Galata Tower Tickets
For over 6 centuries, the Galata Tower has stood watch over the city of Istanbul. Head to the top of the Galata Tower and enjoy a breathtaking view of the city's classic and modern landscape. Book Galata Tower tickets and enjoy a detailed guided tour of its history and significance, or get combo experiences.
Bestseller
Entry Tickets to Galata Tower with Audio Guide
Top Experiences
Pro tips to help you make a pick
Visit the tower in the morning to enjoy fewer crowds and for ample time to soak in the views. It is also less crowded around closing time, when the city's skyline sparkles with lights. Sunsets from the tower are a must-see, however, it can get crowded around this time.
Purchase your tickets online to skip the long ticket queues and get swift entry. However, if you are buying tickets at the tower, note that the box office is not inside the tower but in the red tram nearby, which closes an hour before the tower.
The observation deck is open-air and equipped with railings but they are quite low, so be careful if you are traveling with kids. Carry a shawl as it can get chilly on the deck and wear comfortable shoes as there’s a bit of walking involved. The stairs on the way down are quite narrow in some places, so exercise caution if you are claustrophobic.
The Galata Tower Museum offers a good record of the history and cultural significance of the tower. A visit to the museum will make your experience more immersive. We also recommend the audio guide to gain a better understanding of the place; carry your earphones and download it before your visit as signals can be weak inside.
The Galata Tower elevator goes up only to the sixth floor. You have to take the stairs for two more floors to reach the observatory.
A visit to the Galata Tower is incomplete without checking out its historic neighborhood. Many cafes and shops offering everything from Turkish souvenirs to trendy clothes set on the narrow and vibrant streets are perfect for shopping.
Top things to do in Istanbul
About Galata Tower
Once the tallest building in Istanbul, the Galata Tower embodies centuries of history. The museum within and the 360-degree observation deck atop this medieval stone tower with a conical roof invite you to discover Istanbul's captivating narrative from above.
The Galata Tower's origin story remains rather ambiguous. A wooden tower called Megalos Pyrgos was built by the Byzantines around 527 AD, which was eventually destroyed. The current tower was built in 1348 by the Genoese as part of larger fortifications. The walls of Galata, as the fortifications have come to be known are mostly lost now, while the tower stands.
Over the centuries, Galata Tower served as a defense watchtower, fire detection tower, prison, meteorological observatory, and now an observatory deck and museum. The tower has survived turbulent times and the changing empires have renovated and renamed it multiple times.
Galata Tower was the venue for a remarkable feat of aviation. In 1632, Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi attached wooden wings to his arms and flew from the tower to the Doğancılar Square in Üsküdar. An impressed Sultan Murad Khan rewarded him with a bag of gold before exiling him to Algeria, as such a man ‘could do anything’.
A tunnel, 70 cm wide and 140 cm high, was discovered underneath the tower during the 1965 excavations. Some think the Genoese had built this as an escape route to the sea. The recovered human skeletal remains and coins cause some to believe that it was dug out by the prisoners attempting to escape the tower during its prison era.
Gamers would recognize the Galata Tower from the video game Assasin’s Creed Revelations, which takes place in 16th-century Istanbul. The game features the character Ezio climbing the Galata Tower and parachuting from there.
Why visit Galata Tower?
Highlights
Observation deck
The open-air observation deck on top of the Galata Tower offers stunning 360-degree views of the historic peninsula of Istanbul. Get hold of the mounted binoculars and see if you can spot iconic monuments like the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Hagia Sophia. Sitting at the juncture of the Bosphorus Strait and the Golden Horn, Galata Tower is the place to be for divine sunsets, although it might be crowded.
Galata Tower Museum
Spanning over four levels within the tower is the Galata Tower Museum. Having stood tall for centuries and put to different use by different empires, the tales residing within the walls are pretty fascinating and neatly captured by the exhibits in the museum. The exhibits range from relics of Istanbul in prehistoric times to items from the tower’s prison era which include a dungeon, a torture chamber, and gallows.
Galata Tower interiors
As you make your way down the Galata Tower, take a moment to appreciate the diverse and impressive architecture of the tower. Owing to the changing empires and multiple renovations, the architecture is a fine mix of Roman, Genoese, and Ottoman styles. Narrow tunnel stairways and little arched window nooks pave your way down. The cylindrical tower’s 3.75 meters thick walls are made of interlocked stone and brick.
Galata Tower neighborhood
The Galata Tower with its conical roof, part of the Bosphorous skyline, is a pretty sight to behold from the narrow alleyways decked with cozy little cafes and shops that offer everything, from souvenirs to musical instruments. Stroll around the historic Galata Quarter, engage the shopaholic in you, and sip some Turkish coffee while at it.
Galata Tower gift shop
As you clamber down the tower, you will pass through the gift shop. It is a good pit stop to take back home a variety of souvenirs like photographs, postcards, jewelry, t-shirts, and more.
Plan your visit
Main entrance
Galata Tower has one main entrance. You will often find two separate lines in front of the tower - one for entering the tower, the other for purchasing the tickets from the box office inside the red tram nearby.
Opening Hours
- Daily 8:30 AM to 10:00 PM (Winter: November - April)
- Daily 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM (Summer: April - October)
Audio guides can be purchased along with the ticket.
There is a gift shop selling t-shirts, photographs, postcards and more inside the Galata Tower.
There is an elevator inside Galata Tower which takes you till the 7th floor. The climb up to the 9th floor, which has the observatory, has to be made via the stairs. So this portion is not accessible to wheelchair users.
There is an express elevator that takes you till the 7th floor. The observatory located on the 9th floor is accessible via stairs only.
Browse by themes
Nearby cities to explore
World at your tap.
Get the Headout app to get tickets on your phone and access app-only deals. Talk about win-win.
