Cruises & Water Tours, Istanbul

Cruises & Water Tours, Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in the world that is located on two continents, and is separated by the Bosphorus Strait. One of the best ways to view both parts of the city is on one of the various Bosphorus cruises that run through the strait daily. While popular Istanbul landmarks like Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque and Galata Tower are visible from most of the cruises, the highlights of the cruises are the Ottoman era waterfront houses that dot both the European and Asian shorelines. Many of these cruises can also be combined with other sightseeing activities for more value.

Most Bosphorus tours start from the Eminonu docks near Sultanahmet, and go all the way to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet or Second Bosphorus bridge, passing the Galata Tower, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Kiz Kulesi or Maiden’s Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Uzkudar, Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Ortakoy Mosque, First Bosphorus Bridge, Beylerbeyi Palace, and Anatolian Fortress. Some of the cruises take you through the Golden Horn across the Galata Bridge as well, where you can see the Aynalıkavak Palace, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Rahmi M Koc Museum, Eyup Sultan Mosque and Galata Tower. Longer half to full day tours of the Bosphorus take you around the Black Sea past Poyrazkoy as well. There are day cruises to the Princes’ Islands, which are popular summer resorts with historical buildings.

The evening sunset cruise in Istanbul takes you past the Golden Horn, Topkapi Palace, Kiz Kulesi, Uzkudar, Dolmabahce Palace, Üsküdar, Cıragan Palace, Yıldız Park & Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, First Bosphorus Bridge, Beylerbeyi Palace, and parts of Northern Bosphorus - Cengelköy, Kuleli Naval Academy, Arnavutköy with its Ottoman yalıs (wooden mansions), Rumeli Fortress, Bebek, and Bosphorus University.

You can also choose lunch or dinner cruises, with onboard dining and entertainment such as traditional Anatolian folk dance or belly dance.

For a closer view of the historic districts around the Golden Horn, you can opt for a cruise on the Bosphorus followed by a coach tour around the Golden Horn. Explore Balat - the former Byzantine Jewish quarter with synagogues, balconied townhouses, Jewish Hospital and distinctive stepped sidewalks, the Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars made entirely from cast iron, Ecumenical Patriarchate and the ruins of the City Walls, built by the Romans in the 5th century AD and later fortified by the Byzantines.

After cruising on water and touring on roads, for a different view of Istanbul from a height, combine your cruise with a cable car ride up the Pierre Loti Hill from Eyup district. Relax over a drink at the famous Pierre Loti café with panoramic views over the city and Golden Horn below.

You can add a tour of Küçüksu Palace, Egyptian Spice Bazaar (with Rüstem Pasha Mosque), Suleymaniye Mosque, Rumeli Fortress or any other major attractions in Istanbul to your cruise.