# Yıldız Palace and Park, Istanbul

> The last home of the Ottoman sultans, spread across a wooded hill above Beşiktaş. The palace museum costs 900 TL for foreign visitors and closes on Wednesdays — not Mondays like the other palaces. Yıldız Park below it is free: a big, shady green space right by the Bosphorus. Allow 1–1.5 hours for the palace, plus as long as you like in the park.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/yildiz-palace

- City: [Istanbul](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul), Turkey
- YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 15 min
- Opening hours: Palace: ticket office 9:00–17:00, closed Wednesdays; park open daily, free
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Palace ticket (foreign visitors): 900 TL
- Yıldız Park: Free
- Children: Under 6 free
- Students 7–25: Discounted ticket; foreign students 120 TL, ISIC card required from age 12
- Palace closed: Wednesdays, 1 January and the first day of Ramadan and Sacrifice Eid
- Ticket office: 9:00–17:00
- Müzekart: Valid everywhere except the Harem, Hasbahçe and Small Mabeyn
- Where to buy: Official National Palaces (Milli Saraylar) website and app, or at the gate
- Palace entrance: Valide Gate at the top of Serencebey Yokuşu, opposite the Hamidiye Mosque
- Park pavilions: Şale, Malta and Çadır — reported closed for restoration
- Getting there: From Beşiktaş pier: ≈ 10–15 min walk to the lower park gate, ≈ 15–20 min uphill to the palace
- Address: Yıldız Sarayı Müzesi, Yıldız, Beşiktaş
- Coordinates: 41.05071, 29.01170
- Facts checked: 29.10.2026

## Key facts

- **1876–1909** — Abdülhamid II ruled the empire from here for 33 years — the sultans’ last residence (source: National Palaces of Türkiye (Milli Saraylar); TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)
- **2024** — the palace reopened to visitors after about six years of restoration (source: English Wikipedia; Dünya and Cumhuriyet newspapers, July 2024)
- **Yıldız Park** — was the palace’s outer garden — now a public park (source: National Palaces of Türkiye (Milli Saraylar); TDV Encyclopedia of Islam)
- **Selim III** — built the first pavilion here, for his mother Mihrişah Sultan (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia; National Palaces of Türkiye (Milli Saraylar))
- **1866** — Abdülaziz’s Great Mabeyn was completed — used to receive foreign guests (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)
- **1889 & 1898** — the Şale Pavilion was built and enlarged for Kaiser Wilhelm II’s two visits (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)
- **1889** — the Yıldız palace theatre opened, with stars painted on its dome (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)
- **Raimondo D’Aronco** — the Italian architect who built for Abdülhamid II; earlier buildings are by Sarkis Balyan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **3 pavilions** — survive in the outer garden: Şale, Malta and Çadır (source: National Palaces of Türkiye (Milli Saraylar); English Wikipedia)
- **Abdülaziz** — built the Malta and Çadır pavilions in what is now the park (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)
- **1977** — the palace passed to the Ministry of Culture and restoration began (source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam; English Wikipedia)

## Yıldız Palace tickets and opening hours

Foreign visitors pay **900 TL** for one ticket covering the whole museum. Under-6s are free; foreign students aged 7–25 pay 120 TL, with an ISIC card from age 12. The ticket office is open **9:00–17:00, every day except Wednesday**.

Buy on the official National Palaces (Milli Saraylar) website or app, or at the gate. Yıldız Park itself is free — no ticket needed.

> **Closed on Wednesdays** Not Mondays like [Dolmabahçe](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/dolmabahce-palace) and [Beylerbeyi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/beylerbeyi-palace) — some guides still get this wrong. The palace also closes on 1 January and the first day of the Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays. The park stays open.

## Is Yıldız Palace worth visiting?

Yes, if you have already seen Dolmabahçe or want a palace without the crowds. Yıldız is not one grand building but a cluster of pavilions in a garden, so it feels more like the sultan’s private world than a state showpiece. It is also your palace for a Monday, when Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi are shut.

