Kız Kulesi
Kız Kulesi
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:45 PM, 8:15 PM - 12:30 AM
Monday
9:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Tuesday
9:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Wednesday
9:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Thursday
9:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Friday
9:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:45 PM
8:15 PM - 12:30 AM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:45 PM
8:15 PM - 12:30 AM
About
According to Turkish legend, a princess was locked in this tower to protect her from being bitten by a snake. Over the years the tower has been used as a customs station, lighthouse and a residence for retired naval officers.
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£38.04
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Uskudar
Home to more than half a million residents, Uskudar on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is one of Istanbul’s most densely populated neighbourhoods. Once a Greek colony, later a haven for people from across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, this gateway to Asia has been an active and diverse hub for eons. Still, visitors to Uskudar are often more overcome by its myriad treasures than by its many thousand residents. And with fairytale settings such as the “Maiden’s Tower” as well as grand examples of Ottoman Era architecture, plenty of parks, a gorgeous and lengthy coastline, and some of Turkey’s holiest sites, there’s no end to the sightseeing possibilities. Easily reached from the city’s European shores via a steady network of ferries, time spent in Uskudar reveals a “real life” Istanbul that many who experience find extremely fascinating.
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4.5
1,117 reviews
Excellent
666
Very good
302
Average
112
Poor
17
Terrible
20
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Adgapa
Caracas1,017 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
We arrived at 12:15 pm and saw a ferry ready to leave. They take so long to sell tickets that the ferry left at 12:30 when we were paying for our tickets. No one spoke acceptable English at the ticket office. On several websites we saw that the ferries left every half hour so we waited right there. At 1:15 we asked what was going on and were told that the next ferry was leaving at 2. Nobody told us that. They have no visible schedule information. They sell you the ticket without telling you anything. Their excuse: schedules change a lot and they have no fixed schedules. They wouldn't refund us. Unpleasant experience
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Written 23 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MonaAnanas
Gex, France47 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
It's rubbish. 20€ (600 TL) to go up to a lighthouse that has certainly been nicely restored and the view is beautiful, but oh wow, it's empty! At what time do we dare call it a museum? As a reminder, definition of a museum: “Establishment in which collections of objects of historical, technical, scientific and artistic interest are gathered and classified, with a view to their conservation and presentation to the public.”
I get tired of these tourist scams.
I get tired of these tourist scams.
Written 12 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IlyaNJ
Marlboro, NJ990 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
One sight in Istanbul that is probably not worth the money to visit on balance. The little island with the tower is cute, and you will undoubtedly see it from close enough on a given cruise or even from a ferry. If you choose to pay for the visit, you will be able to get up to the terrace at the top for views, and explore the little "fortress" a bit, but there is hardly anything that cannot be found elsewhere. The limited boat schedule usually requires extra allowance for wait time.
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seri
Wabern, Switzerland39 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
The ferry from the Asian side is currently not running. Since 2023 there has been a ferry from the European side. This costs 30 euros for tourists. You can stay at the tower as long as you like. The ferry comes every 1.5 hours to pick up visitors. Smoking is prohibited on the entire island, there is a small café with reasonable prices. The ferry for Turkish citizens costs only 40 TL. Unfortunately, I find the price for tourists here to be massively excessive.
Written 14 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taner
Izmir, Türkiye892 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
One of the indispensable places of the Bosphorus View is undoubtedly the Maiden's Tower. The tower, built on a tiny island off the coast of Salacak, is the subject of many legends. One of these and the most well-known is the Leandros Legend, which also gave its name to the tower (Leander's Tower). The Story of Leandros and Hero, the Lovers Who Defy the Sea Between Them, Will End in Tragedy. On a stormy night, when Leandros sees the light on in the tower, he thinks that his lover Hero is calling him and jumps into the sea. However, this time it is not Hero who turns on the light, but someone else who realizes that lovers meet secretly every night and turns off the light. Leandros is Buried in the Waves of the Bosphorus; Unable to bear the pain of this, Hero ends his life by jumping from the tower. At the end of the legend, a lighthouse is built where the tower is in the name of the lovers. Dating back to the 24th year BC, the Maiden's Tower was used as an Exile Station, Prison, Quarantine Room, Radio Station, Tax Point and Lighthouse. The Tower, which is the symbol of Üsküdar, was opened to service as a cafe and restaurant after it was restored by a private company in 2000.
Written 2 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alberto Teodosio Biondi
Merate, Italy847 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
Small tower, not far from the coast of Uskudar, today houses a restaurant and is one of the symbols of the city also for the legends that accompany it. More prosaically, in the past it was a lighthouse and defensive tower at the mouth of the Bosphorus towards the Sea of Marmara. You can only reach it by sea with small boats, but to take good pictures the Uskudar seafront can also be good.
