Istanbul Tourist Pass: Skip-the-Line Entry to 120+Activities

I have to tell you...there was no clear indication on your site or theirs how this works. Got an email at 9 pm on first day of pass that was sent out at 7 am....there should be much more information sent at least day before or few days before on how this works....didn't find staff that helpful....I think if you have lots of data on your phone...may be better...but when most travelers are dealing with esims, they don't.....alot of money for very little explanation....

Before writing this review, I must say that they lie when they reply to your reviewm Having stated so... AVOID THIS PASS if you value flexibility or decent customer service. The marketing makes it sound like you'll have the freedom to visit Istanbul's top attractions with ease, but what they don't make clear before you buy is just how restrictive many of the attractions are. Only after purchasing the pass did I discover that several attractions require joining guided entries at very specific times. Instead of exploring the city on your own schedule, you're forced to organize your entire day around their timetable. To make matters worse, I felt that the pass wasn't nearly as good a value as it appeared. Many of the places included are attractions that are free to enter anyway, so the list of "included attractions" is much less impressive than it first seems. I ended up feeling like I had paid a premium for benefits that added very little value. The worst experience was at the Basilica Cistern. After paying a significant amount for the pass, we arrived literally one minute late for our guided entry. Rather than asking the guide to come back to the entrance for a moment so we could join, they simply refused. Their explanation was that the guide had already gone inside, so there was nothing they could do. We lost our visit entirely despite having already paid for it. What made the situation even worse was the customer service. Instead of trying to find a solution or showing even a little understanding, they were rude, dismissive, and completely unwilling to help. Once they've got your money, don't expect them to make any effort to resolve a problem, even when a simple solution seemed possible. In the end, this pass created more stress than convenience. Between the hidden scheduling restrictions, poor customer service, and what I felt was an inflated list of included attractions, it was one of the biggest disappointments of my trip. If I could do my trip again, I would buy tickets directly from the attractions I actually wanted to visit and avoid this pass altogether. I would never recommend it to anyone.

