Is an Istanbul museum pass worth it, and which palaces should you prioritize on a budget?

An Istanbul museum pass is not essential: if you only plan to visit a few palaces and museums, it is more practical to pay separately for the places you genuinely want to see.

Topkapı Palace is the best priority for Ottoman history and traditional imperial architecture. It is a large complex, so allow plenty of time for the visit.

Dolmabahçe Palace is very different from Topkapı: it is an opulent European-style palace on the Bosphorus. These two provide the most contrasting and complete experience if you are only buying two palace tickets.

Beylerbeyi Palace, on Istanbul’s Asian side, is a good option for a less crowded palace visit. However, on a tight budget it can be skipped: it is a smaller summer residence with some stylistic similarities to Dolmabahçe.