Skip the Line: Topkapi Palace Including Süleymaniye Mosque and Ceramics Workshop in Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Save time and skip the line on this small-group guided half-day Topkapi Palace Istanbul tour which includes a visit to Süleymaniye Mosque and a ceramics workshop. Jump ahead of the rest and step into Topkapi Palace to explore courtyards, treasures and rooms of artifacts. See where Ottoman sultans once assembled their harems and visit the Palace Harem (own expense). Then, marvel at the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque before you discover a workshop where master potters fire their elegant ceramic pieces. Small-group tours are limited to 15 guests to assure an intimate day with your guide.

Get fast-track entry to Topkapi Palace and enjoy a guided tour
Explore the opulent UNESCO-listed palace, home to Ottoman sultans for 400 years
Admire the beautiful Süleymaniye Mosque, built in the 16th century
Visit a ceramics workshop to watch skilled master potters create masterpieces from wet clay

What's Included

Expert guide

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Admission to Topkapi Palace Harem

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III
Sultan Ahmet Sultanahmet Meydanı Topkapı Sarayı, Cankurtaran, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Guests need to be in front of Topkapı Palace Main entrance (3. Ahmet Fountain) to meet with the guide at 09:15 Guide will have a pageboard written guests name on it

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

What To Expect

After you meet your local guide and small group close by Hagia Sophia, kick off your tour with a walk to Topkapi Palace. Arrive, skip the line, and head inside to see this old home of Ottoman sultans. As you walk around courtyards and small buildings, learn how this palace was the primary residence for sultans from the 15th to the 19th century.

Next, pass by elegant gates and pavilions as you make your way into beautiful chambers once roamed by as many as 4,000 people. Hear how Sultan Mehmed II commissioned Topkapi in 1453 as you admire antiques and rare artifacts of the Treasury. See the famous diamond-studded Topkapi Dagger, kingly gowns and lavish weaponry as your guide whispers lore of romance, royal luxuries, and executions that were once a regularity here.

At your own expense, you may visit the palace's Harem and discover the quarters of the sultan’s many wives, princes, and eunuchs.

Next, leave the palace and make your way to Süleymaniye Mosque, the biggest mosque in Istanbul. Dedicated to Sultan Süleyman I, this beautifully designed mosque was built by Ottoman architect Minar Sinan over eight years in the mid 16th century. Enjoy its regal architecture as you gaze up at its four elegant columns. Then, step inside and see the handsome interior designed with humbled worship in mind.

Continue to your last stop at a traditional workshop and see local artisans make ceramics. Witness fine craftsmen mold wet clay by hand on the kickwheel. Admire vases and other pieces as you hear about classic Ottoman techniques used to sculpt beautiful creations.

Finish your tour after you leave the shop and either continue to wander through the neighborhood at your leisure or return to your hotel.

TopkapI Palace

Suleymaniye Mosque

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

3.9

based on 17 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We really enjoyed this tour. Our...

Sarah B, Sep 2017

We really enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Yil, was terrific. He knew I had a sore leg so he took it at a pace I could handle there were only two of us for this particular tour. Yil was a wealth of knowledge and very passionate about his country. He didn't want us to miss anything. Had we toured the palace on our own we would have enjoyed it but not gotten nearly as much out of it as we did. We also appreciated being ushered to the front of the line! Worth it!

Topkapi Palace was beautiful even...

JG R, Jun 2015

Topkapi Palace was beautiful even though it was crowded. Did not see the Harem because the waiting line was very very long but the Palace is worth the visit regardless. We saw the Blue Mosque as the other one was further away according to our guide.

The tour was very good and so was...

nakulyadav, May 2015

The tour was very good and so was the guide (Emre). Highly recommend this tour since it was so comprehensive.

Malísima

MariCarmen_B, Apr 2022

Decepción total,no la recomendaría a nadie.Nos citaron a las nueve y cuarto de la mañana y el guía apareció a las diez.Pedimos que fuera en español.Nos juntaron con otro grupo en inglés en la misma excursión.Tenía que dar las explicaciones en los dos idiomas,el chico tenía un español pésimo donde teníamos que ayudarle nosotros para entenderlo.Nos cambiaron el itinerario no nos llevaron a la mezquita Suleymaniye y el taller de cerámica.Para mi son una estafa.No se lo recomiendo a nadie y por supuesto no haré ninguna reserva en su pag web

Solo buena

GustavoJorge_F, Sep 2019

Nos faltó un poco de tiempo y de explicación y éramos solo tres y estuvimos corriendo y se agregó el Gran Bazar y no vimos el Workshop de cerámicos que estaba explicitarlo en el programa

El guía fue estupendo y abierto a sugerencias, no se hizo pesado en explicaciones y atento a síntomas de acaloramiento

almunozf, Jul 2018

Valoración excelente del guía, el tour sería perfecto si se incluyera la visita al harem, que no está incluida. El guía se ofreció a comprar las entradas en nuestro nombre y nos hizo la explicación como si estuviese incluido en el tour. A cambio nos

Difficile de trouver le guide sur...

Stéphane H, Nov 2015

Difficile de trouver le guide sur place pas de panneau. Autrement excellent guide, à l'écoute, sympa et passionnant. Guidage en français, il n'y avait que ma femme et moi, un privilège.