Enjoy an informative guided tour of one of the largest ancient water cisterns in Istanbul with exclusive skip-the-line tickets!
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Skip the long lines and explore one of the most-visited museums in Istanbul.
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Learn more about the Basilica Cistern’s history and the outstanding engineering prowess of the Byzantines by opting for the multilingual audio guide.
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Witness the famous Hen’s Eye Column and Medusa Pillar Bases, which have been featured in several Hollywood films.
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You can make your experience even better by upgrading your ticket to include a guided tour of Basilica Cistern as well as Hagia Sophia.
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Skip-the-line entry to the Basilica Cistern
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Multilingual audio guide (optional)
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Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia English guided tour (optional)
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These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.
How do we collect reviews?
Guests from United States, Spain, Italy and over 97 countries have loved this experience
Francisco
Oct, 2024
Very nice visit of the Cistern. It is not very clear where to meet the guide and then we walk back to the original gate.View original review in SpanishMatthew
Oct, 2024
We booked last minute and were still able to see everything we wanted to. Ticketing was straightforward. The Topkapi Palace tour was what we hoped for: descriptive, informative, and quick so we could go exploring on our own. Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cisterns were amazing to witness. Thank you for helping to make this a good experience.Elsa
Oct, 2024
Everything was great, no queues to get in and , seeing the Basilica cistern is the most beautiful thing I have done on the trip. Thank you .View original review in Spanish
Linhdan
Oct, 2024
Obtaining tickets was very easy but app said we needed earphones but we didn't because it was a guided tour. Need speaker and headphones for guide. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable
Aparna
Oct, 2024
Awesome experience. We went to Hagia Sofia at about 11 am . The line with online tickets was also long but with our tickets we got to get in very fast and smooth . At basilica , again the line was more then one hour wait , but with our skip the line tickets , we went inside in like 5 mins , the gate keeper stopped everyone and let us go in first, as they were skip the line tickets. Very smooth process of booking and having the app on phone was very helpful and fast.
From Dan Brown’s wildly popular novel Inferno to the 1963 James Bond film ‘From Russia With Love’, the Basilica Cistern has always been a part of popular culture. Built during the reign of Justinian I, the cistern itself is a paragon of 6th century Byzantine architecture. As you enter this cavernous subterranean marvel, you will be greeted by a dim golden hue that glistens off the surface of the water.
As you walk on the raised wooden platforms amongst the 336 massive columns that support the structure, prepare to be enchanted by the gentle pitter-patter of water dripping from the vaulted ceiling and the ghostly outlines of carp that populate the water. The Medusa column bases in the northwest portion of the cistern are a particularly mesmerizing sight. Your guide will tell you about the various theories surrounding the mysterious origin of the two stone heads that are oriented sideways.
Upgrade to Include Hagia Sophia
Enhance your experience with guided tours. When you sign up for this exclusive offer, your name will be added to the list of monuments over the course of three days. Visit any monument at any available time, or meet us outside two museums where we'll guide you past long lines! With a flexible combo ticket that allows access to both Basilica Cisten and Hagia Sophia. Feel free to explore them together or independently - it's totally up to you!
Additional information
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It's recommended to wear comfortable shoes.
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For the audio guide Please ensure a stable internet connection and bring your headphones.
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Please note that your ticket allows you to skip the ticketing queue but you cannot skip the security check.
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If you come before 10am or after 3pm during peak season, the security line is much shorter and you can enter within 5-10 minutes.
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Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
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Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.
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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.
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