Delving Into Byzantine History | Basilica Cistern Guided Tours, Skip the Line Benefits, & More
Why Take a Basilica Cistern Guided Tour?
- Enjoy Skip-the-Line Benefits: Basilica Cistern guided tours not only help you avail of an expert tour guide but also offer skip-the-line privileges. You can save time and money and make the most of your visit to the cistern with guided tour tickets.
- Understand the History: Booking a guided tour is the best way to acquaint yourself with the history, legends, anecdotes, and stories associated with the cistern and its construction. Knowing these narratives will help you appreciate Istanbul’s multi-faceted history.
- Get a Local Perspective: Tour guides often share local customs, old beliefs, and contemporary reiterations that will help you form a comprehensive idea of the Basilica Cistern. You can also learn about their customs and traditions.
- Explore Hidden Gems: A tour guide will take you on an organized journey inside the Basilica Cistern. You may also get to see unexplored highlights, that you would not have seen otherwise. Tour guides will also help you navigate language and cultural barriers.
- Maximize Your Visit: Booking guided tours are the best way to make the most of your day. Since Basilica Cistern guided tours offer instant confirmation, you will know your reserved hours in advance. This will help you to sneak in other attractions in your itinerary and better your overall sightseeing experience.
Guided Tours vs Non-Guided Tours
Guided Tours
- Expertise: An expert tour guide will acquaint you with the rich history and cultural aspects of the attraction.
- Time Management: If you want to plan a day out with several attractions on your itinerary, book guided tours, as reserving specific hours at an attraction will help you to travel efficiently.
- Convenience: When you purchase a guided tour, you do not have to worry about missing your attraction or fretting about the logistics. You can have a relaxed day out.
- Safety: Guided tours are a bonus for solo travelers or female visitors, who may feel safer traveling in a larger group, especially if the attraction features slippery floors and dim lighting like the Basilica Cistern.
- Socialization: When exploring sights in a guided tour, you may meet other like-minded travelers, who enjoy the same places as you do. It can make for the most meaningful friendships at the most unlikely of times.
Non-Guided Tours
- Flexibility: You can plan your own itinerary and cover all the sights in the Basilica Cistern on your own without a guided tour. You can go at your own pace and spend more or little time at a particular spot depending on your preference.
- Cost-Effective: While guided tours help you to appreciate the culture more deeply, they may also be quite expensive. If you do not have the budget, you may skip it and explore on your own.
- Independence: In guided tours, you do not have the flexibility to stray from your group or linger at a particular spot. It may feel rewarding to research an attraction and plan a day out by yourself.
- Limited Social Interaction: If you do not enjoy socializing with other travelers, or feel overwhelmed by the idea of being surrounded by a large number of people when exploring an attraction, you may choose to avoid guided tours.
- May Miss Highlights: One possible con of opting out of guided tours is that you have to research the history and culture of an attraction before visiting it. You would also be in charge of planning your own itinerary. Make sure not to miss any highlight of your attraction.
Highlights Covered on Your Basilica Cistern Guided Tour
Medusa Heads
One of the most iconic highlights of the cistern is the Medusa Heads, one placed sideways and one situated upside down beneath a column. It is believed that they had been removed from an ancient Roman building.
Long Colonnades
As you enter the cistern, you will notice long marble columns supporting the roof. They cast long and winding reflections on the tranquil water surface, adding a layer of mystery and intrigue to the cistern.
Weeping Column
Around 7000 slaves had labored to build the Basilica Cistern. Several of them died during the 38-year construction period. The cistern has a column, engraved with branches and peacocks to honor their memory.
Book Basilica Cistern Guided Tours
Frequently Asked Questions About Basilica Cistern Guided Tours
Yes, you can book Basilica Cistern guided tours if you want to learn more about its unique architecture and Byzantine history. An expert English or Spanish-speaking tour guide will accompany you throughout the tour.
It is best to book Basilica Cistern guided tours online. You will be able to save time and money. You may also chance upon great deals and discounts when booking tours online.
Basilica Cistern guided tours range from around € 29 to € 40. At € 29, an English or Spanish-speaking tour guide will take you around the attraction. You can enjoy skip-the-line access and an audio guide app in over 8 languages. You can also upgrade your guided tours to include access to the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace or enjoy a Bosphorus Cruise.
You can choose between 3 types of Basilica Cistern guided tours when exploring Istanbul. You can either pick a Basilica Cistern guided tour or a combo guided tour that includes access to the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern, or a combo ticket that includes a Basilica Cistern guided tour along with a Bosphorus Cruise.
When you book Basilica Cistern guided tours, you can enjoy skip-the-line benefits, get an expert English or Spanish-speaking tour guide throughout the tour, and also avail of an audio app in over 8 languages to delve deeper into the cistern’s history.
You can access an audio app, available in over 8 languages when you book Basilica Cistern guided tours. They are available in English, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish.
An expert English or Spanish-speaking tour guide will accompany you on a journey through the Sunken Water Palace aka the Basilica Cistern. You will get up close with the marble columns along the roof, the Medusa Heads, the Weeping Column, and the pristine water surface.
Yes, if you are interested in Byzantine history and architecture, the Basilica Cistern is a must-visit. The marble columns and waterways take you on a journey through the yesteryears when the ancient underground cistern supplied water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and its surrounding areas.
Yes, you can enjoy skip-the-line benefits with your Basilica Cistern guided tours.
Yes, if you have booked your Basilica Cistern guided tours online, you can cancel them up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund on your purchase.
A Basilica Cistern guided tour lasts for around 30 mins to an hour.
Yes, if you book Basilica Cistern guided tours online, you can avail of a 9% discount, where you get the experience at € 29.
