Discover Istanbul's must-sees on this guided walking tour: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul!
Join your guide in the centre of Istanbul, in the Sultan Ahmet district, for a 3? hour tour of the city's must-see monuments. Your visit will begin with the discovery of the city's hippodrome, which in ancient times was used for chariot races and other sporting events. Around the racecourse you can see the Obelisk of Theodosius (an Egyptian obelisk) and the Serpentine Column.
You will follow your guide to the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (or Sultanahmet), famous for the blue ceramics that gave it its name. The Blue Mosque is also unique in the world for its 6 minarets that dominate the Istanbul skyline, twice as many as mosques in general. Your guide will take you inside and give you a brief explanation of the site.
You will then be taken to Hagia Sophia, opposite the Blue Mosque. Now called Hagia Sophia because it became a mosque again in 2020, it is still known as the Basilica of Hagia Sophia. You will enter this monument with its tumultuous past, and discover the history of this place, between mosque and basilica, and understand why it is a major architectural symbol of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
Finally, your guide will take you to the gates of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, one of the largest bazaars in the world. Your guide will leave you in this authentic setting, where you can wander through the hundreds of corridors and stalls that make up the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.