Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Old Town and Hippodrome Walking Tour
Description
Discover Istanbul’s historic Old Town on a guided walking tour through Sultanahmet Square, including the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, German Fountain, and the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The German Fountain (Turkish: Alman Çeşmesi; German: Deutscher Brunnen) is a gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of the former Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Square) in Istanbul and across from the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898. It was built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and assembled on its current site in 1900. The neo-Byzantine style fountain's octagonal dome has eight marble columns, and dome's interior is covered with golden mosaics.
Although the Hippodrome is usually associated with Constantinople's days of glory as an imperial capital, it actually predates that era. The first Hippodrome was built when the city was called Byzantium, and was a provincial town of moderate importance. In AD 203 the Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city and expanded its walls, endowing it with a hippodrome, an arena for chariot races and other entertainment.
Today it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square (Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydanı).
The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii), is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I. It attracts a large number of tourists and is one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(53)
Both the tour and the guide are amazing. In the morning the guide arrived about 15 minutes earlier and the company messaged me via WhatsApp about the arrival of the guide. The guide’s name is CAN. He is a very friendly, professional guide. After our tour ended he has spent a few more minutes walking me to the entrance of my the next place I planned to visit and then said goodbye to me.
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic experience! We are thrilled to hear that you loved your walking tour of the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet, and the Hippodrome. It’s wonderful that CAN’s friendliness, professionalism, and knowledge made such a positive impact and helped bring the history and stories of Istanbul to life. We especially loved hearing that he went the extra mile by walking you to the entrance of your next destination—it’s gestures like this that make our tours truly memorable and personal. We’re also glad that our WhatsApp communication and punctuality added to a smooth and enjoyable experience. Your kind words mean the world to us, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to Istanbul for even more incredible adventures! Kind Regards 🧿Tourmania Team
Knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. Provided a great tour of key parts of Istanbul. Would recommend to anyone wanting an efficient tour
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your kind review and for taking the time to share your experience with our Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Old Town and Hippodrome Walking Tour. We are delighted to hear that you found our tour guide knowledgeable and friendly. Providing an informative, engaging, and efficient experience of Istanbul’s most iconic highlights is exactly what we aim for, and your recommendation truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future to discover even more of this beautiful city. King Regards 🧿Tourmania Team
The tour was really lovely and the tour guide was really informative and made the experience really enjoyable!
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Old Town and Hippodrome Walking Tour. It’s great to know that your guide’s informative explanations made the experience both enjoyable and memorable. Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again on another fantastic tour in Istanbul! Warm regards, Tourmania Team
We loved our tour with Ece! She was a wonderful guide who was both entertaining and informative. The sites we saw were beautiful on their own, but hearing more information about them really elevated the experience. Highly recommend!
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We are thrilled to hear that you loved your tour with Ece. It’s wonderful to know that her entertaining and informative guidance enhanced your experience and helped you appreciate the beauty of each site even more. Your high recommendation means a lot to us, and we would be absolutely delighted to welcome you back on another unforgettable tour in Istanbul! Warm regards, Tourmania Team
Ece was fantastic and very knowledgeable. She also kept a really good pace for our group so that we can understand and we didn’t miss anything. would definitely recommend her for future tours and if we return book her for any other tours, we decide to take.
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic experience on the Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Old Town and Hippodrome Walking Tour. Ece will be delighted to know that you appreciated her knowledge, careful pacing, and attention to ensuring your group didn’t miss anything. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we would be absolutely delighted to welcome you back on any future tours with her. Thank you again for choosing us and for sharing your experience! Warm regards, Tourmania Team
Very nice tour. The tour guide is nice and knowledgeable. We visited 3 classic spots in Istanbul and I like basilica cistern the most.
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Old Town, and Hippodrome Walking Tour. It’s wonderful that your guide’s knowledge enhanced your experience and that you especially enjoyed visiting the Basilica Cistern. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable Tourmania experience in Istanbul. Kind Regards Tourmania Team
Gorgeous mosques and we had an awesome tour guide. His name was Can! A lot of interesting facts and great conversations!
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed visiting the beautiful mosques and had an awesome experience with Can as your tour guide. It’s fantastic that you found the facts interesting and enjoyed the engaging conversations during the tour. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable Tourmania experience in Istanbul. Kind Regards Tourmania Team
Great experience. The tour guide was knowledgeable. There was a long line to get into Basilica Cistern but with a tour guide we were able to go right in through a separate line. Went at 13:30.
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great experience on the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Old Town, and Hippodrome Walking Tour. It’s wonderful that your guide’s knowledge enhanced your visit and that you were able to skip the long line to the Basilica Cistern, making your tour even more enjoyable. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable Tourmania experience in Istanbul. Kind Regards Tourmania Team
Enjoyed the tour - our guide, John, was great fun and very knowledgeable! A great way to learn about history and religion in one experience...
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Old Town, and Hippodrome Walking Tour. It’s wonderful to know that John made the experience fun, engaging, and informative, helping you learn about both history and religion in a single tour. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable Tourmania experience in Istanbul. Kind Regards Tourmania Team
Can was lovely, very friendly, informative and accommodating. He gave us lots of fascinating historical facts too. Nice small group
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your lovely review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Can and appreciated his friendly, informative, and accommodating approach. Sharing fascinating historical details while keeping the experience engaging is exactly what we aim for, and it’s great to know the small group size made the tour even more enjoyable for you. Your kind feedback truly motivates our team, and we hope to welcome you again soon for another memorable experience in Istanbul. Kind Regards Tourmania Team
