Exploring Istanbul and seeing its famous museums, palaces and historical attractions is one of the most exciting parts of a visit. If it is your first time in Istanbul, knowing the opening days and hours can make planning your trip much easier. Not every attraction follows the same schedule. Some museums and palaces have a regular weekly closing day, while others are open every day. Historic mosques work differently because tourist access may stop during prayer times.
Use the table below to check the regular opening hours, last entry times and weekly closing days of popular places in Istanbul.
Istanbul Museum & Attraction Opening Days and Hours
| Attraction |
Opening Hours |
Last Entry |
Closed Day |
| Topkapi Palace |
09:00 – 18:00 |
17:00 |
Tuesday |
| Hagia Sophia |
09:00 – 19:00 |
18:30 |
Open every day* |
| Basilica Cistern |
09:00 – 18:50 |
18:30 |
Open every day |
| Dolmabahce Palace & Harem |
09:00 – 17:00 |
— |
Monday |
| Yildiz Palace |
09:00 – 18:00 |
17:00 |
Wednesday |
| Beylerbeyi Palace |
09:00 – 17:30 |
17:00 |
Monday |
| National Palaces Painting Museum |
09:00 – 18:00 |
17:00 |
Monday |
| Chora Museum |
09:00 – 18:00 |
17:30 |
Friday |
| The Palace Collections |
09:00 – 17:00 |
— |
Monday |
| Galata Mevlevi Lodge |
09:00 – 18:30 |
17:30 |
Monday |
| Rumeli Fortress Museum |
09:00 – 18:30 |
17:30 |
Monday |
| Blue Mosque |
08:30 – 16:30* |
— |
Open every day* |
| Istanbul Archaeological Museum |
09:00 – 18:30 |
18:30 |
No regular closing day listed |
| Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum |
09:00 – 17:30 |
— |
No regular closing day listed |
| Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam |
09:00 – 19:00 |
18:00 |
No regular closing day listed |
| Kucuksu Pavilion |
09:00 – 17:30 |
17:00 |
Monday |
| Serefiye Cistern |
09:00 – 18:00 |
17:30 |
Monday |
| Antik Cisterna |
09:00 – 17:00 |
16:30 |
No regular closing day listed |
| Hippodrome of Constantinople |
Open at all times |
— |
Open every day |
Before You Visit
Opening hours can change during public holidays, religious holidays, restoration work or special events. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are active mosques, so tourist access may pause during prayer times. Friday prayer can also affect visiting hours.
Opening Days Can Change Your Istanbul Itinerary
A few weekly closing days are especially useful to know before planning your trip. Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, while Dolmabahce Palace and several other palaces are closed on Monday. Yildiz Palace is closed on Wednesday, and Chora Museum is closed on Friday. This does not mean you need to avoid sightseeing on these days. Istanbul has many museums and attractions with different schedules. If one place is closed, you can usually visit another attraction nearby.
Check What Is Open on the Day You Visit
Choose your sightseeing day to see which museums and attractions are open, what is closed and which alternatives you can visit.