What to Do in Istanbul with Kids? Top Family Activities to Do
In Istanbul, you can find many different things to do as a family. Istanbul is a kids-friendly city so don’t hesitate to come to this magnificent city with your big family. Since Turkish people generally have big families, they travel, shop, or walk altogether with kids and the elderly.
With our 25+ years of experience in tourism, we gathered the best 85+ attractions, tours, and services most of which you can enjoy with your kids! Here you can check out our attractions and child discounts! We have the best choices of attractions for kids in town.
Istanbul is a kid-friendly city
First things first, yes Istanbul is a kid-friendly city! In general in Turkey, there are only a few places you can’t take your kids with you. People are generally not disturbed by children playing around and making noise. In restaurants, shopping malls, and even museums there are special places, playgrounds, and playrooms for kids. Especially in museums, there are created spaces for kids of all ages can have fun, learn and make art.
If you are planning to visit Istanbul with your cute little toddler, there is one point you need to keep in mind, Turkish people can be ‘too lovely’ sometimes. People may pat your kid on the head or pinch the cheeks of your kid. Don’t panic if you encounter this kind of behavior but set your borders clear as you like. Now let’s look at the attractions to do!
Must-See Museums with kids in Istanbul
Miniaturk Park Istanbul
The Miniaturk is a unique 60,000 sq meter open-air museum. This museum exhibits entirely handcrafted miniatures of popular structures from Turkey and other regions of the world. Regardless of the season, it attracts a lot of visitors, especially kids! It is great for a family day. Miniaturk is a place where you can spend the entire day and never get bored. There are also restaurants, souvenir shops, and cafes within the facility. With the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you can enter Miniaturk for FREE.
Madame Tussauds Istanbul
Famous Madame Tussauds Museum, is a London-based wax sculpture museum that has many locations around the world. The waxworks included in Madame Tussauds Museum are mainly historical figures, famous actors, successful sportspeople, movie characters, and musical artists.
The hyper-realistic wax sculptures in Madame Tussauds are waiting for you. For kids, this is a great place to have fun. See a real life-size Shrek or take photos with Einstein or E.T.! A great must-see for the whole family. Entrance is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass®!
Underwater Adventure
Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul
Discover the underwater world with Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul! If you are a sea lover this attraction will be one to remember. Sharks, turtles, whales, piranhas, and a lot more excitement are waiting for you in the Sea Life Aquarium Istanbul.
Experiencing the Amazon Forest in the middle of Istanbul, diving with sharks, and many more things to do for your whole family. Especially for kids, it is an amazing and educational experience. Sea Life Aquarium is FREE with Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you don’t need to worry about ticket lines just enjoy the experience.
Emaar Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
A new aquarium experience is awaiting visitors at Emaar Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. The aquarium and underwater zoo, composed of different thematic sections, namely the Main Tank that includes the Tunnel Aquarium as well as Rocky Shores, Forests, Rivers and Falls, Penguin Island, Crocodile Kingdom, and interactive play area Dreamers Island, is home to more than 20,000 marine animals and amphibians of 200 species.
Emaar Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is home to 200 thousand of aquatic creatures and amphibians from more than 200 species with its 1.2 million liter water capacity. This is a great experience area for kids and parents, you’ll be amazed. It is FREE with Istanbul Tourist Pass®, don’t miss it!
Istanbul Aquarium
Are you ready to see the breathtaking world of the seas for yourself, swim with the fishes, and go on a wild journey that will take you across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Amazon rainforests? Istanbul Aquarium is waiting for you to fulfill your dreams!
With the vastness of its journey route, thematic zones, a thousand square meter rainforest, and interactive new-generation technology, the Istanbul Aquarium is the world's largest thematic aquarium, where fish species living in the world's oceans may be observed. Are you ready to pursue a geographic itinerary that covers 16 theme zones from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon Rainforest? In the theme regions, rich information on the cultural, geographic, historical, and architectural qualities of the relevant place, as well as ornamental artifacts, interactive plays, sound and lighting, films, and visual graphics are provided. You may observe sea species native to these places as well as learn about their geographical and cultural traits.
This massive and amazing Aquarium is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass®, don't miss it!
Challenge your mind!
Museum of Illusions Istanbul
Museum of Illusions offers an interactive, immersive, and fun experience for both children and their parents. It is a perfect, unusual, and thrilling place for all generations. The best part is unlike other museums, visitors can run, scream, touch exhibits, and take as many photos as they want, so it is a great place to go with kids!
It is also an educational experience for kids. In the museum, you can talk about the mind and the borders of senses with your kids. Amusing tricks will teach kids about vision, perception, the human brain, and science so it will be easier to perceive why their eyes see things that their brain cannot understand. There are two Museum of Illusions in Istanbul, one in Beyoglu and the other on the Anatolian side. Entering both locations is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass®.
