Discover the Basilica Cistern under the streets of Istanbul on a guided tour. Be amazed by the stunning architecture of the cistern during the tour and gaze at the Medusa Heads. Skip-the-line and avoid the long queue, as you follow your guide through history. Meet your guide in front of the exit gate of the Basilica Cistern and enter together. Skip the long lines and enjoy a highlights tour and learn interesting facts about the water cistern with an audio guide. Marvel at the engineering of the cistern while hearing the history with a downloadable audio guide. After your guided tour, stay and explore the building at your own pace. 

Enjoy stress-free sightseeing and total flexibility with this combination tour of Istanbul. Decide the best time for you to visit each attraction across 2 days, skip the long lines at the Basilica Cistern, and learn about the fascinating history of the Blue Mosque. Visit the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Hagia Sophia by choosing from multiple daily departure times. Meet your guide in the heart of the Old City and start your tour at the best time for you. 60-Minute Blue Mosque Tour: Daily at 11:00 A.M. & 1:45 P.M. (Tuesdays only at 10:00 A.M & Fridays only at 1:45 P.M.) Journey back in time in the courtyards ot the Blue Mosque. Then, step inside and admire the architecture and the famous blue Iznik tiles. As you explore, learn about Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, Islam, and Istanbul's rich history from your guide. After the tour, you can stay as long as you want. 30-Minute Basilica Cistern Tour: Daily tours at 10:00 A.M., 12:00 P.M., 2:00 P.M., 4:00 P.M. Skip the long ticket lines with your guide and discover the Basilica Cistern beneath the streets of Istanbul. Wander through the ancient cistern and admire the architecture and Medusa heads from Greek mythology. Stay inside as long as you wish after the tour finishes. 60-Minute Hagia Sophia Tour: Daily except Tuesdays at 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. (Fridays only at 2:00 P.M. ) Discover fascinating facts about this 1,500-year-old landmark as you explore with your guide. Get a closer look at the massive dome, beautiful mosaics, and the wishing column. After your tour, stay as long as you want to test the wishing column. Important Information: During high season the security check waiting time for Hagia Sophia is around 60 minutes and at Blue Mosque 45 minutes.

Save time and money with this combo ticket with hassle-free entry to the Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern. Bypass the ticket lines to make the most of your time and hear the most important information and tips from your guide. Visit Hagia Sophia the largest Christian church in the world for 1,000 years and the 1,500-year-old Basilica Cistern, famous for its Medusa heads and many Hollywood Blockbusters. Both attractions are located right next to each other in the Old Town on Sultanahmet Square. Meet your guide guide at the Dsign Cafe in front of the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum located on the Hippodrome, right next to Egyptian Obelisk. Your guide will show you the most important features. Then, enjoy free time to explore at your own pace with your in-app audio guide. Begin your tour at either attraction. Your guide will help you get oriented and advise you of the best time to visit both attractions. With this Combo there are 2 different options: Option 1: If you book the 10 am timeslot, you can enjoy all tours in one day with the same tour guide in 3 hours. Option 2: Or you can spread the tours across two days, giving you the freedom to see things as and when you like.

Visit the Basilica Cistern, built in the 4th century and enlarged in 532 AD, used as water storage during Byzantine times. Listen to your guide as they explain the mystery of Medusa heads from Greek mythology. Explore this cathedral-size cistern, built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in 532 A.D. to supply water to the Great Palace. It stores up to 80,000 cubic meters of water, delivered via 20 kilometers of aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea. Descend the fifty-two stone steps into the entrance of the cistern. The cistern is surrounded by a firebrick wall with a thickness of 4 meters, coated with a waterproofing mortar. Hear how the Basilica Cistern's water comes from the Eğrikapı Water Distribution Center in the Belgrade Forest and travels through the 971-meter-long Valens Aqueduct and the 115-meter-long Mağlova Aqueduct, built by the Emperor Justinian.

