Istanbul Mosques Walking Tour: Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
Description
Discover Istanbul’s art, architecture, history, culture, and faith in some of the city’s most beloved places of worship Visit Hagia Sophia, one of the country’s most iconic landmarks Snap photos of the Blue Mosque and learn how this grand building got its nickname See Suleymaniye Mosque, an architectural masterpiece designed by renowned architect Mimar Sinan Enjoy the intimacy of a private/small group tour Last-minute booking is available for the meeting point option Hagia Sophia information. To enhance your experience and avoid long queues, we require that all visitors, whether on a group tour or a private tour, purchase skip-the-line tickets in advance. For that matter, we will send you a link where you can purchase it after confirming the booking. Queues can delay the tour up to 2 hours.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Built in the sixth century A.D. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, this famous mosque was originally an Orthodox Christian cathedral in early day Constantinople (now Istanbul). In its nearly 1,500 years, this iconic landmark has been used as a Catholic church, mosque, and museum. To enhance your experience and avoid long queues, we require that all visitors, whether on a group tour or a private tour, purchase skip-the-line tickets in advance. For that matter, we will send you a link where you can purchase it after confirming the booking. Queues can delay the tour up to 2 hours.
The mosque was originally named The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, after Sultan Ahmed I who built it. Back in the early 1600s, mosques were built only by sultans who had achieved success in war. Despite having no colorful achievements to his name and against his counselors’ advice, Sultan Ahmed built this grand edifice that would serve as his most lasting legacy. Today, it is nicknamed the Blue Mosque due to the blue hue coming from the blue tiles outlaid in geometric patterns and floral designs in the mosque Note: "Blue Mosque will be closed for renovation from January 1st, 2023. Instead, you can visit another iconic Istanbul Mosque: Yeni Cami (the New Mosque)"
Located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, the Suleymaniye was known as the largest mosque in the city for more than 450 years before it was dethroned of its title in 2019. Other than its stunning size, this mosque was also designed by the renowned architect Mimar Sinan, one of the most notable figures in Istanbul’s architectural history.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- As this tour includes visits to religious temples, the itinerary may be adjusted, extended, or shortened due to changes in prayer times throughout the year.
- Museum cards are not accepted.
- Hagia Sophia upper gallery is accessible by stairs, it's not recommended for tourists with mobility issues.
- Knees and shoulders must be covered. Headscarf is mandatory for women and can be purchased at the entrance.
- It is strongly recommended to purchase Hagia Sophia skip-the-line tickets (25 EUR) in advance. The activity provider will assist with this process by sending you a purchase link via email if you don't select the inclusive option. Customers without skip-the-line tickets may face a queue of 1-2 hours at the site.
Reviews(25)
I really can't recommend this tour enough - especially with Bariş as a guide! This was my second visit to İstanbul and I wanted to revisit some of my favorite sites - Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye Mosque. Therefore, I was delighted to find this tour that covers all three, as most skip Süleymaniye (which is an absolute shame, imho). Luckily, my tour guide that day turned out to be Bariş who was not only super friendly and fun to wander the streets with, but also a fantastic guide with such a great wealth of knowledge - I can't believe I still learnt this much during my second guided visit to these amazing must-see places! Not only did Bariş give me a comprehensive tour of all three sites (I was extremely lucky to have him all for myself that day) with ample time for questions and pictures, he also took the time to stroll through a lovely small bazar (optional, but it was really nice and hassle-free, not the usual tourist trap), have a relaxed Turkish tea and give explanations on so many other notable locations along the way. In addition, he shared with me some great recommendations for additional places to visit in Istanbul that I might have missed without him. After finishing the official tour, we even had another relaxed coffee with another group after and Bariş read our fortunes from the coffee grounds, which was an exciting conclusion to a perfect half-day experience.
Thank you so much for your 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience with us.
I really can't recommend this tour enough - especially with Bariş as a guide! This was my second visit to İstanbul and I wanted to revisit some of my favorite sites - Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye Mosque. Therefore, I was delighted to find this tour that covers all three, as most skip Süleymaniye (which is an absolute shame, imho). Luckily, my tour guide that day turned out to be Bariş who was not only super friendly and fun to wander the streets with, but also a fantastic guide with such a great wealth of knowledge - I can't believe I still learnt this much during my second guided visit to these amazing must-see places! Not only did Bariş give me a comprehensive tour of all three sites (I was extremely lucky to have him all for myself that day) with ample time for questions and pictures, he also took the time to stroll through a lovely small bazar (optional, but it was really nice and hassle-free, not the usual tourist trap), have a relaxed Turkish tea and give explanations on so many other notable locations along the way. In addition, he shared with me some great recommendations for additional places to visit in Istanbul that I might have missed without him. After finishing the official tour, we even had another relaxed coffee with another group after and Bariş read our fortunes from the coffee grounds, which was an exciting conclusion to a perfect half-day experience.
Thank you so much for your 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience with us.
Very glad we got to see these unique historic places. Our guide Ebru was informative and helpful. We changed the itinerary midway through the tour to allow seeing the Basilica Cistern rather than the third mosque originally planned. Ebru also recommended a nice place for dining that evening.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed exploring those unique historic places with Ebru. It’s great to hear she was informative and helpful, and flexible with switching to the Basilica Cistern. We’ll pass along your kind words — and we’re glad her dinner recommendation hit the spot! Hope to see you again soon!
We chose the tour of the mosques, 4 hours practically flown with our guide Dafne Ozlem Ozduran, very good and very prepared. We immediately found ourselves in tune. Dafne speaks great Italian and it was really a pleasure to visit mosques and more. A big hug to Daphne, Oriana and Hebe.
Your 5-star rating means the world to us! We're glad to know that you were completely satisfied with your experience.
Beautiful visit to the most iconic and historic mosques in Istanbul! Sites full of importance and our guide, Ferhat, told in detail all the events, additional spots and description of the characters involved in the stories of these places. A kingpin! It made us get into the stories! Greetings from Argentina, Martin and Alexandra.
Your 5-star rating means the world to us! We're glad to know that you were completely satisfied with your experience.
Today we enjoyed one of the best tours we have ever done. Our guide, Çınar, was exceptional: friendly, helpful, always attentive to every detail and our needs. His explanations were clear, interesting and very enriching, not only about the palaces and mosques, but also about the history and culture of Istanbul. He gave us invaluable tips to make the most of our stay in the city. The organization was impeccable and the food, simply delicious. We feel cared for at all times. I recommend this tour without any doubt: not only for the places visited, but for the human and professional quality of Çınar. A guide to ten!
Halil our guide was great he guided us through the city while meeting our questions and needs. He was particularly attentive to the needs of our gravely ill daughter and adapted his pace to her. Thank you so much for the time you gave us!
Thank you for taking the time to give us a 5-star review! We're glad to know that you had a great experience with us.
I did go on my own. The lady who explained was very knowledgeable and was ready to answer questions and help with pictures
Thank you for taking the time to give us a 5-star review! We're glad to know that you had a great experience with us.
Our guide was very prepared, patient (as my father walks very slowly so we had to slow down several times) and very fluent in italian. We really appreciated the tour.
Emrullah was a wonderful guide, very informative and pleasant experience. The mosques were very beautiful and guide is knowledgeable. Highly recommended!
