Basilica Cistern with Orientation Tour: 20 Minutes with a Licensed Guide

If you want to see the cistern with some context but without committing to a long guided tour, this is the ideal middle ground. With the Basilica Cistern with orientation tour you skip the admission line, hear the story of the building in a 20-minute introduction from a licensed guide, and then carry on exploring at your own pace.

What does the orientation tour cover?

Your guide explains why and how the cistern was built, the role it played in the city's water supply in Byzantine times and the main features of its architecture. Walking beneath the vaults held up by hundreds of columns, you also stop at the famous Medusa-head column bases. The commentary is in English only.

After the tour

Once the orientation tour ends, you can stay in the cistern for as long as you like until closing time. That leaves plenty of time to photograph the columns reflected in the water and enjoy the atmosphere created by the soft lighting.

About the security check

With your guide you skip the admission line, but it is not possible to skip the security check. In high season the wait at security can be up to 30 minutes, so keep your schedule flexible.

Who is it for?

It suits travellers who want a short but informative visit, anyone planning a busy day in the old city and visitors who want time to take photos. The cistern is a few minutes' walk from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, which makes it easy to plan the rest of your day.

To round off your trip, browse more experiences on our Istanbul tours page, and find somewhere to stay among our hotels in Istanbul.