Short Bosphorus Cruise Tour With Hotel Pickup And Audio Guide
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the stunning beauty of Istanbul on a Bosphorus cruise. Glide along the famous Bosphorus Strait and marvel at the city's iconic landmarks, including the Blue Mosque and the Maiden's Tower, as well as the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Sip on complimentary Turkish tea or coffee while listening to fascinating stories about the history and culture of Istanbul. Opt for a sunset tour to see the city bathed in the sun's golden rays.
- Take a cruise in Istanbul that everyone will enjoy
- See Istanbul's highlights without breaking a sweat
- Enjoy unobstructed views of major tourist attractions
- Choose from several departure times to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Coffee and/or TeaUnlimited Turkish Tea and Nescafe Coffee.
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Restroom on board
- WiFi on board
- Personal Expenses
- Tips
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
Bosphorus Strait (Pass By)
KIz Kulesi (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 250 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Aly_F
Great sunset and great view of Istanbul. Would recommend to anyone looking for something to do that's quick and cheap
Reviews
4.6
based on 379 reviews
Nancy_M, Apr 2026
The Bosporous cruise was lovely.
When I asked Viator to pick us up at our hotel, I assumed it meant that you would ALSO return us back to the hotel - which you did not. It was a surprise!!!
Giovanna_G, Nov 2025
The experience was nice and affordable.
I went with my mother and grandmother, we saw amazing sites and we got our photos taken by a photographer. We will remember this trip forever!
Luis_C, Dec 2024
Overcrowded and not very comfortable boat. The actual length of the tour is around 2 hours and 30 minutes because, after completing the Golden Horn route, the boat returns to the port to pick up passengers from a shorter trip. However, it doesn’t seem significantly different from options offered by other companies at similar prices, so it’s acceptable.
greg_h, Dec 2024
The variety of structures on show and the narration makes it interesting and quite relaxing. The weather is a bit cold this time of year, I spent the first half an hour on the top deck until I discovered the incredibly warm downstairs area where there are reasonably priced coffee and snacks. The guys who meet you at the tour shop are friendly and engaging too. One star lost because I couldn't quite understand the narration when we were sat downstairs, but other than that, great tour, definitely worth it
Wangxue_C, Nov 2024
The tour is relatively cheap and tours both golden horns and bosphorpous. If that’s what you prefer, it’s a reasonable option. The English narrative guide is difficult to understand and the toilet was dirt and poorly maintained. They openly ask 5 star reviews in lieu of a free Turkish coffee and cookies.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Traveler,
We apologize if our tour did not meet your expectations. Regarding the guide’s explanations, we understand that windy weather can sometimes make it difficult to hear information given outdoors. In such cases, we recommend moving to the enclosed area on the lower level, where you can hear the guide more clearly.
As for the cleanliness of the restrooms, we ensure they are cleaned before each tour. We also ask travelers to leave them clean; however, some do not follow this request, which can result in them being in less-than-desirable conditions.
Concerning reviews, we do not pressure anyone to give us a five-star rating—this is entirely up to the traveler. We strive to provide excellent service and a positive experience, which we hope will encourage you to leave a good review. Please understand our approach, and thank you for your feedback.
Best regards,
Nancy_C, Oct 2024
Nice day on the Bosphourous. But the boat was very old & the bathroom was horrible with water on the floor, no toilet paper, & no paper towels. We went out for an hour then stopped to pickup more people then to another side side to pickup more people. Thank goodness it wasn't crowded. The tea was nice.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear Traveler,
We apologize for your bad experience. To clarify, our boat is 4 years old, which is not as old as you mentioned. We also regret any issues you encountered with the toilets. We clean them before every tour, but some travelers do not leave them clean, which is beyond our control. Thank you for your understanding.
Martin_B, Oct 2024
There are no explanations of the places or monuments. They show both the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Free tea, but THEY OBLIGE you to put a 5-star rating here (you have to do it there and show it) to receive some cookies and coffee, so don't trust all the ratings shown here.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear traveler, tea and coffee are unlimited and free. After that, we kindly ask you to leave a
review if you enjoyed the tour. Please do not misunderstand us. Thank you.
Dwayne_M, Oct 2024
Great views though seats in the middle sometimes fight to see past those on the edge. If you go for your free tea or coffee you will likely lose your seat!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear traveler, we are glad you enjoyed the views. If you have lost your seat, please note that there are other seats available on the boat. Thank you.
Jesse_B, Sep 2024
The view from the boat is nice. Using the public boats would offer a similar experience but at a lower cost. The seats are uncomfortable, and there is no proper information on board about the sights.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Dear traveler, please keep in mind that this is a sightseeing tour by sea. It is not a fully guided tour, but we will provide brief explanations about the landmarks and help you understand what you are seeing. We do not recommend taking public ferries because their timing is shorter than ours, and they stop at several ports to take on more travelers. Additionally, they do not offer free drinks and guidance. Also in there you should remain seated during the tour, as standing up is not allowed due to the layout of the seats. Thank you.
Abbie_D, Aug 2024
Couldn't fault it for the price. 3 hours on the water taking in the beautiful landmarks of Istanbul.
Would have liked a bit more information about the landmarks but we all loved this boat trip.
