Your experience
Skip the lines and explore the Basilica Cistern with expert-led tours or audio guides.
Getting started
Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your scheduled time and keep your mobile ticket and a valid photo ID ready. A staff member will meet you at the entrance and help you check in. You’ll breeze past the ticket queue, but do note that all visitors must go through a security check.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is one of Istanbul’s most atmospheric spots—a vast, ancient underground reservoir built in the 6th century. It’s best known for its forest of marble columns, the serene reflections in the water, and, of course, the mysterious Medusa heads hidden at the far end.
Depending on the ticket you choose, an expert guide will accompany you through the cistern. You’ll get the backstory behind the Medusa heads, learn how this shadowy space once supplied water to emperors, and hear quirky details you’d probably miss on your own.
Prefer to explore at your own pace? You can use the included audio app, available in five languages, to guide you through the cistern. If you want to see more of Istanbul, upgrade your ticket to include a guided tour of Hagia Sophia, an architectural masterpiece known for its massive dome and golden mosaics.
- Rated 4.2 / 54,085 reviews
- Mobile ticketShow it on your phone
- Duration60 minutes
- CancellationNon-refundable
- Marvel at the cistern's vast underground chambers, supported by 336 marble columns, and learn more about its role as a water reservoir for Constantinople from your guide.
- Skip the lines and explore Basilica Cistern with a local expert or a multilingual audio guide.
- Choose a self-guided audio tour to explore at your own pace or join a local guide for expert commentary and insider stories that bring this underground marvel to life.
- Upgrade your experience to include a guided tour of Hagia Sophia with skip-the-line access, allowing you to explore two of Istanbul’s most iconic landmarks in one seamless visit.
- Fun fact: The Basilica Cistern is home to two upside-down Medusa head statues, which are believed to have been repurposed from ancient Roman temples, adding an air of mystery to the site.
- Skip-the-line entry to Basilica Cistern
- Instant mobile tickets with all-day validity
- Audio app for iOS and Android in English, Spanish, French, German & Italian
- 1-hour guided tour of Basilica Cistern (as per option selected)
- Expert English-speaking local guide (as per option selected)
- 1-hour guided tour of Hagia Sophia (as per option selected)
- Entry to Blue Mostque (for free)
- Audio-guided tour of Blue Mosque
- 3-hour Bosphorus cruise (as per option selected)
- 4-course Turkish dinner (menu [here](https://cdn-imgix.headout.com/media/pdfs/6e04b23b9b593c2c36dad56291915dcb-Screenshot%202025-05-27%20234557.pdf?_gl=1*1j0ngr8*_gcl_au*MTYwMjQwNDk1NS4xNzYzMzAwMDM4*_ga*MTcxMTcxNzY5Ny4xNzMxODc2NTk0*_ga_Y45PC9R73C*czE3Njg1ODQ4ODAkbzEwMTgkZzAkdDE3Njg1ODQ4ODkkajUxJGwwJGgw)) (as per option selected)
- Live entertainment, including Turkish folk dance, Whirling Dervish shows, sword performances, & a DJ (as per option selected)
- Unlimited soft drinks (as per option selected)
- Free Wi-Fi on board (as per option selected)
- Flexible entry with next available slot access (as per option selected)
Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly. Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point. Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.
These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.
- Getting there: Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34110, Istanbul.
- Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip—the stone floor can be damp and slightly slippery.
- Bring a light jacket or shawl; it stays cool underground even in warm weather.
- Carry wired headphones if you plan to use an audio guide app—Bluetooth often struggles underground.
- Have your phone fully charged for photos and the audio guide (there are no charging stations inside).
- Flash photography is not permitted.
- Tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed due to space and safety concerns.
- Eating, drinking, and smoking are strictly prohibited inside the cistern.
- The site is partially accessible; there is a lift near the exit on Alemdar Street near the tram line, but the walking path inside may be uneven in places.
- Wheelchair users may need assistance, especially around corners or where the lighting is low.
- There are no elevators inside the cistern, and seating is extremely limited.
- Your ticket allows you to skip the ticket queue, but all visitors must go through a security check.
- Arrive early in the morning or visit in the evening to avoid crowds from cruise ship tours.
