The cistern has a hard cap: 85 people per 15-minute entry slot. Your booking reserves one of those slots. These twelve clauses cover what you pay for, how the slot works, what the Municipality of Istanbul's operator rules govern, and how a dispute is resolved. Key clauses: 3 (ticket scope), 6 (reschedule), 9 (refunds), 12 (law).
Between you (cardholder) and Istanbul Tourist Information Ltd., TÜRSAB licence A-7812.
The contract starts the moment Stripe confirms payment. Your confirmation email is the agreement.
Statutory Turkish and EU consumer law override these terms where they are more favourable to you.
A Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line ticket with audio guide — €42 per adult, including fast-track entry and a 12-language audio guide. One ticket type, no separate variants.
The audio guide streams to your phone via the QR code at the gate.
We do not sell transportation, hotel, or any experience outside the cistern.
Entry to the cistern during your booked 15-minute slot. The Municipality's operator honours the slot for 10 minutes of grace past the start time — after that the slot is released.
Unlimited time inside once entered. Typical visit: 30-45 minutes. Maximum dwell: while the cistern is open (no re-entry after leaving).
Audio guide streams from your phone — bring headphones for quiet enjoyment (Bluetooth works underground; cell data does not).
Languages: English, Turkish, German, Spanish, French, Italian. Chinese (zh-Hans) available on request at time of booking.
Confirmation email within 90 seconds. Reference: BC- + six characters.
If no email after 60 minutes, check spam then email support. We resend manually.
The voucher's QR code is scanned at the gate. Phone screenshot or paper copy both work.
Meeting point: the fast-track entrance at Alemdar Caddesi (south gate, not the main Yerebatan Street gate).
Arrive 5 minutes before your slot. Security screening is swift (1-2 min). Late by more than 10 minutes: the slot is released — rebook or visit during a quieter hour without a slot.
Late for reasons we caused (confirmation failure, system outage): full reschedule or refund. Late for external reasons (traffic, missed ferry): 10-minute grace then the slot is lost.
Free reschedule up to 48 hours before the slot. Unlimited number of reschedules if each respects this window.
Inside 48 hours: handled case-by-case via support per booking. New date within six months of original.
Reply to confirmation email with "reschedule" in the subject and the new preferred slot. Processed within four business hours.
Photography is permitted. Tripods are not permitted — they block the narrow walkways. Flash is allowed but not appreciated.
Surfaces are damp and can be slippery. We recommend closed-toe shoes with rubber soles. The Municipality provides handrails along all walking paths.
Do not touch the columns. Do not drop anything into the water. Do not throw coins — the ecosystem includes live carp.
Removal. The cistern's operator may remove visitors behaving disruptively. No refund is owed. This has not happened in the last four years.
The Municipality of Istanbul closes the cistern for maintenance occasionally (typically Mondays every 4-6 weeks). When a closure falls on your booked date, full refund regardless of window, or free reschedule.
We monitor the operator feed and proactively refund every affected booking within two hours of any announcement.
Partial closures (one of the two walkways roped off): no refund; the core experience remains accessible.
72+ hours: 100% refund to card.
24-72 hours: 50% or free reschedule.
0-24 hours: 12-month credit, no cash refund.
No-show after slot passes: no refund, no credit.
Full Refund Policy covers processing timeline and edge cases.
Our liability is capped at the amount you paid. We do not cover consequential damages (missed flights, hotel cancellations) — we don't sell those.
The 10.1 cap does not apply to wilful misconduct, gross negligence, or liability that cannot be limited under Turkish law.
Professional liability insurance through a Turkish insurer. Policy details available on request.
Material changes: 30-day email notice before taking effect.
The version applicable to your booking is the one in effect the day you paid.
Governed by Turkish law. Exclusive jurisdiction: Istanbul courts, subject to consumer rights that mandate a different forum.
Before filing: 14-day good-faith mediation window. Most disagreements end here.
EU consumers may use the European Commission ODR platform: ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
If a clause reads ambiguous, write to us. A human who knows the clause in context will reply.