Hagia Sophia Tickets & Guided Tours
Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul’s most visited landmarks – but without a guided tour, many of its fascinating stories and hidden details remain unnoticed.
On this page, you'll find all the key information for your visit, including opening hours, ticket options, and the best guided tours to truly experience this iconic monument.
Save time with these skip-the-line entry tickets to Hagia Sophia, including an audio guide in 23 languages. Marvel at the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. + more details
Explore the Hagia Sophia with a local expert on a guided tour, then skip the queues to explore the interior of its breathtaking upper gallery with an audio guide. + more details
Discover 3 of Istanbul's most famous monuments with this combined tour. Avoid the queues at the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia, and visit the Blue Mosque with an English-speaking guide. + more details
Most Popular Combo Tickets
Unlock Istanbul's heritage with this super combo: effortlessly explore the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, the mysterious Basilica Cistern and the magnificent Topkapi Palace, with skip the line entry. + more details
Bypass the queues at the enchanting Basilica Cistern and the iconic Hagia Sophia, with an enriching audio guide to bring their captivating stories to life. + more details
Combo Ticket with the Hagia Sophia Museum
Your complete experience passes to discover the fascinating history of Hagia Sophia: mosque and interactive museum. + more details
Guided Tours
Who are Guided Tours Best For?
If you are travelling with your family or as a group, we recommend a guided tour. Guided tours offer several advantages, including the ability to keep crowded groups together with common interests.
Expertise of tour guides who provide in-depth knowledge about the history and significance of a place like Hagia Sophia.
These guides can personalise the tour based on the group's interests and allow for real-time interaction.
For visitors who are eager to ask questions, guided tours are best for asking questions and engaging in discussions with the group.Additionally, some guided tours may provide access to restricted areas, offering a more exclusive experience.
Benefits of Guided Tours
- Expertise: Guided tours at Hagia Sophia are preferable due to their experience. Besides leading tours, these experts are historians, archaeologists, and storytellers. They passionately and precisely depict the monument's history, architecture, and culture. You see the structure and understand its soul when instructed by an expert.
- Historical Setting: Haghia Sophia is a living monument to centuries of history. The greatest guided tours soak you in history. Hagia Sophia's history, from Byzantine times to the Ottoman mosque and museum, is told by guides. Their narrative tapestry shows the history of these walls.
- Architectural Features: The best guided tours show you every detail of Hagia Sophia's magnificent design, including hidden details you might otherwise have missed. These findings show how clever the builders were who built this iconic structure.
- Cultural Importance: Hagia Sophia is culturally significant beyond its appearance. It shaped Byzantine and Ottoman art, culture, and religion. The greatest guided tours reveal Hagia Sophia's cultural heritage, beliefs, traditions, and inspirations.
- Personalisation: Most successful guided tours are customised to group interests. Your guide can customise the tour to your interests, whether it's religious history, architectural advancements, or Hagia Sophia's people. Personalised experiences are more engaging and satisfying.
- Interaction: A guided tour is an exchange of information. Good tours inspire questions, dialogues, and meaningful interactions. This live interaction lets you learn more about the monument's history.