Guided Tours

Blue Mosque Guided Tour with Options

Blue Mosque with minarets overlooking the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey.

Interior view of Blue Mosque with ornate chandeliers and stained glass windows, Istanbul, Turkey.

Hagia Sophia exterior with minarets and domes in Istanbul, Turkey.

Basilica Cistern's illuminated columns and reflections in Istanbul.

Duration

1 hr 30 mins - 3 hrs 30 mins

Open today

8:30am - 7:00pm

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

4.3/5(2,851)

Fiona H

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

We really enjoyed our combo tour. It was well organised and Hal our guide made sure we kept together as a group. His description of what we were seeing was clear and informative. The ostrich egg story was very interesting. Small group made it manageable. Recommend to all

Eleonora L

Couple

Verified booking

May 2026

The guided tour was a positive and well-organized experience. Our guide, Ali, was knowledgeable, engaging, and always ready to answer our questions. I highly recommend this tour if you're visiting Istanbul! Thanks, Ali!

Mauro B

Group

Verified booking

May 2026

A beautiful palace, made even more fascinating by the guide, who transported us back in time with his storytelling, allowing us to relive moments from the past. He was very knowledgeable, polite, and professional. Thank you.

Anne-marie L

Couple

Verified booking

2 weeks ago

A wonderful cultural experience and fascinating history; the pace of the tour of the three monuments was just right for our group. I definitely recommend the guide, whose first name means "Kiss."

Paul S

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

Our guide was very informative about what we were seeing. He encouraged and answered all of our questions. He gave us time to take photos and look around. The tour was very interesting!

Sohéla E

Solo

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

Superbe tour! The guides were amazing and very accomodating....great visit that I highly recommend. You should prepared to walk for a few hours so plan for comfortable shoes!

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.

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).

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)

1-hour guided tour of Topkapi Palace (as per option selected)

Skip-the-line entry to Topkapi Palace (as per option selected)

Timeline
Map
Start point
Sultanahmet Square
Get direction
1. Blue Mosque
Free Admission
60 min
2. Istanbul Old Town
30 min
3. Hagia Sophia
Tickets included (based on selection)
90 min
4. Basilica Cistern
Tickets included (based on selection)
30 min
5. Bosphorus Cruise
Tickets included (based on selection)
90 min
End point
Depends on the experience selected

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

2,851 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.
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Guests from United States, United Kingdom, Italy and over 56 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Timothy S
Couple
Verified booking
Yesterday
Good guide, very informative. Didn't like the clothing restrictions as my shorts WERE below the knee.
Gary P
Couple
Verified booking
2 days ago
Guide (Miss Kiss!) was knowledgeable and personable.
Debroize A
Group
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
We really enjoyed our two visits yesterday to the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At the Blue Mosque, we didn’t have audio guides in French, so it wasn’t very convenient to follow our English-speaking guide’s explanations. On the other hand, he was very professional and provided a lot of interesting insights. For the Topkapi Palace tour, I asked for the audio guides in French, and it was perfect. A magnificent palace, a great guide—we loved it. Plus, the guide let us explore on our own after the two-hour tour, so we could finish the visit at our own pace. It takes a lot of time to see everything. The harem section is sensational, and even though it’s a bit more expensive, you absolutely have to see it! Thank you all.
Fiona H
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
We really enjoyed our combo tour. It was well organised and Hal our guide made sure we kept together as a group. His description of what we were seeing was clear and informative. The ostrich egg story was very interesting. Small group made it manageable. Recommend to all
Sanjay S
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
Buse was an excellent guide! She is quite knowledgeable and makes the narration extremely interesting. It made the whole tour a wonderful experience.

A guided walk through Istanbul's most iconic landmarks, starting inside the Blue Mosque and extending across the Old City — with optional add-ons that take you further into the city's history.

Getting started

Meet your licensed English-speaking guide at the designated meeting point. Tickets are validated before entry, and your guide handles dress code requirements at the mosque, scarves are available to borrow.

Blue Mosque

What to expect

Step inside one of Istanbul's most recognisable landmarks on a 1-hour guided tour that traces its architectural and religious significance from the moment you enter.

Features

Expert commentary on the mosque's history, design, and place in Ottoman Istanbul.

Guided navigation of the interior, covering domes, tiles, and the prayer hall.

Dress code assistance is managed by your guide throughout.

Hagia Sophia (if selected as part of the tour)

What to expect

Enjoy a 1.5-hour guided tour of one of the world's most visited landmarks, entered without queuing.

Features

Skip-the-line entry managed by your guide.

Guided tour covering the building's evolution from cathedral to mosque.

Expert commentary on mosaics, architecture, and structural history.

Basilica Cistern (if selected as part of the tour)

What to expect

A 30-minute guided visit to the vast underground cistern beneath the city, built by the Byzantines in the 6th century.

Features

Skip-the-line entry

Guided walk through the columns and waterways with historical context

Topkapi Palace (if selected as part of the tour)

What to expect

A 1-hour guided tour through the seat of the Ottoman Empire, covering the palace's courtyards, collections, and imperial quarters.

Features

Skip-the-line entry

Guided access to key sections of the palace complex

Commentary on Ottoman history, court life, and the palace's centuries of use

Bosphorus Cruise (if selected as part of the tour)

What to expect

Board a 1.5-hour cruise along the strait that divides Europe and Asia, with an audio guide available in ten languages — English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, and Chinese. A cruise map is included.

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.