Turkey changes rules for visiting tourist attraction

Are you planning an autumn or winter holiday in Turkey? Be prepared to adjust the routes. The Office of National Palaces of the country announced the transition to the winter schedule: from October 13, 2026, ticket sales and entry to the territory of 14 key sites (including Istanbul Topkapi, Dolmabahce, Yildiz and Ankara museums) cease at exactly 17:00.

But reducing work hours is only half the problem. The biggest news for travelers is financial change. Entrance prices for foreign nationals are now pegged to the euro and have risen markedly in recent years.

Estimated prices for the season (at the rate of October 2026):

1. Topkapi Palace with Harem and St. Irene Temple (Istanbul): a combined ticket will cost about 40 euros (~4,200 rubles).

2. Dolmabahce Palace (Istanbul): a complex passage (Palace + Harem + Painting Museum) costs about 30 euros (~3,000 rubles).

3. Pamukkale and ancient Hierapolis: the basic entrance is 30 euros (~3,200 rubles). Those wishing to swim in the thermal pool of Cleopatra will have to pay another 10-12 euros on the spot.

4. Ancient Ephesus: entrance to the archaeological zone - 40 euros (~4,300 rubles). Inspection of the famous “Houses on the slope” with Roman mosaics will add 15 euros to the check.

5. Hagia Sophia (Istanbul): the entrance to the upper tier (gallery) for tourists has become paid and is estimated at 25 euros (~2,700 rubles).

Experts of the tourist market strongly recommend buying the official Museum Pass Türkiye card (about 165 euros) or its Istanbul version. The card is already after five or six visits and, no less important, gives the right to pass through individual entrances, bypassing exhausting queues at the ticket office.

The main life hack: plan visits for 9:00 in the morning, advises “Turprom”. So you are guaranteed to have time to inspect the expositions before the closing of the ticket office, avoid the day stampede and make the best shots against the background of empty palace courtyards.