Best of Istanbul: Basilica Cistern - Blue Mosque - Grand Bazaar
Overview
About
Experience the best of Istanbul with a visit to the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar.
What you'll do
What is included?
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
What is not included?
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- 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 Sundays
- IF “All Inclusive Option” not selected: Basilica Cistern (1.500TL 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).
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Meet your host
Itinerary
Istanbul Sacred Site Pilgrimages Itinerary (2026 Guide) – What You'll See & Do
Explore the full itinerary for Best of Istanbul: Basilica Cistern - Blue Mosque - Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. This sacred site pilgrimages experience includes 6 stops over 1 day. Duration: 4 hours. Activity level: Moderate.
Here is the starting point
Basilica Cistern
This spacious Roman built cistern shows off impressive Roman engineering was commissioned by Emperor Justinian, largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul and has been backdrop for many movies over time.
Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque by many tourists because of its bluish interior decoration( blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design), is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center..
Hippodrome
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Today it is a square with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. Monuments decorating the Hippodrome include the 3500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column...
Grand Bazaar
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is high on most tourists' itineraries, and for a good reason. This enormous site is the largest covered market in the world with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m², attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily...
Sultanahmet District
"Sultan Ahmet Center", the heart of the "Old City" from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled
Sultanahmet Square
This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
This concludes the tour.
