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Bosphorus Tour
The white cruise boat seen head-on on the Bosphorus, its upper deck open to the sky
Bosphorus cruise · from Sultanahmet

See Istanbul the way it was built to be seen — from the water

Two hours on the strait between Europe and Asia: past the palaces, under the bridge and up to the fortresses, then home with the old city on the horizon.

Choose a dateSee the route
Duration
About 2 hours
Departs from
Ahırkapı Pier, Sultanahmet
On board
Open deck, lounge and bar
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours before
A white two-deck cruise boat on the blue water of the Bosphorus
Bosphorus Tour

Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise

Two hours from Ahırkapı Pier up the strait to the fortresses and back, on a white two-deck boat with an open upper deck. Choose a date and a departure, and the confirmation arrives by e-mail.

  • About 2 hours, from Ahırkapı Pier and back
  • Both shores: Europe on the way out, Asia on the way home
  • Open upper deck and covered lounge
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Dates and ticketsSee the route
The 15 July Martyrs Bridge against the low sun, seen from the boat
Dinner cruise

Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise

The same strait with dinner served on board — the shoreline going past your table. Choose a date and a departure, and the confirmation arrives by e-mail.

  • Dinner on board
  • Both shores, Europe and Asia
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Dates and tickets
The cruise

A city that faces the sea

Istanbul’s great buildings were placed to be seen from the Bosphorus. Sultans arrived by water, embassies were received at the shore, and the summer palaces line the European bank like a row of state rooms. From a car you see their walls; from the deck you see them whole.

The boat leaves from Ahırkapı, below Topkapı Palace, a short walk from Hagia Sophia — no transfer to the Golden Horn piers, no crossing the city to get on board.

What the ticket includes
The Maiden’s Tower on blue water, the Asian shore behind
A guest photographing the old city from the deck
A passenger at the stern with seagulls following the boat
The route

Up the European shore, back along the Asian one

The order varies a little with the current and the traffic on the strait, but these are the shores you pass.

The whole route
An illustrated map of the Bosphorus with the cruise route and its landmarks
  1. ⚓Ahırkapı PierDeparture and return
  2. 1Hagia SophiaEurope
  3. 2Blue MosqueEurope
  4. 3Topkapı PalaceEurope
  5. 4New MosqueEurope
  6. 5Galata BridgeEurope
  7. 6Galata TowerEurope
  8. 7Dolmabahçe PalaceEurope
  9. 8Çırağan PalaceEurope
  10. 9Ortaköy MosqueEurope
  11. 1015 July Martyrs BridgeEurope
  12. 11Beylerbeyi PalaceAsia
  13. 12Kuleli Military SchoolAsia
  14. 13Çamlıca MosqueAsia
  15. 14Çamlıca TowerAsia
  16. 15Küçüksu PavilionAsia
  17. 16Anadolu HisarıAsia
  18. 17Rumeli HisarıEurope
  19. 18Galatasaray IslandEurope
  20. 19Maiden’s TowerAsia
  21. 20Haydarpaşa StationAsia
On board

Space to move about

Passengers on the open deck looking up at the bridge

Open deck

The upper deck is open to the sky — the place to be under the bridge.

Two guests at the rail filming the shore with a phone

At the rail

Room at the rail on both sides of the boat, for the photographs you came for.

Guests walking up the gangway on to the cruise boat at the pier

Boarding at Ahırkapı

You step aboard at the pier below Topkapı Palace — the same pier you come back to.

Take the last sailing of the day

The later departure brings you back as the light goes, with the domes of the old city dark against the sky. Departure times are in the calendar.

See departures

The Bosphorus from the water

The cruise boat under way, guests on its open upper deck
The Maiden’s Tower on its islet, seen from the deck
Ortaköy Mosque on the waterfront beneath the 15 July Martyrs Bridge
Guests taking photographs of the shoreline from the deck
Galata Tower rising above the rooftops of Karaköy, seen from the boat

Before you book

All questions
How long is the cruise?

About two hours from the pier and back. Weather and traffic on the strait can make it a little shorter or longer.

Where does it leave from?

From Ahırkapı Pier on the Marmara shore below Sultanahmet. You meet our team nearby first; the exact meeting point and a map link are in your confirmation e-mail.

Can I cancel?

Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before your departure for a full refund. Within 24 hours, or if you do not come, the ticket cannot be refunded.

Pick a day and a departure

Choose a date, a time and how many of you are coming. Your confirmation arrives by e-mail with the meeting point and directions.

Book a cruise