Beylerbeyi Palace is a true gem of Istanbul. The palace is located in the Beylerbeyi neighborhood on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. It was built in the 19th century and served as the summer residence of Ottoman sultans. I had the pleasure of visiting Beylerbeyi Palace with my family and we were all in awe of its beauty and grandeur.

We, like most visitors to Istanbul, were staying on the European side of the city. But wanting to see the Asian side too, we boarded a cruise boat and headed over. Our guide recommended this palace which was the summer palace. It turned out to be a good call. We enjoyed our visit here. It certainly was a lot less crowded than the other places we had visited and we enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy a bit of Istanbul without the crowds. The palace was interesting and we got some great pictures at water's edge looking back across the strait.

This is the most beautiful palace we visited in Istanbul- much smaller than Topkapi or Dolmabahce, but a true gem. It is worth the ride to the other side. No pictures are allowed inside the palace, but everything is well identified and explained. A must when visiting Istanbul!

Significantly less crowded than the Topkapi palace, this sea-facing palace is a true gem. The blue dome and blue pillars in the main rooms are beautiful. The sea-side pavilions (unfortunately closed for restoration) looked stunning.

After paying our 200 lira each we went into see some beautiful gardens right on the banks of the Bosphorus. But the palace is covered in scaffolding and many parts outside of the main palace are closed - the little pavilions, some of the gardens and so on. So first impressions were not great and we were a bit disappointed that this info wasn’t on their website. The Palace itself is amazing. Opulent almost without taste (to my view) with everything in gold or crystal. The audio guide was OK but limited and you need to have an ID with you that you can leave behind as surety. You will be asked to wear shoe covers and not to take any pictures. We arrived shortly after 9 am and had the place to ourselves for about 30 mins until others caught up. Ii is just a metro journey and a bus ride from Sultanahmet and it's a fascinating comparison to the Dolmabahce Palace which feels much more European.

The Beylerbeyi or Summer Palace is right on the Bosporus. There are 2 “tents” as the buildings are called with a walkway in between with a few benches to enjoy watching the boats. Not all of the gardens were open. There was some work being done on the exterior of one side of the palace so it was covered. No photos allowed inside. I went on a Wednesday morning, it was me and a high school group. Younger school children were coming in as I left. It is very decorative inside, huge marble pool on the first floor inside. Audio guide is free but you have to leave a drivers license or passport to ensure you return it. I was not sure if it was open to get a guide so I did not get one. There is a small cafe and. Small gift shop. Entry fee was 200 Turkish lira. I enjoyed the visit and would recommend it.