What to book before going to Istanbul
The Istanbul base has 16 stops. Booking ahead is required at 0 of them and advised at 3. The rest you can walk up to.
Data checked on November 2, 2026
Booking saves you the queue
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Hagia Sophia
Foreign visitors buy the ticket at the booth opposite the Fountain of Ahmed III. A skip-the-line ticket from a partner can save time at the booth in busy months.
No opening hours for tourist visits are published, and as a working mosque it can pause visits around prayer times. Check at the booth or on the official channels on the day.
See ticketsSource: Republic of Turkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, checked November 2, 2026
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Topkapı Palace and Harem
Tickets are sold on the National Palaces site and at the gate. A skip-the-line entry from a partner saves time in busy months. The Harem is a separate ticket.
Closed on Tuesdays, on 1 January and on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı. The ticket office runs from 09:00 to 17:00, and the official page gives no closing time for the grounds, so treat 17:00 as the last entry.
See ticketsSource: Milli Saraylar (National Palaces), checked November 2, 2026
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Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan)
Tickets used to be sold online for daytime and evening sessions. Check how the new operator sells them.
Pages from the earlier operator gave 09:00 to 22:00 every day, with a pause around 18:30. The cistern passed to the Directorate General of Foundations in June 2026 and reopened to visitors on 6 June, so confirm hours and prices on the official page before you go.
Source: KÜLTÜR.İSTANBUL (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality), checked November 2, 2026
No booking needed
Turn up when it suits the day.
- Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque)Free
- Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı)Free
- Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)Free
- Galata Tower
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums
- Süleymaniye MosqueFree
- Dolmabahçe Palace
- Bosphorus ferry cruise
- Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square)Free
- Chora Church (Kariye Mosque)
- BalatFree
- Kadıköy and ModaFree
- İstiklal AvenueFree