Hagia Sophia Private Tour: Quick Entry and Personal Guide for Unforgettable Insights
5.0
101 Ratings
Fatih

Experience Hagia Sophia without enduring extensive queues, guided by one of the greatest experts on this landmark. While it isn’t a skip-the-line tour, I ensure a quicker entry. We are confident you will be smitten by its charm. The tour lasts roughly 45 minutes, but you are welcome to stay inside for as long as you desire post-tour.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Hagia Sophia Mosque - Guided tour of Hagia Sophia with skip the que.
What's Included
  • Skip-the-line access
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fee
Location
Hagia Sophia
Ayasofya Meydanı
Infront of Hagia Sophia at the main entrance.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(101 Ratings)
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1 star
315michaelm
May 29, 2024
Aya Sofia Tour - Metin gave us a wonderful tour of Aya Sofia. He explained the history of the mosque, how it was bulit and how it changed over the years. He pointed out mosaics and other things of interest that we would have missed had we done the tour by ourselves. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pioneer383977
May 3, 2024
Overcoming trust issues getting a guide at the site. - Metin was informative, engaging and entertaining! We skipped the line and learned things not in the tour books. Money well spent given the ridiculously long line even before the place opened.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margaretwz7877ku
Apr 19, 2024
private guided tour of Hagia Sofia, the Cistern and old Istanbul. - Metin Koca was a fantastic guide: his knowledge was interesting and entertaining, as well as historical. The most important part for me was that he enthusiastically shared his love and respect for the Hagia Sofia, the Cistern and Istanbul . I came away with such a different knowledge of Turkey and its people, as well as a deeper understanding the long and complicated evolution of this beautiful city straddling two continents.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joshcg7373ag
Nov 17, 2023
Great tour, fast track highly recommended - Great tour! The Hagia Sophia is amazing but there's a huge line and we didn't have to line up at all. We even got in before it filled up with tourists and got to witness the almost empty interior. The tour itself was great. I'm not usually a fan of yours but the information was very interesting, exactly what you'd want to know without being superfluous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisalarnold
Oct 30, 2023
Probably the best tour guide I’ve ever had - If I could give 10 stars I would. It was my husband and my first trip to Istanbul. We didn’t want to take an organized tour, but rather one tailored to what we wanted to see. Metin listened to what we wanted and absolutely delivered. He is a genius at getting through (or avoiding altogether) lines. Impressive knowledge of history. He taught us how to navigate the local transportation. He basically made our day stress and hassle free. Exactly what we requested. If you’re looking for a guide that will do what you want and give you a delightful day he is the guide for you. Thank you Metin. We’ll never forget this magical day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seaside733589
Oct 29, 2023
Amazing tour guide and local insights - Metin is a very kind local to Istanbul who is a certified tour guide and historian. He gave us a tour of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul on our honeymoon, but also does private tours "off the beaten path" in Istanbul. The tour was extremely thorough and concise, and what we appreciated the most was his view on the intersection of cultures which makes Turkish history so rich. He also introduced us to an excellent Turkish rug store and a ceramics store. He really had nothing to gain from us purchasing there and took us there for nothing in return because we didn't have a great experience looking for Turkish rugs on our own. It was a real testament to his kindness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Johnjcliff
Oct 5, 2023
Metin the magnificent! - Metin was fantastic. Took us straight to the front of the line (there is a really good reason - just trust me as I don’t want to spoil the surprise!). Haja Sophia is wonderful and worth seeing with an experienced guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daytrip54635662428
Sep 26, 2023
Metin is the BEST!!! We had the most amazing day! - My friends and I spent all day with Metin yesterday taking in the sights and sounds of Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkai Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and Spice Market). We had the most EXTRAORDINARY day!!! Metin is the best—super knowledgeable, funny, and loves this city, which makes it really fun to learn from him. His English is fabulous, and he seemed to know everyone, which helped us secure prime spots in lines or skip them altogether (a perk when you’re trying to make the most of your day). We could not believe our luck in getting to see the Hagia Sophia first thing in the morning and had it almost entirely to ourselves for a few minutes. We learned later that Metin got up early to get in line before we got there, so we could hop right in. He also helped us find a non-touristy breakfast place with some of the most amazing food, and later took us to see a rug dealer who helped us learn not only how rugs were made but let us see a wide collection. As a female traveler, I felt safe with Metin and even learned some awesome photography tips from him, which I put into practice right away. Like other reviewers have said, do yourself and your group the biggest favor and book a tour with Metin. I’ve traveled all over the world and his tour is up at the top of my list! If we could give him more than 5 stars, we would!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gabrielowjh
Sep 15, 2023
Splendid!!! - Guide was great with knowledge on Hagia Sophia and also taken care of us when there were alot of people. He also knew the best angles to take photos in the mosque for tourist!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joyhanken
Sep 11, 2023
Hagia Sophia - Metin was great tour guide . Very informative and a lovely person to have a tour with . His English is outstanding. I could understand very well. I highly suggest him ! You won’t be sorry . Well worth the money .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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June 2024
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