Cruise Up the Istanbul Bosphorus, Turkey

Take a tour-cruise up the Istanbul Bosphorus in Turkey. You can take a traditional Istanbul ferryboat or a faster, smaller TurYol. A tour-cruise can take as little as 1.5 hours.

You typically leave from the Eminonu ferryboat docks. The docks are on the Golden Horn between Galata Bridge and Sirkeci Station. You then head north toward the Black Sea.

You’ll see six Ottoman palaces, the Southern Bosphorus, and the Northern Bosphorus. The Southern Bosphorus runs from the Golden Horn and city center to the Bosphorus Bridge. The Northern Bosphorus runs from the Bosphorus Bridge to the Black Sea.

Southern Istanbul Bosphorus

The most impressive sights on a tour-cruise are along the Bosphorus’ southern shores. The closest sights to the city are the Topkapi Palace, the Maiden’s Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Yildiz Park & Palace, and Selimiye Barracks (where Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing). You will also see the village of Ortakoy. It is the home of the chicest art boutiques and cafes in the Istanbul area. Plus, you’ll see the Ottoman baroque style Mecidiye Mosque and of course, the Bosphorus Bridge.

Northern Bosphorus in Istanbul

Just past the Bosporus Bridge you’ll see Rumeli Hisari (the mighty Fortress of Europe, the beautiful bay in the town of Bebek, Bosphorus University, Arnavutkoy (home of pretty Ottoman yalis. Yalis are wooden seaside mansions), the Kuleli Naval Academy, the village of Cengelkoy, and Beylerbeyi Palace.

The Fatih Bridge goes across the Bosphorus also. Just north of it is Kucuksu Kasri (a rococo palace), Anadolu Hisari (the Fortress of Anatolia), the Hidiv Kasri (Art Noveau style villa built for the Khedive of Egypt in 1900), Tarabya (a restaurant village), Sariyer (known for its fish market and seafood restaurants), and the town of Buyukdere (home of the Sadberk Hanim Museum).

The dock farthest north on the European shore of the Bosphorus is Rumeli Kavagi. The final dock on most cruise tours is the Anadolu Kavagi. It is around 10 Km south of the Black Sea. Most tours end in Anadolu Kavagi.