Istanbul Old City: Basilica Cistern - Blue Mosque - Grand Bazaar
Overview
About
Explore the historic Istanbul Old City, where you can discover the stunning Basilica Cistern, the breathtaking Blue Mosque, and the vibrant 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 Sunday
- It is a walking tour, so there is a moderate amount of walking involved
- IF ALL INCLUSIVE OPTION IS NOT SELECTED: Entrance to Basilica Cistern (900TL 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 experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Meet your host
Itinerary
Istanbul Historical & Heritage Tours Itinerary (2026 Guide) – What You'll See & Do
Explore the full itinerary for Istanbul Old City: Basilica Cistern - Blue Mosque - Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. This historical & heritage tours experience includes 5 stops over 1 day. Duration: 3 hours. Activity level: Light.
Here is the starting point
Basilica Cistern
Largest of several hundred ancient Byzantine cisterns built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565). Huge underground Roman water source held up with 336 marble columns covering 9,800 sq. meters.
Blue Mosque
- A popular tourist site, sits next to the Hagia Sophia, and continues to function as a mosque today. The Blue Mosque, as it is popularly known, was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls.
- The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes with traditional Ottoman architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period.
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...
Sultanahmet Square
This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Grand Bazaar
Grand Covered Bazaar
This concludes the tour.
