Istanbul Boat Cruise and Dolmabahce Palace & Two Continents

Istanbul, Turkey

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

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Overview

Admire beautiful architecture and capture stunning views of illustrious palaces during a full-day tour in Istanbul including a Bosphorus cruise. Aboard a cozy coach explore the highlights of Istanbul including the Walls of Constantinople, views of the Golden Horn and witness the lively Spice Bazaar on foot. You will then experience a must-do in Istanbul, a Bosphorus Strait sightseeing cruise. The cruise concludes with a visit to the beautiful Dolmabahce Palace where Istanbul’s late sultans once resided. Plus, you will gaze over this east-meets-west city for eye-popping views at Yeditepe or Çamlıca Hill.

Explore the city by coach, seeing top Istanbul attractions like the Golden Horn and the Walls of Constantinople
See Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge on a sightseeing cruise on the Bosphorus Strait
Discover the magnificence of Dolmabahçe Palace on a walking tour
Admire incredible panoramic city views from Çamlıca Hill or Yeditepe

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Local guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch

Gratuities
Drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

The Marmara Taksim
Gümüşsuyu, Osmanlı Sk. No:1 D:B, 34437 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
Please be ready in front of The Marmara Hotel at Taksim Square at 08:15 and look for blue and white Midibus/Minivan with the logo of Pln Tours and Gray Line

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.8:30 am

Itinerary

Meet your coach at your centrally located Istanbul hotel and begin your tour with a drive along the Golden Horn which converges with the Bosphorus Strait to connect Europe and Asia. Continue on to Balat, a Jewish neighborhood, and observe the memorable cast iron church of Stephen of the Bulgars. Nearby, marvel at the historical Byzantine Walls of Constantinople. Next, let the fragrances of the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) fill your nose as you stroll past shops selling spices, draperies and an abundance of diverse goods.

Journey to the coast and board your Bosphorous boat for a cruise that encompasses Istanbul’s best waterside sights. Let the city’s charm sink in as you view Ottoman-era timber chateaus that rest adjacent to stunning marble etched palaces. Enjoy sights of the Imperial Gardens of Royal Yildiz Palace, the historic Rumeli Fortress, and gaze up at the vastness of the Bosphorus Bridge.

Disembark from your ship back ashore and (time permitting) head to one of Istanbul’s prominent leather stores to observe handsome leatherwork. Relax for lunch at a restaurant serving classic Turkish fare and then continue on to your walking tour at Dolmabahçe Palace.

Step into this regal establishment and see how the Ottoman Empire constructed their last palace. Observe the confluence of European Neoclassical and Ottoman architectural styles as you walk alongside your guide. Revel at the opulent Victorian furnishings that blend in with the glossy marble and copious number of stunning chandeliers. Then explore the best of the palace including the Crystal Staircase, Secretariat’s Rooms, and the Medhal Hall.

Exit the palace and hop back aboard your coach for your last cruise through Istanbul. Finally, pass over the Bospohorus bridge and head up to Yeditepe or Çamlıca Hill (pending day of traffic conditions) for a memorable vantage point of the city.

As dusk sets in, return to your centrally located hotel where your tour concludes.

Note that Dolmabahçe Palace is closed on Mondays and Thursdays and will be changed to Pierre Loti Coffee House, Eyüp and Miniatürk.

Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dolmabahce Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Rumeli Fortress (Pass By)

Halic (Pass By)

Bosphorus Bridge (Pass By)

Bosphorus Strait

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Walls of Istanbul (Pass By)

Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Supplied by

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

3.6

based on 83 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Bosphorous Cruise

Doug_S, Apr 2020

This was an interesting tour. Our guide spoke English well and was friendly and informative. Unfortunately, it was pretty much a repeat of day 2 of our Best of Istanbul 2 day tour. The only part that was different was a bus ride to the Asian side and a look around from a coffee shop on a hill. This is an enjoyable tour, but after the 2 day tour we wished we had spent the day seeing something we hadn't seen before.

