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ISTANBUL · OLD CITY
Istanbul Old City Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı & Blue Mosque
From $69 per person
- Duration: 6–8 hours
- Pick-up: Meeting point or hotel transfer option
- Meals: Traditional Turkish lunch included
- Entrances: Entrance fees payable on-site
- Group: Private Walking (guide only)
- Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours
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Tour Overview
Full-Day Istanbul Old City Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı & Blue Mosque
This Istanbul Old City tour is a guided full day of 6–8 hours in Sultanahmet and the Historic Peninsula. Shared groups meet at central meeting points in Taksim or Sultanahmet; the private options start at your hotel.
You step inside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, walk the Hippodrome past the Egyptian Obelisk, then enter the courtyards of Topkapı Palace and the covered lanes of the Grand Bazaar. The Basilica Cistern completes the Byzantine side. A traditional Turkish lunch in Sultanahmet comes with every option.
It suits first-time visitors, families and history lovers. Choose Shared (small group) or go private: Private Walking, Private + Hotel Transfer, or Private Full-Day Vehicle, with your own air-conditioned car all day. Entrances to Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Basilica Cistern are payable on-site. Read our Old City guide, browse Istanbul tour packages or try the 2-hour historic walking tour.
Highlights
- Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque interiors
- Hippodrome and Egyptian Obelisk
- Topkapı Palace courtyards
- Grand Bazaar walk
- Basilica Cistern columns
- Licensed guide and Turkish lunch
Quick facts
- Best time to visit: late spring to autumn.
- Hagia Sophia is a working mosque, so visits pause at prayer times.
- Entrance fees are not included in any option.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
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09:00Meeting Point or Hotel Pick-up
The Shared tour starts at a central meeting point in Taksim or Sultanahmet, where your licensed guide welcomes the small group. With Private Walking, your guide meets you at your hotel on foot; Private + Hotel Transfer and Private Full-Day Vehicle start with a private pick-up at the hotel. Times in this program are indicative, and the Shared meeting point is confirmed with your booking.
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09:30Hippodrome & Blue Mosque
The tour begins at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the Byzantine chariot-racing arena, where the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the German Fountain still stand. Next you enter the Blue Mosque, an active mosque famous for its six minarets and more than 20,000 blue İznik tiles.
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10:45Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian basilica in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian and later became an imperial mosque. Inside, your guide shows its massive dome and gold mosaics and explains the layers of history in the building. Hagia Sophia is a working mosque, so visits pause at prayer times. The entrance fee is payable on-site and is not included in any option.
Entrances: Hagia Sophia: payable on-site -
11:45Basilica Cistern
Walk down into the Basilica Cistern, an atmospheric underground reservoir carried by 336 marble columns. At the far end, your guide shows the two mysterious Medusa head pillar bases, the best-known detail of the cistern. The entrance fee is payable on-site and is not included in any option.
Entrances: Basilica Cistern: payable on-site -
12:45Traditional Turkish Lunch
Lunch is a traditional Turkish meal in the Sultanahmet area, often köfte or kebab, and it is included in every option. It is a relaxed break to rest after the morning’s sights, and your guide is happy to answer questions and suggest how to spend the rest of your time in the city.
Meals: Lunch included -
14:00Topkapı Palace
Topkapı Palace was the main residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Your guide leads you through its courtyards and explains how court life and the running of the empire were organised around them. The entrance fee is payable on-site and is not included in any option.
Entrances: Topkapı Palace: payable on-site -
15:30Grand Bazaar & End of Tour
The tour finishes in the Grand Bazaar, a covered market of more than 4,000 shops along 60 streets, known for ceramics, carpets, jewellery and spices. Entry is free, and your guide helps you find your way around. The program ends here at around 16:30; Private + Hotel Transfer and Private Full-Day Vehicle guests are driven back to their hotel.
Places Along the Route
Hippodrome of Constantinople
The long, narrow park of Sultanahmet Square follows the outline of the Byzantine chariot-racing arena, once the sporting and political heart of Constantinople. The Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the German Fountain mark its old track.
Blue Mosque
Built between 1609 and 1616 for Sultan Ahmed I, this mosque is still open for worship and is recognised by its six minarets and cascade of domes. Its interior is lined with more than 20,000 blue İznik tiles.
Hagia Sophia
Completed in 537 under Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia served as a Christian cathedral for centuries before becoming an imperial mosque. Its enormous dome seems to float above a ring of windows, and gold mosaics survive on the upper walls.
