Book private transfers with a 2-hour private tour of the Basilica Cistern and nearby attractions. This option includes a 1.5-hour round-trip transfer with pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Istanbul. We will arrange a Professional Driver and a clean, air-conditioned private car, van, or bus for this service.

Visit the Basilica Cistern. Your Private Guide will meet you in the Sultanahmet Old City, near the site where the Hippodrome of Constantinople stood, and show you its highlights while sharing stories from the time of the Byzantine Empire. The Basilica Cistern was built in the 6th century under an early Roman basilica facing the Hagia Sophia. Today it is kept with little water, so visitors can access the underground chamber. It is one of Istanbul's most popular attractions, but with fast-track tickets, the line to get in won’t be that long. Inside the cathedral-sized Basilica Cistern, you will explore a space of approximately 138 meters (453 ft) by 65 meters (213 ft). The calling is supported by 336 marble columns, the majority of which appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings. Two of the columns reuse old blocks carved with the face of Medusa, and there are also several modern art pieces installed in the cistern.

Visit the Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. These 2 tourist attractions are the most important heritage sites of Byzantium, so you must visit them both to fully appreciate ancient Constantinople. You will be astonished by the historical, cultural, and architectural significance of Hagia Sophia. Inside, you'll marvel at the stunning architecture and art that blends Christian and Islamic elements and learn how a 6th-century basilica was converted into a mosque.