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Offered languages
- German
- English
- Italian
- French
- Spanish
Discover the ancient ruins of Constantinople in Istanbul Old City. Explore Sultanahmet and learn about the Byzantine history and legends, the last era of the Roman Empire. Extended options: private tour of Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.
Choose one of our excellent tour options tailored to your needs and interests:
2-hour: The Byzantine Empire Tour of the Old City
Explore the Sultanahmet Old City and discover the history of the Byzantine Empire. See the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia (outside only), and more.
3-hour: Old City & Hagia Sophia
Visit the Hagia Sophia Mosque, explore the Sultanahmet Old City and discover the history of the Byzantine Empire. See the ancient Hippodrome and more highlights.
4-hour: Old City, Hagia Sophia & Basilica Cistern
Visit the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia, explore the Sultanahmet Old City and discover the history of the Byzantine Empire, including the ancient Hippodrome.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meet your guide in front of the World Heritage Center Hotel, Alemdar, Divanyolu Caddesi, Dr. Eminpaşa Sk. No:2, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey. Please do not enter the hotel, it is only a meeting point and the staff is not informed about the tour.
Itinerary
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1World Heritage Center Hotel
Meet your guide in front of the World Heritage Center Hotel, Alemdar, Divanyolu Caddesi, Dr. Eminpaşa Sk. No:2, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey. Please do not enter the hotel, it is only a meeting point and the staff is not informed about the tour.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Hippodrome
Discover the ancient ruins of Constantinople in the Old City (Sultanahmet District). You will see the square where the Hippodrome horse and chariot racing stadium stood, and hear amazing stories about daily life in the capital of the mighty Byzantine Empire before its conquest by the Turks. Istanbul has changed a lot during the Ottoman Empire era.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
3Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
The guide will tell you how the magnificent Hagia Sophia transformed from a Roman catholic church to a mosque and show you the ruins of ancient temples, fountains and obelisks. You will pass the 16th-century Blue Mosque and the site where the Great Palace of Constantinople stood. Another point of interest will be the impressive ruins of the 5th-century Bucoleon Palace and the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, which is a former Greek Eastern Orthodox church built in the 6th century. You will feel closer to Constantinople with every step! discover the ancient ruins of Constantinople in the Old City and visit the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Today, this magnificent mosque is one of the most visited attractions in Istanbul, but during the Byzantine Empire it was a Christian cathedral. Inside, your Expert Guide will explain Hagia Sophia’s Christian &Islamic elements and how it has changed during the country’s transformation from the Byzantine Empire, to the Ottoman Empire, to the new Republic of Turkey.
1 hour 50 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Basilica Cistern
Discover the ancient ruins of Constantinople in the Old City and visit the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia. This extended tour includes skip-the-line tickets to Basilica Cistern so you will not waste time queueing at the ticket office. Go underground to the largest of the several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the Old City of Istanbul and discover the secrets of Byzantine engineering!
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
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Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please check your email the day before the tour to receive important information.
- Please note that the number of attractions depends on the selected option. Admissions to Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern are not included in the basic 2-hour option.
- Special visitor rules apply in mosques. Non-Muslims cannot enter during prayer hours, and women are only allowed to enter the visitor area. All visitors must undergo mandatory security checks and adhere to mosque etiquette, which includes a modest dress (head scarves for women only; covered shoulders and knees, no hats and shoes for men and women).
- Skip-the-line tickets to the Basilica Cistern allow you to enter faster without purchasing tickets on the spot, but you may have to wait in line for ticket validation and mandatory security checks.
- For the convenience of all guests, it is best to have 1 licensed guide per maximum of 25 guests. If there are 26-50 people in your group, we will provide the service of 2 licensed guides so that all guests can get the best experience, ask questions and hear the guide well.
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Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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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.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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