Nice place, worthy service - a big wow for the cistern. simply stunning. the guiding service was short but helpful for the context. the queue was long but we used another line to enter. thus, it was convenient and quite recommended.

Recommended to go to Basilica Cistern! - Really enjoyed this - one of the highlights of our istanbul trip. The guide was really nice, gave good background to the history and answered questions. There wasn't much of a queue to skip but probably saved us 20 mins. The online booking system said that children 10 or under but when we arrived they said my son needed an adult ticket.

We’d seen nothing like this before! - Perhaps our top thing to see in Istanbul. We’d seen nothing like it, anywhere. Just to sheer size of the construction is very impressive. Queues are very long, so ensure you pre book a fast-track ticket. We were unsure (again) where to redeem our tickets from, BUT contrary to our booking confirmation, we walked to the exit and found the T&T guide (with a flag) and he handed us entry tickets. In fact, with him, we took an earlier tour time.

Fantastic experience, worth the time. - This is a great place to visit. The skip the line tour is worth it because you have to queue even if you have bought an online ticket (which was round the block when we went). The guide was near the exit to the cistern exhibit, she was great and got us in for the group tour quickly and effectively. It may be more money, but if you're limited for time it is worth it. A big shout out to our guide.

Well worth a visit - Meeting the guide was typically Turkish! stand around looking lost where the instructions say eventually someone comes up saying are you waiting a guide if so you have to wait across the road. Then after much looking at tickets and phone calls you get an entry ticket! The guided bit is pretty short and very quiet in a noisy cavern but the jump the Q is welcome on the hot days but you have as much time as you want to enjoy the sight! Which is truly impressive and there are placards to fill in all the missed guide bits

Well worth a visit - Really interesting experience, the cistern is very atmospheric (and quite dark on occasion). Well worth a visit. We didn't bother with the skip the line tickets at the time we went (May), just queued up and bought tickets - the ticket office is across the road from the exit. Took about 25 minutes to get tickets. I suspect it'd be wise to go early during the peak summer months.

Terrible service. The guide did not show up - Difficult to understand the meeting point without any signage. Entry scheduled for 4.30pm with meeting with the guide at 4.20pm. The employee arrived at 4.40pm telling us that the last tour with the guide was at 4pm and that our only alternative was to enter without a guide. In fact we only paid for the entrance tickets as a guided tour. A rip-off

Don’t book thru Tripadvisor - The guide was not there. TripAdvisor coordination is zilch. I was not the only one, rather another two tourists had the same issue and none of us speak the language.

ABSOLUTELY AWFUL ORGANISATION! - We booked a 10.30am visit. The email instructed us to wait at the exit 10 minutes before and a museum official with a badge would be waiting to eacort us in. We were there at 10.15am. No obvious official. At 10.20 we started approaching anyone in the vicinity wearing a lanyard. No luck though a couple told us we were at the right place for TT Global Travel, the company providing the service via TripAdvisor. At 10.40 a young woman with a tatty flag on the end of a pole arrived and was immediately swamped by a large group of people. When I finally got to her she said yes, she was the TTGT rep and took a photo of my e-ticket. For the next 20 mins she was bombarded by people, making calls on her phone. At 11am I asked her when we were going and she replied "Now. We're right on time." When I said we were booked on the 10.30 tour she implied that we'd missed it through our own fault but to come with her. We then joined a queue, it was absolute bedlam with other tour groups trying to push in even though some of our group had already gone through the turnstile. Once inside it was fabulous, I loved the place. Cool, gloomy, atmospheric lighting and the occasional statue. So my best tips are...don't wear stilettos as the walkways are metal grids. You will be dripped on. And the biggest one of all...Don't bother with a skip the line ticket, we booked two separate attractions and had problems with both. They're more hassle than they're worth. The organisation isn't great (understatement)

Catastrophic organization - Catastrophic organization, with jostling and people wanting to fit into one of the lines... . Because what was supposed to be a skip-the-line ticket required first a quarter of an hour to get the tickets, then almost an hour in line to get in! We also forget the guided tour or the audio guides indicated. In short, a visiting nightmare.... before entry! On the other hand, a magical place.