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Guided Tours

Blue Mosque Guided Tour with Options

Blue Mosque courtyard with central fountain and domes, Istanbul.
Interior view of Blue Mosque with ornate chandeliers and stained glass windows, Istanbul, Turkey.
Hagia Sophia exterior with minarets and domes in Istanbul, Turkey.
Hagia Sophia interior with ornate dome and Islamic calligraphy, Istanbul, Turkey.

Duration

1 hr - 5 hr

Open today

09:00am - 06:00pm

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Guided tour

4.2/5

(2,114)

Michael Brennan

Michael

Aug 2025
Verified booking
4/5
The tour was easy to locate and a good dive into a brief history of the Blue Mosque. Our tour guide gave us good surface-level information and guided us through the Blue Mosque with ease. The Basilica Cistern portion of the purchase, though extremely simple to skip the line, could have used more instructions or direction from the staff at the actual site -- we were very confused as to how to get the audio guide (bring your own earbuds) to function underground. Despite skipping an enormous line, it took us about 30 minutes of setup before we could get going, which killed the momentum a bit and kicked off the Cistern on a frustrating note. Somehow integrating the experience directly into the Headout app would be much easier than dealing with the local website of the exhibit.
Colin Buggey

Colin

Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
The tour itself was enjoyable. The guide was very knowledgeable and his English was good. However the organisation was poor. As requested, we arrived 15 minutes before the scheduled start time but the tour didn't actually begin until almost an hour later. As the first part of the tour consisted of a rather long section covering the history of Turkey, there was too much standing around. This could be a serious issue on a hot day, or for anyone who is not young & fit. Once we got going the mosque visits were excellent and it was great to miss the queues. The guide had genuine enthusiasm and really brought the history and architecture alive. So on balance a 5 star tour but with only 2 or 3 star organisation.
Regina Timoftica

Regina

Sep 2025
Verified booking
5/5
We were lucky enough to take a tour with tour guide Ali and it was an unforgettable experience! 🌟 She took us to visit three really picturesque places, telling us trivia and details that we would never have discovered on our own. Her helpfulness, kindness and professionalism made the day special. A big plus was the fact that we skipped the line-a detail that made everything more enjoyable and stress-free. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience an authentic, well-organized and carefree visit. 👏👏
    • Walk straight into the Blue Mosque with a licensed guide who reveals why its minarets caused a stir and how its architecture enhances prayers.

    • Gaze at the vast marble courtyard, elegant cascading domes, colossal columns nicknamed “elephant feet,” and inscriptions hand-drawn by Ottoman calligraphers.

    • A guide leads the way through the mosque and an Old City walking tour past the Hippodrome, ancient Obelisks, and Byzantine relics.

    • Enhance your journey with a Bosphorus cruise for unbeatable skyline views, take a Hagia Sophia tour to uncover its hidden frescoes, or explore the Basilica Cistern.

    • Fun fact: Various verses from the Quran and the words of the Prophet Muhammad adorn the high walls of the mosque.

    • 1-hour guided tour of the Blue Mosque

    • Entry to Blue Mosque

    • Expert English-speaking licensed guide

    • Walking tour around Old City

    • Istanbul Old Town map

    • 1.5-hour Bosphorus cruise ticket (as per option selected)

    • Audio guide for cruise in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic & Chinese (as per option selected). The audio guide is available for you to download. Instructions will be shared with your ticket. Do bring your own headphones.

    • Bosphorus cruise map (as per option selected)

    • 1.5-hour guided tour of the Hagia Sophia (as per option selected)

    • Skip-the-line entry to Hagia Sophia (as per option selected)

    • 30-min guided tour of the Basilica Cistern (as per option selected)

    • Skip-the-line entry to Basilica Cistern (as per option selected)

  • FIRST DEPARTUREBlue Mosque
    LAST DEPARTUREBlue Mosque
    Blue Mosque

    1. Blue Mosque

    Tickets included
    60 min
    Istanbul Old Town

    2. Istanbul Old Town

    30 min
    Hagia Sophia

    3. Hagia Sophia

    Tickets included (based on selection)
    90 min
    Basilica Cistern

    4. Basilica Cistern

    Tickets included (based on selection)
    30 min
    Bosphorus Cruise

    5. Bosphorus Cruise

    Tickets included (based on selection)
    90 min
  • You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

  • 4.2
    2,114 reviews

    How do we collect reviews?

    These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.

    1.1K
    570
    173
    78
    138
    Guests from United States, United Kingdom, Italy and over 10 countries have loved this experience

    What our guests say

    Annegret Richers

    Annegret

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Our guide Haluk was very competent, helpful and friendly. Everything went very smoothly. The fast-lane tickets are absolutely worth the money.
    Margaret Martin

    Margaret

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Great tours both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Mark our guide was very knowledgeable amd engaging. Would highly recommend Thai combination for a great experience.
    Jennifer McArthur

    Jennifer

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    4/5
    The guide was very knowledgeable but sometimes too much information given for too long standing in one spot. We were able to skip queue for Cistern and Hagia Sophia but not Blue Mosque so spent a long time in the queue. Good to have the half hour break before the last site. My husband lost his headset in the Blue Mosque and we were unable to go back looking for it and we thought 50€ replacement cost exorbitant. Surely an occasional loss is factored into costs and insurance
    Rachel Helson

    Rachel

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Fantastic tour. So well organised. Excellent communications and easy to find the meeting point. Our guide, Buse, was brilliant. She was knowledgeable, friendly, clear, and fun. Highly recommend this tour.
    Regina Timoftica

    Regina

    Sep 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    We were lucky enough to take a tour with tour guide Ali and it was an unforgettable experience! 🌟 She took us to visit three really picturesque places, telling us trivia and details that we would never have discovered on our own. Her helpfulness, kindness and professionalism made the day special. A big plus was the fact that we skipped the line-a detail that made everything more enjoyable and stress-free. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience an authentic, well-organized and carefree visit. 👏👏
  • Blue Mosque

    Monday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Tuesday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Wednesday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Thursday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Friday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Saturday09:00am - 06:00pm
    Sunday09:00am - 06:00pm
  • What to bring

    • Bring your walking shoes, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, and snacks for comfortable exploration.

    • Bring local currency or your preferred payment method for meals, souvenirs, and extra delights not covered by the ticket.

    • Stay ahead of the game; download the audio app beforehand to dodge any network glitches at the location.

    • Don’t forget your trusty earphones for an immersive audio guide experience.

    What's not allowed

    Hagia Sophia

    • The prayer area on the first floor can only be entered by Turkish citizens.

    • Strict dress code: Women should not wear knee-length shorts, skirts, or clothing with exposed shoulders or chests. Hair should be partially covered with a scarf. Men should not wear knee-length shorts or clothing with exposed shoulders.

    Accessibility

    Basilica Cistern

    • This experience is wheelchair accessible.

    Hagia Sophia

    • This tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

    Additional information

    • If you do not have a scarf or body cover, you can buy them at the entrance (a scarf is 1€ and a body cover is 3€).

    • You can choose to take the Bosphorus cruise on the same day or the next day. In addition to midday and afternoon departures, enjoy a special evening cruise at 6pm, available from April to October.

    • While you can breeze through the ticket lines, security screening is standard for all guests. Be prepared for wait times of up to 60 minutes during peak travel periods.

    • Hagia Sophia is under renovation, therefore, not all parts of the building are open to the public.

    • Due to the Friday prayer, the Mosque will be closed to tourists from 12pm to 2pm. For a smoother experience, it's recommended to visit after 4pm to avoid the lengthy security line anticipated between 2pm and 4pm.

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