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Guided Tours

Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Guided Tour with Tickets

Interior view of Hagia Sophia with ornate domes and Arabic calligraphy, Istanbul.
Visitors viewing Deesis mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey.
Blue Mosque exterior with minarets and domes, Istanbul skyline and Bosphorus in background.
Blue Mosque interior with ornate domes and intricate patterns, Istanbul.

Duration

3 hr - 4 hr

Open today

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Guided tour

4.3/5

(1,429)

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.
Marina Zawaher

Marina

Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
We joined a four-hour guided tour around the main highlights of Sultanahmet, and it was a wonderful experience. Despite the large crowds, the tour was concise, well-structured, and very informative — the perfect introduction to the area’s rich history. Special thanks to our guide, Buse, who was absolutely fantastic! She has such a dynamic personality, great energy, and an engaging way of explaining everything. Her enthusiasm and clarity made the whole experience so enjoyable and memorable. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Istanbul for the first time!
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
    • Skip the lines and explore the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia with one ticket and stories from an expert guide.

    • Blue Mosque's Iznik tiles, elephant-foot pillars supporting its vast domes, and handwoven carpets covering the vast prayer hall, will leave you in awe.

    • Find hidden marble doors at Hagia Sophia, tombs of Ottoman sultans, mosaics once buried under centuries of plaster, and giant oil lamps.

    • On a guided walk of Istanbul's Old Town, pass by the Million Stone, once the zero-mile marker of the Byzantine Empire, and the Obelisk of Theodosius from Ancient Egypt.

    • Upgrade and descend into Istanbul’s depths with a guided tour of Basilica Cistern’s eerie forest of columns, where carp swim beneath glowing arches.

    • 1.5-hour guided tour of Hagia Sophia

    • Skip-the-line entry to Hagia Sophia visiting area

    • Expert licensed English-speaking guide

    • 1-hour guided tour of Blue Mosque with entry

    • 30-min Hippodrome & Old Town walking tour

    • Istanbul Old Town map

    • 30-min guided tour of Basilica Cistern with skip-the-line entry (based on option selected)

  • 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
    90 min
    Basilica Cistern

    4. Basilica Cistern

    Tickets included (based on selection)
    30 min
  • These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

  • 4.3
    1,429 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.

    846
    342
    107
    49
    85
    Guests from United States, Italy, United Kingdom and over 10 countries have loved this experience

    What our guests say

    RETEGAN MIHAI ALEXANDRU

    Retegan

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    First of all i would like to mention the guide that took us to Sultanahmet Mosque and Hagia Sophia. She was very well prepared with the information that provided us, spoke a very fluent english and was very helpful in all the matters related to the tour. I also appreciated a lot the fact that she gave us ear devices, like head-phones so that we could hear her very well amid the noise of the street. She told us many many things not only about the hystorical background of the places we visited but also information related to Istanbul culture, everyday life etc. Unfortunately i did not understand her name to mention it here. She was opened to jokes and free-talk, very social and open-minded. I liked her a lot, that is the way a toursit guide has to be in related to tourists. Second, the places we visited were absolutely fantastic. I liked Hagia Sophia and its enormous size, but what truly impressed me was the Blue Mosque and the fact that we had to take-off our shoes inside the Mosque gave a sense of equality between all people. It was splendid. Next time i come to Istanbul i want to deepen my visit in the city, since now i spent only a few hours and did not have much time to visit the city itself.
    Lise Raven Lothe

    Lise

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Fantastic guiding by the one and only, Mrs Kiss. She was extremely knowledgeable and delivered all the information in a very understanding and interesting manner. I felt like I had plenty of time at the different sites and never felt rushed. Definitely book this guided tour and ask for Mrs Kiss!
    Andrew Murray

    Andrew

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Extremely knowledgeable guide with good pace of speaking and walking. Buse was engaged the whole time with the people on the tour and not distracted by other things.
    Filipa Beros

    Filipa

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Ali was thw best guide ever! So nice, warm and helpful. He wenr above and beyond for the group. Would reccommend to everyone!
    Steven Courington

    Steven

    Nov 2025
    Verified booking
    5/5
    Alex was very knowledgeable and did a great job keeping our group together for nearly 3 hour tour seeing amazing history.
  • Armed with this super-saver combo ticket, experience Istanbul’s greatest architectural beauties – Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

    Hagia Sophia

    The journey to Hagia Sophia begins with a meeting at the Blue Mosque, where you'll learn about historical facts and the latest renovations. Continue to the Blue Mosque courtyards and the Old City around it. The city is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk your way through the renowned Hagia Sophia and admire the coexistence of Byzantine and Ottoman art pieces. The Dome, featuring 40 windows, will surely impress you while the Wishing Column is thought to have healing effects! Learn all about the genius of Byzantine architecture and art with the power of storytelling, thanks to your expert English-speaking historian tour guide.

    Blue Mosque

    Learn about the rich history of Istanbul and the Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, the Islamic faith, and the famous blue Iznik tiles inside the Blue Mosque with your official licensed guide. During the tour, you will have ample opportunities to explore and take amazing photographs of the hand-painted blue tiles that adorn the mosque’s interior walls, the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. Get enough insights and tips to help you discover independently the rest of your trip.

  • Hagia Sophia

    Monday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Tuesday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Wednesday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Thursday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Friday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Saturday09:00am - 07:30pm
    Sunday09:00am - 07:30pm

    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

    Hagia Sophia History Museum

    Monday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Tuesday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Wednesday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Thursday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Friday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Saturday09:00am - 07:00pm
    Sunday09:00am - 07:00pm
  • 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.

    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€).

    • 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.

    • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
    • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.
    • Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.

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