The most exciting entertainment in Istanbul for children

Traveling with children has its own challenges, and one of the most important of them is finding the right entertainment for these lovely little ones. Fortunately, as an all-inclusive destination for people traveling with children, Istanbul also offers a variety of entertainment options. These entertainments include emotional, intellectual and even educational games, and your child can discover new scientific topics while playing. What is better than this! Here we have introduced the most exciting activities for children in Istanbul.

Toy Museum is one of the most exciting entertainments in Istanbul for children

If you want to know what toys children used to play with in the old days, then we suggest you to visit the Istanbul Toy Museum, which was founded in 2005 by Belgin Akin and Sunay Akin. This museum is one of Istanbul’s most exciting attractions for children and is located in a converted building in Goztepe, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. The museum is so nostalgic that you, as an adult, will undoubtedly be very emotional when you see it, and your children can also enjoy seeing the most unique toys in the world. Note that group tours and events require reservations.

• Address: Göztepe, Dr. Zeki Zeren Sk No:15, 34730 Kadıköy/İstanbul, Türkiye
• Working hours: from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, weekends from 10:00 to 18:30, closed on Mondays.

Madame Tussauds Istanbul Museum

Madame Tussauds museum, whose main branch is located in London and exhibits wax figures of many famous actors, singers or leaders, opened in Istanbul in 2016, having wax figures of famous footballers, rap singers, etc. makes a fascinating visit for People of any age will figure. You and your children can take pictures here with many famous people. Many wax figures from Barish Manchu and Zacchi Moran to Bruce Wills and Marilyn Monroe and even Spiderman are kept at Madame Tussauds. In this museum, you can dribble against Messi and enter the ring with Muhammad Ali Kelly. You even have the chance to go on stage and sing with Madonna and take a selfie with Murat Bose.

• Address: Hüseyinağa, Grand Pera, İstiklal Cd. no: 56/58, 34440 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey
• Working hours: all days of the week from 11:00 to 20:00

Read more: Singles entertainment in Istanbul

Legoland Istanbul (Legoland is one of the most popular attractions in Istanbul for children

This is one of the most popular entertainments for children in Istanbul. This collection is for children aged 3 to 10, and adults are only allowed to enter if they are accompanied by a person under 14 years old! At Legoland, there are 15 different playgrounds to choose from, where children have the opportunity to socialize with their peers and build new shapes with Lego. Don’t forget to visit the “brick selection” section where pieces are sold by weight (unless you want to pick up a complete set for your little LEGO expert). Most Istanbul tour tourists who travel with their children include a visit to Legoland in their itinerary.

• Address: Kocatepe, Photo of, Forum Istanbul, Paşa Cd No: 3, 34045 İstanbul, Türkiye
• Working hours: all days of the week from 10:00 to 19:00

Sea Life Aquarium

The largest aquarium in Istanbul and Türkiye is the Sea Life Aquarium, which allows children to see underwater life up close and discover many sea creatures. The aquarium, which has 9 different themed locations such as Stingray Bay Ocean Tank, Shark Kingdom, as well as weekend workshops, helps children’s creativity flourish. Before entering the aquarium, make sure you allow enough time to visit the largest family of sharks in Europe. Here you can take part in scheduled feeding times for giant rays in the ocean tunnel and watch a diving show. Sea Life Aquarium is one of the most exciting entertainments for children in Istanbul.

• Address: Kocatepe, Forum Istanbul, Paşa Cd No: 5/5, 34045 Bayrampaşa/İstanbul, Türkiye
• Visiting hours: every day from 10 am to 7 pm

Read more: Introduction of tourist attractions in Istanbul – Türkiye

Rahmi Koç Museum is one of the most special entertainments for children in Istanbul

Rahmi Koch Museum is dedicated to the history of transportation, industry and communication in Türkiye. This museum is located on the shores of the Golden Horn and was opened in 1994. The museum is designed like a ship and displays all kinds of classic cars. At any age, you will be excited to see colorful classic cars.

• Address: Piri Paşa, Rahmi M. Koç Caddesi No: 3, 34445 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
• Visiting hours: weekdays from 10:00 to 17:30 and weekends from 10:00 to 19:00

Istanbul Miniatürk

You can explore Turkey with your children with a trip to Miniatürk, which is designed with the motto “a small model of a big country”. This open-air museum is located in Sotluche, a neighborhood on the eastern coast of the Golden Horn in Beyoglu region, and presents a view of the history of ancient times to the present day with more than 120 miniature structures of Turkish architecture. After visiting Miniaturk, you can take a short tour of Pir Loti and enjoy the green scenery while drinking a cup of Turkish coffee.