Enjoy hassle-free entrance to Istanbul’s top 3 attractions, the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapı Palace with this guided tour. Skip the ticket lines (though security lines can’t be skipped) for fast entrance and make the most of your time. Get the most important information and tips from your tour guide. If you're not comfortable with English, take advantage of the audio guide app available in 7 different languages. Visit Hagia Sophia, the largest Christian church in the world for the past 1,000 years, before seeing the majestic Topkapı Palace, which was home to Ottoman Sultans for centuries. Next, visit the 1500-year-old Basilica underground water cistern, famous for its Medusa heads. See all the highlights of these landmarks with your licensed tour guide. Then, enjoy free time to explore more at your own pace with exciting stories and interesting information frrom your audio guide. With this tour, there are 2 options: Option 1: With the 10 AM timeslot, you can enjoy all tours in a single day with the same tour guide within 5 hours. Option 2: Spread the tours across 3 days, giving you the freedom to see the sites as and when you like.

Explore the striking Basilica Cistern during your visit to Istanbul. Journey beneath the earth's surface and admire the distinctive architecture while listening to an audio guide that will give you insights into the history of this place. Journey back in time and discover the ancient Byzantine Empire. Make your way down the stairs and discover the Basilica Cistern beneath the streets of Istanbul. Wander through the ancient structure and admire the architecture and ornamentation including Medusa heads from Greek mythology. As you listen to the audio guide, learn more about the Basilica Cistern's fascinating history. Stay inside for as long as you want and take some great photos of one of the top attractions in Istanbul.

Learn about the historical development of the city under the Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire on a private tour. Compare the different cultures and religions of these empires while exploring iconic Istanbul sights like Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Travel stress-free with private roundtrip transportation. Enjoy unhurried visits to the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, and the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Visit the famous Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as Blue Mosque, due to its unique interior decoration of blue royal Iznik tiles. At the Hippodrome, see where the Romans used to organize chariot races and gladiators' fights. Admire its remaining Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Constantine Column, and German Fountain. Finish your day by learning about Turkish handicrafts at the famous Grand Bazaar and its 4,000 shops (replaced with the Arasta Baazar or the Spice Bazaar on Sundays). With your private guide leading the way, there's no chance of getting lost in the bazaar. This tour is a good start for first-time visitors to Istanbul. You'll gain a good idea of the past, present, and future of Istanbul while visiting some of the city's must-see sights and monuments. You can pause the tour at any point to ask questions or adjust the itinerary.

Join a guided tour to discover Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. Benefit from priority admission at the museum ticket offices to skip the long lines and head in faster. Meet your guide in the Sultanahmet neighborhood at an easy spot and check out Istanbul's greatest monuments on a walking tour. Start with the Basilica Cistern, wander around the “Subterranean Palace” and learn about its history. See the underground pillars and learn about Byzantine architecture. Walk on the wooden walkways over the water until the famous upside-down Medusa heads. Next, visit the Hagia Sophia and witness the most significant site of the Greek Orthodox religion in Istanbul and learn how it was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Explore the stunning monument with elements of a mosque and a church standing next to each other. Admire the basilica’s stunning dome and minarets, and countless mosaics, paintings, and Roman columns. Learn how the impressive İznik tiles were added over time in the Mosque, how the stunning Virgin Mary mosaic was made, and why the Ottomans chose to bury their sultans in the courtyard. Continue to Topkapi Palace to explore the splendor of the Ottoman Empire. Discover the complex of buildings, pavilions, and courtyards was a self-contained city, which most inhabitants rarely left. Explore the outer-terraced gardens and admire the view over the Golden Horn. Admire cupboard doors inlaid with mother of pearl and tortoiseshell and stunning Iznik tiles with verses from the Quran. The tour ends with a visit to the holy relics and the imperial kitchens. You can choose to visit the Harem at your own pace.

