Guide was very knowledgable and the experience was great value for money - We paid for a guide (his name was Hal) via Booking.com, because the price was reasonable, and with his help we managed to jump the queue by about 15 minutes. He was very knowledgeable and spent about 40 minutes with us getting us into the cistern and explaining some of the history which you may not get in the guidebooks. We then explored the cistern at our own pace and we still think this was one of the best experiences in Istanbul. It's possible to do this without the guide, but the cost per person was relatively cheap (compared to the Hajia Sophia) and Hal was very entertaining.

Good option for a warm day - Our visit to the Basilica Cisterna was impressive, both for the architecture and the history it represents. This sixth-century underground reservoir is truly a remarkable work of Byzantine engineering. The hundreds of columns create a unique environment, especially with the gentle lighting reflected in the water. One of the highlights are the two Medusa heads used as the base of columns, which add an intriguing touch to the site. It is an interesting place to visit, especially on a hot day. The only thing I didn’t like was putting contemporary artwork on display in various parts. For me, it completely destroys and has no correlation with the location.

Amazing Basilica - Absolutely amazing place. It is must see in Istanbul. Fantastic piece of history. Magical place and masterpiece. I bough skip the line ticket from official web.

To see - Absolutely worth seeing. Plays of light and shadow between the columns very beautiful and worth visiting. Take your skip-the-line ticket online to avoid long queues

Very beautiful and highly recommend - My wife and I went to Basilica Cistern recently while on vacation in Istanbul. It was a great choice. Recommend to buy tickets ahead of time. We got them through MegaPass. There is separate entrance and exit. We got in fairly quickly due to having tickets ahead of time. There is background detail once you go into Cistern. It is very beautiful - the mix of the columns, colors and water. There are various art pieces throughout the Cistern. Nice and cool in there which is nice. Highly recommend.

Brilliant - join the queue! - Brilliant Queue was round the corner but was only 25 minutes maximum. Once inside it was busy but not crowded, and definitely had the wow factor.

Tanker or super algibe for city in ancient times - Spectacular. We rented an Audio Guide and found it fantastic experience. A robust construction under the city in order that in Roman times it served to supply water

Good ok about an hour max v expensive - It is extraordinarily expensive as you see a tourist price and local price (third of tourist) so for two of us 1800 lira on the gate & it is interesting but it’s at most an hour v expensive if you were not a wealthy tourist or large family ! It put us off going into anything else in Istanbul. More London Paris prices

An unusual tourist attraction - worth seeing - The Basilica Cistern is unusual and interesting. It's crowded when you first enter, but the crowds thin out. Take your time going around, and you will find space. The Gorgon with special lighting effect is worth seeing.

Very photogenic, but very expensive - For sure photogenic (and they somehow manage to arrange the paths to walk along in a way that it doesn‘t feel as packed as it actually is), but the entry fee is just ridiculously high (about 30€) for what essentially boils down to an half hour stroll through a dramatically lit old cistern. You get some nice pictures, but ultimately you really don‘t miss much if you don‘t go. Also: careful with these „no waiting line“ tickets. A) these tickets are vouchers which you need to exchange for the real ticket (mostly via email) and B) hundreds of other tourists will have bought these tickets as well and so you‘ll still have to wait anyways.