Things to Do in Istanbul: Tickets, Tours & Special Experiences

Sights & tickets

The classics with time slots and queues are best booked in advance.

TicketsHagia SophiaTickets, tours & combo offersView Hagia Sophia tickets & tours TicketsGalata TowerTickets, time slots & toursView Galata Tower tickets TicketsDolmabahçe PalacePalace and harem, fast track with audio guideView Dolmabahçe Palace tickets Guided tourSultanahmet highlightsGuided tour of Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & HippodromeView Sultanahmet guided tour Guided tourBlue MosqueTours & combo offersView Blue Mosque guided tour TicketsÇamlıca TV TowerIstanbul from above – tickets & visiting timesView Çamlıca Tower tickets TicketsBeylerbeyi PalaceTickets & tours on the Asian sideView Beylerbeyi Palace tickets TicketsBasilica CisternFast access & audio guide – bring your own headphonesView tickets

Bosphorus & special evenings

Yacht, dinner cruise and dervish ceremonies: Istanbul at night.

Boat tripYacht trip on the BosphorusSunset cruise on a luxury yachtView Bosphorus yacht trip Boat tripBosphorus dinner cruiseDinner cruise with showView Bosphorus tours & dinner cruise CeremonyDervish ceremonyWhirling dervishes in a real MevlevihaneView whirling dervish ceremony CeremonyDervishes at the Hagia SophiaCeremony right next to the Hagia SophiaView whirling dervish ceremony near Hagia Sophia

Workshops & special experiences

Making instead of just looking: lamps, perfume, coffee, leather, carpets and glass.

WorkshopPerfume workshopBlend scent notes and compose your own fragranceLearn more WorkshopTurkish coffee & coffee-cup readingBrew it yourself, learn the culture, read the groundsLearn more WorkshopMosaic lamp workshopColoured glass, your own pattern, a lamp to take homeLearn more WorkshopLeather workshopStitch your own walletLearn more WorkshopGlass painting workshopPaint your own design on glassLearn more WorkshopCarpet weavingAt the loom with a Turkish craftsmanLearn more

Food & flavours

Taste Turkish cuisine, with a guide and a view.

Food experienceFood tour with rooftopTaste Turkish specialities, end the evening with a viewLearn more

Tours & neighbourhoods

Be out with someone who knows the stories.

Guided tourFener & Balat tourColourful houses, old churches, hidden lanesLearn more Guided tourOld town tour: Istanbul 5-in-1Social tour through the old town, meet peopleView old town tour

Day trips from Istanbul

Long days, great history, islands and mountains. Plan plenty of time.

Day tripGallipoli day tripMemorials and history, a very long dayLearn more Day tripTroy day tripAncient site and UNESCO World HeritageLearn more Day tripPrinces' IslandsGuided excursions from IstanbulView Princes' Islands tour Day tripPrinces' Islands tourExcursion to the Princes' IslandsView Princes' Islands day trip Day tripBursa & UludağDay trip with lunch, cable car optionalView Bursa day trip

Guides & comparisons

Our in-depth articles on tickets, passes and sights.

Trip Planning & Tips · 6 min read

Bosphorus Cruise in Istanbul: Regular Ferry or Tour? I'd Do Both

Read moreTrip Planning & Tips · 6 min read

Istanbul Tourist Pass or MuseumPass? Comparing Benefits and Costs

Read moreBeyoğlu · 8 min read

The Galata Mevlevi Lodge: Dervishes, Music, Poetry — and Why Sema Is Much More Than "Men Twirling in White Skirts"

Read moreSultanahmet · 9 min read

Hagia Sophia: 1,500 Years of Power, Faith, and a Dome That Was Far Too Bold for Its Time

Read moreSultanahmet · 9 min read

Blue Mosque: Six Minarets, Thousands of İznik Tiles, and a Young Sultan Facing the Hagia Sophia

Read moreSultanahmet · 10 min read

Topkapı Palace: 400 Years of Power Behind Gates, Courtyards, and Controlled Access to the Sultan

Read moreSultanahmet · 8 min read

Basilica Cistern: 336 Columns, Two Medusa Heads, and the Water System Beneath Constantinople

Read moreGalata · 8 min read

Galata Tower: A Genoese Fortress, a Fire Watch, and the One Tower I Apparently Can Never Photograph Enough

Read more

Dates, meeting points, included services and booking conditions are shown by the booking partner.

Photos of the workshops and tours: GetYourGuide / the providers; meze photo: Dr. Bernd Gross, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Further image credits: dervishes, Bursa and Büyükada via Wikimedia Commons (public domain or CC0); Gallipoli and Troy via Wikimedia Commons (details on the article pages).