Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Entrance fees
- Transfer
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- German FountainBinbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Our guide will hold flag with our company name logo.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
German Fountain
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Sultanahmet District
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
Blue Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
5
Blue Mosque
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- 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 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 627 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
I was very disappointed in this tour. It was listed as 3 hours and it was barely 2 hours. The guide was very nice and good at offering to take photos, help with directions and local recommendations. But from a tour expert perspective it was lacking. The guide did not seem to know anything beyond what was listed on the signs and plaques. He knew nothing about Islam despite two of the sites being mosques. I could have walked around myself and learned more. I’ve never had a bad tour experience in my life - but this was truly a disappointment. The small group was nice but that’s about it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Guest,
thank you for your honest feedback. We're sorry the tour fell short of your expectations. Regarding the duration, visit times can vary depending on queues at each location. Your comments on the depth of knowledge shared are taken seriously and will be passed directly to our team to ensure improvements are made. We hope to welcome you back for a better experience!
Kind regards 🧿 Tourmania Team
Our guide, ‘J’ managed to skillfully distil centuries of history into a compelling narrative that combined insight, clarity with the occasional bit of humour. He encouraged questions and answered all with patience and respect. Highly recommended.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Guest,
What a beautifully written review, thank you! History, humour and patience all in one guide, that really is the perfect combination. J has a true talent for making the past come alive and we're so proud to have him. He will love reading this. Hope to see you again someday!
Kind regards 🧿 Tourmania Team
Hagia Sophia is undergoing repairs of the interior that block the view --non Moslems are on the second floor for viewing and at present (May/2026) it is difficult to get a decent view of the interior of the building. The Blue Mosque currently is open without repairs and it is much easier to gain a sense of the building. Both buildings are breath taking.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you for the helpful and up to date feedback! Both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are truly breathtaking regardless and we're glad they left such a strong impression. Your note about the current repairs at Hagia Sophia is really useful for future guests to know before they visit. Hope to welcome you back again someday!
Kind regards 🧿 Tourmania Team
The tour was fine and the tour guide was nice but I expected more for $73 per person when the entrance fees were only $30 per person, particularly since the audio barely worked and it was just a walking tour. My sister and I could have saved $86 together by downloading an audio guide and walking around the mosques ourselves.
Our guide was Egemen Tokatlioglu who was kind, patient, & extremely knowledgeable on all questions we asked. I wish we could have had him as our guide on ALL of our tours. If you can request him, you won’t be disappointed! He’s just great. BTW, we ended up having a private tour because other party was a no-show. It was fabulous!!!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your amazing review!
We’re thrilled to hear that your tour with Egemen Tokatlioglu was such a memorable experience. It’s wonderful that his kindness, patience, and extensive knowledge made the tour so enjoyable, and we’re glad the private tour turned out fabulous despite the other party being a no-show. We completely agree—Egemen is truly exceptional!
We hope to welcome you again on another unforgettable Tourmania experience soon!
Kind regards,
🧿Tourmania Team
It was OK. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and kind.
He knew a lot about history was brief and thorough about everything.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you found your guide knowledgeable, kind, and thorough throughout the tour. It’s wonderful to know that his passion for history came through and made the experience informative and engaging for you.
We truly appreciate your feedback and are always working to make each tour even more memorable. We hope to welcome you back to Istanbul again soon for another fantastic experience!
Warm regards,
🧿Tourmania Team
This tour was excellent . The tour guide had great knowledge and also patiently answered all questions.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
We are delighted to hear that you found the tour excellent and that our guide’s knowledge and patience in answering all your questions made the experience even more enjoyable. Providing clear, informative, and engaging tours is always our priority.
Thank you for choosing Tourmania. We hope to welcome you again soon on another memorable experience.
Warm regards,
Tourmania
This was a great introduction to the Sultanahmet area and some of the jewels of Istanbul. Emre was very knowledgeable and led a great tour.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you very much for your kind review.
We’re delighted to hear that the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour was a great introduction to the area and its iconic landmarks. It’s especially wonderful to know that Emre’s knowledge and guiding style made the experience even more enjoyable.
We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon for another unforgettable tour in Istanbul.
