Afternoon Bosphorus Cruise Tour, Golden Horn Coach Tour and Pierre Loti Tour
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See Istanbul from three different vantage points on this tour, including a sightseeing cruise, panoramic tour and cable car ride. Take a scenic cruise on the Bosphorus and admire top Istanbul attractions such as the Bosphorus Bridge and Rumeli Fortress from the water. Then, take a coach drive around the Golden Horn districts to see the former Jewish quarter, old city walls, iron-built St Stephens and other lesser-known treasures. Lastly, catch the cable car up Pierre Loti Hill to witness the stellar city views from its hilltop cafe.
- Cruise the Bosphorus Strait to see top Istanbul attractions including the Rumeli Fortress and Yildiz Palace
- Catch a cable car up Pierre Loti Hill for jaw-dropping views over the city
- Explore the former Jewish quarter to see its cobbled streets, old houses and stepped sidewalks
- View the cast-iron Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars and Byzantine City Walls
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Cable Car ride
- Gratuities
- Drinks and food
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Leave your central Istanbul hotel by air-conditioned coach, or alternatively, join up with your coach in central old Istanbul. Settle aboard and travel to a portside for your sightseeing cruise along the Bosphorus Strait. This famous stretch of water divides Europe and Asia, so as you sail it you can look out over two continents.
Find a comfortable spot on board, and have your camera ready as you sail by an array of famous Istanbul landmarks. Waft under the vast Bosphorus Bridge and take pictures of the extravagant palaces, Ottoman-era villas and other sights ranged along the European and Asian banks.
See the crenelated 15th-century Rumeli Fortress, the bustling cafes on the Asian waterfronts, and pass the Beylerbeyi Palace and elaborate gardens of Yildiz Palace.
After your cruise, enjoy a panoramic coach drive around the neighborhoods that line the Golden Horn, the inlet that separates old and new European Istanbul. Pass through the former Jewish quarter of Balat with its synagogues, balconied townhouses and stepped sidewalks; and see the Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars, a church built entirely from cast iron.
Glimpse other sights such as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Jewish Hospital, and the remains of Istanbul’s Roman- and Byzantine-built city walls, and then continue to the Eyup neighborhood to Pierre Loti Hill.
Ride the cable car up the hillside, and savor a drink (own expense) at the hilltop cafe as you admire the unbroken views down to the Golden Horn below.
Your tour then finishes back at the original start point.
Find a comfortable spot on board, and have your camera ready as you sail by an array of famous Istanbul landmarks. Waft under the vast Bosphorus Bridge and take pictures of the extravagant palaces, Ottoman-era villas and other sights ranged along the European and Asian banks.
See the crenelated 15th-century Rumeli Fortress, the bustling cafes on the Asian waterfronts, and pass the Beylerbeyi Palace and elaborate gardens of Yildiz Palace.
After your cruise, enjoy a panoramic coach drive around the neighborhoods that line the Golden Horn, the inlet that separates old and new European Istanbul. Pass through the former Jewish quarter of Balat with its synagogues, balconied townhouses and stepped sidewalks; and see the Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars, a church built entirely from cast iron.
Glimpse other sights such as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Jewish Hospital, and the remains of Istanbul’s Roman- and Byzantine-built city walls, and then continue to the Eyup neighborhood to Pierre Loti Hill.
Ride the cable car up the hillside, and savor a drink (own expense) at the hilltop cafe as you admire the unbroken views down to the Golden Horn below.
Your tour then finishes back at the original start point.
Rumeli Fortress (Pass By)
Halic (Pass By)
Beylerbeyi Palace (Pass By)
Balat (Pass By)
Bosphorus Bridge (Pass By)
Bulgarian Orthodox Church (Pass By)
1
Bosphorus Strait
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
The Walls of Istanbul (Pass By)
Fener Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi Kutuphanesi (Pass By)
2
Istanbul Cable Car
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Please note: When reconfirming your booking, your local supplier will advise you on alternative meeting points for hotels which are not accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- We need the HES code for everybody against Covid 19, This code is required to use public transportation during the tour like cable car
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Lakpriya_H
The tour guide is amazing and explained very well. Though it was a short trip able to see most of the places.
Reviews
3.2
based on 84 reviews
Jose_I, Sep 2021
The human factor chosen in Istanbul was the great difference between good and superb. Emel Davutoglu, our guide to be, was in touch with us since the day before to the trip and from first hour in the morning of the excursion she was adapting teh shcedule of coleection from the hotels to the needs of her clients. Afterwards, she was well informed and answered our questions on a great deal of topics, with happiness and knowledge. A great professional for agreat experience. The trip, in three different tyes of vehicles (funicular, boat and minivan) is well planned and shows you very difffernt perspectives on very diverse attractions of a magical city.
Response from Host, Dec 2021
Thank you for your valuable comments, all of them are very important to us
Look forward to see you in Istanbul again
Elizabeth_W, Mar 2020
We got picked up and the traffic was bad it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to
the pier from our hotel..The tour itself was good, the cruise was a nice optional view of the city. The cable was a nice short ride. We got dropped off .9 of
a mile from our hotel they said in the old city you would be dropped off as close as they could. I do believe we could have been dropped off much closer as big tour buses went on our street daily.