I would like to comment on the evaluation of purchasing Istanbul Tourist Pass in as easy a way as possible. I'm buying a three-day Pass for two people from June 21st to 23rd for 448€. It will be Activity 14 booked and Activity 13 participated, so it was worth the cost. Appointment date and time in the app · Dolmabahçe Palace Museum, booked at 10am on June 21 · Maidens Tower on June 21 at 14:00 ・Book at 17:00 on June 21 to taste Spice Bazaar Turk Delight & Herbal Tea · Whirling Dervishes Show at Abud Efendi Mansion, June 21 at 18:30 ・Book at 9:30 on June 22 at Topkapı Palace Museum ・Book at 13:30 on June 22nd Galata Tower ・Basilica Sistan on June 22 at 16:30 · Luxury Yacht Bosphorus Sunset Cruise, booked June 22, 19:00 ・Book at 9:00 on June 23, Hagia Sophia ・Book at 11:00 on June 23, Istanbul Archaeological Museum ・Book at 13:00 on June 23 for a tasting experience of authentic Turkish food under Galata Bridge ・Booking at 15:00 on June 23, Turkish Museum of Islamic Art ・Book at 17:00 on June 23 Turkish Coffee Workshop Istanbul · Book 23 June at 20:45 Evening Cruise on the Bosphorus Evaluation (on a scale of S, A, B, C, D) · The Dolmabahçe Palace Museum (S) website does not include details of the meeting point. Use the app's MAP to the meeting point. When I opened the app, the QR code was up, so I entered after 9 o'clock. Book at 10 o'clock but put in advance. Not only the palace but also the gardens are beautiful and the picture with the Bosporus in the background is worth it. Maidens Tower (B): A tower located in the Bosphorus. Travel by boat. Departure from Karaköy Pier at 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM, please arrive at the pier prior to your chosen departure time as stated on the site. Book at 14:00 but depart by boat at 12:30 PM. All you have to do is present a QR code before boarding the boat. The Mains Tower, seen from the boat, and the observation deck are also worth it. The cafe in the observation area is gone and on the ground floor. It was a bit disappointing. ・Book at 17:00 on June 21. Taste Spice Bazaar Turk Delight & Herbal Tea (D) This tasting experience is the lowest. There is a shop in the Spice Bazaar, but I have no idea where it is. I can't reach it on the site or using the app MAP. I contacted Istanbul Tourist Pass via email and got the shop number, which I arrived at. App presentation confirmation is also appropriate. It says 4 € without a PASS, but the service is worthless, as is the rest of the Spice Bazaar. Waste of time. ・Book June 21 at 18:30 Whirling Dervishes Show (?) at Fauci Efendi Mansion He could not participate. Others are FIX when booked through the app, but this activity asks you to rejoin a few days in advance. The schedule was not clear until the day of the event, and although we confirmed our participation on the 21st, we were unable to register. It is better to double check some activities. I wanted to attend the Whirling Dervishes Show because I see so many figurines as souvenirs. · Book at 9:30 on June 22 with a guided tour of Topkapı Palace Museum (A). We tried to enter the site as well as the Dolmabahçe Palace Museum, because we were glad we didn't have a basic guide, but the guided tour was only accessible with a guide. A guide is required to enter the main building and Hammam. We start from Hammam but we can explain in great detail but it takes us an hour and a half to enter and finish Hammam guide. After that, I took you to the main course. After Hammam's guide, we returned the audio and separated. The guides are knowledgeable and provide detailed explanations. It is highly likable and can be evaluated. ・Book at 13:30 on June 22nd. Galata Tower (B) is priority entry and meet with staff at the meeting point. It says priority admission, but not priority admission. Everything marked as priority admission is the same as activities. This point is lined up just like the rest of the public, with staff guiding you to the entrance. Individuals are not allowed to enter. The floor of the central floor of the tower is under renovation. It's a shame that you can't see the 360-degree view from the big window. He was somewhat disfigured: he could see the exterior of the tower from a distance, or he could see Istanbul from the tower. · Basilica Sistan (B) guided tour with reservation at 16:30 on June 22, priority, but guide is not priority entry until entrance. The meeting place is slightly away, so it is less time-consuming to enter directly with a QR code. The underground palace is cool, and 30 minutes is all that is needed. · Luxury Yacht Bosphorus Sunset Cruise (S) Book June 22 at 19:00 This attraction is very well worth joining. Small group cruise through the Bosphorus. About 2 hours and 30 minutes. If there is no wind, it is good to have enough without haori. Since it is not a large cruise, it is possible to circle slowly near the Maiden Tower or take stylish photos of sunsets in the old town. No passport check. · Book at 9:00 on June 23 with Hagia Sophia (B) guided tour. The Hagia Sophia is currently undergoing renovations and the expectations inside and outside the building are much lower. As someone who knows the Hagia Sophia of the past, I can only feel sorry for the steel frame that is stretched inside, which is currently not allowed on the ground floor. Visitors enter because they try to pass, but the cost of tourists is high and it is not considered to be open to the public. The value of Hagia Sophia is high, so we highly recommend you to see it in the sense of tourism. · Book at 11:00 on June 23. Entry early as you can now present the Istanbul Archaeological Museum (C) QR code. Recommended if you are interested in archaeology. Have entered in the past, but consider it acceptable to remove without interest ・Book at 13:00 on June 23rd Tasting experience of authentic Turkish food under Galata Bridge (B) Attend early when QR code could be presented. Although the women on the staff are very polite and likable. Usually with minimal cooking. ・Book at 15:00 on June 23, if you are interested in textiles such as Turkish Museum of Islamic Art (D) carpets. The impact is low. ・Book at 17:00 on June 23rd Turkish Coffee Workshop Istanbul (S) Personally the best and most recommended. 2 participants. If you are a coffee lover, please join us. The shop is also stylish and has cute dogs. The staff are particularly attentive and tell me many names, starting with Turkish coffee history. I enjoyed making my own Turkish coffee and was accompanied by delicious coffee. It was strange that this event was rare because it was a calm space to heal. ・Booking at 20:45 on 23 June Evening Cruise on the Bosphorus (A) Starts rather late, but the site starts before sunset. It ends before 23:00. No passport check. Present the QR code and guide to your seat. Meat and fish choices. OK as a cruise meal. After about 45 minutes of eating, there are several dance events set to music in the center. Also, participants were constantly dancing to the music. Those who want to spend some quiet time can enjoy the breeze while admiring the scenery on the deck. There were many things that were difficult to understand about Istanbul Tourist Pass while using the app to book and use it locally. The most impressive of these were questions, confirmations and email inquiries. You will receive a timely reply from 9:00-17:00 local time. Even there, when I inquired about the restaurant in the Spice Bazaar, he immediately gave me the shop number. I think you can appreciate this very much, so buying a Pass will clear up the challenge. Reservations must be made in advance or you may not be able to FIX at the date and time you want to keep. It was more than two weeks ago, and there was not much of a problem because it was a three-day pass, but there were times when it was limited. The meeting place is pointed to near by the app MAP, so there are few problems, but there were times when staff were not present at the meeting time. Since there were many things that could not be understood without actually using it in the field, I have described it as if it could be of some help. Attraction ratings are based on individual feedback. The Blue Mosque is always free, so I went in several times without reservation, first thing in the morning, then in the evening.