• Address: Örnektepe, İmrahor Cd. No:7, 34445 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey
• Visiting hours: all days of the week from 9 am to 7 pm

Read more: Getting to know Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul (Blue Mosque)

Kite Museum is one of the most enjoyable activities for children in Istanbul

As one of Istanbul’s most enjoyable entertainments for children, Kite Museum, founded by Mehmet Naci Aköz in 2005, is the first and only kite museum in Türkiye. Here, you can discover the world of kites with a 45-minute interactive show. Undoubtedly, it will be very enjoyable for children to see colorful kites in different designs and sizes.

• Address: Aziz Mahmut Hudayi Mah. Uncular Cd. Bakıcı Sk. No:12 USKUDAR
• Working hours: Monday to Friday from 09:30 to 17:00, closed on Sundays.

Vialand water park is one of the most popular amusements in Istanbul for children

Families visiting Istanbul can enjoy a thrilling ride on the Nefeskesen roller coaster at a speed of 110 km/h. This is just one of the exciting rides offered in Türkiye’s first and largest amusement park. In Wayland, you can find different types of entertainment and games for all ages. Therefore, Vialand Water Park is included in the list of the most popular entertainment for children in Istanbul. If you want to enjoy water sports, you can experience an adventurous and exciting rafting with boats that can accommodate 9 people.

• Address: Yeşilpınar Mahallesi, Şht. Metin Kaya Sk. No:11, 34065 Eyüp/İstanbul, Turkey
• Working hours: every day from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm

Jurassic Land Istanbul

In Istanbul’s Jurassic Park, you can take an exciting journey with your children to distant centuries, when dinosaurs ruled the earth! This dinosaur-themed indoor park is located in Forum Istanbul shopping center in Bayrampaşa, the European side of the city. More than a dozen animatronic dinosaurs in imaginary habitats, a paleoanthropological gallery and a science discovery center are among the different parts of Jurassic Land Istanbul. You can also watch short but exciting movies in the park’s 6D cinema. Undoubtedly, seeing giant dinosaurs will be very interesting and memorable for children.

• Address: Kocatepe Mahallesi, Paşa Cd, 34045 Bayrampaşa/İstanbul, Türkiye
• Working hours: every day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m

Butterfly Farm is one of the most beautiful attractions in Istanbul for children

Türkiye’s first butterfly farm offers a magical world where you can see many tropical butterflies up close with your children. Bekoz Farm is open every day except Mondays between 10:00 and 18:00. In this trip, by stepping into the magnificent world of winged insects, you will witness the entire life cycle of a butterfly. You can dedicate one day of your trip here and enjoy relaxing in the beautiful nature of the area with the fluttering of butterflies. Even if you get lucky, you will experience sitting on your hands. All these have made the name of Butterfly Park to be included in the list of Istanbul entertainment for children.

• Address: Zerzavatçi, Fatih Sultan Cd. No: 13, 34829 Beykoz/İstanbul, Turkey
• Working hours: all days of the week from 10:00 to 18:00. Butterfly Park is closed on Mondays.

Istanbul Snow Park

The first indoor snow entertainment center in Türkiye, Snowpark provides the possibility of skiing and other snow activities in four seasons for the whole family. You will experience the peak of snow adventures at Snowpark! Where you can participate in skiing or snowboarding with your children. You can buy entrance tickets to the center, which is open between 12:00 and 20:00, on the Snowpark website.

• Address: Turgut Özal Mh. 68. Sok. Torium AVM No:50, 34510 Esenyurt/İstanbul, Turkey
• Working hours: all days of the week from 11:00 to 22:00

final word

In the list of the most exciting activities for children in Istanbul, we saw that you can experience wonderful activities with your children in this city. Little ones can have a fun day at a diverse selection of theme parks, some offering roller coasters while others help children’s creativity flourish. In this city, you can even take a ferry out of Istanbul and enjoy family cycling on the surrounding islands. Finally, we would like to remind you that you can contact our colleagues in the foreign tours department to book a tour of Istanbul and travel to this fascinating city.

Frequently asked questions

Is Istanbul suitable for traveling with children?

Istanbul entertainment for children is very diverse and offers a variety of fun outdoor activities, including visiting the vast playgrounds and lush gardens of Emirgan Park. Families can also enjoy a Bosphorus cruise for beautiful scenery and dolphin spotting.

Which part of Türkiye is best for traveling with children?

With ancient mosques and palaces, busy markets, modern shopping malls and a variety of special entertainment for children, Istanbul is the best city in Türkiye for a family vacation. The city also has some of the best restaurants in the world and a variety of entertainment options.

What are the best theme parks for kids in Istanbul?

Legoland, Vialand Water Park and Miniature Park are among the most exciting entertainment for children in Istanbul. Visiting these parks is very exciting and attractive for children under 14 years old.