Not impressed by guide or Turkish tour company

Alison_H, Mar 2020

Sadly this tour was not as expected, although the itinerary ticked a lot of boxes the reality was it didn’t meet expectations. Firstly the communication by the Turkish tour operator was dire, no comms whatsoever, I had to get Viator to obtain information about pick up times and my hotel in Istanbul to confirm details. The pick up on the morning of the tour did arrive on time, I was taken to a meeting point (car park) and advised which coach I would be joining for the main tour ... so far so good. We embarked the coach and our tour guide introduced himself”Berlout”? He advised that the tour would be in English and Spanish as we had mixed nationalities ... no problem I thought, how wrong was I.... The tour processed, hardly any commentary of local knowledge and facts, we were transported between A and B and basically self guided. The Bosphorus sailing was good, thankfully the boat had English commentary as the guide sat with the Spanish speaking guests for the entire journey, he only asked as we disembarked if there was anything I would like to know. As I was only sitting 2 rows ahead of him and travelling alone, it would have been courteous to ask me that question whilst we were sailing. We then proceeded to a leather shop for the usual big sell, unsurprisingly nobody bought anything. Lunch came next, usual tourist fayre at a coach stop restaurant, food was pretty good to be honest and service was fast and efficient. Next we headed to the palace, sadly very rushed, we were supposed to be there 2 hours but completed the sprint around in 1.5 hours, again very limited commentary, thank goodness for Google. Such a shame as this is the highlight of the tour, a stunning palace with so much history. We then proceeded to the view point, what a total waste of time. The view is not the best, a 5 minute photo opportunity would have been acceptable but no ... we had to stay 45 minutes whilst our guide talked to the Spanish guests over coffee ... deep sigh Thankfully the tour concluded, the price included hotel drop offs and I was more than ready to return my hotel in the old town. It transpired all the other tour guests were staying on the Asian side and I was the sole guest staying on the European side. The driver dropped the guests off at their respective hotels on the Asian side and then asked me if I would like to get off at Istikal street (main shopping street on the Asian side) and make my way back to the hotel on my own so they didn’t have to bother taking one passenger back. I politely said no thank you and said I needed to go back to my hotel. Just for info, if I had disembarked where asked, it would have taken 55 minutes to walk to the hotel and cross the Bosphorus again or pay for local transport to get me back. Quite a daunting prospect for a single female traveller ... Would I recommend this tour with this company, absolutely NOT, would I recommend you the sites visited on this tour with another company , yes (except for the view point and leather shop) as Istanbul is one of the most amazing cities in the world.

DO NOT TAKE THIS TOUR

pinklady021, Aug 2019

Dear Viator I always book my tours on your website and I never had such a bad experience like with this tour, You must stop to cooperate with PLAN TOURS agency in Istanbul. We paid for this tour and guide from Plan Tour picked us up from our hotel and joined us to group which had totally different programe.For the whole day we were questioning guide why he does not deliver tour programe that we paid for and after some time he told me he does not want to communicate with me and that I have to complain to company that I paid for the tour. He didn't want to give me his full name. I wanted to take his business card but he didn't want to give me. Our tour was on 11 August 2019 and guide was hired by local company Plan Tour Istanbul. We didn't get what we paid for and we expect you to refund our money to us. Instead of going to Dolombache Palace he said he is going to take us to Topkapi (which is not in our programe), I told him that we already paid for Topkapi and we do not want to see Topkapi twice.. I have asked when he is going to take us to Camlica hill Istanbul he said he is not going to take us. I told him but we paid for this to go and see the view of Istanbul from Camilica. He said he changed the tour, I've asked him how he can change the tour I have paid for the tour that was advertised and if he is going to change the whole tour he has to ask me if I still want the tour or to give me my money back.This was scam and we were ripped off.. We want our money back !!!! Viator how can you allow PLAN TOURS to change the tour that we paid for without asking us if we agree with the change??? This is VERY UNFAIR to us. PLAN TOURS is BAD BAD . They have ruined our holiday and stolen our money!!!! We want our money back !!!! Viator we expect you to be fair to us as were loyal travelers to you!!!!!

Great Experience

MuhammadZubair_T, Aug 2019

The tour was very nice and amazing. Complete value for Money.The Tour guide was very good.Mr.Barish.

Great Experiance.

MuhammadZubair_T, Aug 2019

The tour was great and every thing was well planned. Our tour guide Mr.Barish was very good.Food was also nice.

Exceptional Guide

GreeceHelena, Jul 2019

Murat... wiseman, our guide on this tour was knowledgeable and very easy to understand. Personally I would have liked more time at Dolmabahce Palace, however, I hope to revisit the Palace another time. Were it not for the fact that I experienced difficulty trying to reconfirm my Booking by phone, I would have rated this Tour a 5. Value for money.

I had a wonderful day on this tour...

Amanda F, Jan 2017

I had a wonderful day on this tour, I felt like we saw so much. It felt like we spent a lot of time waiting for the bus to pick other people up or drop them off though because the full day tour was combined with the half day tour. I was afraid the cruise would be too cold in the winter but it was quite spacious and warm on the below deck and you could just go to the open upper deck intermittently to take all the pictures you wanted. I really enjoyed to Dolmabahce Palace, it was absolutely beautiful and I absolutely recommend it if you are visiting Istanbul.

The guide was informative and the...

Michael V, Jan 2016

The guide was informative and the tour was appropriate in length. It was a great way to see Istanbul from the water. The Dolmabahce Palace was great. We have toured several of the great palaces of Europe. It ranks up there with the best of them.

The palace is incredible with all the...

Oscar_L, Dec 2015

The palace is incredible with all the history, the art, and the treasure.

Interesting, beautiful view, very...

Stefan_S, Nov 2015

Interesting, beautiful view, very knowledgebile Guide, well organized.

The trip itself was great, the only...

Anthony Prowling, Sep 2015

The trip itself was great, the only snags where that we were a large group of multi nationals speaking different languages. The appointed guide could not cope with the larger numbers and we felt that we were being rushed though all the historic sites and cruise. The tour touched on all the advertised sites, but the transfers between the Asian and European based sites were haphazard and somewhat disorganized. The luncheon served was somewhat below standard. The non use of individual headsets were noticible.

Tour was OK however we were...

