Bosphorus Luxury Lunch Cruise & Black Sea Swimming Experience
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See Istanbul’s minarets, mansions, mosques and palaces from the water as you sail between two continents on this long lunch cruise. Glide up to Anadolu Kavagi, a pretty fishing village near where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea, then scale the hill to an old fortress to capture dramatic photos. As you sail, savor a 2-course lunch with coffee, tea, water, snacks and fruit: alcoholic drinks are available for an extra charge.
- See more of Istanbul on a longer circuit Bosphorus lunch cruise
- Feast on a 2-course sit-down lunch, with snacks, water and hot drinks
- Comfortable modern craft features both air-conditioning and outside space
- Travel all the way to Anadolu Kavagi for Black Sea views
What's Included
- 2-course sit-down lunch
- Bottled water, coffee, and tea
- Light snacks and seasonal fruit
- Hotel pickup from Fatih and Taksim areas
- Air-conditioned vehicle for transfers
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Black Sea swimming break (summer months)
- Admission to Bosphorus Strait area
- Alcoholic beverages (available for purchase)
- Hotel drop-off (ends at meeting point)
- Towels and swimwear
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.12:00 pm
Itinerary
1
Bosphorus Strait
4 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Dolmabahce Palace (Pass By)
Dolmabahce Mosque (Pass By)
Bosphorus Bridge (Pass By)
Bosphorus Strait (Pass By)
Bebek Park (Pass By)
Ortakoy (Pass By)
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Pass By)
2
Anadolu Kavagi
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Yoros Castle (Pass By)
Rumeli Fortress (Pass By)
Beylerbeyi Palace (Pass By)
Kucuksu Pavilion (Pass By)
Anadolu Hisari Fort (Pass By)
3
Anadolu Kavagi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Galata Koprusu (Pass By)
Galata Tower (Pass By)
KIz Kulesi (Pass By)
Turkish Black Sea Coast (Pass By)
Yavuz Sultan Selim Koprusu (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Guests who wish to swim are recommended to bring swimwear, a towel, and personal essentials. Basic changing facilities are available on board for your convenience.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 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
mark_s
We had a lovely afternoon cruise on the river passing all the major sights ,what give you a different aspect from the river level,, this in cuddles the three big bridges you pass underneath,, we had a very good tour guide who gave us good information a long the way . We stop for lunch in a beautiful fishing village. Shame about the weather we were looking forward to a swim in the black sea . The transfer drives we great as on the way back there was heavy traffic because of a football match. I would recommend this tour it was a lovely relaxing afternoon,,thanks everybody.
Reviews
4.9
based on 447 reviews
Jamie_N, Oct 2025
In early October, this cruise does not go to the Black Sea. It stopped before the “third bridge” so, while close, it doesn’t actually enter what are considered Black Sea waters. Lunch at an Asian side fishing village was good. Crew was competent and eager to please. They worked efficiently to solve a transportation problem caused when the city closed the road to the port.
Dennyse_C, Sep 2025
This was so fun and well worth the money. The staff were so great. They were friendly and fun and joined us jumping into the Black Sea.
william_h, Jul 2025
Incredible experience- great food, outstanding guides, extremely accommodating and wonderful views. This trip is a must if visiting Istanbul.
mark_s, May 2025
We had a lovely afternoon cruise on the river passing all the major sights ,what give you a different aspect from the river level,, this in cuddles the three big bridges you pass underneath,, we had a very good tour guide who gave us good information a long the way . We stop for lunch in a beautiful fishing village. Shame about the weather we were looking forward to a swim in the black sea . The transfer drives we great as on the way back there was heavy traffic because of a football match. I would recommend this tour it was a lovely relaxing afternoon,,thanks everybody.
Kurt_F, Apr 2025
Very well organized. Great staff/ excellent guide who knew his stuff w a good attitude.
Ground transportation was spot on.
Thank you for all.