Salah_B, Oct 2019
This tour was very interesting very friendly and skilled staff and very brave driver to deal with a mad traffic. I really enjoyed my day out.
It was a good history lecture which I am glad to live the golden past history time. I love Turkey which is rich of history and the top of civilisation who brought a lot of knowledge to the dark ages Europe that time. .
Awasone, Sep 2019
I took this tour to relax and enjoy the views. It was so wonderful, you can even buy drinks and some food at the boat. If you want a detailed explanation of the different sites you have to take a waking tour. Our tour guide was always very attentive. Highly recommended.
Christopher_A, Apr 2019
Cruise and the Coach Tour were good. It was just disappoiting that the Cable Car was not availablem. It was under renovation. It was a scheduled one. Viator and its company must have known about this. Thus they should have adjusted the price of the package. It is unfair that they just say on the spot that we can't ride the cable car. We availed the package because of that. Hope we get a partial refund for the disappointment.
Lakpriya_H, Dec 2018
The tour guide is amazing and explained very well. Though it was a short trip able to see most of the places.
kevrev950, Oct 2018
We were picked up from our hotel one hour before the boat ride. It turned out that the boat landing was less than 2km from our hotel. The coach stopped repeatedly, and we arrived late at the boat landing and we missed our scheduled departure time, and then waited a further 50 minutes to depart. A gentleman offered soft drinks and a sandwich (which many people assumed were a reward for the delay) however we were later charged for them. The boat tour itself was fine. We then boarded the coach again, which was boring, with very little information of note. We were given 20 minutes to tour the area local to the cable car, and when we met back with the guide were informed that there would be at least a 30 minute wait for the cable car ride... he also mentioned that the ride itself was only 2 minutes and 10 seconds, and therefore recommended that we walk down the hill to the waiting coach... which the group agreed to. The walk was down a steep cobbled footpath and took 30 minutes. We then boarded the coach and waited another 20 minutes. In summary the trip was a disaster, and I would warn people to not bother.
Yves D, Oct 2018
The tour guide was really great and her English was very good. The Bosporous cruise is a terrific way to see the views from both sides while relaxing onboard.
On the flip side...There is not much to the cable car/hill and it also takes a lot of time to get there, wait and return. This is magnified by a city with that much traffic. To and from, you spend 90 minutes for a 1minute ride down a small hill.
If not for our friendly guide, I would normally suggest to just do the boat tour as a stand alone activity...
Omer M, Jul 2018
Too commercial, too long, cable car ride not needed as its not a great experience. Watch out for overselling while on the boat. They say drinks are complimentary but will charge you afterwards - dont order unless you want to pay 6 lira for a small glass of orange juice and a not so great cheese sandwich. The views are incredible. The tour guides are nice but language is an issue. Couldnt understand much of the commentary on the boat as well.
Asma_C, Mar 2018
The bosohurus cruise was great. However the cable car was a bit disappointing and time was limited because we started tour late as it took time to gather everyone. Although we were picked up late it was still worth It!!
Janet W, Mar 2018
Personally I wouldn’t recommend we ended up swapping guides as we had a French couple who couldn’t understand English (so they said) yet booked on a English speaking tour ? So we had a guide who spent more time rambling on in French this was very disappointing as we missed key points.
Tracey H, Mar 2018
A lovely informative trip . Would highly recommend .
Juancarlos_U, Mar 2018
What can I say...a tour of Bosphorus coastline with a guide historic view of landmarks along the shores...palaces, million dollar homes...historic Byzantine and ottoman ruins. Our Spanish speaking guide was a very sweet and historically precise with his presentation and delightful affect. Go !!!
Leia V, Nov 2016
Tour was a nice way to get a tour of the Bosphorus and a nice view from top of Golden Horn. Not really a must do, but good enough for what was promised.
Ian_S, Sep 2016
The Bosphorus cruise was interesting and worth doing. The Cable Car Ride was disappointing as it was very short perhaps 2 minutes. It would have been better if we could have had more time at the place the Cable Car leaves from as there are markets and a nice cliff top restaurant, this was all a bit rushed. Our guide also had both French and English people on the tour and needed to translate to both.
JACQUELINE_R, Sep 2016
Fun tour and informative. My only complaint was that we didn't have time to have a coffee before the cable car ride.
James F, Jul 2016
A good relaxed half day tour introducing you to the Bosphorus and Istanbul. Recommended.
James B, Jun 2016
Tour was great for a half day excursion. Friendly for Americans and bus and abilities were in nice shape. Folks were very accomidating to pick up at hotel for a bit more money if you are outside the regular area they operate in. The boat cruise pushes food a bit but it is cheap. It does walk a bit.
ALFREDO C, Jun 2016
Tour guide OK. A bit oversold and not comfortable. Spend a bit more money if you want to have a great tour.
Bruce J, May 2016
Saw some areas of Istanbul not visited before. An adequate tour.
