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Topkapı Palace & Harem Tour: Skip-the-Line Adventure with Expert Guide
4.0
6 Ratings
Fatih
By reserving this tour, you can avoid the hassle of buying tickets on-site as they are provided post-booking. An authorized tour guide specializing in Ottoman history will accompany you. They will facilitate your tour inside the palace, Harem, and Hagia İrine with all necessary tickets already included.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Topkapi Palace - Constructed in 1461, this palace served as the residence and administrative center for the empire until the 1850s. It holds the record as the Ottoman empire’s longest-occupied palace. The complex is split into two main areas: the Harem, designated for women, and the Selamlık, for men. With priority access to skip the line, your guide will escort you through the palace, recounting tales of the Sultans, their consorts, the empire’s political landscape, and its various epochs of prosperity and decline.
- Hagia Irene Museum - As the earliest church established in Istanbul around the 4th century A.D., this structure is unique in that it was never transformed into a mosque, instead serving as the armory for the palace guards, known as janissaries. It later became the Ottoman Empire’s inaugural archaeology museum and is currently open to the public as a museum.
What's Included
- Harem Section ticket included
- Entry to Hagia Irine Church Museum
- Access to the Palace
What's Not Included
- Tipping to the guide
Location
Fountain Sultan Ahmed III
Our meeting point is 3.Ahmet Çeşmesi ( 3rd Ahmet fountain). It located at the entry of the Topkapı palace which is behind the Hagia Sofia. if you come by tram get off at Sultanahmet/Blue mosque station.
if you come by taxi make sure they take you to Topkapı palace NOT to Topkapı neighbourhood.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.0
(6 Ratings)
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Christine
Jun 20, 2024
Window into the everyday world of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire - Omer, the guide shared lots of fascinating knowledge about the Topaki palace and the world of the Sultans and the Ottoman Empire. The tour provides a window into the everyday world of the sultans’ household. Was really worthwhile.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Giulias729
Jun 6, 2024
Wonderful Visit to Topkapi Palace - Our visit to Topkapi Palace was wonderful, we totally recommend visiting the palace with a guide. We had a small group (6 people) and our guide, Omar, was great - knowledgeable, with a lovely energy and perfect pace. Do not hesitate to book with him!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
527jaclync
Nov 25, 2023
This is the tour to book! - You could not have asked for a better tour of the palace. Our guide took us through the entire complex explaining everything we were seeing and gave us a flavor of what life was like in that time. He also was able to take us to the areas that normally get busy before the crowds got there.
Since we were the only ones on the tour he was kind enough to help us get a transportation card so we could use the tram system. He was also kind enough to help some other confused tourist having trouble with the machines. He then took us to a local eatery off the main road that had good food. He also showed us what other food places have and explained what was in the dishes.
He also gave us tips on when to go to the Blue Mosque and Haggai Sophia to avoid some of the crowds.
The entire experience was everything we could have hoped for and more. After the tour we felt very comfortable to explore on our own. I highly recommend this tour and these guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Voyager68410999934
Jun 6, 2024
An excellent tour guide! - Our guide Omer was wonderful. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the palace and the sultans and the lives they lived. His English was very good so he was easy to understand and communicate with. We enjoyed his many stories about the workings of the palace.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karenbf1884sy
Dec 3, 2023
Pay the extra. See the real Jewel. - Its 300tl more to visit the hareem but you have to do this. It is truely extradinary. It is also a lot quieter than the rest of the palace. The tiling, the cobbles the windows and the eunochs. A must see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adjouu
Nov 7, 2022
Absolutely do not recommend My Local Guide Istanbul - I would love to be able to rate this activity, but I am afraid I cannot. I can however rate my terrible experience with My Local Guide Istanbul:
I excitedly booked this guided tour of Topkapi palace and its harem on a Thursday, scheduled for the following Monday at 9AM, and organized my whole day around it as it was supposed to be 3 hours long.
However, I had the misfortune to receive a Whatsapp message from My Local Guide on Sunday evening at 10:40 PM Istanbul time, cancelling my tour because they did not have enough people who signed up at that time.
It was incredibly unprofessional of them to inform me that late. So I could not even look for an alternative anymore.
If I had been even informed that this was a possibility, I would not have booked my visit through this tour operator or I would have at least anticipated a plan B.
I really do not recommend My Local Guide Istanbul for your activities if you want a peace of mind, because you will have no guarantee that they will honor your reservation. And all you will get is a poor excuse of a "Sorry" message on Whatsapp shortly before your activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