Rebecca_L, Oct 2024
They said be back at the shore at 245 and we arrived at 245 and they had already left. We spent mo eg getting g back and they did not respond to our message yet about a refund.
Jaime_C, Sep 2024
Cruise was well worth the cost - it was such an enjoyable afternoon. The bost was lovely and the guide was super knowledgeable and engaging. Lunch was good.
Just what I needed after days of long walks
JibinMathew_G, Sep 2024
Almost perfect experience from start to finish.
Pick-up was sharp and on time, with the tour operator making sure to give us the exact details the day prior.
Boarding the yacht went without a hitch.
Loved the factoids our tour guide had at the tip of his fingers. Really enjoyed his wit and sense of humour. Also was quick to clarify any questions anyone had.
The cruise experience itself was pretty great. Lovely sights, explained in detail by the tour guide.
It was a windy day so, the crew went the extra mile to give passengers extra blankets.
Apart from the tour guide, everyone else involved was pretty friendly and helpful too.
Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone visiting Istanbul.
Small point of critical feedback - The lunch was decent, but lacked a little punch? Might be nitpicking, but felt the chicken shish were a little dry and overcooked.
But, yeah. Overall, a pretty great experience. Thank you, all!
Larissa_C, Sep 2024
The best way to see different parts of Istanbul. The combination of sailing with the exploring of small village and swimming from the boat was great. It was a bit annoying, that were not dropped back to our hotel, but in 10 min walking from it.
nicador_c, Sep 2024
This was the most relaxing tour I did in Istanbul. The yacht was the perfect size for 16 people. And the guide was very informative. While I was hoping to dock on the Black Sea to swim from a beach, there was swimming (not in the Black Sea) from a cove of the Bosphorus Straight. Still nice break. Interesting history up and down the straight.
Linda_B, Jun 2024
The best experience. Wonderful boat ride. Fantastic lunch. Just a great day and found some sea glass on the beach!!
Kris_C, Jun 2024
The trip went all the way to the 3rd bridge, the start of the back Sea. (Most that we checked only go up about 2/3 of the way). The lunch was quite good, for that type of setting...tasty, and generous servings. Taking a dip up near the 3rd bridge was fun. The scenery is not spectacular, but constantly changing and fascinating seeing man's imprint on such a historic waterway, and the way it is still a major sea route - and very busy getting down around the Godlen Horn area, with the dozens of ferries zipping back and forth. Highly recommend!!! (The only recommendation is to replace the speakers/sound system on the boat. The guide's words were loud enough, but muffled and unintelligible, so we missed a lot of information).
Vladimir_P, Jun 2024
My wife and I enjoyed the cruise immensely. We were picked up at our hotel on time, the crew was efficient and friendly, and the route was thoughtfully chosen, with a nice village to stop in and the swimming opportunity was great.
Gary_E, Apr 2024
Overall the cruise was lovely and the weather was perfect. The guide was excellent and gave the best historical overview of our trip. The food was also good.
There were some minor hiccups though that prevent us from awarding five stars.
First, the pickup was set for 11:30am. However, they showed up at 11:10am and said that the bus was waiting. We had to scramble so as to prevent those already on board from having to wait. Our advice is be ready to go earlier than they tell you.
Second, the seats were full on the lower deck and the upper deck had no seating or tables. A table was delivered to the upper deck along with some seats, but cushions were not provided for the fixed seats on the upper deck.
The little village we stopped at had very little to offer beyond cafes and restaurants. Having just had lunch on board, there was little to occupy us there.
Finally, be aware that the trip does not include a return to the hotel, so we were advised to take a tram.
While not the fault of the tour operator, the tram was potentially dangerous with the most severe overcrowding I have ever experienced. I recommend taking a taxi back.
Saurabh_D, Mar 2024
So unique and interesting to travel on the Bosphorus and enjoy the sites and centuries of history and sits all along its banks. Our guide was great and we really enjoyed the whole tour which included a trip to a small fishing village in the Asian side. Highly Recommended.
