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Historic Istanbul Old City Tour: Visit Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
4.8
100 Ratings
Fatih
Immerse yourself in the rich history of Istanbul’s old town on this guided tour. Explore iconic landmarks, indulge in Turkish delights, and marvel at the breathtaking views from the Blue Mosque.
Immerse yourself in the rich history of Istanbul’s old town on this guided tour. Explore iconic landmarks, indulge in Turkish delights, and marvel at the breathtaking views from the Blue Mosque.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Basilica Cistern - Largest of several hundred ancient Byzantine cisterns built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565). Huge underground Roman water source held up with 336 marble columns covering 9,800 sq. meters.
- Basilica Cistern - Largest of several hundred ancient Byzantine cisterns built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565). Huge underground Roman water source held up with 336 marble columns covering 9,800 sq. meters.
What's Included
- Basilica Cistern entry ticket (if all-inclusive option selected)
- Professional Guide
- Small Group
- Basilica Cistern entry ticket (if all-inclusive option selected)
- Professional Guide
- Small Group
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Admission fees
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Admission fees
Additional Information
Explore the historic ‘old town’ of vibrant Istanbul on this tour. Capture stunning photos at Sultanahmet’s renowned religious landmarks, including the Underground Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque. Stroll through fragrant spice markets after delving into the Byzantine history of the Hippodrome. Experience the influences of the Roman, Byzantine, and…
Explore the historic ‘old town’ of vibrant Istanbul on this tour. Capture stunning photos at Sultanahmet’s renowned religious landmarks, including the Underground Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque. Stroll through fragrant spice markets after delving into the Byzantine history of the Hippodrome. Experience the influences of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires in this remarkable part of Turkey’s bustling city.
⦿ Discover the historic landmarks of the old town with an English-speaking tour guide
⦿ Enjoy a smaller, customizable tour group tailored to your interests
⦿ Taste Turkish delights in the Grand Bazaar and visit a local carpet workshop
⦿ Take in the breathtaking views of Istanbul from the Blue Mosque
- Modest clothing should be preferred when visiting the Sultanahmet Blue Mosque. Shorts for men or women should be below the knee. Women cover their heads and exposed shoulders with a scarf or shawl, skirt should be below the knee.
- It may be challenging to do the tour with a stroller, not recommended.
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday
- It is a walking tour, so there is a moderate amount of walking involved
- IF ALL INCLUSIVE OPTION IS NOT SELECTED: Entrance to Basilica Cistern (900TL per person) is not included in the tour price. Once you pay your entrance fee to your tour guide, you will have the privilege of skipping the ticket queue. You can pay the tour guide preferably cash in TRY (or in equivalent to USD or EURO).
Location
Foodie-ist Cafe and Brasserie
Muhterem Efendi Sokak
Meet your guide outside 'FOODIE-IST CAFE AND BRASSERIE,' just a 2-minute walk from the (T1) Sultanahmet tram stop. Your guide, easily identifiable by their tour guide badge, will be waiting for you at the cafe entrance.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(100 Ratings)
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Louise_f
Jul 3, 2025
Was excellent, just long... - Was excellent, just long enough, good pace, Tolga very informative. Ask all your questions as Tolga knows the answer.
Review provided by Viator
Glen_d
Jun 1, 2025
Safe and fun! Take the... - Safe and fun! Take the other reviews that the city is not safe w/ a grain of salt, no hassles at all, great guide
Review provided by Viator
Jim_and_allison10
May 29, 2025
Fascinating and informative dive into the rich history of Istanbul's past. - We had an amazing tour today with Ahsen. We have traveled to many countries and have gone on many excellent tours, although we can honestly say this was the best tour we have ever taken! The tour was fascinating, but our guide's professionalism, knowledge, understanding of history, patience, kindness, not to mention her excellent English and clear delivery were beyond exceptional! We highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindagb7491gz
May 19, 2025
Loved this walking tour! - We met our guide Dimples at the Foodie Cafe and we went early and had lunch, which was delicious. Would highly recommend the lamb burger as it could feed 2, very tasty! My sister walks slow, and since it was just us and another 2 ladies, it made it nice as we could keep up. It was 3 hours but it went fast. The grand Bazaar was closed as it was Sunday, but there was another great smaller Bazaar very close to the Blue Mosque, which was easy and convenient. We had a perfect day, and at the end, we could look around and shop without feeling rushed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna_e
May 10, 2025
Great experience! The... - Great experience! The small group size made maneuvering the crowds manageable. Our guide was knowledgeable, pleasant, and helpful. There is so much to see in Istanbul, but this was an amount that didn’t have me running ragged. Next time I’m in Istanbul though, I’ll make it to the Hagia Sophia and a historic Turkish bath!
Review provided by Viator
Clairetimferris
May 7, 2025
Fab Guided Tour - Fantastic few hours on this trip. Started off exploring the Hippodrome, imagining the chariots racing round in years gone by. Talked about the pillars in the centre before moving into the Blue Mosque. Amazing experience inside, remember to cover shoulders and legs (including men). Time to expore inside then walked to a ceramic shop to see how the beautiful tiles are made etc. Then walked through the old buildings styled by the ottomans before entering the Basilica Cistern (fast track). This was breath taking. Then walked to the grand bazaar where we were left to shop til we dropped!!
Highly recommended this trip, our guide was amazing and knew so much about everything!
Def book this! We had a group of 5 of us, friendly guide and I’m sorry I can’t remember his name!
Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stuart
Apr 23, 2025
Basilica cystern - Was a great feat of engineering and the lighting and mood helps . The tour soundtrack is a must as it tells you all the areas as you walk .
Its expensive for what it is but a must to do once .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ingridcb5259mu
Apr 10, 2025
Very interesting place. - We did not use a guide. It is really not necessary. You can buy the tickets in advance and get to past the long line quicker. It is a really interesting place and well worth seeing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_p
Jun 11, 2025
Great tour but stop the hotel tours and shopping stops. - Tours through high end hotels and ceramic shop were not appreciated or what we were looking for. If we wanted to shop we would do a shopping tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and great - apart from the above. We want sightseeing not being pushed into buying. Expensive Local products. That would include carpets.
Review provided by Viator
Sightsee408756
May 6, 2025
No grand bizarre Sunday - We weren’t aware or warned that the grand bizarre was closed on a Sunday. Otherwise we wouldn’t have booked the tour as this was one of the destinations we looked forward to visiting. Tour guide was knowledgeable and nice. Unfortunately I got scammed in the shop that we were taken to instead of the grand bazaar. We were walking past and then given tea and taster of Turkish delight after being shown by the guide. I purchased 1 smaller box of Turkish delight and some jasmine tea. It’s Totally on me that I should have checked the prices before purchasing on my card but there was a hard very quick sell all vacuum packed and once I checked the exchange rate once we walked out it was £128 pound! Really put a downer on the weekend and the tour. Not blaming the tour guide but he was in the shop with us and could have warned us that we were getting such a terrible deal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
