The Turkish city of Istanbul is full of attractions, museums and interesting objects, most of which are paid for admission.
Museum and tourist cards can become an alternative to paying for visiting each individual museum, as well as some excursions, entertainment and even public transport trips around the city, which include buses, trams, metro, Marmaray train and ferries.
Museum and tourist maps are a good way to save money on visiting the sights and museums of Istanbul, as well as excursions around the city. In addition, having cards, you will not have to stand in queues for tickets.
There are different types of maps in Istanbul. Some of which give the right to visit certain museums, while others, in addition to the main museums, include excursions, as well as some shows and entertainment, public transport rides and discounts on airport transfers.
The classic and most common is the museum card "Museum Pass Istanbul" (Museum Pass Istanbul), which gives the right to enter some museums of the city. There are also more extended Istanbul E-Pass and Istanbul Tourist Pass cards, which give the right to visit museums, attractions, guided tours, an aquarium, shows, cruises along the Bosphorus, trips outside the city, etc. There are other museum and tourist maps.
Museum Map of Istanbul (Museum Pass Istanbul)
Museum Pass Istanbul is the classic and most common museum card of Istanbul, which entitles you to free access to some of the city's museums.
The card is valid for 5 days, or rather 120 hours from the moment of activation (the first pass through the turnstile of any museum).
Objects included in the Museum Pass Istanbul:
1. Topkapi Palace with Harem and Church of St. Irene (Topkapı Sarayı)
2. Archaeological Museum (Istanbul Arkeoloji müzesi)
3. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (Istanbul Türk ve Islam eserleri müzesi)
4. Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam (Islam Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi Müzesi) with the Museum of Istanbul Tombs (Istanbul Türbeler Müzesi)
5. Museum of Mosaics of the Grand Palace (Büyük Saray Mozaikleri Müzesi)
6. Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi Istanbul), which houses a small museum exhibit and a two-level 360-degree observation deck
7. Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum (Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi) - museum of whirling dervishes
8. Adam Mickiewicz Museum (Adam Mickiewicz Müzesi)
9. Fethiye Museum - Church of Our Lady of Pammakarista (Fethiye müzesi)
10. Rumeli Hisarı Fortress (Rumeli Hisarı müzesi)
You can purchase a museum card at the ticket offices near the above museums, as well as at the Istanbul Airport Museum in the New Istanbul Airport (Istanbul Havalimanı) and online. Flights to Istanbul →
Attention!!! The cost of museum cards, as well as museums and places of visits included in the map, often change, so we recommend checking the current information on Museum Pass Istanbul on the official website: muze.gov.tr/urun-detay .
Also, before visiting a particular museum or object, we recommend checking whether it is working (since it may be closed for reconstruction, on important state occasions, etc.), as well as its opening hours and visiting conditions.
As an alternative to buying a Museum Pass Istanbul museum card on the official website and at the ticket offices of museums, you can purchase other museum cards and subscriptions with almost the same museums to visit, but also include other attractions, a Bosphorus cruise, etc. There are also cards for smartphones with included audio guide. View all maps and purchase them here →
Istanbul E-Pass Card
The Istanbul E-pass card offers all the same advantages as the museum card Museum Pass Istanbul, only plus the map also includes other places and excursions.
So, plus, the Istanbul E-Pass card includes for free: excursion to Hagia Sophia Mosque (Hagia Sophia), excursion to The Blue Mosque, a tour of Grand Bazaar, tour of Istiklal Street, Dolmabahce Palace Museum with guided tour, Basilica cistern with guided tour, the Sherefie tank with an excursion, visit the highest observation deck in the city is Sapphire, cruises on the Bosphorus, visit Istanbul Aquarium, visit to the Museum of illusions, transfer from the airport, tour to Bersu, etc. In total, the card allows you to visit 40+ sights of Istanbul for free or at a discount, as well as travel outside the city.
There are cards for 2,3,5 and 7 days.
You can buy a card online
We recommend checking the cost of museum and tourist cards, places of sale, as well as museums and places of visits included in the Istanbul E-Pass card on the official website, where you can also purchase cards: https://istanbulepass.com/.
Istanbul Tourist Pass Card
This card gives you the right to visit Istanbul for free or with a discount of 50+ places, as well as travel outside the city, excursions, including the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, transfers, Internet access, etc.
There are cards for 1-5, 7 and 10 days.
The card can be purchased here →
Other maps of Istanbul
In addition to the above, there are other museum and tourist maps in Istanbul.
You can view more variations of museum and tourist maps of Istanbul, as well as purchase them, here →
Sightseeing buses in Istanbul
As an option for traveling to the sights of Istanbul, you can take a tour on the Istanbul Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus, which makes stops at significant sights of the city, including near: Topkapi Palace (on the square near Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque), Galata Bridge, Galata Tower, Taksim Square, Dolmabahce Palace, etc.
There are tickets for 1, 2 and 3 days.
Tickets for the Istanbul sightseeing bus can be purchased here →
All accommodation facilities in Istanbul, including in the historical center, on the European and Asian sides of the city, can be viewed and booked here
