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.

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

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.