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.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- English and Turkish, Spanish, Italian, German-speaking tour guide (please, select the option)
- Local drink at a historical Madrasah (depending on the package selected)
Excludes
- Lunch or beverages
- Personal expenses
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Hagia Sophia (unless inclusive option selected)
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Meeting Point: Sultanahmet area | German Fountain (Address: Binbirdirek, Atmeydanı Cd., 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Kindly be at your meeting point at least 10 minutes before the stated meeting time. The tour guides will only wait a maximum of 10 minutes for you before proceeding to the next stop.
Return
- Meeting Point: Sultanahmet area | German Fountain (Address: Binbirdirek, Atmeydanı Cd., 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Kindly be at your meeting point at least 10 minutes before the stated meeting time. The tour guides will only wait a maximum of 10 minutes for you before proceeding to the next stop.
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.
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Reviews
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.
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.
I did go on my own. The lady who explained was very knowledgeable and was ready to answer questions and help with pictures
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!
Highly recommend this tour! This is the only tour I found that also included the Suleimaniye Mosque, which is a must-see, in my opinion (just as beautiful as the Blue Mosque, but much less crowded and spectacular views of the city from the hilltop). Emrullah was a fantastic guide who knew the history of each mosque. He gave us interesting insight into the architectural details as well, and pointed out things we would not have noticed on our own (such as Viking graffiti in the Hagia Sophia). He was also great about changing up the schedule when we had to make a slight unplanned detour and making sure we still saw everything we wanted to, as well as taking many pictures of my husband and I with these incredible sights. Overall, we are very happy we did this tour of these major sites as we feel like we got so much more out of our visits than if we had just strolled in on our own. A few tips to get the most out of this experience - wear modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered), bring your own headscarf (for the ladies), wear comfortable and supportive walking shoes you can easily slip on/off, wear sunscreen if you sunburn easily, and definitely buy the tickets for Hagia Sophia ahead of time as that ticket line is crazy. (If you don’t get that link through your confirmation email, reach out to TripGuru and the chatbot will send you the form to fill out so your guide can reserve your Hagia Sophia tickets ahead of time).
We enjoyed the experience but as tourists despite having paid to get into the Hagia Sophia Mosque (Ground Floor) it was only for the museum. This is not clear on tour instructions which are misleading. Our guide (Faruk Bodur) was excellent. He was friendly, very accommodating and knowledgeable. We have rated this as a 5 star experience because of the quality of our guide. Thank you Faruk.
Great tour, our guide Muhammed was very friendly, polite and funny, he made the tour engaging and it was great to learn about all the little things you would miss without a tour guide. We would highly recommend to anyone visiting Istanbul.
Our guide Ebru was great. We had a serious medical incident near the end and she went well beyond her role. Great patience with the group and knew her stuff A shame you can’t go into the floor if Haiga Sophia but the time we spent in the rest of it made up for that
Amazing tour guide Emrulla was great, informative and genuinely enthusiastic. It was a real pleasure.
Our guide Selin was excellent. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and adaptable to our requests. This was the only option I found to get a tour of the Suleymanyie Mosque and it was a great decision because it was the most beautiful of all the ones we visited. She also helped us figure some train traveling we had planned. I recommend this tour.
Great tour! Muhammed delivered the tour with enthusiasm and humour, and pointed out parts we would never have seen by ourselves. Well worth the experience
1. Half day (I was looking for a tour that was less than 5 hours) 2. All the popular mosques (it includes the top 3 on my list) 3. Fantastic guide (thank you Seda for the impeccable tour and service) Would recommend this to anyone who wants to see Istanbul's best landmarks in 4 hours. Well worth your time!
Istanbul mosques, check!! Who would've thought that the movie Argo would push me to visit Istanbul?! And glad I did! Luckily Ebru, our guide made my day so memorable in spite of being alone in the group, she didnt make me feel that way. And tbh this tour is really ALL IN ONE!! coz of the top list i've been eyeing to visit apart from the basilica cistern
Guide was amazing, he explained us every details and also give us some tips how to spend our holidays in Istanbul
The tour was amazing! I am so glad I didnt do it on my own, the tour guide was super clear explaining all. There was a really nice surprise at the perfect time of the tour, a complementary stop for coffee and baklava at one of the nicest places in Istanbul. It was a cold day and with all the walking this stop was just what we needed. The group was small, only 3 of us, and I am still in touch with them! New friends! So worth the money, Definity recommend it!
Let me say that we thoroughly enjoyed our time with our guide Muhammed! He was knowledgeable, fun and took us to the Mosques and his favorite café for Baklava and tea. Muhammed, Thank you so much for a wonderful experience!!! 🎉 ♥ Julie and Esa ☺
Excellent experience to get to know the mosques of Istanbul. The guide Yulide was very pleasant, she gave us all the information, and answered all the questions. It is a wonderful memory
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.
El recorrido es interesante con buenos datos, visitas las mezquitas mas reconocidas, el guia conoce muy bien sobre la historia. Me gusto el recorrido y la informacion
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.
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!
En realidad es algo sumamente hermoso y Nurjan, una excelente guía además para .i fue un sueño hecho realidad
Excellent visits, very nice the company of Emir our guide, explained a little History, my children were fascinated. Thank you Emir for your nice personality. Thank you.
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