Small-Group Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul’s Egyptian Bazaar
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Cruise along the landmark lined waters of the Bosphorus Strait and stroll through the entrancing Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar during this 3-hour guided tour in Istanbul. On this tour, you will discover the bazaar’s abundant spices such as cardamom, mint, cinnamon, and have free time to explore on your own. Then, learn about Istanbul’s history from your expert guide as you set course for a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait. Aboard the ship, enjoy glimpses of famous Istanbul monuments like the impressive Rumeli Hisari Fortress and Dolmabahçe Palace.
- 3-hour Istanbul experience including a trip to the Spice Bazaar and a Bosphorus cruise
- Listen to a guide while traveling and learn about the history of the 17th-century souk
- Explore the Spice Bazaar’s stalls independently and shop for a selection of edible treats
- Cruise along the Bosphorus, the famous stretch of water that borders two continents
- See top Istanbul attractions from the water including Dolmabahçe Palace and Rumeli Hisarı Fortress
What's Included
- Meeting point for pick up
- Professional guide
- Cruise tour with local Ferry
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.
Itinerary
For either the morning or afternoon tour, meet your guide for a pickup at your Istanbul hotel (European-side only). Then, begin your adventure with a drive to Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar. During the ride, listen to commentary about this lively and fragrant marketplace that has been in operation since the 17th century.
Arrive and start with a walk through the colorful corridors filled with stalls emanating aromatic herbs and spices. Then, listen to insightful information from your guide to help you find the best stalls as you venture off for 45 minutes of free time. During your stroll, experience why the Spice Bazaar is popular with both visitors and locals.
Depart the marketplace and drive to the waterfront for your Bosphorus Strait cruise. Hear how this historic expanse of water links the European and Asian continents. Then, climb aboard, find a seat, and set off for your memorable journey. As your vessel cruises by the Dolmabahçe Palace admire its elegant façade. Then, see one of the largest Ottoman palaces Beylerbeyi Palace and learn about the sultans who spent time off here. Continue along the European side and observe the impressive 15th century Rumeli Hisari. As the boat U-turns and strolls back along the Asian side, enjoy glimpses of less visited fortresses, mosques, palaces, and more that speckle the Bosphorus Strait’s coastline.
After the boat has docked hop back in your vehicle for a simple transfer to your hotel where your tour finishes.
Arrive and start with a walk through the colorful corridors filled with stalls emanating aromatic herbs and spices. Then, listen to insightful information from your guide to help you find the best stalls as you venture off for 45 minutes of free time. During your stroll, experience why the Spice Bazaar is popular with both visitors and locals.
Depart the marketplace and drive to the waterfront for your Bosphorus Strait cruise. Hear how this historic expanse of water links the European and Asian continents. Then, climb aboard, find a seat, and set off for your memorable journey. As your vessel cruises by the Dolmabahçe Palace admire its elegant façade. Then, see one of the largest Ottoman palaces Beylerbeyi Palace and learn about the sultans who spent time off here. Continue along the European side and observe the impressive 15th century Rumeli Hisari. As the boat U-turns and strolls back along the Asian side, enjoy glimpses of less visited fortresses, mosques, palaces, and more that speckle the Bosphorus Strait’s coastline.
After the boat has docked hop back in your vehicle for a simple transfer to your hotel where your tour finishes.
1
Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Dolmabahce Palace
1 minute • Admission Ticket Free
3
Rumeli Fortress
1 minute • Admission Ticket Free
4
Bosphorus Strait
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Neon Tours
1 minute • Admission Ticket Free
Beylerbeyi Palace (Pass By)
Bosphorus Bridge (Pass By)
6
Eminonu Square
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children aged 18 years and under must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- During religious holidays on July 28, 29 and 30 and October 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2014, the Spice Bazaar will be closed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
Reviews
3.7
based on 208 reviews
MrsRS_H, Jun 2018
We did the afternoon tour as had a morning walking tour. Pickup from hotel was on time and very good guide who explained about the region and life in general. Only had about 20 minutes at the Spice Bazaar as election due in a couple of days and lots of noise and things happening. The river cruise was great - it was on a hop-on hop-off cruise, but we stayed on board as we viewed both the European and Asian sides of the river. Good value for money.
Gavin V, Dec 2017
Went o the tour of the caves. Take a windbreaker with you. Beautifully maintained. Very impressed.
Curtis W, Oct 2017
Since we had been to the Grand Bazaar, I don't think we really needed to tour the Egyptian Bazaar. We enjoyed the boat tour and found the European and Asian sides of Istanbul so interesting. It was about 3 hours and that was perfect.
Jaco, Oct 2017
We Did The Half Day Tour Which Includes The Egyptian Bazaar Spice Market And Bosphorus Cruise.
Tour Guide Was Informative And Explains All The Sights, With Aid Of A Map, That Will Be Seen On The Cruise. Great Views From The Boat Of Both The European And Asian Side
RONNIE SIM, Jun 2017
Great 3hours afternoon tour. Group consists of only a fellow tourist from USA, my friend and I. It started with a mini tour of the Spice Market, small compare with Grand Bazaar!. Then we relax and cruise for about 90 mins. Good view to take photos of the European and Asia side of Istanbul along the river. There is distinct difference in terms of buildings, palaces, mosques and greens on both side of the river. This Bosphorus cruise with Viator is a must go to in Istanbul. Thank you
Michael R, Apr 2017
For the most part, this tour provided interesting venues. I particularly disliked the stop at a specific spice store which was over-priced.