With my partner, we booked two Istanbul Tourist Passes for June 2026, for a duration of 4 days each. Given the extremely high prices of tourist sites (€25-60 for each location), the pass turned out to be very cost-effective. We were also able to do fun activities that we would not have done if they had not been included in the pass: photo session in Ottoman costumes, workshop to learn how to decorate Turkish lamps, hammam, cruises... In short, we are delighted! Everything was clear on the app, we had our QR codes in advance and everything worked very well. We were a bit afraid it might be a scam at first, but no, nothing to report! Three points to raise nonetheless: - You must book the visits well in advance via the Istanbul Tourist Pass. We planned a month in advance to secure the time slots we wanted; otherwise, everything fills up very quickly. - Several of the visits we booked, including the one to Topkapi Palace, were guided tours. We found the guide to be lacking in enthusiasm; he spoke into a microphone that we heard through an earpiece, but the sound was very poor, and we were disappointed. - On our last evening, we booked a cruise on the Bosphorus (which went very well), but staff members were extremely insistent with all passengers to leave a 5-star review for the Istanbul Tourist Pass immediately, preventing us from enjoying our moment and waiting beside us for us to post the review. 1/ I found that inappropriate; it is not the right time 2/ I think this can also artificially inflate the rating of the Pass.

Great experience. Guide is friendly.

A very interesting tour with Enes

Enes was marvelous! Very informative

I purchased the 3-day Istanbul Tourist Pass and had a very mixed experience. For the first two days, it worked fairly well. I visited two or three attractions each day plus a Bosphorus cruise, and I generally had no issues getting into sites. The hosted entries were organized, the greeters were easy to find, and everything started on time. The app could be a little glitchy at times, but it was manageable. The biggest disappointment was the audio guides. I found them difficult to follow and not very informative, and at several sites I ended up paying separately for the official audio guide because it provided a much better experience. My main issue, however, came on the third day. When I tried to book additional activities, I was told I had reached the pass's "fair usage" limit. This was surprising because when I added up the actual admission prices of the attractions I had visited—not the inflated savings figures shown in the app—I was still well below the amount I had paid for the pass. I was offered me "discounted" tickets for attractions that were supposedly included in the pass, but when I checked, those discounted prices were exactly the same as the standard prices available at the ticket office. As a result, the pass ended up costing me more than if I had simply purchased tickets individually. While the pass was convenient at times, the value proposition is highly questionable.

Enes was a great, nice and helpful guide. Everything was good and interesting !

Our guide Enes was fantastic! He was incredibly informative and brought the history of Hagia Sophia to life with great stories. He was so patient with our kids, kept everything fun, and happily answered every question we had. The service from Istanbul Tourism was excellent!. If you’re visiting with family, book with him — you won’t regret it. Highly recommend! Thank you for making our visit so special! 😊