Eid al-Fitr this year falls on 20–22 March 2026. Thursday the 19th is the eve of Eid, a half-day holiday, which means a long stretch from Wednesday evening through Sunday night. Between the visits, the sweets and the celebrations, the kids will inevitably ask: where are we going? Here are 14 answers.
The list includes classics alongside places most Istanbul families have not discovered yet. From the funfair and theatre to a horse farm, from a ceramics workshop to a butterfly garden, there is something for every age and every day of the holiday.
1. SkyWalk at Emaar Sky View
📍 Emaar Square Mall, Level B2, Üsküdar | 🕐 10:00–22:00 | Paid
You enter from the B2 level of Emaar Square Mall and ride up to the 47th floor. When the lift doors open, Istanbul suddenly looks very small: the Bosphorus, the Princes Islands, the historic peninsula and the Anatolian skyline, all at once. Walking on the transparent glass floor of the SkyWalk platform is a strange feeling even for adults. Kids hesitate at the first step, but once they take it, they do not want to leave. A strong way to start the holiday.
Booking tickets in advance is important. Queues get long during Eid and there are set entry times. Buying online saves time and usually comes with a price advantage.
2. Emaar Aquarium
📍 Emaar Square Mall, Üsküdar | 🕐 10:00–22:00 | Paid
Walking through the shark tunnel, watching the penguins from behind the glass, standing frozen in front of the crocodile pool. Every corner of Emaar Aquarium is a stop of its own. Rocky Shores, Ocean Tunnel, Fantasy Island, Forests, Monkey Kingdom, Raccoon House, Waterfalls and Rivers, Penguin Island, Crocodile Kingdom: 9 themed sections with over 20,000 living creatures from more than 200 species. You will end up debating which section the kids refused to leave.
Being inside Emaar Square Mall means weather is never an issue, making it a reliable choice for any day of the holiday. Pairing it with Sky View on the same day makes sense since both are in the same building.
3. Ceramics Workshop with Kids
📍 Kadıköy / Erenköy | 🕐 Session times vary | Paid
A child who sits down at a wheel and shapes their own bowl will remember that day for a long time. They also leave with something real, something they can actually use at home. Probably a more lasting Eid memory than a cinema ticket or funfair token.
Istanbul has several well-established studios worth recommending. Ege Menteş Seramik in Kadıköy has been running sessions since 2015 for both children and adults, with parent-and-child slots available in the same session. Also in Kadıköy, Gaceramic operates daily workshop formats with advance booking. KMK Sanat in Erenköy focuses specifically on children with ceramics and sculpture workshops.
These studios book up fast during Eid week. Reserving at least a week ahead is strongly recommended.
4. Gülhane Park on Eid Morning
📍 Sultanahmet, Fatih | 🕐 Open 24/7 | Free
Right next to Sultanahmet, free and spacious. By late March the trees are starting to bloom, the play areas are lively but not cramped. Come early on an Eid morning and the park is practically yours; it fills up in the afternoon.
If you are already planning to visit the historic peninsula, this fits naturally into a Topkapı Palace or Hagia Sophia route without needing a separate trip. A picnic blanket, a flask of tea and an open space for the kids to run around. Some of the most relaxed and affordable hours of the holiday can be spent right here.
5. Maçka Democracy Park and Cable Car Ride
📍 Harbiye, Şişli | 🕐 Park open 24/7, cable car winter hours 08:00–19:00 | Park free, cable car paid
An easy-to-reach park in the middle of Beşiktaş with well-maintained play areas and plenty of cafes nearby. The real surprise is the cable car that runs from the park up to Taşkışla. Riding a cable car in the middle of the city turns into an unexpected adventure for young kids. The ride is short but the “we flew on a cable car” story gets retold for weeks. It also works well as part of a Nişantaşı or Beşiktaş day out.
6. Horse Farm in Kemerburgaz
📍 Kemerburgaz, Eyüpsultan | 🕐 Reservation required | Paid
One of the few places where you can go horse riding without leaving the city, right next to Belgrad Forest. Younger children can do a pony lap around the paddock; older ones can go on a short guided trail through the woods with an instructor. A good first introduction to horses for a child who has never been near one.
Getting to Kemerburgaz takes about 30 to 40 minutes from the city centre. Leave early and you can be back before noon, leaving the rest of the holiday day free. Booking is essential; during Eid week, reservations fill up quickly via WhatsApp.
7. Bostancı Funfair
📍 Bostancı, Kadıköy | 🕐 Hours may vary, check before visiting | Paid
For families who want to keep the Eid funfair tradition alive, this is a solid choice. Easy to get to, with a lively surrounding area. Bumper cars, carousel, Ferris wheel. The classics still work, especially for ages 3 to 10.
