Is the Museum Pass Istanbul something I should apply for? I get this question a lot from people planning to visit the Turkish metropolitan. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this question.
It all depends on what you plan to visit and/or whether you mind standing (for a long time) in a queue or not. So let me explain what the Istanbul Museum Pass is, what you can (not) do with it, whether it’s right for you, and how you can get one.
What Is the Istanbul Museum Pass?
The Museum Pass is a one-time payment card that provides you access to historical museums and cultural points of interest in Istanbul. There are two types (see below). Both are valid for a certain amount of days, starting from the moment you first use it (not the moment you bought it).
Is the MüzeKart+ the same as the Museum Pass?
No. The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry introduced the MüzeKart+ in 2008. It was, and still is, a huge success among Turkish citizens. It also drew the attention of tourists, but they were not allowed to buy one. This outcry resulted in the creation of a separate card, the Museum Pass Istanbul.
The MüzeKart is valid for 300+ museums nationwide. Only Turkish nationals and foreigners with a residence permit can obtain it, although now there is also a version for tourists called Museum Pass Turkey.
The Museum Pass Istanbul is for tourists visiting the metropolitan, hence providing access to a limited amount of venues. So, as a tourist to Istanbul, the Museum Pass Istanbul is the one and only card you should apply for!
What Sightseeing Spots Can You Visit with the Museum Pass?
The Museum Pass includes free access to the following areas of interest:
- Topkapi Palace (including the Harem)
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums
- Galata Tower Museum
- Great Palace Mosaic Museum
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam
- Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum
- Rumeli Fortress Museum
- Fethiye Museum
- Hagia Irene Museum
Do have a look at the opening hours of the top Istanbul tourist attractions to make sure you can visit your preferred venues.
What Are the Advantages of the Museum Pass?
The most important advantage is the ease of use. You no longer need to stand in line to buy your tickets and/or queue to get in. Please note that you cannot skip the security line and need to queue there just like anybody else.
Also, if you plan to visit all of the above-mentioned places, you spend less money. Alternatively, for only a bit more money, you can get access to a lot more attractions and other services with the Istanbul E-pass. I’ve written a detailed review of the Istanbul E-pass.
How Much Does the Istanbul Museum Pass Cost?
The Museum Pass Istanbul costs 1750 TL per person. The card is valid for 5 days from the moment you first use the card. However, you can only visit each museum included in the museum pass once. Every card has the applicant’s name on it, and you may be asked to provide identification when entering.
Children under the age of 12 years enter for free in the included venues, so no need to buy a card for them.
How Can I Get a Museum Pass?
You can buy the card in the following places:
- Topkapi Palace Museum
- Hagia Sophia Mosque
- Chora Museum
- Istanbul Mosaic Museum
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums
- Mobile sales units
Guided Cultural and Istanbul Highlights Tours
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission to keep the site ad-free. I only recommend products and companies I use or have used.
Hi
Will I need to buy a museum pass for my 6 year old or is it free
Thanks
Up till 6 they’re free of charge. Up to you how you interpret that…
Three of the 10 museums are closed, plus Rumeli Fort is partially closed, while the price of the pass is already 2500. Definately not worth buying it. Not to mention that when buying it,there is no warning that 30% of the places are closed for more than a year.
Hi there,
I am planning to visit Istanbul for a week in May and planning to get the Istanbul Museum Pass. I have a few questions: The article mentions the cost is 360 TL. However, this link (https://muze.gen.tr/MuseumPasses) says the 5 day pass is 1750 TL. Is this the same pass. Has it become that expensive recently?
Also, if I don’t pre-order, where can I buy one once I arrive?
Hi Sam,
That’s correct. I forgot to update this page. The inflation was huge in the past months / years, so keeping track of the price hikes is difficult these days. But that’s indeed the current price for the cards. You can also buy them on the square in Sultanahmet, between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
I have been going backwards and forwards with the Museum and Tourist passes, I see also in amongst all of the tours that there is a Welcome Istanbul pass too. We will be in Istanbul for 7 days and plan to do as much as possible, how do you stand with the Welcome pass? Thanks
Hi Jo,
I haven’t used or reviewed the Istanbul Welcome Card yet, so I can’t advise you on that. I did do a review on the Istanbul Tourist Pass last year.
Hope this helps.
hi, a very good day to u.
i intended to visit istanbul for 1 week in feb. just wondering, if i use this card, would i be able to enter those places few times (few entries for one attraction) or it is limited to one entry per card?
thank u in advance
Hi Azray,
It’s limited to one entry per included attraction.
Have a nice time.
Is it possible to purchase the 220 TL museum cards at the hotel we will be staying at ?
No, hotels normally don’t deal with this.
Hey, i just want to share my experience. That i can’t found the museum pass with 85TL they sell it 220TL everywhere. I don’t know where to find the one with 85TL, everytime i asked people around they showed me the booth with the price 220TL. Thanks
Hi Putri,
There is no museum pass of 85 TL. The picture is of an old card of mine. The current price is 220 TL as it says in the article.
Have fun.
Hello! I think I have posted my question earlier, but I couldn’t see it appear here.
