Afternoon Bosphorus Cruise Along the Shore

Istanbul, Turkey

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See Istanbul’s fairy-tale skyline from the water on a 4-hour afternoon cruise on the Bosphorus, taking in ancient and modern sites along both sides of the strait. Spot elegant homes on the shoreline and Ottoman fortifications, the neighborhoods of Ortaköy, Bebek and Beşiktaş, deep bays and rambling palaces. Watch slender minarets and soaring domes drift by, then hear ancient legends about Kizkulesi, a Byzantine lighthouse on a tiny Bosphorus islet.

4-hour Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul
Travel by boat and see the sights from the water
Learn about local history
Capture unobstructed images of Istanbul sights
Tour is wheelchair accessible
Fully narrated tour
Bonus visit: Istanbul's spice market

What's Included

English-Speaking & Professional Tour Guide.
Admission Fees to Cruise Boat.
Air-conditioned vehicle
Transportation from/to the Meeting Point.
Guided tour of Bosphorus on a Public Cruise Boat & Spice Market.

Gratuities
Admission Fees to Musuems.
Food & Beverages.
Personal Expenses.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Hereke Carpets
Alemdar, Nuru Osmaniye Cd. No:35, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Meeting Point: Hereke Halı (Hereke Carpets) Meeting Point Coordinates (Latitude & Longitude): 41.010233027453424, 28.972806646594854

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.1:15 pm

Itinerary

Meet your guide at a centrally-located meeting point, then set out from Sariyer or Kabataş pier to join the bustling, colorful boat traffic on the Bosphorus Strait. Pass the deep Tarabya Bay, where an exclusive marina is edged by grand homes and hotels, then see the distinctive wooden houses at Yenikoy.

Learn why Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror built the dramatic Rumeli Fortress, whose stone parapets run all the way to the water’s edge. Cruise past two dramatic Ottoman palaces—Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi—where sultans lived in luxurious style until the end of the empire, and take in the ancient lighthouse that stands guard at the southern end of the strait.

Make a bonus visit to the Spice Market, where you’ll get a taste of everyday life in Istanbul. Browse vivid displays of spices and dried herbs, ripe fruit, flowers, produce and a remarkable variety of aphrodisiacs. Finish the day at the market, which is convenient to Old City restaurants, cafes and sights.

"Dolmabahçe (Pass By)

Maiden's Tower (Pass By)

Ortakoy (Pass By)

Rumeli Fortress (Pass By)

Yenikoy (Pass By)

Tarabya (Pass By)

Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.0

based on 4 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Shocking waste of money.

Jackie_P, Aug 2025

Buyers beware! This is a large public ferry trip, cost 250 lira pp [AUD 10] at the ticket office for which you receive private transfer and a guide who is not necessary. We paid Viator AUD 363 for two… on the basis of a photo depicting the bow of a boat with happy people on it so we expected a small group only. If you want to do this tri- get the team and go to the ticket office.

A ripoff trip

Hamad_R, Jul 2021

It was a ripoff - Trip was good but we paid 25Euro per person for a boat, but the ticket for the ferry was 25 trl. Though there was an extra servise of pick and drop from the holton hotel that was just 10 min away and a guide but its not worth it - And it was written 4hrs trip but it was only 1 1/2 hrs on boat. The price wasnt fair at all there should be more and clear details for this trip. I will not recomend it at all - we would like to claim some of our money - its not ok to pay 10 times more for this booking