Basilica Cistern Tickets: Day vs Night Prices (and How to Avoid Overpaying)
The Basilica Cistern is one of the most visited attractions in Istanbul after the Blue mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Like most of the attractions, you will find that the Basilica Cistern tickets aren't that cheap. With everything adding up, we took a deeper dive into the different types of tickets that were on offer and noticed that there was a difference between the day and night prices.
The Basilica Cistern tickets for the night entrance was significantly higher which really did not align with our budget. I was nonetheless curious whether visiting at night was a better option. Shawn and I thought that maybe it would be worth spending the extra money if there was an additional experience. That's how I landed up doing my research. Anyways long story short, I believe that the night tickets aren't really worth it unless you are strapped for time.
Let's dig into why I prefer the day tickets and who the night Basilica Cistern tickets may be suited for.
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Table of Contents
What Is The Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is the largest cistern that lies under the ground in Istanbul. Back in the day, cisterns were used to store water. This water was then used for drinking, cooking etc. The cisterns in Istanbul are a huge interconnected system that run underneath the city.
The Basilica Cistern is the biggest one that is open to the public at a cost of course. What makes the cistern particularly unique is the history, the proximity to the Hagia Sophia and the unique structures inside.
Basilica Cistern Ticket Types And Prices
So there are basically two types of tickets that you can book. The day tickets and the night tickets. The day tickets are the standard tickets that everyone knows about and they are available at the ticket counter or online. The night tickets however are available only at the ticket counter of the Basilica Cistern.
Basilica Cistern Day Tickets At The Ticket Counter
You can get your Basilica Cistern tickets right at the ticket counter without a hassle. The only issue here is the lines. The cistern is a very popular monument so depending on the season and the time of the day, you could spend awhile waiting to get in. We traveled during the low season and our wait time was about 5-10 minutes max. The wait can get much longer.
There is also a limited amount of people who are allowed in at a time so this is another consideration. It's based on luck. So if its an extremely long line and there are prebooked tickets, you may not get in.
Opening hours for the day tickets: 9 - 13:30 (It's open every day)
Basilica Cistern Audio Guide
They offer you two options at the ticket counter. With the audio guide and without one.
We first decided to go for without one and then changed our minds. So Shawn went back to get an audio guide which was a mistake. If you take the audio guide combination, it becomes much cheaper.
Once you pay, you get a QR code that you need to scan and use. The audio guide loads on your phone. Each QR code is valid for one use and can be used on one phone only. Make sure to take your headphones or earphones so you can listen to it.
Note: The internet is spotty at best and non existent at worst. You need to connect to the WIFI to access the audio guide. We downloaded the guide before we went in.
Booking The Basilica Cistern Tickets Online
I was so overwhelmed when we visited Istanbul. I honestly did not know what I was doing and the information poured in from so many different sources simultaneously. That was one of the reasons why I did not book our tickets online. That and the fact that we had a lot of time in the city.
Now in retrospect, I probably would have booked my tickets online largely because of how convenient it is. In some instances, it is also much cheaper especially when you use the combination tickets. I'll show you what I mean below. I'm just going to pull up some of the best combinations out there.
Fast Track Entry & Audio Guide
⭐️ Rating: 4.5/5 (9001 Reviews) Price: $23 per person📍Location: Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked. Read More Details: GetYourGuide.com
A lot of people grumble about the fast track entry tickets because it doesn't feel fast. There is lots that they don't see and plenty that they don't consider. First off, this reserves a slot for you to enter the Basilica Cistern on a particular date. That means that even if the crowds are crazy and they aren't letting people book a ticket, you will get in.
Secondly, you don't have to wait in the queue for the tickets. That saves you a lot of time especially if you have a tight itinerary. You also get the audio guide included in the price.
The one thing that you can't skip is the security line. So you will still stand in line to get in and may have to wait a bit for people to exit. This is the inconvenience that people see. So make a note that fast track doesn't mean that you skip all the lines but it does make the entrance much quicker.