Discover the best of Istanbul on this 1, 2, or 3-day private tour that covers the major attractions, such as the Hagia Sophia Museum, the iconic Blue Mosque, the bustling maze of the Grand Bazaar, and the obelisk of the Hippodrome of Constantinople. A few of the possible attraction you'll visit on your tour include: The Hagia Sophia, a great architectural beauty and an important monument during the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. For many centuries, this was the largest church in the world, and it still boasts the 4th largest dome after St. Paul's in London, St. Peter's in Rome, and the Duomo in Florence. Dedicated to the Hagia Sophia or 'divine wisdom', it is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. The Blue Mosque, more officially known as the "Sultanahmet" Mosque has striking blue tiles give it its more common name and make it one of Istanbul’s most iconic attractions. Located close to Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet Mosque was considered the Supreme Imperial Mosque in Istanbul. Topkapi Palace, a relic of the glory days of the great Ottoman Empire. The former palace boasted a population of about 4,000 people at its peak and was home to 25 sultans over a period of 400 years. Located on a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn, it sits in tranquil gardens that provide shade from the blazing heat of the summer. Pop in to the museum to see the gorgeous Iznik tiles and the ornate stateroom of the harem, among other attractions. The Hippodrome is the former circus built in 203 AD by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus. Three monuments from the original building remain, including the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, and the Constantine Column. Pause to look at the German Fountain of Wilhelm II, made from 8 marble columns. The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. With hundreds of small handcraft shops selling everything from handmade carpets to Turkish coffee, the atmosphere is electric, and it's a great place to try out your bargaining skills. The spice bazaar is located in Fatih. It's known as the Egyptian Market because during the Ottoman period, Egyptian exports were sold there. The Bosphorus is a narrow, navigable strait between Europe and Asia that connects the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. Rumeli and Anadolu Fortresses are located at the narrowest point of Bosphorus. There are also magnificent Ottoman palaces and mosques along the Bosphorus. Keep an eye out for them. Built in the 19th century, Dolmabahce Palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and housed some of the last Ottoman Sultans. The palace site was created by filling in the small bay on the Bosphorus. This gave rise to its name — in Turkish, Dolma means "filled" or "stuffed," and bahce means "garden". Istiklal Street is brimming with life. There, you'll find a plethora of shops, restaurants, and bars, and from there, it's an interesting and scenic 2-kilometer walk down to the Tunel Galata Tower area. See this and more depending on which length tour option you select. Possible Itinerary for each day of the tour: Day 1: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome Day 2: Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal, Galata Tower Day 3: Suleymaniye Mosque, Chora Church, Fener/Balat Districts, Pierre Loti Hill

Visit two of Istanbul's must-see highlights, Basilica Cistern and Grand Bazaar. Enjoy skip-the-line entry to Basilica Cistern with a professional tour guide. Basilica Cistern Tour Times Mondays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:45 Tuesdays 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 Wednesdays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 16:45 Thursdays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15, 15:45, 16:30 Fridays 09:00, 09:45, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:45, 16:30 Saturdays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:30, 14:00, 15:00, 15:30, 16:30 Sundays 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:30, 14:15, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30 Basilica Cistern Tour Meeting Point: Meet with the guide in front of the Busforus Sultanahmet (Old City) Stop. Our guide will hold the Istanbul E-pass flag at the meeting point and time. Busforus Old City Stop is located across the Hagia Sophia, and you can easily see red double-decker buses. Grand Bazaar Tour Times Monday 16:45 Tuesdays 17:00 Wednesdays 12:00 Thursday 16:30 Friday 12:00, 12:30 Saturday 12:00, 16:30 Sunday No tours (Bazaar is closed) Grand Bazaar Tour Meeting Point: Meet with the guide in front of the Cemberlitas Column next to the Cemberlitas Tram Station. Our guide will hold the Istanbul E-pass flag at the meeting point. Basilica Cistern is located in the heart of the historic city center. It is the giant cistern in the historical city of Istanbul. The Cistern is hosting 336 columns. The function of this outstanding construction was to enable drinking water for Hagia Sophia. Great Palace of Palatium Magnum and fountains and baths are located throughout the city. Listen the history of amazing Cistern from your tour guide. Imagine a market with more than 500 years of history, 64 streets, 22 gates, and more than 4,000 shops. Not only a shopping mall but also a manufacturing center. A place that you can lose yourself in history and mystery. That is the most significant and oldest market in the world. The famous Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Learn how to bargain at Bazaar from your guide.