I have enquiry about mode of payment accepted to purchase the Istanbul museum pass at the counter. Do they accept payment by debit/credit card? Or they only accept cash?
Thanks you.
Hi,
Yes you posted it twice, but no problem. All comments are moderated before they appear online, that’s why you didn’t see yours immediately.
Yes, you should be able to purchase the Istanbul Pass by using your debet/credit card. And in case their machines don’t work or they changed policies in the meanwhile, you’ll have no trouble finding ATMs within a 200 meter radius to withdraws money.
Have a nice time.
Thank you Erlend 🙂
Hey,
Since this page is the top Google result for a list of what the pass gets you into, perhaps you could update it?
According to my research, fethiye museum is currently closed, as is Yıldız Palace Museum, and also the pass no longer includes access to the harem at Topkapi.
Hi Louisa,
The list is just what’s included in the Istanbul Museum Pass. I have another full page dedicated to the opening hours of Istanbul main sightseeing spots. Your remark on the Harem is correct though. It was included at the start of the high season, but was excluded again about three weeks ago. They change their minds on that one all the time. I forgot to update it, mea culpa.
Im in Istanbul now and it easy to purchase the passes. But this site says under 12 go free but i was charged for my 10 year old.
Hi Abeda,
You’re right, that sentence was left there by mistake. Here you can find details about entrance fees and child policies for most Istanbul tourist venues.
Have a nice stay.
Hello, The descriptions of available places of seems to be different between ‘What is the Istanbul Museum pass…’ and ‘Entrance Fees of Istanbul’s Main Tourist Attractions’. Please correct it.
Hi Kim,
Only a small subset of Istanbul’s sightseeing spots are included in the Museum Pass. However, the entrance fees page list as many sightseeing spots as possible.
Thank you for your quick reply.
I understand what you mean.. ^^
One more question,,
Is it possible to enter the Kariye Museum(Chora Church) with ‘Museum Pass’?
(This is the point of my question.)
Thanks a lot,
Kim
Hi Kim,
Yes, you can. It is in the list in the post, too.
Have fun.
Hello Erlend,
I looked online to purchase the E-ticket for the Istanbul Museum Pass. It says that the E-ticket will reach my email after I complete the order. Will I be able to print out the E-ticket to use at the museums? I am leaving for Turkey in less than a week and will not be able to receive the mailed ticket/card in time…
Thanks!
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
I’ve never purchased an e-ticket myself, but from what I know they are now indeed electronic tickets sent to your email. I don’t think you’ll even have to fill in your actual address. So yes, once you get that email, keep it somewhere safe on your mobile device and print it out to be sure.
Let me know how it went.
Hi,
We are 3 in family including one senior citizen. We are visiting Turkey next week starting on August 13 and will be visiting Istanbul (4 nights/3 days), Capadoccia (2 nights), Pamakule ( 2 & half days, 2 nights), Selçuk/Ephesus (2 nights) then back to Istanbul and 3 days in Athens.
I would deeply appreciate if you can please answer following Questions:
1. I understand that it is worth to purchase Istanbul Museum pass. Can we buy 3-day, instead of 5-day, Museum pass?
2. Are there fees for popular Museums and tourists sites in and around Capadoccia, Pamakule, and Selçuk/Ephesus?
3. If the answer for 2. above is NO, then does it make sense and is cost effective to buy separate passes for Istanbul, Capadoccia, Pamakule, Selçuk/Ephesus areas? And, if the answer is YES, then should we buy Museum Pass Türkiye? I also understand, from travel blogs/forums that compared to Istanbul – there isn’t so much rush/crowd and long lines in Capadoccia, Pamakule, Selçuk/Ephesus areas.
4. Since we will flying on August 12, do you advise that we buy in person or on Line?
Thank You in advance for your reply
Hi Moiz,
The museum pass Istanbul is always valid for 5 days, there is no 3-day pass any more, and currently costs 220 TL. The museum pass Turkey costs 375 and is valid for 15 days. You’re right that the long queues you find in Istanbul are probably not a problem in the other cities.
Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about the museums in other cities to give you advice on buying the Turkey card vs the Istanbul one and separate tickets for the museums outside of Istanbul. In case you pick the museum pass Turkey, do make sure that the museums you want to visit are included. Not all museums are included in the card. In Istanbul for instance, Dolmabahçe Palace, Basilica Cistern and the Galata Tower are not included, just to name a few famous ones. You can find all the details here.
Hope this helps.
Hi Erlend,
I can’ t Thank You enough for your prompt reply. This is indeed very helpful. Please continue this good work.
Hi,
I’m travelling to Istanbul next week for 7 days and wanted to know what your thoughts are on the Istanbul Tourist Pass vs the Museum pass. The tourist pass seems quite expensive although it has alot of the main attractions.
Would love to know your thoughts
Many thanks
Miriam
Hi Miriam,
The Museum Pass gives you a 5-day access to an array of museums for 185 TL. The Tourist Pass offers the same Museum Pass and much more such as internet access, WhatsApp support, a Bosphorus Tour, etc. You can read up on what’s all included on their website. Because of this, for a comparable 5 days, you pay about 800 TL. I’ve never used the Tourist Pass, so it’s up to you to see which one best suits your needs.
