Viking Excursion to Hagia Sophia?

[NJB43]

Do any of the Viking Excursions take you into Hagia Sophia? We thought the cistern trip might, but now it sounds like you may just be driven by.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear NJB43,

 

For 2015 sailings, we offer the optional “Panoramic Istanbul” excursion that includes a guided visit to Hagia Sophia. The full description of the tour can be found on our website below:

 

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/eastern-mediterranean/empires-mediterranean/index.html#modal/209031258/itineraryday/9

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you aboard next month.

 

Warm regards,

Viking Cruises

 

Do any of the Viking Excursions take you into Hagia Sophia? We thought the cistern trip might, but now it sounds like you may just be driven by.

[id4elizabeth]

If you just want to see Hagia Sophia, it's easy to do on your own. Catch the tram at either Tophane or Findliki tram stop on the main road right in front of the cruise terminal - get off at Sultanahmet tram stop (about 20 minutes). The only difficulty is getting some Turkish lira to get your tram token. There is an ATM inside the cruise terminal though that dispenses lira. From Sultanahmet tram stop, cross the road and it's about a 7 minute walk. You can't miss seeing it - it's huge!

 

When we were there in April, there was scaffolding inside covering close to a third of the inside. Still very worthwhile seeing. Don't miss going up to the second floor Gallery. My advice if you're doing on your own is to get Rick Steves Istanbul or Turkey guide book. It goes into great detail about Hagia Sophia.

 

From Hagia Sophia, it's a short walk to the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.

[NeilP57]

Just remember that Hagia Sophia is closed on Monday's which was our day of arrival on our recent Empires cruise, fortunately I stopped on a few days so I visited it later that week. The included tour along the Bosporus was a fantastic alternative offered by Viking.

[roothy123]

Just remember that Hagia Sophia is closed on Monday's which was our day of arrival on our recent Empires cruise, fortunately I stopped on a few days so I visited it later that week. The included tour along the Bosporus was a fantastic alternative offered by Viking.

 

Great points by Elizabeth and Neil. Only thing I can add that if you don't have the time to tour Hagia Sophia (and I hear it's large and takes quite a long time to do it right), you can at least step inside the arch and see some of the grounds for free. That's what we did, as we didn't want to spend hours inside. (I assume the "arch" is open even on Mondays, but we were there on our own and it was not on Monday.)

 

I agree with Neil that the tour along the Bosporus was great, and I also thought the visit to Rustem Pasa mosque was great - very few visitors other than Viking folks, plus a couple worshipers. It was quite pretty and after touring it I had no interest in the Blue Mosque.

Edited October 20, 2015 by roothy123

[id4elizabeth]

We were at Hagia Sophia with a private guide (his name was Volkan and got him thru EpesusShuttle.com) and I'd say we saw the whole thing in slightly under an hour, including the 2nd floor Gallery and the courtyard. Of course you could spend more time there, but I think we did it justice. The space was immense and amazing, and while there are little subtle details to see, most of the ancient decrative elements have gone. There are some beautiful frescos and mosaics but you need to know where to look - that why I'd recommend Rick Steves or a private guide. One of the advantages of a private guide is that he/she can get the tickets in the "guide" line which is considerably shorter than the tourist line!