Bernhard G, Sep 2015

Tour was OK however we were disappointed not to be advised that certain parts of it would not be visited due to Ramadan. The date for this event would have been known well in advance and we would have gone to see those items on the days prior to the tour if this had been known.

Tour was good, I enjoyed the cruise...

jemt81, Aug 2015

Tour was good, I enjoyed the cruise far more than the rest of the itinerary. Our guide was helpful only when asked a direct question, otherwise he did not offer much information at all.

The Tour was really good with the...

George G, Aug 2015

The Tour was really good with the sights you see, Dolmabache Palace was amazing. The fashion show is like oh yeah nothing special. But the part that ruined the entire tour was at the end of the day cause the driver didnt want to drive through the traffic he started just dumping us at locations near the hotel, saying just walk that way and youll see your hotel, Thankyou for just dropping me off in a random location and allowing me to have to try and find my way back to the hotel when you picked me up from my hotel door to begin with!

This is a great tour. Would have...

Ricardo O, Jul 2015

This is a great tour. Would have given a 5 if the tour agency didnt decide to also include German ... and French! in the tour that was suppose to be english only. please stop doing that

The sites we visited were very good...

Charles R, Jun 2015

The sites we visited were very good. However, the group was too large, 50 people! Add to this the fact that the guide had to speak in two languages, English and then repeat everything in Spanish, made for a very long day.

This tour was worth doing up to the...

Valerie U, Jun 2015

This tour was worth doing up to the Dolmache Palace. Then they took us up to a viewing point that was just a restaurant. It was so hazy that you could not see anything. Then we were caught in traffic and we were two hours late getting back.

Wish I could give two different...

Richard S, May 2015

Wish I could give two different ratings. Tour rates 4 stars. Guide Murat was excellent and what we saw of the tour was very good except for the unplanned stop at leather jacket showroom where they tried to sell very overpriced jackets. Very disorganized office, stay away from them. Our hotel concierge called them the day before and confirmed an 8:30 hotel pickup for a 9:00 tour. We were ready at 8:20. At 8:55 the concierge called and was told the pickup would be in 5 minutes. At 9:20 the concierge called again and was told the pickup would be in 10 min. Pickup was at 9:30, and we arrived at the Egyptian Bazaar at 9:50. We missed a 40 min drive of the Golden Horn and the first 10 min of the 30 min Bazaar stop. No apologies were made, and nothing was offered to make up for what we missed, which was 1/6 of the tour after discounting the leather store and lunch. Stay away from this tour operator. We also booked thru Viator another tour with a different tour operator, they were far more professional in how they were run.

Enjoyed this tour the most of the...

Michele R, May 2015

Enjoyed this tour the most of the tours we did in Istanbul. The Spice Markets are incredible, smell, noise, soak it up whatever you do. The palace you have enough time to see the must see and you have the option of staying if you want to see more. Probably could have left the tour there, but if you want to see the Asian side definitely go.

Good guide but a bit pointless going...

Keith H, Apr 2015

Good guide but a bit pointless going inside the palace if you cannot take photographs

I did not enjoy the leather store...

Lynn L, Apr 2015

I did not enjoy the leather store fahion show designed to sell us expensive goods. This is not what I expected and it took away time from my limited schedule for a sales pitch that was unwelcome. The tour should have been a tour without the added sales tactics taking away from my time.

Great job of our guide. All day tour...

Housewifetravel, Apr 2015

Great job of our guide. All day tour and nobody felt tired. Very intelligent , calm and knows 3 languages . Polite. Planed to write more, but time pass, cannot remember details.

This a great tour with amazing sites...

Hans K, Feb 2015

This a great tour with amazing sites and interesting commentary but out guide didn't seem interested.

Perfect, even if the weather wasnt...

Noreene T, Feb 2015

Perfect, even if the weather wasnt! Knowledgeable and friendly guide, excellent transportation.

Amazing view, well organized, in my...

guillegim, Jan 2015

Amazing view, well organized, in my opinión, the tour was too long, it took the whole day and was not specified.

It was great. (I was a little...

Mark I C, Jan 2015

It was great. (I was a little challenged because I sprained my ankle prior to this part of the tour) I found the guide very accommodating of my situation.

Enjoyed going to the Spice Bazaar...

Mr. John, Dec 2014

Enjoyed going to the Spice Bazaar and sightseeing in the Bosphorus Cruise. AM group was dropped off in Taksim Square, and the PM group continued to the restaurant for the free lunch. The tour in the Dolmabahce Palace was awesome, too bad no photos allowed inside. Then we proceeded to the Asia side of Turkey for a quick panoramic photo-op of the city. Fighting through the traffic was half the battle.

This was a very organised aid out...

alwayscb, Nov 2014

This was a very organised aid out tour. We travelled during the state holidays and a couple of the thing we had planned were closed but our guide filled n the day with extras that were not on the original plan. So very happy

The service was good the local guide...

Hilda A W, Nov 2014

The service was good the local guide brilliant I suffer with Tinnitus and could hear everything he was saying,and he was very informative. I could have done without the fashion show the jackets were well above my budget if including this helps with the price of the trip so be it. However excluding that I thoroughly recommend this trip. .