If you only have time for one palace, choose Dolmabahçe or [Topkapı](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/topkapi-palace). Yıldız Park is worth a stroll either way — it is one of the city’s best escapes from the noise.

## What to see

- **Great Mabeyn** — the 1866 pavilion where sultans received foreign guests.
- **Small Mabeyn** and the **Harem** — Abdülhamid II’s private rooms and his family’s quarters.
- **Çit Pavilion** — a small pavilion from Abdülaziz’s reign, later used as headquarters in wartime.
- The sultan’s inner garden with its pond, the orangery and the hammam.
- Photographs from the famous Yıldız albums and rare manuscripts from the palace library.
- In the park: ponds, old trees and Bosphorus glimpses from the upper paths.

## How to get to Yıldız Palace and Park

1. The palace and park sit on the hill between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy, above Çırağan Palace.
2. From Sultanahmet, take the T1 tram to the end of the line at Kabataş — about 25 minutes.
3. From Kabataş, walk 15–20 minutes along the water past Dolmabahçe to Beşiktaş, or take bus 22 or 25E towards Ortaköy to the Çırağan stop.
4. For the park, use the lower gate on Çırağan Caddesi — 10–15 minutes on foot from Beşiktaş pier.
5. For the palace, head to the Valide Gate at the top of Serencebey Yokuşu, opposite the Hamidiye Mosque — about 15–20 minutes uphill from the pier. You can also walk up through the park.
6. Easier from above: take the M7 metro to Yıldız station and walk downhill to the palace.

## Yıldız Park: what to expect

The park was the palace’s outer garden and is now one of Istanbul’s largest green spaces — a wooded hillside with ponds, winding paths and benches, minutes from busy Beşiktaş. Entry is free.

Don’t come for the pavilions: the Malta and Çadır pavilions, which used to house cafés, and the Şale Pavilion are reported closed for restoration. Come for the trees, the shade and a quiet walk — great with kids, too.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] It is not Wednesday or a public holiday — otherwise park only
- [ ] I'll reach the ticket office before 17:00
- [ ] Comfortable shoes — the hill is steep and the park has lots of steps
- [ ] Istanbulkart topped up for the tram and bus
- [ ] Allowed 1–1.5 hours for the palace, plus park time
- [ ] ISIC or student card, if I have one
- [ ] Water with me — park cafés may be closed

## Yıldız vs Dolmabahçe vs Beylerbeyi

|  | Yıldız | Dolmabahçe | Beylerbeyi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Hillside pavilions and park | Main 19th-century residence | 1860s summer palace |
| Shore | European, Beşiktaş | European, Beşiktaş | Asian, Üsküdar |
| Foreign visitor ticket | 900 TL | 2,000 TL incl. Harem | 800 TL |
| Closed | Wednesday | Monday | Monday |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 h + park | ≈ 2 h | 1–1.5 h |
| Crowds | Quiet | Busy | Quiet |

Seeing just one palace? Dolmabahçe. Yıldız is for a second palace — or a Monday, when the others are closed. The park works any day.

## Istanbul's palaces compared

Every palace in Istanbul rated by YesGo.

- [Topkapı Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/topkapi-palace) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · 2,750 TL with the Harem
- [Dolmabahçe Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/dolmabahce-palace) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · 2,000 TL
- [Yıldız Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/yildiz-palace) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 900 TL
- [Beylerbeyi Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/beylerbeyi-palace) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 800 TL

## Beşiktaş in a day: two palaces and Ortaköy

Dolmabahçe in the morning, Yıldız and its park after lunch, then sunset at Ortaköy Mosque on the water. Avoid Mondays and Wednesdays.