HirofumiKawakubo, Mar 2024
The food was nice and staff was courteous and attentive. Overall it was a very nice trip. The ship was big but only had around 20 passengers so the ship was not crowded and had plenty of space for all. I chose this one because it says it goes to Black Sea but it actually turned around before reaching there before the last bridge. I was still able to get a glimpse of Black Sea but that was a little disapoinment. This one is not the cheapest but it you want to go for more relaxed experience, go for it.
Christina_S, Mar 2024
Lots of great information on a lovely boat ride up the Bosphorus. Boat was in good condition, and we appreciated the indoor and outdoor seats. The tour was the perfect length.
I specifically picked this tour because it goes nearly all the way up to the Black Sea. Unfortunately, it was pretty foggy, but I thought it was still cool to go that far up the strait.
Camille_S, Jan 2024
Professional Bosphorus tour. Absolutely beautiful experience and lovely lunch.
Great team. Thank you.
William_F, Jan 2024
The excursion was well-organized and on-time. The staff spoke English and were helpful. The tour guide was very informative. The lunch was surprisingly good. The scenery was magnificent. This trip was a good lesson in history and natural history.
RobertProwant, Nov 2023
Excellent experience. It was an overcast and very rainy day but these folks proceeded for their guests. Hotel pickup and drop off was a breeze. Small vessel that is being very well maintained and was quite beautiful. Small group allowed for guests to interact. Service was great and meal was also excellent and nonstop.
Most important was the commentary was great and we had a wonderful experience cruising to the Black Sea and back.
Highly recommend this experience.
Sameer_R, Sep 2023
I really like this tour. It is the only tour which takes you to the Black Sea. The ship was awesome, which plenty of room for everyone. The guide is very good and informative.
Pieter_C, Sep 2023
The experience as a whole was very enjoyable. We appreciated the hospitality, friendliness, excellent service, nice lunch and the stop at the fisherman's village a lot. Keep going!
Michael_D, Sep 2023
Did a relaxing solo cruise and met some really nice people from around the world. Tour guide was knowledgeable and the staff aboard was very prompt in making sure we were comfortable.
The overall cruise was a lot of fun making for a very relaxing chill day.
They feed you two courses on the boat 1.5 hours into the cruise. They also provide you with fruit when you get back on the boat after being on the Asian side and swimming in the black sea.
Slaughters_R, Sep 2023
Beingb able to put our feet in the Black Sea was a wonderful experience.
The history given by our guide was very informative and not overbearing. Calm waters and a smooth cruise was 100% worth the time.
Carina_P, Sep 2023
Everything was as mentioned. We found our guide and the tour went on time. Amazing views, relevant information from the guide, a quiet trip as the boat was not completely full (end of September). We had a bath in a little town, not a great beach but we did get wet in the Black Sea!
Fernando_C, Sep 2023
A very nice trip and very good service on board. I strongly recommend the experience to my friends and to any visitor to Istanbul.
Larry_N, Sep 2023
The guide knew the information and was able to explain the most important things about the trip. The trip was a pleasant experience
Rajiv_K, Sep 2023
Lovey guide who explained everything
Aleyna came to the gas station to pick me up as I was completely new to Istanbul
Great and tasty lunch
Overall your team was excellent and beyond expectations
Great Trip … shall recommend to all my family n friends
Omar_A, Sep 2023
The boat was nice and the staff were super cool.
we didn't reach to the black sea so we didnt get to see it but thats ok.
The guide told us about the chains thats were used to prevent ships from crossing the canal but he got the whole story wrong anyway thats just the information part.
overall it was nice
Kenneth_S, Aug 2023
The Istanbul lunch cruise was outstanding in every respect. The crew and boat were sensational and the narrator was a delight. His knowledge of Istanbul, the sights on the Bosporus and personality deserve special recognition. Oh, and let’s not forget the lunch. I couldn’t believe we were on a boat and not in a fine land-based restaurant.
From $178.33
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Bosphorus Luxury Lunch Cruise & Black Sea Swimming Experience
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