TURKEY: SAVE MONEY IN MUSEUMS!

One of the must-do activities when visiting a new city is exploring its museums and archaeological sites. If you're a history lover and want to dive deeper into the culture of the place you're visiting, this is one of the best ways to do it. In this article, we’ll share how you can save both time and money while visiting museums not just in Istanbul, but all across Türkiye.

WHAT IS THE MUSEUM PASS?

The museum pass is a card that you can purchase to enter all the museums and archaeological sites that are part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, which exceed 300 throughout the country.

TYPES OF MUSEUM PASSES

There are 4 different types of museum passes which are divided according to the different regions within Turkey that are most frequented by foreign tourists.

1. MUSEUM PASS TURKIYE

This is the pass that covers all of Türkiye, more than 300 museums in total and this is an excellent option in case you plan to visit different regions within the country including the Black Sea region, Eastern Türkiye, and Southeast Türkiye. It lasts for 15 days and has a cost of 165 Euros.

See all museums and updated cost here.

2. MUSEUM PASS ISTANBUL

This only covers within Istanbul and you can enter approximately 13 museums in total including some of the most iconic such as Topkapı Palace, its harem, Hagia Irene in the palace’s gardens, the Rumeli Fortress, the three complexes of the Archaeological Museum and Galata Tower. These are just to mention a few. Its validity is 5 days and its price is 105 Euros.

See all museums here and updated cost here.

3. MUSEUM PASS THE MEDITERRANEAN

This is valid only in provinces in the Mediterranean region in Turkey (Antalya, Mersin, Adana and Denizli). More than 50 museums and archaeological sites are included, it is valid for 7 days and its price is 90 Euros. The most important sites where it is valid include: the travertines of Pamukkale and Hierapolis, archaeological sites such as Patara, Olympos, Perge, Myra, Aspendos, Antalya Museum and Alanya Castle.

See all museums here and updated cost here.

4. MUSEUM PASS THE AEGEAN

It can be used in the provinces in the Aegean such as Izmir, Fethiye, Muğla, Aydın and Denizli. It is valid for 7 days and can be used in more than 60 museums. It costs 95 Euros. Among the sites of greatest interest are the archaeological sites at Pamukkale and Hierapolis, Ephesus, Laodikeia and Aphrodisias.

See all museums here and updated cost here.

4. MUSEUM PASS CAPPADOCIA

This is the pass that covers some of the major museum in Cappadocia region. It is valid for 3 days and can be used in more than 10 museums. It costs 65 Euros. Among the sites of greatest interest are the Göreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Open Air Museum and underground cities like Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı.

See all museums and updated cost here.

NOTE: The validity of these passes begin to count when you enter the first museum or archaeological site NOT from when it is purchased.

BENEFITS OF ACQUIRING ANY OF THESE PASSES:

Get a 10% discount on your purchase of souvenirs in the shops inside the museums incorporated into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. When you are at the cashier at any shop inside the Museum shops where these passes are valid, make sure to let them know that you have the pass so that you 10% discount is applied.

In high season, avoid long lines at the ticket offices.

NOTE: these lines do not include the security checkpoints.

WHERE CAN YOU BUY THEM?

*They can be purchased online from the official museum pass website.

*By downloading the application for IOS and Android,

*or, if you prefer, directly at one of the museum ticket offices where they are valid.

Example: Istanbul (Topkap, Galata Tower, Archeological Museum), Aegean (Ephesus, Pamukkale), Mediterranean (Pamukkale, Olympos).

IS IT WORTH PURCHASING A PASS?

As we mentioned earlier, if you enjoy visiting museums and archaeological sites, getting a museum pass is definitely worth it. It can save you both money and time, especially during high season when ticket lines can get long.

If your trip includes cities beyond Istanbul, it's best to purchase the pass that covers museums across all of Türkiye.

However, if you're only visiting Istanbul and plan to see just one or two museums, it's more affordable to buy individual tickets. The same logic applies to other regions in the country.

Now that you understand how museum passes work in Türkiye, you’ll be able to plan your budget and itinerary more effectively and choose the option that suits you best.