Istanbul on a Sunday: What Is Open, What Is Closed and How to Plan

Sunday is a normal sightseeing day in Istanbul. Turkey's weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and almost all the big museums, palaces and mosques are open. The one famous exception is the Grand Bazaar, which is closed on Sundays. The days that catch more visitors out are actually Monday and Tuesday, when some of the palaces close for the week.

This guide covers what is open and closed on each of those days, a simple Sunday plan, where to shop when the Grand Bazaar is shut, and what Sunday traffic is like. Opening days below are as of October 2026, from the official National Palaces and Ministry of Culture websites where they publish them.

Is the Grand Bazaar open on Sunday?

No. The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) is closed every Sunday. The gates stay shut and the covered streets are empty, although a few shops on the surrounding streets towards Mahmutpaşa may open. It is open Monday to Saturday, roughly 08:30 to 19:00. It also closes on the main religious holidays, Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, at least on the first day.

The traders' association does not publish opening hours on its website, so treat these times as a guide. If shopping in the Grand Bazaar matters to you and you only have a weekend, go on Saturday and keep Sunday for the sights below.

What is open and closed in Istanbul, day by day

The table shows the weekly closing days of the main sights. Mosques are open every day but close to visitors around prayer times, and for longer around the Friday noon prayer.

What to do in Istanbul on Sunday: a one-day plan

Everything in this plan is open on Sundays. It starts in the old city, crosses the Golden Horn and finishes on the water, so you never need the Grand Bazaar.

1. Late breakfast. Sunday is the day for a long Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı), and cafés fill up from about 10:00. See what to eat in Istanbul for what to order.
2. Sultanahmet. Visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia between prayers, then the Basilica Cistern. Unlike Friday, there is no long midday closure.
3. Topkapı Palace if you did not see it on a weekday. It is open on Sunday but weekends tend to be busier, so go early or later in the afternoon. See our Topkapı guide.
4. Spice Bazaar and Eminönü. Walk down to the Spice Bazaar, then up to the Süleymaniye Mosque for the view over the Golden Horn.
5. On the water. Take a ferry to Kadıköy or Üsküdar, or the Şehir Hatları Short Bosphorus Tour from Eminönü in the afternoon. Details in the Bosphorus cruise guide.
6. Evening. Walk across the Galata Bridge to Galata Tower, open until late every day, and finish on İstiklal Avenue, which is at its busiest on weekend evenings.

If you have a full Sunday for the Bosphorus instead, the Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour runs every day, leaving Eminönü at 10:35 and stopping at Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea until 15:00 (timetable checked October 2026). Sunday is also a good day for Dolmabahçe Palace, which is closed on Mondays.

Sunday markets and neighbourhoods

• Feriköy Antique Market (Bomonti, Şişli): a large flea and antique market held every Sunday, roughly 09:00 to 18:00 according to travel references. Furniture, old photographs, records, ceramics and bric-a-brac; go in the morning for the best choice. Hours were not confirmed on an official page.
• Kadıköy: the market streets around the fish market are open seven days a week, and the cafés of Kadıköy and Moda are full on Sunday afternoons. The big open-air Tuesday market (Salı Pazarı) is held on Tuesdays and Fridays, not Sundays.
• Ortaköy and Bebek: waterfront cafés and the square beside Ortaköy Mosque are at their liveliest at weekends. See Ortaköy and Bebek.
• Balat and Fener: the colourful streets on the Golden Horn are popular with local visitors at weekends. See Balat and Fener.
• Galata Mevlevi Lodge: whirling dervish ceremonies have traditionally been held here on Sunday afternoons. We could not find a 2026 timetable, so check at the museum first. See the whirling dervish guide.

Shopping malls, most restaurants and the big shops on İstiklal and in Nişantaşı are open on Sundays. Some small shops, banks and offices close, and exchange offices in the old city may keep shorter hours. Some museums and sites are closed on New Year's Day and on the first day of religious holidays, whichever weekday that falls on.

Traffic and transport on a Sunday

Sunday mornings are usually the quietest time on Istanbul's roads, which makes them a good time to arrive or to cross between the European and Asian sides. Traffic builds through the afternoon. On Sunday evenings, and above all on summer weekends, the coast roads along the Bosphorus and the approaches to the bridges can be slow as people return to the city.

Big events are also held on Sundays. The 48th Istanbul Marathon is on Sunday 1 November 2026: it starts on the 15 July Martyrs Bridge (the first Bosphorus bridge) and the full marathon finishes in Sultanahmet, so the bridge and many roads on the route are closed to traffic that morning. The Istanbul Half Marathon in spring (19 April in 2026) also closes roads in the old city. If you are flying in or out on one of these days, leave extra time.

Public transport runs on Sundays, sometimes on a reduced timetable. Ferries to the Princes' Islands run a slightly different Sunday schedule, and the evening boats back to the mainland fill up in good weather. See the public transport guide for cards and fares.

Istanbul museums closed on Monday

Monday is the day when the Bosphorus palaces close. According to the National Palaces website, Dolmabahçe Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace are both closed every Monday. Rumeli Fortress and the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum are also closed on Mondays according to muze.gov.tr, and the private Istanbul Modern in Karaköy closes on Mondays too.

Most of the old city is open on Monday: Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Archaeology Museums, Galata Tower and the Maiden's Tower, which are all good Monday choices. The Grand Bazaar is open as usual, so Monday is a good day to go if you arrived at the weekend.

Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesday

Topkapı Palace, including the Harem, is closed every Tuesday, according to the National Palaces website. This is the closure that most often upsets a Sultanahmet day, because Topkapı is next door to Hagia Sophia. On a Tuesday, spend the old-city day on Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar, and go to Dolmabahçe, which is open, for your palace.

Getting around on a Sunday with a driver

If you are arriving on a Sunday, a fixed-price transfer from Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet is $70 in a Private Mercedes Vito or $80 in a VIP Vito, and Istanbul Airport to Taksim is $65 / $75. From Sabiha Gökçen, see Sabiha Gökçen to Sultanahmet. Prices are per vehicle for up to 6 passengers, with tolls, parking and waiting included, and you pay the driver on arrival.

For a day that links the old city, Dolmabahçe and the Bosphorus shore, or the Feriköy market and the Asian side, a private driver by the hour costs from $40 per hour (minimum 3 hours) in a Private Mercedes Vito, or $55 per hour in a VIP Vito. You can book hourly, see our private Istanbul tours or message us on WhatsApp at +90 507 055 44 36.

Istanbul VIP is operated by Regatta Turizm (TÜRSAB licence 10138).