Emirgan Park (Emirgan Korusu) is one of the largest public parks in Istanbul: about 47 hectares of wooded hills sloping down to the Bosphorus, in the Emirgan neighbourhood of Sarıyer district, on the European shore. In the 19th century the estate belonged to the Khedive of Egypt, İsmail Pasha, who built the three pavilions still standing today in the 1870s; it became the property of the City of Istanbul in the 1940s and is now run by the Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). Entry is free. People come for the lawns and tall trees, the ponds, the Ottoman pavilions and above all, in April, for the tulip beds of the festival. Allow one to two hours for a stroll, longer if you eat in the park.
Highlights
The April tulips
Every spring the municipality plants millions of bulbs in its parks, and Emirgan is the main showcase: sloping lawns, borders and whole patterns made of tulips in every colour. Flowering depends on the weather and usually spreads across April; it is the busiest time of the year. The programme is set out on the [tulip festival](/fr/attractions/festival-des-tulipes-istanbul) page.
The ponds and the waterfall
In the lower part of the park, a large pond lined with palm trees and flower beds is fed by an artificial waterfall tumbling from a rock. Ducks swim there all year round, and the nearby benches are the most sought-after in the shade.
The Sarı Köşk (Yellow Pavilion)
This wooden chalet with carved decoration, attributed to the architect Sarkis Balyan, overlooks the pond. Damaged by fire in 1954, it was restored from 1979 along with the other two pavilions. For many years it housed a café-restaurant run by the municipal company Beltur: ask on site whether it is open.
The Pembe Köşk (Pink Pavilion)
A two-storey Ottoman house, it has housed a municipal café-restaurant (İBB Sosyal Tesisleri) since 2024, with an outdoor terrace, closed on Mondays. It is the easiest place for tea or a meal without leaving the park.
The Beyaz Köşk (White Pavilion)
The grandest of the three, in neoclassical style, stands on the upper slopes of the park. It has no café open to the public; you admire it from outside.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Entry to the park is free; only the car park, run by İSPARK, and the cafés are charged. Barbecues and fires are banned in the park. On April weekends the park and the coast road are packed: come on a weekday, ideally in the morning, and take the bus. For a full half-day, combine the walk with the [Sakıp Sabancı Museum](/fr/attractions/musee-sakip-sabanci), in the same Emirgan neighbourhood, or with [Rumeli Hisarı fortress](/fr/attractions/forteresse-rumeli-hisari), served by the same buses 22 and 40.
How to get there
Emirgan Korusu, Emirgan Mahallesi, 34467 Sarıyer, Istanbul; main entrance on the Bosphorus side, on the coast road. İETT bus 22 from Kabataş via Beşiktaş, 40 from Taksim via Beşiktaş and 40T via Beşiktaş, Emirgan stop. Emirgan pier is served by only a few Şehir Hatları ferries (Bebek–Emirgan line): check the timetable before relying on this route.
Opening hours
Nearby
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