Istanbul: Bosphorus Cruise Tour

Istanbul, Turkey

4 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take a boat ride along the Bosphorus Strait and Golden Horn and wander the Spice Bazaar on this guided tour in Istanbul. Discover the colorful Spice Bazaar and elegant Rüstem Pasha Mosque before spending the rest of the day sightseeing on the Bosphorus, a must-do in Istanbul. Explore the inlet to the Golden Horn, which divides European Istanbul, and capture amazing sights of Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus bridges, and Dolmabahçe Palace. With serene coastal views of the Old City it’s no wonder people can’t seem to put their camera down as they cruise the Bosphorus Strait.

Istanbul experience including a sightseeing cruise along the Golden Horn and Bosphorus Straits
Soak up the sights as you sail the Golden Horn, something only a few Istanbul cruises do
Enjoy the views over Bosphorus bridges, Dolmabahçe Palace and Rumeli Fortress
Visit Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar to experience its exotic sights and aromas
Admire the beautiful Rüstem Pasha Mosque, one of Istanbul’s hidden gems
Enjoy a convenient hotel pickup

What's Included

Hotel pickup
English speaking licenced & professional guiding
1.5-hour cruise
Transportation in suitable size vehicle with A/C

Food and drinks
Personal expenses
Hotel drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please provide your hotel name address and phone details

Meeting point

Egyptian Bazaar
Rüstem Paşa, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Start time
.8:30 am

Itinerary

Kick off your Istanbul Spice Bazaar tour and Bosphorus and Golden Horn cruise with pickup from your hotel in central Istanbul. Meet your guide, hop aboard a luxury minibus, and head to Sultanahmet also know as the Old City to discover the colorful Spice Bazaar.

As you stroll with your guide through this bustling market, absorb the wonderful aromas of this market which was established in the 17th century. Learn about the variety of spices, fruits and nuts that line the endless countertops of these stalls and shops. Afterward, continue to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and see why this small building is revered by so many. Walk up to the mosque and gaze at its blue tiles, a wonderful exhibition of Ottoman architecture.

Next, take a short drive to the Eminonu Pier and hop aboard your boat. As your sightseeing cruise begins, ogle the blue waters of the Golden Horn that splits European Istanbul apart. Since most cruises target only the Bosphorus Strait, enjoy this opportunity to see the Golden Horn which is spectacular in its own right.

As you traverse the serene waters admire the impressive Aynalıkavak Palace, Galata Tower and Eyup Sultan Mosque. About 45 minutes into your cruise, pass by the the Old City and drift into the Bosphorus. For the next hour and a half cruise by Istanbul’s top shoreline attractions such as Dolmabahçe Palace, the Rumeli Fortress and marvel at the immensity of two Bosphorus bridges. Hear from your guide about the history of these landmarks and capture photos of stately mansions, wooden Ottoman homes and mosques that speckle both European and Asian banks.

As your boat returns to Eminonu bid farewell to the stunning scenery. Hop off your boat at the port and end your tour back at the Spice Bazaar.

Halic

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bosphorus Strait (Pass By)

Misir Carsisi

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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 5 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

4.0

based on 14 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Short cruise and Istanbul tour

Les P, Sep 2019

This trip was very good as the cruise down the Bosphorus was not too long and the information provided by the young tour guide was superb, with lots of info on the area, history, culture and general traditions. Good value for money.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Thank you for your good comments. We would like to see you again in the near future. Kind Regards,

Excellent tour to beautiful Bosphorus

Panagiotis_A, Jun 2019

The tour was very well organized in two parts: one part was a panoramic bus ride along the western coast of the Golden Horn, the second part was the boat trip along the Bosphorus. Besides it being a beautiful day, our guide Diana was intelligent, very well informed and flexible in offering various suggestions to look at sites which were not on the program. We (a family of three) thoroughly enjoyed it.

Excellent tour

Frances_B, May 2019

Our guide was charming and very well informed - nothing was too much trouble and we had an excellent introductory drive followed by a detailed cruise by water

Ask for Emre as your guide and you...

Aqua R, Feb 2018

Ask for Emre as your guide and you will not be disappointed. He has a university education in history and speaks great English. He was the best guide Ive ever had on a tour and I am a person who gets city tours in every city I stay in. Highly recommend this tour for simplicity and time. Wish Id booked a longer one! But I believe any tour with Emre would be packed full of great information. We started off with a rather long drive from our hotel pick up to the Egyptian Spice Market. During the drive Emre told us everything about what we were seeing. Neighborhoods, ancient buildings, how the citizens function and gave many helpful pointers - which you need in Istanbul. It is typical for tours here to take you to a handicraft expert or a reputable vendor and the stop in the spice market was a few minutes to use the WC as well as a fun introduction to a vendor here. Theres no particular pressure to buy but we did since we wanted to anyway. Saved time. The vendor was so charismatic and fun. It was great fun trying so many traditional treats and the tea he made us was delicious. Moved on to the boat - I believe a sight seeing ferry - it is two level. There is a WC. The top level was semi covered which worked well for the cold wind and the need for Photos. They sell snacks but you can get Turkish tea or coffee which is lovely. The views were amazing and the informations day background history and context about what we were seeing was just so valuable! Wish we could have Emre on all our tours!

It is quite a complete tour, with...

Marisa M A, Dec 2015

It is quite a complete tour, with overviews of the main spots in the city, along with lots of information both historical and current. The cruise trip is beautiful, I recommend it. However, I do not recommend making any purchases on the quick visit to the Spice Bazaar Egyptian Bazaar since you can find much better prices outside. This tour is mostly useful for a first view of the city, early in your trip.

The van tour of the Golden Horn was...

Franklin-5, Nov 2015

The van tour of the Golden Horn was a tour of the congested highways of Istanbul. We didnt leave the car once. It would of been good if we had planned photo opportunities. This tour also ran an hour late which i was only informed by our guide once we were on the boat on the Bosphoros. I had my flight home booked in the afternoon. Since it ran overtime, it caused me a lot of stress to get to the airport on time.

We took the half day Bosphorus...

R S, Sep 2015

We took the half day Bosphorus cruise and it was all that it promised to be. The guides - both of them - could explain the history of all the monuments which we passed. The ride was comfortable, with enough space to move around and watch both sides. Great trip.

Good Tour Guide Excellent views...

Karim M, Oct 2014

Good Tour Guide Excellent views of European and Asian Sides Comfortable transportation

Wir wurden sehr spät vom Hotel...

Una D, May 2015

Wir wurden sehr spät vom Hotel abgeholt. Die Tourleiterin sprach nur schwer verständliches Englisch. Aber die besuchte Moschee war sehenswert und die Bootstour war sehr schön. Allerdings konnte man der Tourleiterin keine Fragen stellen, weil sie irgendwo zentral im Boot in ein Mikro sprach. Die Erläuterungen der Bauwerke waren ohne Zweifel interessant.