Maiden's Tower Tickets 2026: €27 Entry + Boat, Hours, Timetable

Short version: entry is €27 and the boat is a separate 110 TL (about €2), so about €29 all in. Open every day 09:00 to 18:00, box office closes 17:00. Plan two hours. If you only want to see the tower, a Bosphorus cruise does it for about $9.

4.7/5 about 19,800 reviews on GetYourGuide · checked 27 Oct 2026

Just want to see it? Go by water

Bosphorus day, sunset or night cruise with audio guide

Most tour boats pass the tower
Palaces and bridges in one trip
Audio guide included

2 hours · from about $9

See dates and price ↗

Ad · paid link, same price for you. This is a cruise past the tower, not a tower entry ticket.

Ways to visit

Way	Cost	Time	Boat included?
Official ticket at the pier office	€27 + 110 TL boat	About 2 h	No, buy it with the ticket
Museum Pass Istanbul (€105, 5 days)	Entry free + 110 TL boat	About 2 h	No
Online ticket with audio guide (GetYourGuide)	About $45 + boat	About 2 h	No
Bosphorus cruise past the tower	From about $9	2 h	Not a visit
Salacak shore or commuter ferry	Free or ferry fare	15 min	Not a visit

The online ticket is the same entry with an audio guide. It was rated 4.1 on GetYourGuide when we checked, below our 4.4 bar, and you still collect your boat ticket at the pier office. We do not link it. If you will use the pass for other sights, see our Museum Pass guide; residents with a Müzekart also enter free by day.

Boats and hours

Boats leave from Karaköy (the pier office in front of Ziraat Bank) and from Salacak in Üsküdar. From Europe, Karaköy is the easier start: tram T1 to Karaköy, then a 5-minute walk.

Boat timetable (ministry pages, 27 Oct 2026)

Karaköy to the tower: 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00. Back: 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30, last around 17:45.
Salacak to the tower: about every 30 to 60 minutes from 09:30 to 17:00, back on a similar rhythm until about 17:45.
Another ministry page lists Galataport departures (11:00, 12:30, 14:15, 15:30, 17:00). The ministry pages do not fully agree, and winter weather can cancel boats, so check at the pier office.

Hours: every day 09:00 to 18:00, box office to 17:00. Children under 18 must come with a parent.
Best time: the first boat at 09:30. Check the return time before you land: the last boat back leaves around 17:45.

What is inside

A small museum about the tower’s history and the Leander legend, a café, and a terrace with a 360-degree view of the Bosphorus, the Old City and the Asian shore. It is a short visit, so most people stay 45 to 60 minutes on the island. Combine it with the Bosphorus cruise or a walk through Karaköy and Galata Tower the same day.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Maiden's Tower ticket for foreigners?

Entry is €27 on the Ministry of Culture's museum site. The boat is a separate 110 TL fee on the ministry's own Maiden's Tower page (about €2 on 27 October 2026). One older ministry page still says €5 for the boat, so keep a little spare cash and pay at the pier ticket office.

Is the boat included in the ticket?

No. The tower is on an island, so you always pay for the boat separately, even with a Museum Pass or an online ticket with an audio guide. Boats leave from the ticket office at Karaköy and from Salacak in Üsküdar.

What are the opening hours?

Every day from 09:00 to 18:00. The box office closes at 17:00. Boats run from about 09:30; the last boat from Karaköy leaves at 17:00 and the last return is around 17:45.

Does the Museum Pass cover Maiden's Tower?

Yes. Museum Pass holders enter free but still pay the boat fee at the pier. See our Museum Pass guide to check whether the pass pays off for your list of sights.

Is it worth going inside?

For the view and the short boat ride, yes, if you have two hours. The tower is small. If you only want the photo, see it free from the Salacak shore or from any Bosphorus ferry or cruise.

Maiden's Tower Tickets 2026: €27 Entry, 110 TL Boat, Hours, Timetable