Combo Guided Tours with Entry Tickets: Hagia Sophia + Topkapi Palace or Basilica Cistern

With this combo ticket, save time and money as you enjoy hassle-free entries to Topkapi & the Basilica Cistern. That’s not all - enjoy the benefit of a guided tour for each of the museums including Hagia Sophia and audio guides which are available too in 9 different languages on iOS and Android.

After signing up for this experience, your name will be on the list for each of the monuments for 3 days. Be free to visit at the available times, gathering at the meeting points in front of the museums to skip the lines at 2 of them with an authorized host. With the flexibility of this combo ticket, feel free to visit all 3 museums in one day or choose to visit them on separate days. For each museum, gain as much information as possible about the uniqueness of the monuments from your guide within a 30 to 45-minute time frame. Following this, you may explore the museums on your own at your own convenience and listen to the fascinating stories available in the audio guide.

Combo Guided Tours with Entry Tickets: Hagia Sophia + Topkapi Palace or Basilica Cistern

Discover Istanbul's most iconic landmarks on this combo guided tour that includes entry tickets to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern. This flexible ticket allows you to visit these three major attractions over a period of 3 days, providing skip-the-line access at each site. The tour covers approximately 5 hours in total, with detailed explanations from your guide enhancing your understanding of Istanbul's rich history and culture. Visitors can explore the museums independently after the guided tours using audio guides available in nine different languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese. The tour includes a visit to Hagia Sophia, built between 532 and 537 AD; Topkapi Palace, completed in 1478; and the Basilica Cistern, dating back to the Byzantine era around 542 AD. Each site offers unique insights into Istanbul's architectural marvels and historical significance.

Explore the Ancient Depths of the Basilica Cistern

Your tour stops at the Basilica Cistern where you can delve into one of the largest surviving ancient structures in Istanbul, covering an area of 138 meters by 65 meters. Constructed around 542 AD under Emperor Justinian I to supply water to the Great Palace and other buildings, this underground water reservoir holds a capacity of approximately 100,000 cubic meters of water. Visitors can admire its unique design featuring over 336 marble columns arranged in 12 rows, each column measuring about 9 meters tall. Notable features include the Medusa heads supporting two of the columns and the distinctive lighting that highlights the cistern's grandeur. The tour typically spends around 45 minutes here, allowing ample time to appreciate the intricate masonry and historical context. Unlike other underground structures in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern stands out for its sheer size and the preservation of its original function as a water reservoir, making it an essential stop on any visit to Istanbul.

Tour Highlights

• Skip-the-line access at Hagia Sophia
• 3-day pass valid for Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern
• Audio guides in nine different languages
• Guided tour of Hagia Sophia’s architectural wonders
• Visit to Topkapi Palace’s opulent chambers and courtyards
• Explore the Byzantine-era Basilica Cistern with unique features
• Convenient access to Istanbul's top three historical sites
• Flexible schedule allowing visits on separate days

Perfect for history enthusiasts, architecture buffs, and first-time visitors, this combo guided tour provides an in-depth exploration of Istanbul’s most significant landmarks. The 3-day pass format allows you to visit Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern at your leisure, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of Istanbul's rich cultural heritage while enjoying skip-the-line access and detailed audio guides.