Guided Tour: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern

Experience the best of old Istanbul on a guided walking tour. Visit iconic sites like Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and more. Hear fascinating stories of Roman Hippodrome and Constantine’s Column.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Blue Mosque - This 17th-century mosque is active and the most visited in Turkey. Its original name is Sultanahmet Mosque, but it is called the Blue Mosque due to the blue tiles adorning its interior.
    • It was closed for renovations for the past six years but has been open since April 21st.
  • Hippodrome - This site is the foundation of the…
What's Included
  • Entry ticket to Basilica Cistern and priority to skip line
  • Entry to Blue Mosque
  • Tea and coffee
  • Professional licensed English speaking guide
  • Entry tickets to Hagia Sophia and skip line
What's Not Included
  • Tipping to the guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Lunch. Your guide will suggest you some local restaurants at the end of the tour for lunch.
Additional Information

Avoid the lengthy queues to enter the Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern.
Check off most of the major attractions in historic Istanbul from your travel bucket list with our exclusive small group tour.
This tour offers a comprehensive guide through Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome, and Spice Bazaar.
During the tour,…

Location
German Fountain
At Meydanı Caddesi
Travel to the Sultanahmet Tram Station. From the tram station walk down the hill on the right side of the road toward to the little mosque Firuz ağa . Take the first right onto the Hippodrome ( square ). You will see the green domed fountain in front of you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(116 Ratings)
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Ana_m
Mar 17, 2026
Very good! - The guide was very good, calm, explaining things clearly, answering questions. The visit, for someone that doesn´t have much time, gives a good idea of history and way of living in Istambul.
Review provided by Viator
Anita
Jan 22, 2026
Historical and local insight, as well as a nice and interesting chat! - I was the only one who happened to book a tour and Burak gave a fantastic and detailed historical explorations behind the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque. The style and pacing of the tour was quite enjoyable and a break was taken in a madrassa that had been converted into a coffee house. Thank you Burak as I appreciated the professionalism, coffee, tea, local insight and most of all the chat. =)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Petia_i
Jan 2, 2026
Amazing private tour of Istanbul - We enjoyed the tour very much. Since it was just for us, we set the pace and decided how long we wanted to spend at each stop. The guide was very knowledgeable and super nice.
Review provided by Viator
Fjonnad
Nov 24, 2025
A tour full of history - A fantastic tour with a great guide. He happily told the entire history of Istanbul in detail. The Ottoman Empire spread from west to east. He also showed us the little details that some people miss. Too bad we came in the low season, November. There are renovations going on, which are visible in some photos. Still, he knew some tricks to hide them. He enjoyed taking pictures of us. It was also easier because there were only two of us. It was a private tour, so to speak. In between, we walked from one monument to the next, again hearing wonderful stories about the city and its surroundings. Thanks again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura_s
Nov 11, 2025
Great Day in Istanbul - Omar our guide was amazing and so knowledgeable. He efficiently showed us so many great sites in Istanbul. Perfect tour
Review provided by Viator
Michelle
Nov 10, 2025
Amazing morning in Istanbul! - Fabulous informative and comprehensive tour of Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Basicila Cistern. The history lesson was amazing! We had a great morning with Burak, amazing guide and story teller. Grand bazaar is closed on Sunday but ended the tour with some amazing Turkish coffee at a historic coffee house. Worth every penny as we only had a few hours in Istanbul and wanted to see these three places. Tour as advertised, skipped every line and wasted no time. Would highly recommend and will do the tour again when we return with our kids one day. Thank you Burak!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jean_w
Nov 6, 2025
Excellent tour. Lots of history. - Excellent tour. Lots of history. Burak was very good and made it interesting. And he suggested a place for lunch and other stops to see. I enjoyed a private tour much more than a group.
Review provided by Viator
Sherrill_m
Nov 5, 2025
Istanbul's best tour guide! - Our tour guide Burak was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable on the history of Istanbul and most friendly and helpful. I would gladly use him again on our next visit to Turkey and highly recommend him to you!
Review provided by Viator
Chris_m
Nov 1, 2025
Next Level Experience! - This tour alone was worth the entire cost of my trip! It was clear our tour guide, Salih, had an amazing depth of understanding about the culture and history of this magnificent city. He gave a highly detailed narrative about the sites and the antiquities contained within. He was personable and engaging, flexible and informative and I was sad that I hadn’t taken advantage of his other tours during my stay. If you’re looking for that ‘next level’ experience, you must book with Salih, even if you’re in town only a few hours!
Review provided by Viator
Gail
Oct 28, 2025
Best tour guide of our entire trip I think his name was Gerzig - We had a wonderful tour in Istanbul with a very nice and friendly guide. He was extremely knowledgeable of the area which made our day very special. We never waited in any lines and went to a very nice restaurant for lunch. I believe his name was Gurzig.i
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $174
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).