Best regards,
The Tourmania Team
Emre was an excellent tour guide. He explained all the sites we visited to the finest detail. He was one of the most informative guides we've ever come across. Super friendly and made this a day to remember. We recommend this tour group a 100%. Thanks Emre you were phenomenal!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your fantastic review of the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour.
We are truly happy to hear that you had such a memorable experience with Emre. His detailed explanations, deep knowledge, and friendly personality are qualities we highly value, and it’s wonderful to know they made your day so special.
Your 100% recommendation means a lot to us and motivates our entire team to continue delivering exceptional experiences.
We hope to welcome you again very soon on another Tourmania tour.
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
It was a really solid tour, despite the somewhat short timeline we did not feel like it was a rushed experience. Ece was a great guide and we had fun!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour. Despite the shorter timeline, we’re happy to know that the experience felt smooth and not rushed.
We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to Ece—she will be thrilled to hear that she made your tour enjoyable and fun!
We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another Tourmania experience soon.
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
Fantastic quick tour of some of the most famous sites in Istanbul. Beritan was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the mosques and was able to answer all of our questions about the history of istanbul and general questions about Islam in general. This tour was especially good for me because it was only about 3 hours which allowed me to get to my flight on time. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour but especially if you're on a time constraint!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your experience on our Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour! We’re delighted to hear that Beritan’s knowledge made the tour both informative and enjoyable. It’s great that the 3-hour format worked perfectly for your schedule while still giving you a rich experience of Istanbul’s history and culture.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another Tourmania adventure soon!
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Either guide didn’t show up or left without us. We called the number listed and did not receive a reply. Two days later still no reply. We have asked for our money back. Office said yes but no follow up.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and please accept our sincere apologies for this unacceptable experience.
A guide not meeting guests at the scheduled time, combined with unsuccessful attempts to reach us afterward, is a serious failure on our part and is absolutely not the level of service we aim to provide. We fully understand how frustrating and disappointing this must have been, especially when traveling and relying on a confirmed tour.
We are equally sorry for the lack of follow-up after you were informed that a refund would be processed. This delay is not acceptable, and we regret the additional frustration it caused.
Your case has been escalated internally to ensure the refund is completed and to review what went wrong operationally so this does not happen again. We take responsibility for this experience and truly appreciate you raising it publicly, as it helps us improve.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment caused.
Kind regards,
Tourmania
Horrible experience. Tour started 1 hour late and no communication or apology from the guide. The description is inaccurate. The guide just walks you into a mosque that is free to get into. There is no skip the line treatment. Rather, you line up with others without a guide. Guide was difficult to understand and headset was old with poor sound quality.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and please accept our sincere apologies for this disappointing experience.
A delayed start without clear communication or an apology is unacceptable, and we fully understand how frustrating this must have been. We are very sorry that this was how your tour began.
We also regret that the tour description did not match your experience. While the Blue Mosque is free to enter and does not offer a traditional skip-the-line system, our guides should clearly explain the process and accompany guests throughout the visit. We are sorry if this was not communicated properly and led to confusion or disappointment.
We are equally concerned by your comments regarding the guide’s clarity and the condition of the audio equipment. Clear explanations and reliable headsets are essential for a meaningful experience, and we regret that these standards were not met.
Your feedback has been shared with our operations and guiding teams to address communication, timing, and equipment quality so that this does not happen again.
We sincerely apologize that this tour did not meet your expectations .
Kind regards,
Tourmania
This stop was a long port stop for us; 12 hrs. The tour was a bit disappointing and disorganized in comparison to other tours booked through Viator. It was challenging to hear the guide with the ear pieces, they didn’t work but the guide wasn’t very available to let know. The city is incredibly busy so with that being said, it was a challenge to be a “group” and I found that myself and my husband stayed back to help the older group members not get lost. The older folks weren’t struggling or anything, they just weren’t super fast. The day of our tour was rainy so we stood in line for tickets for 35 min in the rain. Typically I judge a tour on if I gained anything that I couldn’t have done on my own and since we still had to wait in lines for entrance, couldn’t hear the guide and couldn’t keep up I think I would skip the paid tour and do it on my own. At the end of the tour, which ended super early (30-45 min) the tour guide collected our ear pieces and literally just walked away we didn’t even realize it was over. Like 8 of us stood there confused and he was gone. It did not, in my opinion, hit the mark and was a waste of time and money. At one point the guide said here is bathroom break, a few of us went and while I was in line my mom called saying they were going in. Thank goodness kind lady let me skip line and go so I could rejoin.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We sincerely apologize that your experience on the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour did not meet your expectations. We’re very sorry to hear about the issues with the earpieces, the pace of the tour, and the lack of guidance at the end — this is not the level of service we aim to provide.
