Istanbul Highlights: Skip-the-Line Museum Tour

Efficiently explore the major highlights of historical Istanbul with a guided tour of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Basilica Cistern. Skip the lines and gain insights into the rich history and fascinating architecture of these iconic attractions.

Duration: 4 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Sultanahmet District - Meet your expert guide and join your small-group walking tour in the heart of Istanbul’s old town Sultanahmet to visit the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace.
  • Basilica Cistern - Make the most of your time in Istanbul with a skip-the-line entry to the Basilica Cistern. Explore the famous Basilica Cistern…
What's Included
  • Professional expert guide for insider’s knowledge
  • Small group tour for 4 hours at a relaxed pace
  • Pre-reserved tickets for the Harem
  • Pre-reserved ticket for Hagia Sophia
  • Pre-reserved tickets for the Basilica Cistern
  • Pre-reserved tickets for Topkapi Palace
  • Headsets to hear the guide better
What's Not Included
  • Guided tour of the Harem inside Topkapi Palace
Additional Information

This well-organized tour includes all tickets. Enjoy priority access to museums, bypassing the queues to maximize your time. Discover the key highlights of historic Istanbul on a guided tour that covers the essential attractions. With a knowledgeable guide, enter the stunning Hagia Sophia and delve into its fascinating history. Visit the Basilica…

Location
Ersoy Bufe
At Meydanı Caddesi
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(142 Ratings)
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Tim_s
Jul 14, 2025
Informative Istanbul Tour - A great way to experience top site in Istanbul. The Tour provided plenty of time to explore Hagia Sophia, Cistern and Topkapi Palace with insightful commentary from the guide.
Review provided by Viator
Eric_g
Jul 3, 2025
Take this tour! very good intro to the main historic sites in Istanbul. - Great tour with major highlights of the city. Skip the line was really nice for getting into all the places without a lot of waiting. The guide was really knowledgeable and helped us find the interesting spots and stories at each place.
Review provided by Viator
Najma_h
Jul 3, 2025
Incredible Guided Tour with Umut – A Must-Do in Istanbul! - We had an amazing experience on this tour, thanks to our exceptional guide, Umut Ozdiker. From start to finish, Umut kept the entire group engaged, informed, and entertained. His deep knowledge of Istanbul’s history and his ability to share it in such a passionate and accessible way made this tour unforgettable. We visited the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace—each site brought to life by Umut’s storytelling and insider knowledge. He took the time to point out details and share stories that we would have definitely missed on our own. His pacing was perfect—never rushed, always attentive to our questions and interests. What stood out most was Umut’s warm personality and professionalism. He made history come alive while keeping the atmosphere fun and relaxed. We left the tour not just with photos, but with a real appreciation of Istanbul’s rich past and vibrant culture. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city—and if you get Umut as your guide, you’re in for something special!
Review provided by Viator
Bernadette_g
Jul 3, 2025
Istanbuls Highlights - Umet was great with his knowledge of all the highlights on this tour. The pace of it was just the right amount of timing as well.
Review provided by Viator
Irma_q
Jun 27, 2025
Great way to learn about others - Was an amazing experience. So well explained. Will be nice if lunch in the palace were included but no luck
Review provided by Viator
Travis_b
Jun 27, 2025
Walking mosque tour - Great guide. Would highly recommend . She was very informative and had a great personality . Would definitely hire her again
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Leelaprabhu93
Jun 22, 2025
Beautiful Monuments - Would definitely recommend this tour! Our guide was very knowledgeable and energetic. The locations we visit are definitely worth exploring. Topkapi Palaces takes about 1-2 more hours to complete without a guide but our guide gave us some pointers on what to see.
Review provided by Viator
Sanglan_l
Jun 20, 2025
We had a very... - We had a very knowledgeable guide with sense of humor. The guide explains a lot of details and histories about the site we visited. He made all the places we visited very meaningful and memorable.
Review provided by Viator
Joe_h
Jun 19, 2025
Stunning Istanbul - What a fantastic walking tour, we saw so much and learned about the history of Istanbul and our tour guide, Emre, was excellent, such a wealth of knowledge and kept us informed and entertained throughout. We stopped at the Hagia Sophia, followed by the Basilica Cistern and finally to Topkapi Palace. Would highly recommended this walking tour.
Review provided by Viator
Frances_e
Jun 16, 2025
Wonderful introduction to Istanbul - What a great tour of the amazing sites of Istanbul! We skipped the long lines at Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace by booking this tour. Even better, Furcan was a wonderful and informative guide, able to deal with any level of questions and guest mobilities. He guided us around the holiday crowds very well. Furcan is a thoughtful and clear communicator. We were lucky to have him. Highly recommend this tour with Furcan.
Review provided by Viator
From $114
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).