Small-Group Istanbul Walking Tour: Hagia Sophia Museum and the Blue Mosque

Meet your expert local guide near Hagia Sophia Museum and head inside to discover all the delights of this incredible Byzantine Church. Originally intended for Christian worship, the church later became a mosque and served Istanbul’s Muslim community for nearly 500 years before it was converted to a museum. As you stroll around inside, your guide will point out beautiful mosaics from its Christian period as well as fascinating examples of Byzantine architecture and relics from the Ottoman era.

Hagia Sophia Museum is closed on Mondays; should you travel on this day, your visit will be replaced with Basilica Cistern.

After exploring Hagia Sophia, take a leisurely walk with your guide to see the German Fountain in Sultanahmet Square. This Neo-Renaissance water feature was given to the city as a gift from Germany’s General Emperor Wilhelm, and it marks the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries.

Istanbul’s Hippodrome – or the Hippodrome of Constantinople to give it its due -- is nearby, so wander over to this site next to learn about its history. Hear tales of rowdy chariot races, rebellions and riots that took place here – signifying its status as the heart of civil activity in the city during both the Roman and Ottoman empires.

The final attraction visited on your 5-hour morning tour is the legendary Blue Mosque – a monument that set out to rival the Hagia Sophia in terms of its grandeur. Commissioned by 19-year-old Sultan Ahmet in the early 1600s, the mosque certainly achieved its brief. With its six skyline-dominating minarets and cascading domes, the Blue Mosque’s eye-catching exterior has graced a thousand postcards, and is one of the city’s definite must-see sites. Explore inside with your guide, and admire the blue-tiled ceiling and incredible stained-glass window with their intricately etched designs.

Head out of the Blue Mosque, and take a final walk with your guide back to the start point where your walking tour ends.