HomeTrip ideasFamilyChildren enjoy ฤฐstanbul

Children enjoy ฤฐstanbul

The kids have spent much of the last year at home and in front of a computer screen. Itโ€™s time for them to get out and enjoy the city! Istanbul is at the disposal of children, offering many delightful activities that appeal to kids. These include beautiful amusement parks and intriguing historical sites such as palaces and museums. Keep reading to discover more of what Istanbul offers for children.

Turkish Airlines Blog
Turkish Airlines Blog
With this account, managed by our writer team, we welcome all who love travel and exploration to enjoy these blog posts. And we gently remind our readers of the delight to be found in 'hitting the road'. As Tolstoy said: โ€œAll great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.โ€

Museums

The Toy Museum, a favorite destination for kids in Istanbul
The Toy Museum, a favorite destination for kids in Istanbul

Although there are many museums in ฤฐstanbul, a few stand out in terms of their appeal to children. The Toy Museum in Gรถztepe features exhibits of popular examples of toys, ranging from the 1700s to the present. In BeyoฤŸlu, kids enjoy visiting Madame Tussauds ฤฐstanbul, a branch of the famous wax museum.  The nostalgic train at the Rahmi Koรง Museum, in the Golden Horn, is a favorite, as are tours of the Golden Horn on a specially built boat from 1873. The Museum also offers workshops for children. At the Chocolate Museum in Esenyurt, kids can sample items made from chocolate. And, as parents, you grew up with his songs and probably listened to them with your children as well: BarฤฑลŸ Manรงo. In Moda, you can discover more about the artist at the BarฤฑลŸ Manรงo Museum, set in his former home. Other ฤฐstanbul museums also await you!


Palaces

Dolmabahรงe Palace in BeลŸiktaลŸ, covering an area of 250,000 square meters
Dolmabahรงe Palace in BeลŸiktaลŸ, covering an area of 250,000 square meters

The stately beauty and magnificence of ฤฐstanbulโ€™s palaces appeal to children as well as adults. Even better, many of these palaces feature special facilities for children to learn history in fun and easy ways. At Dolmabahรงe Palace, there is a free electronic guidance service designed specifically for kids. Topkapฤฑ Palace offers workshops that first teach children about the building, and then show them around the mentioned areas. If you are looking for ways to entertain children in ฤฐstanbul, we recommend visits to ฤฐstanbulโ€™s palaces!


Amusement parks

Miniatรผrk, where models of important structures of Turkey are exhibited.
Miniatรผrk, where models of important structures of Tรผrkiye are exhibited.

In ฤฐstanbul, amusement parks are a terrific option for families with children. At the entertainment center in Eyรผp, kids can experience the excitement of climbing great heights with one of dozens of the big toys, or enjoy splashing in watery coasters. In Tรผrkiyeโ€™s biggest forest adventure park, set in Kemerburgaz, children can be active amid nature and have a memorable day with games such as paintball. Another option for an adventurous day in nature is the cultural center in AyazaฤŸa. Set in the cityโ€™s Acฤฑbadem district, the center offers fun educational activities for kids between the ages of 4 and 14. The entertainment center in BayrampaลŸa, geared for children between the ages of 3-10, is an exploration into creativity with small pieces. Miniatรผrk, on the shore of the Golden Horn, is a miniature park, featuring small models of Tรผrkiyeโ€™s most famous structures.


The Animal Kingdom

A boy feeding a giraffe at the zoo
A boy feeding a giraffe at the zoo

Most children appreciate animals and ฤฐstanbul offers many opportunities to see them up close. In a center in Eyรผp, there are nearly 400 animals from 100 species. The Faruk Yalรงฤฑn Zoo and Botanic Park, on the outskirts of the city, houses nearly 400 animals from 100 species. The Florya neighborhood is home to the ฤฐstanbul Aquarium, where visitors can tour a route with exhibits stretching from the Black Sea to the Pacific, consisting of 17 themes and one rainforest, while Sea Life ฤฐstanbul, located in the Forum ฤฐstanbul Shopping Mall in BayrampaลŸa, features 15,000 creatures from more than 500 species. In addition, our animal friends in shelters await you: many of the cityโ€™s shelters allow kids to visit and feed the animals.

 

*The date of this blog post may have been updated due to additional content. Please be aware that information on fees and transportation is subject to change. The content of this post reflects the author's opinion and views.

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