So yes it has its benefits, you just need to know what's on offer here.
"Absolutely magical experience beneath the streets of Istanbul ✨ The Basilica Cistern felt like stepping into another century, with the glowing lights reflecting on the water and the peaceful atmosphere all around. The fast-track entry saved us so much time, and the audio guide made the history come alive in such an engaging way. Everything was smooth, well organized, and unforgettable. One of the most unique places we visited in Istanbul and definitely worth it!"
Diana (read more reviews)
This ticket is best suited for people who have already visited the other iconic monuments in the area or who want to visit just the cistern. It's a simple no bells and whistle ticket and can be used at any time in the day on the date that you have booked.
Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque & The Hagia Sophia Tickets ( + Audio Guide)
⭐️ Rating: 4.⅗ (1,678 Reviews) Price: $72 per person📍Location: Read More Details: GetYourGuide
I've talked about this combination of tickets before when we spoke about the tickets to Hagia Sophia. The main reason why these tickets make sense is because of convenience. The ticket is valid for two days which means that you don't have to visit everything at the same time. This reduces how much you have to rush from place to place.
This ticket has all the benefits of the above ticket but it also gives you a chance to visit the Hagia Sophia and the blue Mosque. The Hagia Sophia tickets can be challenging to get especially with the long queues. These tickets are more expensive because they don't include the museum but depending on the season, it can be totally worth it because of the wait time.
"Great tickets - very helpful to have the queue jump particularly for the basilica, we estimate that this saved us about 1 hour in waiting time!"
Becka (read more reviews)
Even though we traveled during the low season, we spent about 30 min in line. It was 0C, windy, blowing and was so so cold. Those 30 minutes felt like hours especially since we were standing in the line with kids.
The line to the Basilica Cistern was shorter but we were told that we were lucky because the line can snake outside the building.
Entrance to the Blue Mosque is free. You don't have to pay to enter. Since it is an active mosque, women need to cover your head when entering. This ticket gives you an audio guide to the building that you would not ordinarily receive which makes it an added bonus.
One of the reasons that I did favor booking the tickets online was because the tickets were expensive and whenever you convert currency you lose a bit. Here you could just pay in your own currency and the conversions were generally pretty accurate when compared to the online rate.
The Basilica Cistern Tickets For The Night Entrance
After an hour break between 18:30-19:30 when the cistern is closed, it opens again for the night experience. The tickets are priced at around 70 euros. That changes a bit depending on how the Turkish Lira fluctuates.
I found this really expensive especially considering that the actual day tickets are already very expensive. That got me curious about what it had to offer. And honestly I was not convinced that the extra cost was worth it which is why we ditched it altogether.
What The Night Experience Offers
- Lesser crowds
- Better illumination - Though since this is underground and it was already well lit, I don't see how it could change things much. That is my opinion though and if you do check out the night experience in the Basilica cistern do let me know what you thought about it.
- Shows - These aren't always there so you have to check the schedule.
Okay those were all the reasons why I would not consider buying the ticket. There are however some people that it could work for. If you are on a tight schedule and are in Istanbul for a day or two then this ticket may work for you because the cistern is one of the few monuments that is open post 7 pm
Best Times Times To Visit The Basilica Cistern
There are two thing to keep in mind when it comes to the best times to visit the Basilica Cistern.
Seasonality: The offseason in Istanbul is between October to April. This means lower crowds. It does not take away from your experience in the Cistern itself because everything is underground and the weather doesn't change anything.
Time In The Day: The crowds come in during the midday. Mornings between 9 - 10:30 am are the quietest. This is the best time if you are a photography enthusiast. Towards around 4:30pm the crowds begin to leave making 4:30-6:30 pm a quieter time to visit.
As you can see, there are different options when it comes to the Basilica Cistern tickets. I personally feel that the day tickets are way better when it comes to the value to money ratio. I would only choose the night tickets if there was a show or if you were running out of time.
That being said, you have all the facts in one place and can choose which one works for you.
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