Enjoy an informative guided tour of one of the largest ancient water cisterns in Istanbul with exclusive skip-the-line tickets!
highlights
highlights
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Skip the long lines and discover one of the most-visited museums in the city of Istanbul.
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Your expert local guide will reveal intriguing facts associated with the museum and its exhibits.
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Learn more about the Basilica Cistern’s history and the outstanding engineering prowess of the Byzantines.
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Witness the famous Hen’s Eye Column and Medusa Pillar Bases, which have been featured in several Hollywood films.
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Take advantage of the information-rich multilingual audio guide, and explore more if upgrade to the Highlights Tour!
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You can choose to make your experience even better by upgrading your ticket to include Topkapi Palace skip-the-line tickets and Hagia Sophia historian guided tour along with the Highlights Tour.
inclusions
inclusions
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Skip-the-line entry to the Basilica Cistern
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Highlights tour with English-speaking guide (optional)
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Topkapi Palace skip-the-line tickets (optional)
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Hagia Sophia historian guided tour (optional)
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Audio App for all 3 attractions in 9 languages for IOS and Android (English, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish)
exclusions
exclusions
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Meals
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Hotel transfers
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Transport
cancellation policy
cancellation policy
These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.
your experience
your experience
From Dan Brown’s wildly popular novel Inferno to the 1963 James Bond film ‘From Russia With Love’, the Basilica Cistern has always been a part of popular culture. Built during the reign of Justinian I, the cistern itself is a paragon of 6th century Byzantine architecture. As you enter this cavernous subterranean marvel, you will be greeted by a dim golden hue that glistens off the surface of the water.
As you walk on the raised wooden platforms amongst the 336 massive columns that support the structure, prepare to be enchanted by the gentle pitter-patter of water dripping from the vaulted ceiling and the ghostly outlines of carp that populate the water. The Medusa column bases in the northwest portion of the cistern are a particularly mesmerizing sight. Your guide will tell you about the various theories surrounding the mysterious origin of the two stone heads that are oriented sideways.
Upgrade to Include Hagia Sophia & Topkapi Palace
Enhance your experience with guided tours and audio guides available in nine distinct languages on iOS and Android. When you sign up for this exclusive offer, your name will be added to the list of monuments over the course of three days. Visit any monument at any available time, or meet us outside two museums where we'll guide you past long lines! With a flexible combo ticket that allows access to all three attractions, feel free to explore them together or independently - it's totally up to you!
know before you go
know before you go
Important Information
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The Basilica Cistern is wheelchair accessible.
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Audio App for all 3 attractions is available in English, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Turkish.
Operating Hours
Basilica Cistern
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Fri to Wed: 9am to 7pm
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Thu: 9am to 6pm
Topkapi Palace
- Wed to Mon: 10am to 4pm
Hagia Sophia Tour
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Daily: 10am and 11:30am
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Friday: 3pm
my tickets
my tickets
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Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly after the purchase.
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Please display the same along with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.
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Kindly ensure that you arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled time to avoid any delays.
Meeting Point
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Meet your Istanbul Welcome Card tour guide that has red flag in front of the Exit Gate of the Basilica Cistern.
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Address: Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul.
Get Directions to the Meeting Point
Getting There
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Bus: BN1 , TB2
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Train: MARMARAY
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Metro: M2
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Tram: T1
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ratings & reviews
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