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Offered languages
- English
Get your bearings in Istanbul’s Old City in one guided walk. Join a licensed local guide for a shared walking tour through Sultanahmet. See Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque from the square, then stand where crowds once cheered on chariot races at the Hippodrome.
Along the way, find the Milion Stone, where distances from Constantinople were once measured. Follow Divanyolu to the tomb of Sultan Mahmud II and the adjoining cemetery where Ottoman statesmen were laid to rest. Then discover Çorlulu Ali Pasha Medrese, a former Ottoman school near Çemberlitaş.
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern are viewed from outside. No admission tickets are needed for the standard route. Before you leave, ask your guide which sights to return to, where to eat, and how to get around during the rest of your stay.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We meet in front of the Fatih Belediyesi Sultanahmet Sosyal Tesisleri.
Our tour ends at Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi.
Itinerary
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1Hippodrome
Hippodrome was a stadium-like structure served as race-track where chariot races and civic meetings were held in the Roman times.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2German Fountain
One of the important monuments located in the ancient Roman Hippodrome.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Obelisk of Theodosius
See an ancient Egyptian obelisk in the heart of Istanbul. Look for the carved figures on its marble base as your guide explains how Emperor Theodosius I put his own mark on a monument brought from Egypt.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Serpent Column
Look closely at the intertwined bronze serpents. Your guide tells the story of how a monument from ancient Delphi ended up in Constantinople’s Hippodrome.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Blue Mosque
Exterior stop. Take in the Blue Mosque’s domes and minarets from Sultanahmet Square and hear the story behind Sultan Ahmed I’s landmark mosque.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Hurrem Sultan HamamI
Exterior stop. Look up at Hagia Sophia’s great dome as your guide traces its story from Justinian’s Byzantine basilica to the mosque it is today.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7TopkapI Palace
Exterior stop at the Imperial Gate. Hear who passed through this entrance and what lay beyond it in the seat of the Ottoman court.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
Exterior stop. Look up at Hagia Sophia’s great dome as your guide traces its story from Justinian’s Byzantine basilica to the mosque it is today.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9Basilica Cistern
Exterior stop. Find out why Constantinople needed a vast underground reservoir and how the Basilica Cistern helped supply the city with water.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10Milion Stone
See what remains of Constantinople’s mile marker and learn how it served as a starting point for measuring distances along the roads of the Byzantine Empire.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11Divanyolu Street
Pause along Divanyolu at the mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud II. Hear how he set about reforming the Ottoman Empire and why statesmen, diplomats, and other prominent figures were laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
12Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi
Stop at a former Ottoman school near Çemberlitaş and hear what students learned in a medrese and how these schools fit into life in Ottoman Istanbul.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There is no pick-up or drop-off service for this group tour.
- This is a walking tour as all the highlights are located in a big pedestrian square and so close to each other.
- This tour has no interior visits to the sites except the local cafe at the end of the tour.
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There is no pick-up or drop-off service for this group tour.
- This is a walking tour as all the highlights are located in a big pedestrian square and so close to each other.
- This tour has no interior visits to the sites except the local cafe at the end of the tour.
- If you’d like to visit the interiors of the museums, please feel free to take a look at our other tours, which include museum entry visits.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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