Your comments are extremely valuable, and we will share them with our team to ensure improvements are made, particularly regarding communication, group management, and handling of equipment. We truly regret that the rainy weather and long waits impacted your experience, and we appreciate your honesty in highlighting these challenges.
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
Great tour, great guide, & amazing views of this beautiful city. This us a great way to start your trip in Istanbul
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour and had a great start to your trip in Istanbul.
Your satisfaction means a lot to us, and we’ll be sure to share your feedback with our guide and the entire team. We hope to welcome you again soon for more unforgettable experiences in Turkey.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Guide was wonderful, a lot of information about history, religion, art. Make sure you have a scarf to cover a head for women. Everyone takes shoes off in Mosque. Take water too
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour and found the guide informative and engaging.
We also appreciate your helpful tips for future travelers regarding mosque etiquette and staying comfortable during the tour. We hope to welcome you again in Istanbul for more memorable experiences!
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Very informative without being boring. Plus lots of Interesting modern facts and thoughts on current Istanbul
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you found the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour both informative and engaging, with interesting insights into modern Istanbul as well.
We hope to welcome you on another Tourmania experience soon!
Warm regards,
Tourmania Team
Hüseyin was a friendly and informative guide who was able to explain the different layers of history of the sites we saw.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear that Hüseyin provided a friendly and informative experience, helping you understand the rich history of Istanbul’s iconic sites.
We truly appreciate your comments and hope to welcome you again on another Tourmania tour!
Warm regards,
Tourmania Team
Our guide Tanner (might be spelled wrong) did a great job and also helped us get a Basilica Cistern tour when we were done.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear that Tanner made your Istanbul tour enjoyable and even helped arrange the Basilica Cistern visit afterward. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him.
We hope to welcome you on another Tourmania experience soon!
Warm regards,
Tourmania Team
Very in-depth. I enjoyed it. Lots of options for questions. Recommend it to anyone. Be sure to show up early.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the in-depth tour and had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. Your recommendation means a lot to us.
We hope to welcome you on another Tourmania experience soon!
Warm regards,
Tourmania Team
Excellent guide … very knowledgeable and helpful. Great sites !Hippodrome was fascinating with several obelisks… A good trip
Response from Host, Oct 2025
hank you so much for your kind review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found the guide knowledgeable and helpful. It’s wonderful that you appreciated the historic sites, especially the fascinating Hippodrome.
We hope to welcome you on another memorable adventure soon!
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and did a great job of taking questions and answering them. He also set a decent pace that was neither fast or slow. He highlighted all the important things to us during the visit.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour and appreciated our guide’s knowledge and pacing. It’s wonderful to know that you found the experience informative and well-balanced.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Other than the beautiful architecture and history behind both mosques, it’s worth to mention that the guide was very knowledgeable and full of good information that a person misses doing the tour on their own.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed exploring the rich history and stunning architecture with our knowledgeable guide. It’s wonderful that the tour added extra depth and insight to your visit.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
We had a fantastic experience with Beritan, visiting traditional mosques and more! We learnt so much about each landmark and really felt like we had made the most of our limited time in Istanbul! We would recommend this to anyone visiting Istanbul for an authentic traditional experience! It was the perfect amount of time too 😊
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you very much for your kind review.
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour and that Beritan made your experience informative and memorable. It’s wonderful to know you felt you made the most of your time in Istanbul and had an authentic experience.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you again for another special tour in Istanbul.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
No good, some passengers missed the way, when the guider go by himself. So I will never recommend Viator.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are very sorry to hear that your experience on the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour did not meet your expectations and that some participants had difficulty following the guide.
We take your concerns seriously and will review this with our team to ensure better guidance and support for all guests in the future. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your honest feedback, as it helps us improve our services.
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
Sites are excellent. Well worth it. The guide was very nice and very knowledgable. She was however very quiet and did not have very good English. It was hard to hear her and understand her at times. The tour was also probably too long at 3 hours. 2-2.5 hours would have been enough.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour.