Barbara S, Mar 2016
This was a miserable experience, as we spent more time being bused through bad traffic than we did sightseeing. The days of picking up everyone at hotels should be over for Istanbul, given the traffic. It would have saved hours to have us meet at the boat dock. The cable car ride down from the Bosphorus viewpoint was another bottleneck, and this time useless. We could have saved time by getting back in the bus. We ending up skipping places included in the Golden Horn tour because of lack of time. The tour guide was unpleasant. Basically, we felt ripped off by this tour.
SUSAN M, Mar 2016
This tour was operated by Plan Tours locally. After our pick up we proceeded to then go to another central point where we had to swap coaches which took ages due to Sunday traffic and loads of cyclists and then another extremely long queue to cross the Galata Bridge to get to the ferry. A wasted hour easily just stuck in traffic. The boat trip was good but led to believe the drinks and snacks offered were free and then he came round after for the money. More traffic again when we got off the ferry and travelled round by coach to Pierre Loti where due to heavy traffic and street market we ended up getting off the bus and walking to this famous viewing area which was ok but very busy and queued again for 45 mins to travel down the hill only for 2 mins on a cable car .
Felt the trip a waste of time and not good value, definately felt ripped off and would not recommend.
Lauraine M, Nov 2015
The company for this tour was Plan tours. I found them to be very impersonal, by Turkish standards. I was picked up at my hotel on time, but the guide rushed ahead of me and never spoke to me until we got to the bus, when she pointed for me to get on. No surnames are used, so they referred to you as the man/woman from xyz hotel. We were rushed to another meeting point, where we were rushed to board another bus. The guide was older and spoke English with a heavy accent, so while he was speaking about landmarks and Istanbul history, it was a struggle to understand him the ENTIRE tour. He also seemed bored with his work. Frustrating. The Bosphorus cruise was wonderful, but was clouded by the snack attendant who shoved snacks to several people and then asked for money. He did not even offer me snacks and then argued with me about giving him money. I had to complain to our tour guide, as did several other people on the tour. We were taken to Pierre Loti which was a beautiful experience. However, we only had 20 minutes to basically use the restroom and take a few pictures. We were then rushed on the cable car for a 1 minute ride DOWN. The ride through the Jewish quarter was rushed and in the dark, making it hard to see anything, so combined with a guide who was difficult to understand, it was a total waste of time. Except for the Bosphorus tour and actually being at Pierre Loti, this tour was disappointing. I will avoid Plan tours in the future. When I return to Istanbul, I will use other company for a Bosphorus cruise and get to Pierre Loti on my own.
Kent B, Nov 2015
Too much time wasted in the Bus, I would recommend that you do this yourself.
Vandna R, Oct 2015
The tour was too rushed. The announcements on the boat could not be heard. We had no idea what we were seeing so it was a total waste specially because we had gone for a special occasion on this trip. The time given at the view point at the cable car place was not enough. We barely got a cup of coffee and it was time to leave. It was aterrible experience and I do not recommend this tour to anyone.
Veronica P, Oct 2015
Probably the worst tour we have done with Viator. We were collected from our hotel and taken to a drop off point with around 100 people and eventually put on a coach with 2 guides - one for the Spanish speakers and one for the English speakers. The problem was that the English guide spoke only basic English and we learnt nothing. The tour company you used was Plan and they have damaged your reputation. We were eventually dropped off near our hotel at 7.15pm. A complete waste of our time and money.
Naude M, Sep 2015
Had problems with the sound system on boat so that the commentary was not audible
Lee T, Aug 2015
You cant visit Istanbul and not take a cruise on the Bosphorus. This tour offered not only that, but a trip to the lookout point over the Golden Horn. Like most things in Istanbul, you could have done this yourself, without a tour guide, but the boat was quite large, uncrowded, and the commentary quite thorough. It was a beautiful day, which added to the enjoyment and, having booked ahead of traveling, it meant we could ignore all the ticket touts near the ferry terminal and there were lots!. The guide was older than we expected, and though knowledgeable, his English wasnt up to the standard wed expected from Viator we often struggled to understand what he was trying to explain. Not much more to say. It was a good tour, and Id recommend it to others.
Betty T, Jun 2015
Very fun and interesting. All the essentials in a short time. The guide did an excellent job.
snaps93, Jun 2015
When you get on boat, there is a guy giving our juice and sandwich. Mind you the boat is owned by the company that handles this. Afterward, the same guy comes to collect money, of course to surprise of many.
Also, note, it is your responsibility to contact your local tour operator to pick you up at hotel. Also, the reservation said 2pm pick up, which I found when I called them @ 2pm that 2pm refers to time all are meeting at meeting location not pick up time. Pick up time for our hotel was 1:15pm. Luckily they agreed to honor our booking the next day, however, had to rearrange plans as a result of mis-communication on their part.
Response from Host, Jun 2015
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback for your tour experience. Please note, the meeting time listed on your voucher is always the "Departure Time" and not the pick-up time. Hotel pick-up can typically occur 30-60 minutes prior to the departure time, which is why it's imperative to call your local tour operator ahead of time to reconfirm your pick-up time and location. However, we are glad to hear this misunderstanding did not impede your ability to take the tour and hope you still had an enjoyable time on your tour experience.
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