Highlights

• Visit the highlights of Istanbul on a shared group or a private guided tour
• Benefit from priority admission and skip-the-line entry with an expert guide
• Explore the world-famous Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern with tickets
• Learn about the Ottomans on a guided tour through the Topkapi Palace
• All admission tickets are included

Full description

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 with pre-reserved tickets 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, 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. Enter the famous palace with priority admission tickets and discover the complex of buildings, pavilions, and courtyards. Explore the outer-terraced gardens and admire the view over the Golden Horn.

Choose to visit the Harem with your included tickets at your leisure. Admire cupboard doors inlaid with mother of pearl and tortoiseshell and stunning Iznik tiles with verses from the Quran.
End your with a visit to the holy relics and the imperial kitchens.

About this activity

Includes

• Tour guide
• Shared or private walking tour (depending on the option chosen)
• Skip-the-line ticket for Hagia Sophia
• Skip-the-line ticket for Basilica Cistern
• Skip-the-line ticket for Topkapi Palace
• Skip-the-line ticket for the Harem
• Guided tour of the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace
• Headsets to hear the guide better
• Transportation to the meeting point

Meeting point

We meet at Ersoy Bufe. This is a small food kiosk just by the side of the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet Square. It is across the German Fountain. Your guide will be in front of the Ersoy Bufe with a sign that says, “Walks in Europe.”
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Important information

What to bring

• Headscarf

Not allowed

• Short skirts
• Shorts
• Sleeveless shirts

Know before you go

• You will have to pass through airport-style security
• Expect long lines to enter the Hagia Sophia, especially during local holidays.
• Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace may be closed unannounced due to high-level state visits.
• Basilica Cistern has 50 steps going down and then up. There is no lift.
• Harem visit is not included in the guided tour but you can choose to visit at your leisure with your included tickets
• Topkapi Palace is a vast complex with multiple sections open for visit. During our tour, we’ll visit the most magnificent masterpieces. However, if you wish to explore all sections at your leisure, we recommend allocating the afternoon to explore the rest of the Palace grounds.