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A historic mosque with multiple domes and minarets, surrounded by trees and urban landscape. 1
A bustling market with people browsing stalls filled with colorful lanterns and ceramics. 2
A historical building with ornate columns and a detailed mosaic ceiling. 3
A mosque with multiple minarets and a tall obelisk in front. 4
A grand interior with a large dome, arched windows, and intricate wall decorations. 5
By vipturkeyguide

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
Free cancellation available
Price is €176 per adult* *Get a lower price by selecting multiple adult tickets
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 5h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup

Overview

  • Explore Istanbul’s Old Town with a private guide who brings its history to life. Visit Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern, discovering Byzantine and Ottoman stories and architectural details along the way. The itinerary can be customised to your interests within the scheduled duration.

    Experience cultural craft demonstrations, then explore the Grand Bazaar’s vaulted passages and centuries of trading history.

    Meet in Sultanahmet or at your hotel within walking distance of the starting point. Staying elsewhere? Contact us to discuss meeting arrangements.

    *Private walking tour with a guide dedicated to your group

    *Explore Istanbul's rich history and cultural heritage

    *Discover major landmarks with time for questions

    *Customise the itinerary to your interests

    *Experience Turkish craftsmanship and the historic Grand Bazaar

    *The entire itinerary can be customised

Activity location

  • Hagia Sophia Mosque
    • Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1
    • 34122, Istanbul, Turkiye

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
    • No:1 Ayasofya Meydanı
    • 34122, Sultan Ahmet, İstanbul, Türkiye

Check availability

Istanbul Private Tour: Hagia Sophia,Blue Mosque, Cistern & Bazaar

  • Activity duration is 5 hours5h
    5h
  • English

Pickup included

Language options: English
Price details
€110.25 x 1 Adult€110.25
Paid at activity€65.47
Total
Price is €175.72

What's included, what's not

  • Inclusions
    Meeting at your hotel is available for Old Town area. Vehicle transfer is not included
  • Inclusions
    Special rates are available for large private groups — please contact us.
  • Inclusions
    Customization may be possible — please contact us with your requests.
  • Inclusions
    Entrance to the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and Hippodrome is free of charge
  • Exclusions
    The entrance fee to Hagia Sophia Museum is not included
  • Exclusions
    Entrance fee - The entrance fee to Basilica Cistern is not included EUR 40.00 per person

Know before you book

    • Public transport options are available nearby
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and Eids, can be replaces with Spice Bazaar
    • Ladies should bring scarf to cover heads for the mosques
    • Tour is mostly walking
    • As this is a walking tour, it is not recommended for guests with health issues related to walking
    • In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, activities services are not subject to the right of withdrawal. Supplier cancellation policy will apply.
    • This activity is provided by a professional trader (a party acting within their trade, business or profession).

Activity itinerary

Hagia Sophia Mosque

  • 50m
  • Admission ticket not included
Discover Hagia Sophia’s remarkable history through its architecture, decoration and changing roles over the centuries. Your guide will explain its origins as a Byzantine church, its conversion into an Ottoman mosque, its period as a museum and its present use as a mosque. Explore how its monumental dome, marble surfaces, mosaics and Islamic calligraphy reflect different chapters of Istanbul’s past. Hear about the emperors, architects and sultans associated with the building, while learning how successive generations adapted it. Throughout the visit, take time to appreciate the details visible along the visitor route and ask questions about this extraordinary landmark.

Blue Mosque

  • 40m
Visit the Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s most recognisable landmarks and an active place of worship. Discover how its cascading domes, six minarets and spacious courtyard express the ambitions of Sultan Ahmed I and the architectural traditions of the Ottoman Empire. Inside, your guide will draw attention to the Iznik tiles, painted decoration and use of light that shape the atmosphere of the prayer hall. Learn about the mosque’s place in daily religious life, including prayer customs and visitor etiquette. There will be time to appreciate the interior, observe its architectural details and ask questions while respecting those who worship here.

Hippodrome

  • 30m
Walk through the former Hippodrome of Constantinople, once a setting for chariot races, imperial ceremonies and public gatherings. Although the ancient stadium no longer survives intact, its remaining monuments offer clues to the city’s Byzantine past. Discover the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the Walled Obelisk as your guide explains their origins and why they stood at the heart of the imperial capital. Hear how rival racing factions became involved in politics and how the arena connected emperors with the crowds. Learn to picture the scale and atmosphere of the Hippodrome beneath the open square you see today.

Basilica Cistern

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Descend beneath Istanbul’s streets into the Basilica Cistern, a Byzantine reservoir built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. Follow the walkways between rows of ancient columns as your guide explains how water was brought to Constantinople and stored beneath the city. Discover the practical purpose behind this impressive engineering project and examine the variety of architectural elements reused in its construction. At the famous Medusa heads, hear about their unusual placement and the interpretations surrounding them, distinguishing what is known from later stories. Take time to enjoy the reflections, atmospheric lighting and unexpected scale of this underground space.

Sultanahmet District

  • 50m
Discover Turkish crafts through a ceramic demonstration and visits to selected local showrooms in Sultanahmet. Learn about ceramic techniques and designs, explore the materials and patterns of Turkish rugs, and browse leather goods. There is time to ask questions and view the pieces, with the option to purchase anything that interests you.

Grand Bazaar

  • 1h
Explore the vaulted passages of the Grand Bazaar and discover how this historic marketplace grew from its 15th-century origins into a centre of Ottoman commerce. Your guide will place its storey within Istanbul’s wider trading connections, including the Silk Road networks that carried goods and ideas between regions. Learn about the bazaar’s bedestens, the role of merchants and the trade in textiles, jewellery, spices & Turkish delight and other valuable goods. Along the way, get your bearings among its interconnected lanes and browse shops according to your interests.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Hagia Sophia Mosque
    • Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1
    • 34122, Istanbul, Turkiye

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
    • No:1 Ayasofya Meydanı
    • 34122, Sultan Ahmet, İstanbul, Türkiye

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