Istanbul: Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque & Spice Bazaar Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Istanbul, Turkey

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Price varies by group size

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Overview

What's Included

Professional Guide
Guided tour of the Hippodrome of Constantinople
Visit to the Blue Mosque
Visit to Caferağa Medresesi
Tour of the Spice Bazaar

Personal Expenses
Basilica Cistern Entrance Tickets

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

German Fountain
Binbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
The tour guide meets with everyone at the German Fountain

End point

Egyptian Bazaar
Rüstem Paşa, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
The tour finishes at the Spice Market

Itinerary

German Fountain

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Blue Mosque

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica Cistern

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Misir Carsisi (Spice Market) (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Tickets for the Basilica Cistern are not included and can be purchased at the entrance.
Please arrive at the meeting point on time. If you are more than 5 minutes late, the guide will not be able to wait. For the sake of the tour’s atmosphere and flow, we cannot allow late arrivals to join once the tour has started.
Please be aware that once the tour begins, the guide will be fully focused on leading the group and cannot answer phone calls or assist latecomers.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you on the tour!
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 41 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Confusion and tour left

Kathleen_B, Oct 2025

Confusion with the date. Operator asked if we could change our date from 10/15 to 10/16 at 2:00 PM. I said we could not citing a previously booked tour at 2:00PM but did get an answer. Then on 10/15 I received a text saying we were expected for our tour on 10/15 at 9:00 AM which was our originally date and time. But we were late as the taxi drove a long route to the area and we had to walk rapidly to the German Fountain to find the tour gone with no message as to where we might catch up with them. Knowing we we would be late I sent a text but received no reply and no further instructions. We walked into the Blue mosque and later visited the spice market.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest , Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and we are very sorry for the confusion and frustration surrounding your tour. We sincerely apologize for the mixed messages regarding the tour date and time. This should have been communicated clearly and consistently, and we regret that this caused uncertainty and stress before the tour even began. We are also sorry that when you informed us you would be running late, you did not receive timely guidance or instructions on how to reconnect with the group. Our team should have responded and supported you better in that situation, and we regret that this did not happen. While the tour did operate as scheduled on the original date and time, we understand how the lack of clear communication and follow-up led to you missing the group and ultimately touring the sites independently. This is not the experience we want our guests to have. Your feedback has been shared internally to improve our communication procedures and on-the-day guest support so that similar situations are handled more effectively in the future. We truly appreciate your honest feedback and regret that this experience did not meet your expectations. Kind regards, Tourmania

Old city highlights

ROBERTA_D, Jul 2025

Seeing the Blue Mosque, and other sites was good but we really enjoyed the Cistern under the Hippdrome. Well worth the extra fee

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Guest ; Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the Basilica Cistern along with the Blue Mosque and Spice Bazaar. The cistern is truly a unique and fascinating site, and we’re happy it was worth the extra fee for you. We hope to welcome you again for more memorable experiences! Warm regards, The Tourmania Team