Meet a local expert to learn about all the insider tips about Ancient Istanbul while covering all must-see sights around! 

Get informed about Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome and more from a licensed guiding tour!

This is a very optimized program to start your journey in Istanbul at the heart of everything. Istanbul is one of the most historical cities in the world and this tour will make it quite clearer to see and make plans on it. The Mosques and Palaces of Istanbul, will cover the masterpieces of Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman architecture and while observing the emblematic wonders like the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace from outside.

Mostly around the Sultanahmet area, this tour will reveal the background of ancient downtown of Istanbul, from its foundations. An officially licensed guide will take you through a wide variety of historical marks, monumental buildings and historical stories.

The stories will help you to understand this unique corner of our world and moreover, you will get answers from a local expert along the way. When to tour is ending, you can get all insider tips from your guide as well to get the best out of your experience in Istanbul.

About this Tour at Sultanahmet Area:

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund

Duration: 3 hours

Live tour guide in English

Highlights of the Tour:

• Ideal for the first time Istanbul visitor for an orientation walk
• Enjoy the the Mosques (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia) & Palaces (Topkapi and Ibrahim Pasha) with an certified guide
• Learn about the Byzantine & Ottoman heritage
• See the iconic UNESCO Monuments
• Take amazing pictures

Meet your local expert guide at the Topkapi Cafe, just next to the entrance of the Topkapi Palace, and kick off our tour of the mosques and palaces of Istanbul. We'll discover all the secrets of Ottoman architecture and the city's most representative buildings! The first stop of the tour will be at the Hippodrome and the Obelisk of Theodosius, which the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose II commissioned. Afterward, we'll go to the Blue Mosque, whose name is due to the beautiful mosaics of this color that decorate its structure. Then, we'll see the iconic Hagia Sophia and from outside. Since its construction in the 6th century, this temple has passed through both Christian and Muslim hands, being used as a basilica, Orthodox church, and mosque. Today, Hagia Sophia is a veritable museum of the confluence of religions that have coexisted for centuries in Turkey and whose beauty amazes any visitor. Next, we'll have look from outside to the Cistern Basilica. Fun fact: it's affectionately known as the Submerged Palace. From here, we'll head to the Topkapi Palace garden, a luxurious building used by the Ottoman sultans to centralize administrative power between the 15th and 16th centuries. Finally, after a total of 3 hours, the tour of Istanbul's mosques and palaces will end at the Hagia Sophia Bazaar. Here, you can continue to learn about Turkish culture and do some shopping.

Where to start? How the tour works?

Just come and meet your guide at the first and main gate of the Topkapi Palace. A team of official museum guides will welome you here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FPBQkVZbEWFdZvuP8 

Right at the time you have chosen, your guide will start the tour from the walls of Topkapi Palace Complelx.