What’s open in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday comes down to a few weekly closing days. Per our guides, Dolmabahçe Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Istanbul Modern, the Pera Museum and the Toy Museum close on Mondays. Topkapı Palace closes on Tuesdays. Plan the palaces around those days, then fill the gap with sights that have no closing day on record.
Last checked: 10 November 2026, against the guides we link. Weekly closing days come from each operator’s page as reported in those guides. Holidays and special closures change the picture, so confirm your date with the official site.
What’s open in Istanbul on Monday and Tuesday
| Sight | Weekly closing day | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Dolmabahçe Palace | Monday | Yıldız or Dolmabahçe |
| Beylerbeyi Palace | Monday | Beylerbeyi guide |
| Istanbul Modern | Monday | Istanbul Modern |
| Pera Museum | Monday | Pera Museum |
| Istanbul Toy Museum | Monday | Toy Museum |
| Bosphorus Museum (Kabataş) | Monday | Bosphorus Museum |
| Topkapı Palace | Tuesday | Official tickets |
Opening hours for the sights that close
These hours come from the same guides. Each museum can change them, so use the official page on the day.
| Sight | Hours reported in our guide | Extra closures |
|---|---|---|
| Dolmabahçe Palace | Ticket office 09:00 to 17:00 | 1 January and the first day of both religious holidays |
| Yıldız Palace | Ticket office 09:00 to 17:00 | Not stated on the official page |
| Beylerbeyi Palace | Opens 09:00. The page gives 17:00 and 17:30 as closing time | 1 January and the first day of both religious holidays |
| Istanbul Modern | 10:00 to 18:00. Friday to 20:00 | 1 January and the first day of religious holidays |
| Pera Museum | 10:00 to 19:00. Friday to 22:00. Sunday 12:00 to 18:00 | 1 January and the first day of religious holidays |
| Bosphorus Museum | 10:00 to 19:00, per the opening report | Not confirmed |
| Istanbul Toy Museum | The museum’s page gives 10:00 or 11:00 to 18:00 | Not confirmed |
Group your day by area
Istanbul is large, so pair sights that sit close together. This avoids a long cross-town ride on a short day.
- Kabataş and Beşiktaş: Dolmabahçe Palace and the Bosphorus Museum. Both close on Monday, so choose a Tuesday to Sunday for this pair.
- Beyoğlu and Karaköy: Pera Museum and Istanbul Modern. Both are closed on Mondays and open on Tuesdays.
- Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı. Topkapı is the only one with a Tuesday closure, so keep the mosques and cistern for Tuesday.
- Asian shore: Beylerbeyi Palace, closed on Mondays. Pair it with a ferry to Üsküdar, as in our Üsküdar guide.
Other days to know
- Yıldız Palace closes on Wednesdays.
- Kariye (Chora) Mosque closes to tourists on Fridays, according to reports in our Kariye guide.
- The Grand Bazaar traditionally closes on Sundays. See the bazaar route.
We found no weekly closing day for Hagia Sophia or the Basilica Cistern in our guides, but hours and rules have changed there before. Read the Hagia Sophia guide and the Basilica Cistern guide.
A Monday plan
Skip most of the list. Yıldız Palace is open on Mondays, because it closes on Wednesdays. Visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, then Topkapı, which is open on Mondays. Finish with a ferry. Our Bosphorus guide lists the official tours.
A Tuesday plan
Topkapı is shut, so go to Dolmabahçe if it is open that day, or to Istanbul Modern and the Pera Museum. Our 3-day itinerary shows how to move the palace day.
Last entry and queues
A closing time is not the time you can walk in. Istanbul Modern says entry ends 30 minutes before closing. Beylerbeyi’s page lists no last-entry time, so arrive well before 17:00. Palaces use timed groups and long queues in busy months, so go early on the first open day after a closure, when many visitors shift their plans.
Public holidays and special days
Religious holidays can close sights that are normally open. Our guides record closures on 1 January and on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı for Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi, Istanbul Modern and the Pera Museum. Secondary sources also list 1 May for Topkapı, but we have not confirmed that with the operator. For Eid dates, see Istanbul in March and our Ramadan guide.
Closing days: quick answers
Is Topkapı open on Monday?
Yes, per our guides. It closes on Tuesdays.
What closes on Mondays in Istanbul?
Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi, Istanbul Modern, the Pera Museum, the Toy Museum and the Bosphorus Museum.
