Published on Dec, 2024
I could not come to Istanbul without visiting the Hagia Sophia; I was nervous because it's double the price to buy your ticket online, and the line in person is very real. The only time I saw it short was only one day at 8am--and not any of the others. Luckily for me, I had a tour guide who was able to buy a ticket without waiting in the ticket line. From there, the entrance line happened to be short. I highly recommend this.
As of earlier in 2024, the ground floor is no longer open to non-Muslims (or non-Turks?). But you can still see it from the upper floor, which has the famous mosiacs an breathtaking architecture. And yes, women need head scarves, though they have some you can borrow. Once your in, I would recommend spending maybe an hour inside.