Tatyana_L, Aug 2024
Exellent and beautiful tour. Very kind staff, easy to find, our guide was great. Unfortunately the hygiene of the toilet was very bad, especially at the end of the tour :(
Dauren_D, Jul 2024
It was ok tour. Not worth the money we paid. I was hoping to have more guided tour information. Very minimal information, plus they were to trying to bribe our reviews with a terrible cookies
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Dear traveler, please understand this is a sightseeing tour, not a professionally guided one. During our tour, as we pass city landmarks, due to time constraints, we will only be able to provide a brief explanation about the buildings so that travelers can know the name of the landmark and a short history of it as we pass by. If you are looking for a fully guided tour, you should consider taking a private tour instead of a sightseeing tour. Thank you.
Michelle_S, Jun 2024
Scenery was so beautiful! Friendly staff and lovely sea breeze ! Highly recommended for a super look at the entire city
KUNWOO_S, Mar 2024
The pick-up and drop-off service was good, but if you want to see a great sunset, it is better to take a private tour or go to a location yourself rather than a group boat tour. But considering the price, it is truly a reasonable tour.
JohnF_Z, Oct 2023
Poor directions to the meeting point. The boat seats were horrible, just metal chairs that everyone moved around and made it impossible to navigate. Don't take this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hello, dear traveler. We understand that you have booked a tour with hotel pickup, but you prefer to come to the meeting point on your own. We did send you all the necessary details including ship photos, time, and Google directions that many people use to get to our boat location. We apologize if you had any difficulty finding the location, but it is relatively easy to manage. Please note that we do not have metal chairs on the boat, and all the chairs are plastic with comfortable cotton seating to enjoy the beautiful view of the Bosphorus.
Phyllis_H, Oct 2023
I missed the pickup since I thought I had to be at my hotel by 5. After many emails with Amir, I was able to find a way to meet the tour. He helped me get a much lower taxi fare since the driver tried to rip me off. Then he arranged a friend, who was great, to walk me to the correct location since the taxi driver dropped me off at the wrong place. I really appreciate all that Amir did for me so I can enjoyed the experience.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Hello there, fellow traveler!
We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your kind review and for choosing us to show you around during your tour.
It would be our pleasure to welcome you back to Istanbul on your next trip, and we hope that you had a wonderful time during your vacation here.
Best regards,
Sealand Trip team
Khalid_H, Aug 2023
Excellent Tour. Staff was nice and loved the pick and drop service. We will definitely recommend this tour. Thanks!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hello there, fellow traveler!
We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your kind review and for choosing us to show you around during your tour.
It would be our pleasure to welcome you back to Istanbul on your next trip, and we hope that you had a wonderful time during your vacation here.
Best regards,
Sealand Trip team
Pete_S, Jun 2023
Excellent value 3hrs and free tea an coffee , great guild.
Seen parts of istanbull that we would not normally see.
Jayaram_M, May 2023
Seeing the forts, palaces, mosques, and panoramic views of Istanbul in about two hours, without needing to travel on our own.
Simon_A, Mar 2023
Great experience from pick up to drop off! Highly recommend the activity. Friendly staff and nice sightseeing spots
Samiul_K, Jan 2023
The guide picked us up from the hotel and dropped us same place. We enjoyed the cruise. They explained the history and sites throughout our trip.
LAVANYA_M, Nov 2022
It was a very nice experience. The tour guides explained only key landmarks and the length of the tour is incredible
Richard_G, May 2022
Views of the city were outstanding. But tour shuttle picked us up way too early and we waited as only people on boat for 40 minutes. After departing boat had five stops in first hour which dragged on to load people for too long
Hyrjeta_M, May 2022
The experience was nice because we enjoyed with each other , but ferry, organising, speaking, timing was not nice.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Greetings, and thank you for your feedback. We encountered heavy traffic on the day of your tour, but we could depart on schedule, and everything proceeded smoothly. Despite having many passengers on board, everyone had a delightful experience on the tour.
Priscilla_J, Apr 2022
What I experienced: 80+ people, boat stopped 3 times to pick up more passengers, bare minimum "guiding" by the tour guide. It just wasn't what I expected.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Dear Priscilla,
I apologize for the inconvenience you experienced during your recent tour. The heavy traffic on the day of your tour caused us to be unable to leave other customers behind, so we returned to pick them up. Please note that our boat capacity is limited to 250 people. I hope you can forgive us for this situation. Thank you.
Aly_F, Apr 2022
Great sunset and great view of Istanbul. Would recommend to anyone looking for something to do that's quick and cheap
Souad_N, Mar 2022
Beautiful experience. We had a great time with the staff and other passengers with dance on Turkish music. The staff are very nice and helpful.
Stefan_B, Jan 2022
Booked the tour only 2 hours before it started and got picked up from my hotel. The cruise started with the Golden Horn part and then returned to get more passengers for the Bosphorus. Lots to see even though it got dark early in winter. The lights of some sights gave some great views. All in all very professional.
Suzana_V, Dec 2021
Great experience👍. Very profesionally done. Thanks to everyone. To the driver who came to pick us up in our hotel, very simpatic guide….
All in all I recomend this cruise to everyone who is thinking about Bosphorus boat cruise.
Kathrin_K, Jan 2025
Sehr schöne Route, aber der Lautsprecher war zu laut, krächzte und die englische Durchsage konnte man gar nicht verstehen. Positiv war: kostenloser Tee!
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