Guided Tours

Istanbul: Blue Mosque Guided Tour

Blue Mosque courtyard in Istanbul with tourists exploring the historic architecture.

Interior view of Istanbul's Blue Mosque showcasing intricate tilework and grand arches.

Hagia Sophia exterior with minarets and dome in Istanbul, Turkey.

Hagia Sophia interior with ornate domes and arches in Istanbul, Turkey.

Unravel Blue Mosque’s secrets and stroll through Old Istanbul’s historic gems with a guide.

Walk straight into the Blue Mosque with a licensed guide who reveals why its minarets caused a stir and how its architecture enhances prayers.

Gaze at the vast marble courtyard, elegant cascading domes, colossal columns nicknamed “elephant feet,” and inscriptions hand-drawn by Ottoman calligraphers.

A guide leads the way through the mosque and an Old City walking tour past the Hippodrome, ancient Obelisks, and Byzantine relics.

Enhance your journey with a Bosphorus cruise for unbeatable skyline views, take a Hagia Sophia tour to uncover its hidden frescoes, or explore the Basilica Cistern.

Fun fact: Various verses from the Quran and the words of the Prophet Muhammad adorn the high walls of the mosque.

1-hour guided tour of the Blue Mosque

Entry to Blue Mosque

Expert English-speaking licensed guide

Walking tour around Old City

Istanbul Old Town map

90-min Bosphorus cruise ticket (as per option selected)

Audio guide for cruise in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic & Chinese (as per option selected)

Bosphorus cruise map (as per option selected)

45-min guided tour of the Hagia Sophia (as per option selected)

Entry to Hagia Sophia (as per option selected)

30-min guided tour of the Basilica Cistern (as per option selected)

Entry to Basilica Cistern (as per option selected)

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

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Guests from United States, United Kingdom, Italy and over 72 countries have loved this experience
Marie
5/5
Oct, 2024
The guide was pleasant. His storytelling made our wait in line at the entrance much more enjoyable. We learned a lot of interesting information. Everything went as expected.
Marta
5/5
Aug, 2024
Skip the line tickets were the best thing we could do, it saved us hours of waiting in long queues under the sun. The group was quite small which make it easy to hear our guide. Our guide was great, he spoke very good English and explained everything in a very interesting way. I really liked that he also told us about Turkish history, culture, current situation in the country etc., I found it very interesting. Hagia Sofia was amazing and breathtaking. Basilica cistern was a big surprise, it's a beautiful place worth visiting. The time given in each place was enough for exploration and pictures. The tour overall took 4 hours. I highly recommend this tour when in Istanbul.
Maruen
5/5
Aug, 2024
Arda, our guide, was awesome even tho it was sometimes hard to hear every word he said (to be fair every place we saw was quite crowded). Also the skip the line feature is super useful! There is enough time to take pics and buy water or food during the tour
Giuseppe
5/5
Aug, 2024
Beautiful experience, well organized and with a kind, friendly and passionate guide! Definitely worth the price of the ticket. Plus you skip the queue for access to the sites, something not to be overlooked especially during the hottest times of the year.
View original review in Italian
Mohd
5/5
Jul, 2024
It was an amazing experience and the best part was our guide Ms Buse. She was so thorough with the history of the places we visited with her and gave us all the details even if they were small. She was very courteous and understanding as we had a toddler with us.
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What to bring

Bring your walking shoes, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and snacks for comfortable exploration.

Bring local currency or your preferred payment method for meals, souvenirs, and extra delights not covered by the ticket.

Stay ahead of the game; download the audio app beforehand to dodge any network glitches at the location.

Don’t forget your trusty earphones for an immersive audio guide experience.

What's not allowed

Hagia Sophia

The prayer area on the first floor can only be entered by Turkish citizens.

Strict dress code: Women should not wear knee-length shorts, skirts, or clothing with exposed shoulders or chests. Hair should be partially covered with a scarf. Men should not wear knee-length shorts or clothing with exposed shoulders.

Accessibility

Basilica Cistern

This experience is wheelchair accessible.

Hagia Sophia

This tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Additional information

If you do not have a scarf or body cover, you can buy them at the entrance (a scarf is 1€ and a body cover is 3€).

You can choose to take the Bosphorus cruise on the same day or the next day. In addition to midday and afternoon departures, enjoy a special evening cruise at 6pm, available from April to October.

While you can breeze through the ticket lines, security screening is standard for all guests. Be prepared for wait times of up to 60 minutes during peak travel periods.

Hagia Sophia is under renovation, therefore, not all parts of the building are open to the public.

Due to the Friday prayer, the Mosque will be closed to tourists from 12pm to 2pm. For a smoother experience, it's recommended to visit after 4pm to avoid the lengthy security line anticipated between 2pm and 4pm.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Meeting Point

Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.