1. [Dolmabahçe Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/dolmabahce-palace) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · 2,000 TL
2. [Yıldız Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/yildiz-palace) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 900 TL
3. [Ortaköy Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/ortakoy-mosque) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free

> **Go top-down** The climb from Beşiktaş is steep. Take a taxi or the M7 to the palace, then walk down through the park to the Bosphorus and along the water to [Ortaköy Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/ortakoy-mosque) — about 15 minutes.

## Good to know

Yıldız Palace and Yıldız Park are neighbours but separate: the palace is ticketed and closed on Wednesdays, the park is free. Çırağan Palace at the bottom of the hill is a hotel, not a museum. Some former palace buildings are now used as offices and are not open to visitors.

## Tips

- Mondays, when Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi are closed, Yıldız is open.
- Spring magnolias and Judas trees, or autumn colour on the hillside — the best seasons for the park.
- Don’t plan lunch at the Malta or Çadır pavilions: they are reported closed.
- After the park, drop down to the Bosphorus and walk to Ortaköy Mosque for sunset.
- With a stroller, enter the park from the top and walk down — the paths are paved but steep.

## Questions

### How much is the Yıldız Palace ticket?

900 TL for foreign visitors. Under-6s are free; foreign students aged 7–25 pay 120 TL with an ISIC card.

### What are Yıldız Palace opening hours?

The ticket office is open 9:00–17:00 every day except Wednesday.

### Is Yıldız Palace closed on Wednesdays?

Yes. It also closes on 1 January and the first day of the Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays. It is open on Mondays.

### Is Yıldız Park free?

Yes, entry to Yıldız Park is free and it is open every day. Only the palace museum needs a ticket.

### How do I get to Yıldız Palace?

T1 tram to Kabataş, then walk or take bus 22 or 25E to Beşiktaş and the Çırağan stop. It's 10–15 minutes on foot to the park gate and 15–20 minutes uphill to the palace. The M7 metro's Yıldız station is close to the top.

### Is Yıldız Palace worth visiting?

Yes if you've done Dolmabahçe or want a quiet palace — and on Mondays, when the other palaces are shut. With time for only one palace, choose Dolmabahçe.

### What is there to see in Yıldız Park?

Ponds, old trees, shady paths and Bosphorus views from the upper slopes. The Malta, Çadır and Şale pavilions are reported closed for restoration.

### How long do you need at Yıldız Palace?

1–1.5 hours for the museum. Add the park and the walk down to the Bosphorus and it becomes a relaxed half day.

### Is the Şale Pavilion open?

It has been closed for restoration since 2018, and we found no news of it reopening. The rest of the palace museum is open.

## How we checked

Fares, closures and ticket-office hours come from the official National Palaces page. It gives Wednesday as the closing day; at the 2024 reopening Monday was announced, and some guides still say so — we follow the official page. The same page shows 17:30 in its header and 17:00 in the ticket-office schedule; we give 17:00. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. English Wikipedia says the Great Mabeyn is closed to the public, while 2024 reopening reports include it in the museum — marked as verifying. The Şale Pavilion was reported closed since 2018 by the guides’ chamber in October 2024, and the Malta and Çadır pavilions by Sabah in November 2025; we found no reopening news, so these are marked “verifying”, as are the park hours and bus routes. Sources disagree on the palace’s total area and on the date (15 or 16 May 1919) of Mehmed VI’s meeting with Mustafa Kemal here, so we leave those out.

## Sources

- National Palaces of Türkiye (Milli Saraylar Başkanlığı): Yıldız Sarayı — history, ticket-office hours, closures and fares, 29.10.2026
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam: Yıldız Sarayı
- English Wikipedia: Yıldız Palace; Russian Wikipedia: Йылдыз; Wikidata Q911734
- Dünya and Cumhuriyet newspapers, July 2024 — the palace’s reopening after restoration
- Sabah newspaper, 05.11.2025 — the closed Malta and Çadır pavilions in Yıldız Park
- Istanbul Chamber of Tourist Guides (İstanbul Rehberler Odası), 15.10.2024 — closure of the Şale Pavilion

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