Basilica Cistern Expert Guided Tour Priority Entry

Han was amazing and I'm so happy that we chose to go with Han to visit the cistern. This was one of the highlights and must dos from our visit to istanbul. Han was always in communication with us before and after the visit. We arrived and he was right on time, and gave us some details about the site and the visit. He helped me go in to the site to pay for our tickets by card and then we went in. right away, we went to a small area where he shared the history of the site, the associations to films and pop culture, and more all with media and a little speaker that made the history of the cistern come to life. He helped us navigate the busier areas, took photos of us when we wanted them, and he carved out spaces for us when other tourists were taking forever to get a selfie. Han always would say 'you're about to see x and here is why it is important' and then he would tell us how to see it and showed us associated media to make it come alive for us. I loved also how there were stories and myths about where each of the columns came from, why there were holes in the roof, and if/where the fish came from. It's sad to see the water levels declining but it's such a beautiful site that we didn't miss on our trip. At the end, Han gave us a wee gift. Then, we asked about a lunch spot that was local. Han walked us there, showed us the food and advised us what to eat. He even helped us order and we were so happy with the food!! Yum!! Thank you Han!!

Han was great!!! I'm so glad we booked this tour. It was an easy comfortable start and we enjoyed a private guiding of the basilica cistern. This was one of my highlights from Istanbul!! Han met us right on time and gave us each an eye to symbolise Turkey for us. I'm so glad we pre-booked this with Han. I didn't book tickets before and he led me to the counter to purchase them easily with my card. Upon entering we went to a corner where Han told us about the history of the site and showed us media (with a speaker and everything!) that linked to different movies and pop culture, with Dan Brown making the site famous. We also were able to view the site over time, and how things had changed through the media that he brought. This also proved helpful at different areas where there were many tourists, so we were able to get details of what/why this part is important and then see it to appreciate it afterward. Han also helped us navigate the busier areas and made sure that we got great pics and was our photographer. At the end, he even gave us a wee gift!! We asked for a recommendation to eat at a local restaurant so he walked us to an amazing lunch spot and showed us what they had, why it was worth trying, and even helped us order a range of plates that were tasty. highly recommend booking this tour!! It really made our visit in Istanbul!!