Stacy H, Feb 2017
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time very much.
Monica, Jan 2017
Well worth it, guide was attentive and knowledgeable.
Patricia K, Aug 2016
Great tour, very knowledgeable and charming guide
Darnell_H, Jul 2016
It was very pleasant to ride on the Bosphorous, and the Egptian Bazaar inside smelled wonderfully!
Susan G, Jun 2016
We were picked up right on time at our hotel and then joined several other smaller vans onto a larger bus. Our guide was very helpful in the Bazaar and getting us onto the cruise. It was hard hearing on the cruise as to what we were seeing but the trip was well worth experiencing. We recommended doing this tour but would suggest having the guide sit with the group on the boat as we had trouble understanding the speaker on the boat's intercom.
Nico v, Apr 2016
I send you allready email about this trip. We are not happy with the organization. We pay to mutch for nothing !!! No private tour buth a boot for all locals. We pay for private !!!!!
JaneS_T, Apr 2016
Trip to the spice market was very rushed, tour guide was stressed and only seemed interested in getting rid of us. Boat cruise was lovely but could have just of easily gone by myself as tour guide said nothing
Debra C, Apr 2016
Really great half day tour. The Egyptian bazaar was an amazing overload of sights sounds and scents!!! The Bosphorus cruise was very interesting- loved seeing Istanbul from the river.
Manikant M, Jan 2016
The tour was good but only drawback is that we were picked from our hotel 75 minutes before the scheduled time.
Jane E, Sep 2015
Great half day tour. It ends up being about a 45 min tour of the Spice Market. Enough time to buy some baklava and Turkish delight. Then onto a boat cruise for about 90 mins. Good chance to get some pics along the river. Great afternoon!
Louise D, Sep 2015
Excellent guide providing good information all along the tour
Madeline R, Sep 2015
Our guide was wonderful and the pickup and drop off ran smoothly. We had a great time at the spice bazaar and found it fun and informative. The downfall to this tour was the boat we were on. It didn't seem fitting as a tour boat with half of the seats not even facing windows. There was a very small outdoor area where we were lucky to get seats, but that meant having people crowding and standing on top of us to get pictures and missing out on the whole commentary because there were no speakers to hear outside. We saw many other boats go by that looked much better than ours :
Henry B, Sep 2015
Well up to our expectations and we were very pleased
Anan Z, Aug 2015
Great tour, the Bosphorus cruise is a must if you go to Istanbul, it gives you a different perspective of the city and is very relaxing, the group was small and we had a boat only for us!
Margaret G, Aug 2015
I enjoyed the cruise and the guide was very helpful. However we only had 20 mins in the spice market and it was extremely crowded and hard to enjoy.
Laurie M, Aug 2015
Guide was articulate and knowledgeable but did not always face her audience so we could not always hear her. Instead of sitting in the middle of us on the boatshe should sit across from us so that she can sit directly across so that we can hear her.
Also, participants need to be warned that there is a lot of walking and to prepare by bringing water and hats in the summer months.
Edward F, Jul 2015
Cruising the Bosphorus is a must-do in Istanbul. I could do without the Bazaar, but my wife probably disagrees.
ROBERT H, Jul 2015
Transfers, guide, program were excellent, only the cruise wasn't in very good condition
Bonnie L, Jul 2015
Being picked up from our hotel made it very easy to participate in the tour. It was lovely being on the water however, it was extremely difficult to hear the guide as she had to over-talk the boat's announcements.
The trip to the Spice Market was disappointing as the guide rushed us through to her favorite vendor. I expected to learn a bit about the spices and the variety of vendors.
Lynne S, Jul 2015
We visited the Spice Markets first which are very colourful and the aroma is superb. From there we did the Bosphorus River cruise which was relaxing and enjoyable. We saw many beautiful buildings along the way as well as palaces and remains of ancient forts. Our guide was Sivlay who looked after us very well.
John F, Jul 2015
The transportation to and from was good. The guide was not very good and basically dumped us! The bazaar was teeming with people and we almost lost him a number of times even after asking him to slow down. There was no narration on the cruise, so we didn't really know what we were seeing.
Tehmurasp A, Jun 2015
This was a great tour, and a wonderful experience. Bulit, my guide walked me through the streets, introducing me to typical Turkish fare. The whole experience was delectable. A must do if you like to try and experience new and different cuisines.
Jacqueline B, Jun 2015
This was the most disappointing of our Istanbul tours. We were ready at our hotel at the appointed time and the van arrived to pick us up on time. We then went to the cruise terminal to pick up passengers from a large cruise ship. Some who had signed up were not ready so there was an undue delay there. We then took the van to the boat launch site. I had envisioned a private boat taking only Viator patrons on the boat tour. Instead, the boat was a public ferry. Since we arrived late due to the delay at the cruise terminal, there were no seats on the sides of the boat, but only in the center which would not allow us to take any photos. We ended up abandoning our guide to go to the lower level where we could be on the foredeck in the open air and take pictures. Thus, we learned nothing about what we saw, so later needed to read about it in our guide book. We could have purchased the ferry tickets ourselves for much less money. I recommend doing just that rather than taking this tour if it always runs like it did for us.
Vishaal S, Jun 2015
Both the cruise and the bazaar were very nice! The market was amazing. It is basically a shopping experience, and we bought a lot of delicious sweets there! The cruise was also beautiful. The only reason I gave one star less is that it got a bit monotonous, and I wish that the guide had engaged us more with stories and history. He kept more silent than we would have liked during the cruise. But overall, it was a nice experience.
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