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Written 19 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Волшебник-Недоучка
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
11/02/2023 - We wanted to get to the Maiden (Leander) Tower, but were scared off by the price of 1 ticket of 600 lire! They are taken there on a small boat. The distance from the pier to the tower is about 200 meters. It's not worth that kind of money. On the embankment we took beautiful photos with a view of the Maiden Tower and examined it in detail through a binoscope installed there. By the way, Aivazovsky was inspired by the tower to paint the picture.
Written 2 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aisha
Istanbul, Türkiye182 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
The Girl Tower is truly stunning in its renovated form. A museum card is valid, making it a big bonus for history and culture buffs. It’s a special treat that you can easily pick up tickets from the entrance just on the right-hand side of the Karaköy pier and arrive by vapor. The cafe inside the tower is an ideal spot for a drink and snack break. It''s truly a memorable experience to be in such a unique landscape between Asia and Europe. It’s a must-visit for visitors to Istanbul.
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Written 17 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mehdi A
Istanbul, Türkiye18 contributions
Jun 2023
After a while it was inaugurated/reopened.
There was a long queue in the morning at 09:30.
Two ferries was taking people/visitors inside.
No guide, no clear sign but it was acceptable.
Almost all visitors were there to take Instagram photos - recent westernized culture.
Heard the ticket is 450TLs; it is expensive for visiting this attraction.
There was a long queue in the morning at 09:30.
Two ferries was taking people/visitors inside.
No guide, no clear sign but it was acceptable.
Almost all visitors were there to take Instagram photos - recent westernized culture.
Heard the ticket is 450TLs; it is expensive for visiting this attraction.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sam
Iran131 contributions
Oct 2021
Its history, the Girl Tower in Istanbul has also been the subject of several legends. A young man known as Lindros reportedly fell in love with a monk named Hero who lived in the tower. Every night, the hero lit a fire to guide his beloved to this small island. One night, however, the fire was blown out of the island by a storm, and Lindros lost his way and drowned in the Bosphorus. The hero was so impressed that he could not resist and committed suicide.
Written 12 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi I would like to book a table for 4 people on august 12, 2022, around 21.00. is it possible? thanks, angela
Written 27 June 2022
Hi There, I am in Istanbul from the 27th Dec 19 until 01 Jan 2020 and my 6th Wedding Anniversary falls on the 29th Dec 2019. I am planning to book a table at Maiden's Tower for my wife and I as an anniversary surprise. We will be staying in Kadikoy - Can someone please tell me what is the simplest route to travel to Maiden's tower?
Written 20 November 2019
Hi! Could you please tell me if it's possible to find the schedule of bouts going to the Kız kuesi?
Written 10 May 2019
I think there is no such schedule, but boats ply between the coast and the tower all the time and there is no problem getting to it
Written 13 May 2019
nara2327
Central Argentina, Argentina
¿Cuánto cuesta aproximadamente (en liras) llegar allí? des estambul
Written 17 February 2019
HAY un barco gratis que cruza el rio. Id por la mañana. Una vez en el otro lado hay barquito pequeño que te llevan. No por mucho
Written 17 February 2019
How do i get from taksim to uskudar and from uskudar to kiz kulesi???
Written 31 July 2018
Hello! Well you chose the hard way to get to Kiz Kulesi. From Taksim Square take the bus DT1 to Beşiktaş University, and from there you go by foot to Beşiktaş Dentur where you take the boat to Üsküdar. From Üsküdar to Kiz Kulesi there are boat services from 9 a.m. to 18:30 p.m. at every fifteen minutes. But the most rapid way if you are located in Taksim is to go to Kabataş Station with the metro F1. From Kabataş to Kiz Kulesi on weekdays, there are ring services every hours from 12:00-18:00 and during weekends, ring services every hours from 10:00-18:00. If you go to dinner the boat to Kiz Kulesi is free and you do not have to pay it.
Written 1 August 2018
How do i get from taksim to uskudar and from uskudar to kiz kulesi???
Written 31 July 2018
Take bus from Takksim to Besiktas then take the ferry to the other side
Written 3 August 2018
Dear Lanni, At what time do you usually visit the tower, as we are planning for our visit and they say it closes at 6h45?
Written 1 April 2018
I believe that the hours are dependent on the season. We were there in winter and the transfer from the shore to the tower was hazardous in the wind and waves. There is a restaurant there and they are more likely to be open at night for those arriving by water taxi rather than keeping a boat on standby. I hope that this helps. Cheers, Bill (Australia)
Written 2 April 2018
Hi,
Where was this cafe that you took the photo from? I think we would prefer to do that instead as well.. thank you...
Written 6 January 2018
My photo was taken from the ferry, going up the Bospherus.
Written 8 January 2018
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