İstanbul Guided Bosphorus Cruise Balat Pierre Loti Hill W/ Ticket
Istanbul, Turkey
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience Istanbul’s rich history and stunning views on this half-day tour featuring a Bosphorus Strait cruise, a scenic drive along the Golden Horn, and a visit to the historic Eyup Sultan Mosque. Ascend to Pierre Loti Hill by bus for breathtaking views, then descend via a picturesque cable car ride. With highlights like Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, and the two continents of Europe and Asia, this tour offers a perfect blend of culture and scenery.
- Maximize every moment of your Istanbul vacation
- Travel comfortably in all-inclusive round-trip transportation
- Learn about the city's history and culture from your guide
- Visit attractions in Istanbul that most tourists miss
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (If option selected)
- Bosphorus Tour Cruise ticket
- Pierre Loti Hill Cable Car ticket
- Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari Mosque & Tomb visit
- Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle
- Local Taxes
- Visit center of Balat & Fener
- Food and Drinks
- Tips
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.1:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Golden Horn
17 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Pierre Loti Tepesi
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Istanbul Cable Car
3 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Eyup Sultan Mosque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Balat
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Hazerbaba
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Bosphorus Cruise - Tours & Tickets
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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
Anita_A
It was a beautiful experience. They were very friendly and very professional. I definitely recommend it to
Reviews
4.1
based on 65 reviews
Nazia_H, Oct 2025
Very good atmosphere I’m glad to choose this trip very friendly and I read namaz on the boat ⛴️ as well
Azmat_A, Jan 2025
it’s been a great experience Boat and cable car was very nice and photoshoot at boat was awesome Mr Baqi trip operator was very polite and helpful.
Anita_A, Dec 2024
It was a beautiful experience. They were very friendly and very professional. I definitely recommend it to
Christine, Dec 2024
It was a great experience
Bakir was very good and hotel pick up is a must when your new in the country and don’t speak the language.
It was a beautiful day on top of that :)
Mona_B, Aug 2024
The knowledge of our guide and his ability to identify with Istanbul. He was also extremely helpful and courteous.
EMS_S, May 2024
The guide was obviously distracted by other things because he rarely would say a word about what we were lookkng at. By the end he decided to step up to the plate and say a few things about Istanbuls magnificent history but that was obviously only because tip time was approaching. It was bad enough not one person on the entire tour gave him a tip. Unless you include the money pass off from the man at the sweets store. Which was very pushy and over priced. Delicious thou.
sazzadhussein, Mar 2024
Try to avoid this tour guide if you have children. He is too busy.. Also the cable car trip was too short ++ just running around the city. tour guide was running kn the street but giving ample time when it comes to his sponsored cafeteria or baklava shop. he is like a salesman!!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Try to avoid this tour guide if you have children: It is not right to ask the guide to take care of your children.
The cable car trip was too short: It is written on the site that the cable car trip is 3 minutes.
Cafeteria or baklava shop: It is written on the site that we will visit this place.
Issam_M, Mar 2024
Felt like a total scam. Unintrested guide that barely spoke ans spent his time on his phone while asking to go explore on our own. We did not do half of the activities described and his had the audacity to stop us at random shops for 20mins TWICE !
Response from Host, Apr 2024
We are sorry that our tour did not meet your expectations. I wish you would have contacted us during the tour, we would have solved the problem.
STEFAN_N, Oct 2023
Nice tour, few people so it was not crowded. Bosphir sea calm, guide explained all needed.
Cable car short but nice
Erika_N, Jun 2023
It was well organized from the pick up to the end. Tourist guide and the drivers kind. We were satisfied with that 4 hours trip!
Firsty_V, Apr 2023
The tour leader was too lazy to explain about Piere Loti and about historical building along the Bosphorus Cruise.
Deaglan_O, Feb 2023
Short, half day tour.
Good communication with guide who was friendly.
One of the few positives.
Which is a shame as I don't like leaving critical reviews when I know jobs and livelihoods are at stake.
The content of the tour, however, meant it was, sadly, very disappointing to the extreme.
The Bosphorus cruise was lovely but that can be done yourself, for five Euro
Then we spent half an hour in a shop with demanding and, to be honest, borderline aggressive staff.
Some shockingly started looking at my phone (and got angry when I asked them to stop), insisted i try peanuts even though I told them I was allergic. Naturally, they were angry I wouldn't engage with them.
Was really intimidating and uncomfortable.
Then we only got 15 minutes at the top of the hill before the cable car(which really wasn't worth it. The views aren't particularly nice - there are millions of better viewpoints of beautiful Istanbul).
Cable car is a one minute ride to the bottom of the hill.
Then we visited a mosque which was nice (but more prettier ones elsewhere) and again, we only got 15 mins.
Shows what a sad joke the trip to the shop was.
Really cannot recommend.
In fact, should be definitely avoided.
Better options and itineraries available in this amazing city.
The one positive was the very kind and helpful driver. Thank you to him.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
The content of the tour: It is not right to make bad comments about the content of the tour. The tour details are written in the viator down to the last detail.
Can be done yourself, for five Euro: The tour is not just a Bosphorus cruise tour. Hotel pickup & drop off, vehicle, guide, Cable car, Golden Horn, Bus tour. Shouldn't they have a price too?
Spent half an hour in a shop: It is written in the tour details that we will visit the shop. We apologize for the aggressive behavior of the staff.
15 minutes at the top of the hill: Pierre loti hill and Golden Horn are two world-famous places. The vast majority of tourists do not leave Istanbul without visiting. This is just your personal opinion.
Cable car ride: You should have read in the tour program how many minutes the cable car ride will take.
More prettier mosque than Eyüp Mosque: This is your personal opinion. If there were prettier mosques than the one you visited, why would the Ottoman Sultans made their sword-girding ceremony in Eyüp Mosque?
Except for your comment about aggressive employees. Everything you wrote is about the tour program. Did you book the tour without reading the tour itinerary?
Suzana_B, Nov 2022
A wonderful experience, an unforgettable view, a friendly and professional guide, delicious Turkish specialties...
Ruzica_P, Jul 2022
We liked the locations of the tour they picked, cruise and a cable car ride, view was amazing. We took a lot of pictures. They even took us to the mosque near by. But unfortunately our tour guide was not very informative. It was very hard to understand her English and her voice projection was very low, it was very difficult to hear her especially on the cruise. Also she did not talk much unless we asked. She is a sweet lady and very kind but I don't think this job is for her. We didn't get much information about the locations we were seeing and visiting. I really wish I could rate this tour better.
Vicente_G, Apr 2026
En primer lugar, pagamos por el servicio de recogida que se realizó caminando desde el hotel al autobús. Muy poco tiempo para ver los sitios. 18 minutos en Balat y sin visita a Fener. Comenzamos a las 13.00h y a las 16.30h el guía nos deja en una tienda de especialidades turcas para que probar [y comprar] tés y dulces, 15 minutos, algo que no está en el programa, pese a que él me enseña otro programa en su móvil y dice que sí que está y que es el de su agencia. Me quejo de la parada y de no haber visto Fener y apenas haber visto Balat [parada libre de 18 minutos], pese a que en el programa de Viator ponga "visita" de los dos barrios. Me dice que no hay visita allí y que, en cambio, si hay parada en la tienda. Me insta a que ponga una queja a Viator.
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