Basilica Cistern
Commissioned by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century to store water for the Great Palace, this underground chamber rests on 336 marble columns. Two of them stand on carved Medusa heads, the cistern’s best-known mystery.
Topkapı Palace
From the 1460s Ottoman sultans governed their empire from this hilltop palace above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Four courtyards lead deeper into court life, and the complex also holds the Imperial Treasury and the Harem.
Grand Bazaar
Begun in the 1450s under Mehmed II, this covered market grew into a maze of 60 streets and more than 4,000 shops. Ceramics, carpets, jewellery and spices fill the vaulted lanes, and bargaining is part of the fun.
Why Choose This Istanbul Old City Tour?
This tour fits the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace and Grand Bazaar into one guided day from 09:00 to about 16:30, with lunch included.
- Four ways to join — Take the Shared small group from a meeting point in Taksim or Sultanahmet, or go private: Private Walking, Private + Hotel Transfer or a Private Full-Day Vehicle.
- Entrances paid on-site — Tickets for Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern are not included in any option and are paid at the gate. The Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar are free to enter.
- Lunch in Sultanahmet — A traditional Turkish lunch, often köfte or kebab, is included in every option and breaks the day at 12:45, between the Basilica Cistern and Topkapı Palace.
- Licensed guide in English or Turkish — Your licensed guide stays with you from the 09:00 start to the Grand Bazaar finish at about 16:30. Private + Hotel Transfer and Private Full-Day Vehicle guests are driven back to their hotel.
- Licensed local agency — TÜRSAB A-group licence #18154, Istanbul-based, rated 5.0 on Google (15 reviews), free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start date.
Tour Price & Booking
What’s Included
What’s Not Included
Optional Upgrades
Add these to your request — we confirm availability and the final total before you pay.
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Good to Know
Entrance Fees
No ticket is needed for the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome or Grand Bazaar. Entrance fees for Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern are not included in any option and are payable on-site.
Closing Days and Prayer Times
Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Hagia Sophia is a mosque, so visits are limited at prayer times and around noon on Fridays. If your date is a Tuesday or a Friday, message us before you book.
Dress Code
For the mosques, shoulders and knees must be covered, and women should bring a scarf to cover their hair.
Dietary Requirements
Halal and vegetarian options are available. Please tell us about any dietary needs when you book.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, cancel up to 24 hours before the start date.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before, the amount paid is non-refundable.
- Changes made less than 24 hours before the start date cannot be accepted.
- If the tour is cancelled due to poor weather, you'll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Payment
Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). Pay after we confirm, via secure link or bank transfer.
What guests say about TourQuaz
"Super und zuverlässige Organisation unseres Fimenausflugs. Zuverlässige Abholungen zu vereinbarten Zeiten und hilfreiche Tips beim Programm vor Ort.
Vielen Dank an das ganze Team. Jeder Zeit wieder!"
"Everything was very good specially the staff there
Special thanks to Mr. Emre for amazing efforts and support during all visit in istany"
"معاملة راقية تجربة تستحق الإشادة شكرا على حسن التعامل"
Frequently Asked Questions
Your licensed guide and a traditional Turkish lunch are included in every option. The vehicle depends on the option: none on Shared and Private Walking, a private vehicle for the hotel pick-up and drop-off on Private + Hotel Transfer, and a private air-conditioned vehicle all day on Private Full-Day Vehicle. Entrance fees are not included in any option.
Shared (Small Group): join a small group with a licensed guide, meeting at a central point in Taksim or Sultanahmet; the price per person is the same for everyone. Private Walking (guide only): your private guide meets you on foot at your hotel, no vehicle. Private + Hotel Transfer: adds a private vehicle for the hotel pick-up and drop-off. Private Full-Day Vehicle: a private vehicle stays at your disposal all day. On the private options the price per person goes down as your group grows.
Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). Pay after we confirm, via secure link or bank transfer.
It starts at 09:00. On the Shared option you meet your guide at a central point in Taksim or Sultanahmet, confirmed with your booking. The private options start at your hotel. The tour ends in the Grand Bazaar at about 16:30; Private + Hotel Transfer and Private Full-Day Vehicle guests are driven back to their hotel.
Comfortable walking shoes and clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the mosques.
Yes. Children 0–2 free, ages 3–7 receive 30% off.
Free cancellation: cancel up to 24 hours before the start date for a full refund. Reserve now, pay later (no credit card required). Pay after we confirm, via secure link or bank transfer.
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