Mirror Maze
The Astonishing Mirror Maze is an intuitively visual experience, it's gonna fortify and challenge your intellect. But the Maze is a fair portion of the fun! You will try to find your way in a maze full of mirrors. It is a great place to have fun and talk about mirrors with your family. Entrance to Mirror Maze is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass® so you don’t need to wait in a long line for tickets.
Toys for all ages!
Balat Toy Museum
Museums are the memory of society. Contrary to popular belief, toy museums do not only attract only children's attention because toy museums take their visitors on a historical journey. So if you are looking for the best places to visit in Istanbul, toy museums with these timeless toys may be the right place for your all family.
The museum, which is the result of a 50-year-old collection, has an exhibition area where you can find toys from the past to the present. You can enjoy your time with workshops where you can have unique toys for your child and experience old Istanbul in the historical streets of Balat.
One of the best things about the Balat Toy Museum is that the museum aims to update its collection constantly. The museum is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass®!
Legoland Discovery Centre Istanbul
Looking for a fun activity for the whole family? The Legoland Discovery Center in Istanbul is the answer! There's a lot to see and do there, including the Lego 4D theatre, the Legoland factory, Miniland, and other attractions. You can build anything you want with LEGO® bricks and figures. Whatever you create, whether it's palaces, fortresses, fortifications, or houses, you'll have as much fun as your kids!
This family-friendly activity is enjoyed best with Istanbul Tourist Pass® accompanying you. The Istanbul Tourist Pass® provides free access to Legoland Discovery Centre as you go back to your childhood and enjoy being with your family.
Wox Turkey Illusion & Toy Museum
Discover the fantastic world of illusion in WOX, a voyage through time with hundreds of toys that have all observed history, Roleplay with its vibrant nets, a one-of-a-kind adventure, and unforgettable memories.
The WOX Illusion and Toy Museum is a fascinating realm that draws visitors of all ages. Are you ready to be astonished at every turn? Through the use of innovative architecture and technology, the illusion area, which is separated into 32 sections, delivers a fascinating world of illusion, fun and unforgettable experience! Istanbul Tourist Pass® is ready to take your hand through this remarkable and enjoyable journey.
Istanbul Toy Museum
The Istanbul Toy Museum is a wonderful location for families and history buffs to view toys going back to the 1700s. From World War II to the present day, the museum takes visitors on an unexpected historical trip through the various periods in which the toys were made. The museum has frequent children's activities and other creative events.
Toys are acquired from auctions and antique shops in more than 40 countries during a 20-year span. The museum's purpose is to utilize toys to make world history more interesting and engaging for its visitors, especially children. Visiting the Istanbul Toy Museum is sure to give you a different perspective on world history and with the help of the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you may just be able to gain that viewpoint.
Adrenaline and Adventure Zones
Flyzone
Do you feel jealous of your kids sometimes while they are playing in playgrounds? Now it is a playground for all of your family! Don't Let Age Stop You From Having Fun!
The trend ravaging the world is now in Turkey. Flyzone, where everyone who likes to challenge gravity and push the limits comes together; is the new name for fun and adrenaline.
Flyzone, consisting of tracks - each of them more fun than the other-, is a brand new concept in trampoline park format, where sports and entertainment are presented together to people of all ages. There are four different locations of Flyzone in Istanbul; Mall of Istanbul, Demiroren, Torium, and Lens Istanbul. Whichever location you choose, it is FREE with İstanbul Tourist Pass®.
The Jungle Park
See enormous snakes, spiders, frogs, turtles, alligators, and sharks, as well as tropical birds, in the mysterious Jungle world. In Turkey, these are quite rare! Nearly 400 creatures representing 100 different species live in the park, some of which are endangered. Don't miss out on your opportunity to view them for yourself!
When you arrive, ask for a Jungle Istanbul adventure map at the ticket counter and follow the path and suggestions to become the hero of the adventure and win a prize! All of this is FREE with the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, so you may joyfully enjoy the exotic creatures of the rainforest with your loved ones.
Safari
Be the hero of your own Safari story! The Istanbul Safari tour, which is expected to become one of Europe's largest theme parks, gives you the opportunity to visit a virtual zoo in the center of Istanbul. This theme park, which attracts hundreds of people every day of the week, welcomes guests from all over the world, both local and international.
Safari was created with the intention of providing an amazing experience to its visitors. Safari, a theme park with a vast range of animals, allows you to spend quality time with your loved ones while getting the most out of your trip to Istanbul, and all of this is just a few steps away with the Istanbul Tourist Pass®.