^th century. It used to be the second most used palace of the Ottomans after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. The palace was commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II who is known as the Conqueror of Constantinople. After the completion of the palace building in 1478, the palace was significantly expanded by courtyards and buildings throughout the years.

Today, Topkapi Palace is one of the most visited museums in Istanbul, Turkey. Our skip-the-line tour is a great opportunity to avoid the longest lines in front of the palace museum.

This stunning palace has 4 main courtyards and other smaller buildings such as the Harem and the Imperial Council. You can best explore the Topkapi Palace and the rich history of Ottomans with a professional tour guide. It is worth booking Free Tour Topkapi Palace as it is a great chance to explore this royal palace in a budget-friendly way accompanied by an expert guide.

Your expert local guide will first take you to the iconic Hagia Eirene, the stunning Imperial Gate and the breathtaking Fountain of Sultan Ahmet. Once inside the Topkapı Palace, you will start learning about the treasury, the Imperial Council Hall, palace kitchens, and the kiosks known as Mecidiye, Revan and Baghdad. You will visit all rooms including the treasury which is a home to the popular Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat pear-shaped diamond.

Your guide will not only share information but also fun stories about the life at Topkapi Palace during the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, you will have free time to explore further on your own.

Explore the life inside the harem

During the pay-what-you-want tour of Topkapi Palace, you will take a step back in time while learning about the Ottoman Empire and witnessing its grandeur. You will hear about the life inside the Harem at Topkapi Palace. Harem was considered as “the forbidden place” because it was the home of the Sultan and his extended family. No male was allowed inside the imperial harem unless he was a eunuch. Are you ready to hear more colorful stories about the Ottoman sultans than all Tv series you have watched about the Ottomans put together?

Marvel at the diverse collections on display

Topkapi Palace Museum is home to many exhibition pavillions. On Free Tour Topkapi Palace, you will have the excellent chance to marvel at the diverse royal collections of artworks, antiques and the Holy Relics.

The palace has a large collection of Chinese porcelain, jewelry, Ottoman and European arms and armor. The famous Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat pear-shaped diamond, is on display at Topkapi Palace. You can see Abraham’s Pot, Joseph’s Turban, Moses’s Staff, David’s Sword, scrolls belonging to John the Baptist and Muhammad’s footprint in the Third Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace. Additionally, you can see a piece of tooth of Prophet Muhammad, hair from his beard, his blessed mantle and his seal. While visiting the courtyards and pavillions, your expert tour guide will share information about the unique collections including the sacred relics displayed at at the palace.

A visit to Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi Palace used to be the primary residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire until the mid-19th century. It is located on the historical peninsula of Istanbul. The palace offers a breathtaking view across the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

Topkapi Palace has four main courtyards, each with pretty gardens, magnificient quarters and offices. You can marvel at the stunning gate and the rococo style Fountain of Ahmed III at the entrance of the First Courtyard. This courtyard is surrounded by high walls. Today, the First Courtyard functions as a park.

Once you walk past the gate of salutation, you enter the second courtyard of the Topkapı Palace. This area was used as a meeting place for palace courtiers. Once you walk past this area, you will see the Gate of Felicity leading to the Third Courtyard. This courtyard is also called the inner palace. It is surrounded by the Hall of Privy Chamber, the treasury and the famous Harem.

Harem is the most popular section of the Topkapi palace tour. It used to function as a women’s quarter which had more than 400 rooms. The harem was the place where the sultan’s mother, the sultan’s wives and his concubines lived together along with their children. No male can trespass beyond the gates of the harem except the sultan himself and the eunuchs working inside the harem.

The Fourth Courtyard is also one of the most visited sections of the palace as it consists of a series of pavilions, kiosks, and terraces. Here, you can see the collections of sacred relics, precious jewels, clothes and fabrics on display.