Is Hippodrome worth it?
Worth itLives up to the hype · +8Free square on the old Byzantine chariot track with a 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk and Delphi's Serpent Column
Worth it. 4.7 on Google across 36,916 reviews, but it is a pleasant square with three monuments, not a visible stadium.
Hype64How famous and hyped it is
Reality72Evidence-based, votes take over as they come in
4.7 ★ Google · 36,916 reviews— hypegap votes · be one of the first
Been to Hippodrome? Was it worth it?
One tap. No account. Your vote moves the Reality score.Is it worth it for you?
Worth itEditorial verdict until 5 first-timers vote
You will pass through anyway between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia; spend 15 minutes on the obelisks.
Why Reality is 72
Lives up to its fame3/54.7 on Google across 36,916 reviews, but it is a pleasant square with three monuments, not a visible stadium.
Value for money5/5Free, with genuinely ancient monuments in the heart of the old city.
Can’t get it elsewhere4/5A 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk and Delphi's Serpent Column on a Byzantine racetrack exist nowhere else.
Easy to do4/5Steps from the tram and every major sight; crowds and touts are the only friction.
What people loved
Free, open-air history: genuine ancient monuments between the Blue Mosque and Hagia SophiaSpacious, clean, with benches, shade and gardens for a break between sightsLovely early morning before tour groups and at night when the mosques are litThe Egyptian obelisk is over 3,400 years old and remarkably intactWhat wore them down
Little of the actual hippodrome survives; it reads as a park with a few monuments, not a stadiumCrowded with tour groups by mid-morningThe monuments sit in sunken pits within the garden, so you mostly view them from aboveKnow before you go
See something out of date? Fix it right here.Booking: No tickets or booking; open public space.
EntryFree; open public square at all hoursSource · Checked Oct 16, 2026
What's thereObelisk of Theodosius (Karnak, c. 1490 BC; erected here AD 390), Serpent Column (5th c. BC, from Delphi), Walled Obelisk (10th c.), German Fountain (1900)Source · Checked Oct 16, 2026
HistoryBuilt under Septimius Severus (AD 203), enlarged by Constantine (324); Nika riots of 532 killed an estimated 30,000; last recorded chariot race 1200Source · Checked Oct 16, 2026
What remainsNo stands survive; the original track lies about 2 m below today's surface, and the monuments sit in sunken pits in a landscaped gardenSource · Checked Oct 16, 2026
Time needed15–30 minutes, longer if you linger on the benchesSource: Google reviews · Checked Oct 16, 2026
Getting thereTram T1 Sultanahmet, ~3 min walk; beside the Blue Mosque in the Sultanahmet centreSource · Checked Oct 16, 2026
In their words
“Go early and have it all to yourself before the tours arrive.”
“It’s free, outdoors, and honestly one of the most atmospheric spots in all of Istanbul.”
“It is crowded, but its size makes the crowds seem smaller.”
Tips from people who went
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Questions people ask
Is the Hippodrome in Istanbul free?
Yes. It is the open public square of Sultanahmet, free at all hours.
What can you see at the Hippodrome today?
The Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, the Walled Obelisk and the German Fountain, set in a landscaped square.
How old is the obelisk in Sultanahmet Square?
It was carved at Karnak around 1490 BC and re-erected here by Theodosius in AD 390.
How long do you need at the Hippodrome?
15–30 minutes is enough to see the monuments.