The location is the real advantage: close to Kadıköy and Bağdat Caddesi, it fits naturally into a full Anatolian side day. Leave the funfair, walk along the waterfront, stop for a coffee or some shopping on Bağdat Caddesi and the day is done.
8. Children’s Theatre During Eid
📍 Harbiye, Üsküdar, GOP venues | 🕐 Showtimes vary | Paid
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s City Theatres put on children’s plays during Eid week at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul, Üsküdar Musahipzade Celal and Gaziosmanpaşa stages. Some private theatres also run matinee performances during the holiday period.
Check the programme and ticket availability in advance on the IBB website. Tickets for popular shows sell out before Eid. Watching a children’s play together tends to stick in the memory longer than most gifts.
9. Atatürk Urban Forest
📍 Kağıthane | 🕐 Open 24/7 | Free
A thousand-acre green space in the middle of the city, in Kağıthane. Large picnic areas, wide walking paths and wooden play structures. By late March the first spring greenery makes this forest particularly worth visiting.
A good escape from indoor venues and holiday crowds. Arriving in the morning and staying through the afternoon is easy to do. You can bring your own food and stay as long as you like without depending on a cafeteria.
10. Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden
📍 Ataşehir | 🕐 Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00 (March), closed Mondays | Free
In Ataşehir, a place most Istanbul families have not yet discovered. Thousands of plant species, wide paths, interactive areas designed with children in mind and rotating exhibition spaces. For those who prefer smaller crowds, the third or fourth day of Eid is a good time to visit.
It is also a genuinely educational place for kids: questions like which plant grows where and which tree looks like what come up naturally as you walk around. For families who want to explore something off the usual circuit, Nezahat Gökyiğit is a very different kind of holiday stop.
11. Parkorman
📍 Maslak, Sarıyer | 🕐 Open during daylight hours | Free
A large open area inside Fatih Forest in Maslak, with wooden play structures and cycling paths. The kind of place where kids can run freely and adults can actually breathe. By late March the weather is good enough to spend a full day outside.
There is also a nature trail in the area where signs guide you through local plants and wildlife, making it both fun and informative for children. Bring a picnic and you can stay for hours. For those on the European side, it works as an alternative or a complement to Atatürk Urban Forest.
12. Kite Museum Workshop in Üsküdar
📍 Near Üsküdar Square | 🕐 Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00, closed Sundays | Free entry, workshop paid | ⚠️ May be closed on public holidays. Call ahead to confirm during Eid.
Turkey’s only kite museum, open since 2005. Kites collected from dozens of countries are on display, spanning different cultures and eras. Beyond just looking around, there is a 60 to 75 minute workshop programme where children build their own kite, tour the museum and leave with it in hand.
200 metres from Üsküdar Square, easy to reach by Marmaray. Best kept as a separate day from the Beykoz Glass Museum and Butterfly Farm, which work better together.
13. Beykoz Glass Museum
📍 Beykoz | 🕐 Open daily except Monday, 09:00–17:30 | Paid | ⚠️ Part of Milli Saraylar: closed on the first day of Eid (20 March), open on days 2 and 3.
Watching molten glass take shape in a craftsman’s hands is a genuinely absorbing experience for children. They go quiet first, then the questions start coming: why is the fire that hot, why does glass flow, where does the colour come from. The transformation is both mesmerizing and thought-provoking.
In some sessions it is possible to take part in making a small glass object. The historic furnace tends not to attract overwhelming holiday crowds, which is part of what makes it worthwhile. A handmade glass piece to take home is one of those things a child genuinely says “I made this.”
14. Istanbul Butterfly Farm in Beykoz
📍 Beykoz | Paid
In a wooded area of Beykoz, a enclosed garden where tropical butterflies fly freely. Turkey’s first butterfly farm. Step inside and wings land on your shoulders; kids compete to get the best photograph.
Species from different continents live together in this garden, making it both visually striking and genuinely educational. Calm, unusual and far from the main holiday crowds. If you are looking for a relaxed and unhurried way to close out the holiday, this is the right place.
Planning Notes
Book Sky View and Aquarium tickets in advance. These are the busiest venues during the first two days of Eid. Buying online skips the queue and usually comes with a better price.
20 and 21 March are the most crowded days. For indoor venues, Sunday or the morning of the eve of Eid tends to be quieter. For outdoor spaces, early mornings are the best time.
Weather in late March Istanbul can change quickly. Pack a spare layer and a rain jacket.
Plan Beykoz as a single day. The Glass Museum and Butterfly Farm fit comfortably together. The distance between them is short; start in the morning and wrap up in the early afternoon.
For the horse farm and ceramics workshop, call or message ahead. Both have limited capacity and Eid week fills up fast.
Do not leave theatre tickets to the last minute. IBB City Theatres sell out quickly during Eid. Check the programme and availability on the IBB website.
Wishing everyone a happy Eid!
