Istanbul Old City Walking Tour: Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque｜Turkey

Discover the timeless beauty of Istanbul’s Old City on this guided morning walking tour through the heart of history. Explore magnificent landmarks that showcase the city’s rich Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, all located within walking distance of Sultanahmet Square. (Please note: This tour is not operated on Fridays due to mosque opening hours and Friday prayers.)

Start your journey at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Holy Wisdom) — originally built in 537 by Emperor Justinian. Once the largest church in the world for nearly a thousand years, it was converted into a mosque by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, later into a museum by Atatürk, and now serves again as a mosque. (Entrance fee is extra; skip-the-line tickets available.)

Continue to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), famous for its six minarets and more than 21,000 blue tiles that give it its iconic color. Built between 1609 and 1616 by Sultan Ahmed I, it remains an active mosque open to worshippers and visitors alike.

Walk across the Hippodrome of Constantinople, once an arena for chariot races, political events, and imperial ceremonies. Today, you can still admire historical monuments such as the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Constantine Column, and the German Fountain.

End your tour at the Grand Bazaar (Covered Market), one of the oldest and largest markets in the world, where you’ll have free time to shop for souvenirs and local treasures. (Closed on Sundays.)

The tour concludes at Sultanahmet Square.
No hotel transfer is provided.