Hope this helps.
hello,
so the price is 185 lira instead of 85 lira right ? bc its written on the card is 85.
Thanks a bunch
Hi,
Actually, it was 185, but I just noticed there was a price hike over the weekend. Now the pass is 220. The picture is of an old card of mine.
Have a nice stay.
What’s the difference between museum pass mobile and the regular one? Why is so much difference in the price?
Hi Hejllim,
Please read up on the question by Thomas and my reply on it.
Hope this helps.
Hi, Thanks for the very informative article!
Que: Could you please tell me individual entry fees for each museums cover under this card?
I think it will give me fair idea to buy a card or pay at individual museum in case not going to cover all. Because I have just 2 full days in Istanbul that too weekend.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi,
Hi can’t give you the price of each sightseeing spot. But if you’re only there for two days, I doubt the museum pass will make sense.
Have a nice time.
Hi!
I’ve heard it is a good idea to buy the Museum Pass to avoid queues at the museums in Istanbul. Do you know if this is particular to the Museum Pass or if I buy the tickets for the museums seperately can I also avoid the queues?
I’m asking this because the Museum Pass is a little bit more expensive than the individual tickets of the museums I’m planning to go.
Also, I’ve tried finding the Museum Pass online, but could only find the “mobile” version and the 15-day version. Do you know what happened? Will this “mobile” Museum Pass work as well as the “normal” one?
Cheers.
Best Regards.
Hi Tomas,
Just like you mention, the museum pass is a good trick not to wait in line to buy your ticket from the ticket booth. If you don’t plan to visit most of the included museums, then you’re better off buying the tickets separately … online. Of course, there could still be a queue to get in, if for instance there is a limit to the amount of people allowed in at the same time.
As for the mobile museum pass, that’s something new they have launched a few weeks ago. I haven’t tried it myself yet. Maybe try one pass, and see if you receive it on your phone. Make sure to take some screenshots, just in case, so you can always claim it later.
Let me know how it went.
I tried buying the tickets online, but a 404 error was thrown and I wasn’t able to complete the purchase.
Hi Tomas,
I’m unfortunately not surprised at all. That site is a hit and miss. Try again another time, and if you can’t succeed, you can always buy the museum pass once in Istanbul.
Good luck.
Hi
I am coming to Istanbul in June, I found a section in https://muze.gov.tr for Istanbul museum pass (Mobile), I wonder what does “mobile” mean? is it a Mobile phone app or a pdf file to show at museums entry? because no explanation on the site purchase form. thanks in advance for replying.
Hi Mohamed,
It looks like they will be releasing an app, but at the moment links aren’t working. I would go for the regular card, since the app may have some bugs at the beginning and you don’t want it to waste your holiday 🙂
have a nice time.
thanks very much for your advice, it makes sense.
Hi,
I tried to follow the hyperlink and have searched the website independently and Google is telling me that the Muze.gov.tr page can’t be found. I could access it about a week ago even though at the time it said cards couldn’t be bought online because the system is down – I’m wondering if it’s a technical glitch or if you’d know if they’ve stopped selling the cards now?
I’m coming to Turkey in several weeks and was really hoping to purchase a pass. Do you know who/what other website I might be able to use to get in touch with someone to ask if they’re still being sold?
I have the same problem and nobody can explain it…
Hi,
I’m so sorry. I thought I answered you already, but just now notice I didn’t.
The site is up and running, but sometimes seems to be offline as they are trying to make some changes to it. In my opinion they had better done that during low season, but I have no say in that.
So, yes, you can still reach muze.gov.tr , but it is sometimes slow to respond or down. In that case, just try again later or the next day. Btw, in the top right corner you can switch to English.
Hope this helps, and again my apologies.
I and my better half from India, would be trvelling for 2 weeks in Turkey.Can you tell if the 15 day Museum Pass can be bought by us and the present price of it. Also where to get the list of all the museums covered in the 15 day Turkey Museum Pass.
Hi Jayanta,
Instead of the Istanbul Museum Pass, there indeed is a countrywide Museum Pass with a validity of 15 days for about 315 TL. Here you can see a list of all museums included in the Turkish Museum Pass. Unfortunately, you can’t buy the card online. They say they sell the countrywide Museum Pass at the same points where they sell the Istanbul Museum Pass, but you may want to contact them via yardim@muze.gov.tr to be sure.
Hope this helps.
We will be in Istanbul from 13 May – 20 May. Staying in Deluxe Newport HOTEL. Where is the nearest place to buy Istanbul Museum pass?
You can go to any major sightseeing spot like Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, etc and you can get it there or at mobile units in those areas.
Sorry, I did just post another message. Alternately, I’m just wondering (if it is still operating) if I can pick one up in person. My boyfriend and I are visiting Chora Church first – do you know if there’s a place to buy them there?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Madison,
The hyperlink muze.gov.tr seems to work for me at the moment. However, they are updating the site. At the moment you can no longer buy the card online. You can of course still buy them on site, even at Chora Church. But to be safe, just buy it on the very first day of your visit at one of the main sites (see list in article).
Hope this helps.