Guided tour

İstanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour with Historian Guide

4  / 592 reviews
Activity provider:Travelgroup
Add to wishlist
photo-collagephoto-collagephoto-collagephoto-collage
Guided tour

İstanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Tour with Historian Guide

Activity provider:Travelgroup
4  / 592 reviews

From $73.14 per person

Discover İstanbul's UNESCO listed Topkapi Palace and its ornately tiled Harem chambers with an expert guide. Enjoy fast track entry and explore the palace's history as the seat of the Ottoman court.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Duration 1.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the line through express security check
Live tour guide
English, Spanish, German
Wheelchair accessible
Private or small groups available

Experience

Highlights
  • Discover the private world of the Ottoman sultans
  • Explore a sprawling UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Learn about the fascinating history of the palace from an expert guide
  • Admire the elaborate mosaics and colorful windows of the Harem chambers
  • Avoid the long queues with fast track entry
Full description
Learn all about Istanbul’s Ottoman heritage, and visit one of the city’s top landmarks, on this small-group tour of the Topkapi Palace and the Harem chambers. Avoid the queues with fast track entry and explore the sprawling 15th Century palace and its expansive museum with an expert guide. Explore the extensive complex that winds down towards the Bosphorus. The palace itself is a balance of huge courtyards, cavernous council chambers and winding secret passageways, which were built to ensure the Ottoman sultans and their families could enjoy maximum privacy and discretion. A highlight of the tour is the Imperial Harem, comprising over 400 chambers in one of the sultan’s private apartments. The rooms are characterized by colorful mosaic floors and stained glass windows, and provide incredible insight into the private world of the Ottoman court.
Includes
  • Topkapi Palace & Harem tickets
  • Historian guide
  • Fast track entry
  • Pickup and dropoff
  • Food and drink

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet your guide at the Topkapi Cafe Meeting Hub just in front of the main gate of the palace on the left side (before the security line).

Open in Google Maps ⟶
Important information

Know before you go

  • The tour lasts 1.5 hours
  • It is wheelchair accessible

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4 /5

based on 92 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Value for money
    3.7/5
  • Service
    5/5

Filter

By star rating

Sort by:

M
Michael – TurkeyOctober 15, 2023 – Verified booking
Great guide, gave a very good introduction, but I would have expected more historical insights. However, this seems not the fault of the guide, just the group was big and so many visitors to the palace too. There wasn’t much time for more than he did. During the harem tour we were less people and he could better handle us. I guess for a more historical detailed tour you have to book an individual tour.
Helpful?
R
Reginald – United KingdomOctober 14, 2023 – Verified booking
Our guide was a very knowledgeable and articulate young historian. He gave excellent explanations of how the Topkapi palace’s physical and administrative organisation worked, along with overview of the history of the Ottomsns and why they were so successful for so long. Well worth the money
Helpful?
I
Inna – United Arab EmiratesOctober 5, 2023 – Verified booking
Surprisingly the tour was organized by Istanbul Pass. There was nothing mentioned about Istanbul Pass in the advertising of this activity - disappointing. The tour had around 20 people. We had to use the headphones that stopped working at one point. Luckily our guide spoke loudly. We enjoyed the tour, there were many examples provided by the guide. Had a good experience.
Helpful?

Product ID: 432221

Top Attractions in Istanbul

Things to Do in Istanbul

Cities in Turkey

Top destinations

Popular on GetYourGuide

Popular Attractions