Combos

Combo (Save 7%): Blue Mosque Guided Tour + Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide

Name: Combo (Save 7%): Blue Mosque Guided Tour + Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide
Start: 2025-10-30T09:00:00
End: 2025-10-30T18:00:00
Location: Istanbul

Aerial view of the Blue Mosque Sultanahmet with minarets in Istanbul, overlooking the sea.

Blue Mosque courtyard with visitors, Istanbul, part of guided tour and skip-the-line tickets combo.

Medusa head column in Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, part of Blue Mosque & Basilica Cistern tour.

Tourist exploring the ancient columns of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul.

Open today

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.2/5

(3,595)

Alfonsina

Sep 2025

Verified booking

4/5

Everything... BUT 1) there is a lack of precise instructions on how to make the visit to the Hagia Sophia (because in some cases access to the lower part is interdicted but you don't understand it until you leave the visit of the upper part and there it is already late, so you lose all the explanations about the lower part) and the audio guide is reportable for everyone (so you have the feeling that you have been cheated; 2) there is a lack of instructions on how to find the audio guide in the Basilica Cistena (at the entrance, which is not well signaled, there is an almost invisible little man who swipes the Q-RCODE on his cell phone ..... UNACCEPTABLE given the human flood of visitors)

Alexandros

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

The Basilica Cistern is one of the most atmospheric and impressive places to visit in Istanbul. Walking through the forest of columns, with the dim lighting and reflections in the water, feels almost magical. The Medusa heads are especially fascinating and make the visit even more memorable. The only downside is that the entrance fee is on the expensive side compared to other monuments in the city. Still, the experience is unique, and you can really explore and appreciate the history and architecture up close — something that makes it worth the visit despite the price.

Peter

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

Buying the tickets was easy and convenient. Unlike other services, the tickets from Headout were delivered electronically right away rather than requiring me to go pick up tickets at a meeting point. The Headout app on my phone worked great to show the digital tickets and download the audio guide. (Be sure to download the guide before actually entering the Cistern as there is poor Internet below ground.) As for the Basilica Cistern itself, it was absolutely amazing--well worth cost of admission.

Get 13% off and see Blue Mosque's minarets on a guided tour, then skip the long lines at Basilica Cistern to marvel at its 200+ columns with an audio guide.

No long detours—just a short walk between these two wonders gives you more time to soak in the beauty of Istanbul.

Spend 3–4 hours on the Blue Mosque and Old Town tour, then visit the Basilica Cistern in about 1 hour on the same day or any other day you prefer.

Blue Mosque

1-hour guided tour of the Blue Mosque

Entry to Blue Mosque

Expert English-speaking licensed guide

Walking tour around Old Town

Istanbul Old Town map

Basilica Cistern

Skip-the-line entry to Basilica Cistern

Audio guide in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish & Turkish

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

4.2
3,595 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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What our guests say
Tina
Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
Istanbul is an amazing city. So much to experience you get sensation overload! The Cistern is breathtaking and I wouldn't miss going to experience this. Lineups are quick and efficient so don't let that dissuade you. Haigia Sofia is beautiful however please note the audio tour is confusing. The flow of walking through does not align with how each landmark is noted in audio. I would get the audio ready and simply listen to each station as you approach it.
Anna
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
When we arrived at Basilica there was a really long queue... I'm very impatient so I decided to check if there is a fast track and we bought it. We skipped the line very fast, in 4 minutes we were inside basilica cistern. It was amazing! Beautiful, good audio guide. The most important fact is that a minute after we entered the rain started, so if we were in the line we wouldn't make it, so I really reccomend this fast track.
Sarah
Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
Great experience. Easy to use tickets. Amazing experience once I got in. Both the Hagia Sophia and Cistern are spectacular for their own reasons. Wish the app allowed you to download the audio guide ahead of time. Wifi in Hagia Sophia allowed me to access the audio guide. But the wifi in the Cistern wouldn't let me connect so I couldn't listen to the audio guide.
Patricia
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
I went at 5 pm and did not queue; the audio guide worked very well with her recommendations to have a charged phone battery and wired headphones, and was very clear and entertaining. Wonderful visit, highly recommended, the basilica cistern is impressive, and with very well planned lighting that adds drama to the experience.
Ana
Oct 2025
Verified booking
3/5
Nothing. The no queue thing is false, in Hagia Sophia everyone has to queue and during the whole time that the cruisers were there, the queues were more than 500 m long. Bringing two small children was unfeasible. When we were able to access with some speed, we did not have time to visit both and the cistern did not arrive on time.

Blue Mosque

Istanbul's past is brought back to life on this guided tour of the Blue Mosque and the Old Town. Inside the mosque, marvel at over 20,000 handmade Iznik tiles in shades of blue, arranged in floral and geometric patterns. Gaze up at the grand central dome, supported by four towering “elephant foot” pillars, as sunlight streams in through under 260 stained-glass windows. Then, follow your guide through Istanbul Old Town and pass by Sultanahmet Square, once the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where ancient Egyptian obelisks and the Serpent Column still stand. Stroll past Ottoman-era fountains, the German Fountain’s golden mosaics, and lively street vendors selling warm simit and Turkish tea.

Basilica Cistern

Avoid the queues and descend into the beautiful Basilica Cistern, a 1,500-year-old underground water reservoir built by Emperor Justinian I. Walk along wooden pathways over shallow, eerily still water, where the soft glow of orange lights highlights 336 marble columns, each standing 30 feet tall. Listen to your audio guide reveal secrets of this ancient structure, once supplying water to the Great Palace of Constantinople. Seek out the famous Medusa heads—one upside down, the other sideways—mysteriously placed at the base of two columns. The hushed atmosphere, cool air, and gentle sound of dripping water make this an unforgettable experience.

Basilica Cistern

Monday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Tuesday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Wednesday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Thursday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Friday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Saturday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm
Sunday	09:00am - 10:00pm	last entry 06:30pm

Blue Mosque

Monday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Tuesday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Wednesday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Thursday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Friday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Saturday	09:00am - 06:00pm
Sunday	09:00am - 06:00pm

What to bring

Blue Mosque

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.

Basilica Cistern

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.

Accessibility

Basilica Cistern

This experience is wheelchair accessible.

Additional information

Blue Mosque

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€).

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.

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.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Please display the same at each ticket redemption point along with a valid photo ID.

Meeting points

Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.