Free Tour Topkapi Palace

ABOUT FREE TOUR TOPKAPI PALACE

Free Tour Topkapi Palace starts in front of the Museum Pass desk at Sultanahmet Square at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 14:00 pm every day except Tuesdays.

Please come to the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starts! Our guides wearing red shirts will be waiting for you by the Museum Pass desk.

Entry to the Topkapi Palace Museum is ticketed. Museum Pass holders do not pay admission at the Topkapi Palace Museum and the harem section. You can get Museum Pass at the meeting point.

Please consider that the tour is free in the sense that there is no set price for the tour. At the end of the tour, you decide what the tour was worth and tip your guide depending on your satisfaction.

Topkapi Palace is a true reminder of the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire. The palace, which used to be the primary residence of the Ottoman dynasty for 400 years, is now a museum. Every year millions of people visit Topkapi Palace as it stands out with its courtyards, chambers, kitchens, harem and the chamber of Holy Relics as well as its unique collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, weapons, fabrics, and jewels.

Important information

• Entry to the Topkapi Palace Museum is ticketed. Museum Pass holders do not pay admission at the Topkapi Palace Museum and they do not pay entrance to the harem section.
• You can get a Museum Pass card at the meeting point.
• The tour is free in the sense that there is no set price for the tour. At the end of the tour, you are free to decide what the tour was worth and tip your guide depending on your satisfaction. Some people give €10 per person, some others give €20. So, it will be you who set the price.
• There is no tour of Topkapi Palace on Tuesdays as the museum is closed for visits on Tuesdays.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOUR

• Visit Topkapi Palace, the principal royal residence of Ottoman Sultans
• Explore Harem and learn about the Sultan’s private life at the palace
• See all rooms, courtyards and galleries in the palace
• See the Holly Relics, the Spoonmaker’s diamond and intricate Iznik tiles
• Learn about the Ottoman History and daily routines of the sultans
• Step back into the time of Sultans, courtiers, concubines and eunuchs

 What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide
• 1,5-hour skip-the-line guided tour of Topkapi Palace including Harem section

What’s not included

• Museum Pass (or entrance ticket)
• Tips
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Free Tour Topkapi Palace Features

Hagia Eirene

Fountain of Ahmed III

Topkapi Palace

Harem

The Imperial Council Hall

Holy Relics Chamber

Imperial Treasury

Imperial Kitchens

Imperial Mint

Weapons Collection

Mecidiye Kiosk

Revan Kiosk

Baghdad Kiosk

The Gate of Felicity

The Marble Terrace

Library of Ahmed III

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN OTTOMAN HISTORY ON FREE TOUR TOPKAPI PALACE

Topkapi Palace served as the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans and home to their courts and family until the middle of the 19^th century. Commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II, known as the Conqueror of Constantinople, the palace was expanded upon throughout the history.

Today, Topkapi Palace is one of the most visited museums in Istanbul, Turkey. Therefore, our skip-the-line tour enables you to beat the crowds waiting in line in front of the palace museum.

This breathtaking palace is composed of 4 main courtyards and other smaller structures such as the Harem and the Imperial Council. The Topkapi Palace and the rich history of Ottoman Empire can be best explored with a local expert tour guide. Free Tour Topkapi Palace offers you a great chance to explore this spectacular palace in a budget-friendly way with a local guide.

On free walking tour of Topkapi Palace, you will first be greeted by the stunning Hagia Eirene, the magnificent Imperial Gate and the elaborately ornamented Fountain of Sultan Ahmet. You will get the perfect chance to learn about the treasury, the Imperial Council Hall, palace kitchens, and the kiosks known as Mecidiye, Revan and Baghdad. The treasury is home to the famous Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat pear-shaped diamond.

Your expert free tour guide will share information and fun stories about the daily life at Topkapi Palace during the Ottoman Empire. You will also have free time to explore further on your own.

Learn about the life inside the harem

During the pay-what-you-want tour of Topkapi Palace, you will take a step back in time while learning about the Ottoman Empire and witnessing its grandeur. You will learn about the life inside the Harem at Topkapi Palace. Harem is known as “the forbidden place” as it was the home of the Sultan and his family. No male was allowed inside the imperial harem unless he was a eunuch.

Here, you will hear more colorful stories about the Ottoman sultans than all television series you have watched about the Ottoman dynasty put together.

 Marvel at the unique collections on display

Topkapi Palace is home to many exhibition halls. During Free Tour Topkapi Palace, you will get the great chance to marvel at incredible collections of artworks, antiques and the Sacred Relics known as the Holy Relics.

The palace is home to a vast collection of Chinese porcelain, clocks, jewelry, Ottoman and European arms and armor. You can also see the famous Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat pear-shaped diamond at Topkapi Palace.

Located in the Third Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, you can see Abraham’s Pot, Joseph’s Turban, Moses’s Staff, David’s Sword, scrolls belonging to John the Baptist and Muhammad’s footprint. What’s more, you can see a piece of tooth of Prophet Muhammad, hair from his beard, his blessed mantle and his seal.  Your tour guide will share information about sacred relics displayed at at the palace.

Inside the Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi Palace housed sultans of the Ottoman Empire until the mid-19th century. The palace is located in one of the oldest areas of Istanbul. Its location on the historical peninsula of Istanbul offers an excellent view of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

The royal palace is surrounded on three sides by the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the sea of Marmara. Actually, the best panorama of the palace is not approached by the land but by the sea from the Asian part as it allows the defensive walls to be seen as well.

Topkapi Palace is based around four main courtyards, each with gardens, quarters and royal offices. There are buildings The entrance to the First Courtyard is where you can marvel at the spectacularly ornate gate and the rococo style Fountain of Ahmed III. The First Courtyard is surrounded by high walls and functions as a park. This courtyard is known as the Court of Jannissaries or the Parade Court.

As you walk past the large gate of salutation, you enter the second courtyard of the Topkapı Palace. During the Ottoman periods, this area was functioned as a meeting place for courtiers. At the end of this area, you will see the Gate of Felicity which leads to the Third Courtyard which is known as the inner palace that is surrounded by the Hall of Privy Chamber, the treasury and Harem.

Harem is the women’s quarter of more than 400 rooms. The harem was the place where the sultan’s mother, the sultan’s wives and concubines lived together with their children. No male can trespass beyond the gates of the harem section except the sultan himself and the eunuchs guarding the harem. The extended family including the female servants lived here.

The Fourth Courtyard consists of a series of pavilions, kiosks, and terraces. In the rooms of the buildings around the courtyard, the collections of sacred relics, precious jewels and clothes are displayed.