We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the sites and found the guide knowledgeable and friendly. We apologize for any difficulty in hearing or understanding the guide and appreciate your comments regarding the tour length.
Your feedback is very valuable and will help us improve future tours to ensure a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all our guests.
Kind regards,
The Tourmania Team
We had to pay the guide extra to enter Hagia Sofia mosque which he said was not included ( he said only external tour was included but there was very little of that. ) this may have been correct but we had no way of finding out so paid by cash as we wanted to enter inside. Apart from that, very interesting tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour.
We’re glad to hear that you found the tour interesting. We apologize for any confusion regarding entrance fees for Hagia Sophia. We always aim to provide clear information about what is included in each tour, and we appreciate your comments, which will help us improve communication for future guests.
We truly value your feedback and hope to welcome you again for another enjoyable experience in Istanbul.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Tour leader was very knowledgeable and was very helpful in acquiring appropriate coverage for the tour if anyone needed assistance. It wasn’t as rushed as many tours are.Everything was within walking distance.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour and appreciated our tour leader’s knowledge and helpfulness. It’s wonderful to know you felt comfortable with the tour’s pace and that everything was conveniently within walking distance.
We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again on another Tourmania experience soon!
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Our guide was courteous and knowledgeable.
The tour would be better if we had headphones to hear the guide from various distances, We wear hearing aids and cannot hear everything the guide says.
Importantly we had "poor" and limited instruction where to meet our guide; we only got helpful instructions from a competitive guide who instructed us the meat our guide at the German Fountain.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your feedback on the Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour. We’re glad to hear that you found your guide courteous and knowledgeable.
We sincerely apologize for the difficulties you experienced with hearing the guide and locating the meeting point. Your suggestion regarding headphones and clearer instructions is very valuable, and we will review our procedures to ensure a smoother experience for all guests, especially those with hearing aids.
We appreciate your insights and hope to welcome you again on a better Tourmania experience in the future.
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
Huseyin was a great tour guide. The tour was detailed but time efficient and Huseyin had a ton of cool knowledge to share! He also gave recommendations of restaurants anll over the city after the tour was done. We utilized his recommendations for 4 different spots during our time in instanbul and all of them were fantastic.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your fantastic review of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour! We’re thrilled to hear that Huseyin provided a detailed, time-efficient tour full of interesting knowledge and helpful recommendations.
It’s wonderful that you were able to enjoy the restaurants he suggested throughout Istanbul. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again on another memorable Tourmania experience!
Warm regards,
The Tourmania Team
From
-22%
$67.57
per personWas $86.63
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Special Offer
Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia & Sultanahmet Tour
627
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$86.63
$67.57
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Shore Excursions
- Full-day Tours
- Trolley Tours
- Walking Tours
- Bus Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- On the Ground
- Cultural Tours
- Istanbul
- Walking Tours - Bursa
- Bus Tours - Bursa
- Historical Tours - Bursa
- Shore Excursions - Burgas
- Full-day Tours - Burgas
- Walking Tours - Burgas
- Bus Tours - Burgas
- Historical Tours - Burgas
- Walking Tours - Nessebar
- Historical Tours - Nessebar
Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
- St. Anthony of Padua Church (Sent Antuan Bazilikasi) Tours & Tickets
- Venezia Mega Outlet Tours & Tickets
- Cicek Pasaji (Flower Passage) Tours & Tickets
- Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi) Tours & Tickets
- Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Mihrimah Sultan Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Pierre Loti Hill (Pierre Loti Tepesi) Tours & Tickets
- Column of Constantine (Çemberlitaş Sütunu) Tours & Tickets
- Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Maiden’s Tower (Kiz Kulesi) Tours & Tickets
- Bosphorus Strait Tours & Tickets
- Obelisk of Theodosius Tours & Tickets
- Eminonu Pier (Eminönü Iskelesi) Tours & Tickets
- Besiktas District Tours & Tickets
- Green Tomb (Yesil Türbe) Tours & Tickets
- Küçüksu Palace (Küçüksu Kasri) Tours & Tickets
- Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Istanbul, Turkey
- Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Tours & Tickets
- Bosphorus Tours & Tickets
- Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Meydani) Tours & Tickets
- Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) Tours & Tickets