Why go
The Bosphorus is the reason Istanbul exists. This narrow strait, about 30 kilometres long, joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Europe from Asia, and the city grew up on both shores. Seeing it from the water is one of the essential Istanbul experiences, and it can be done cheaply. The city’s ferry company, Şehir Hatları, runs daily sightseeing tours from Eminönü, and dozens of private boats offer shorter cruises, sunset sailings and dinner trips. On a clear day, with gulls trailing the boat and a glass of tea in hand, it is hard to beat.
The trip also shows a side of Istanbul that most visitors never reach on foot: green hillsides, quiet waterside villages and the fortresses that once controlled shipping through the strait. Tankers and cargo ships still pass constantly, and dolphins are sometimes seen.
What to see
Heading north from Eminönü, the boat passes the long marble facade of Dolmabahçe Palace and the Ortaköy Mosque at the foot of the first Bosphorus Bridge. Beyond it, the shores are lined with yalıs, the wooden waterside mansions of Ottoman families, and with villages such as Arnavutköy, Bebek and Kandilli. On the European side, the towers and walls of Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmed II in 1452 before his siege of Constantinople, climb the hillside, facing the smaller Anadolu Fortress across the water. The long tour continues under the second bridge to Sarıyer and the fishing village of Anadolu Kavağı, near where the strait opens into the Black Sea.
Plan your visit
Şehir Hatları runs two regular tours, and its fare table is in Turkish lira. On the winter timetable, valid from 7 September 2026 to 27 June 2027, the long tour leaves Eminönü every day at 10.35am, calling at Beşiktaş, Üsküdar, Kanlıca, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı before reaching Anadolu Kavağı at 12.25pm. It waits there until 3pm, then returns to Eminönü at 4.40pm. The return fare for foreign passengers is ₺640. The short tour leaves Eminönü at 2.40pm, calling at Üsküdar and Ortaköy, and costs ₺340; it turns back without a long stop and takes about two hours. There is also a seasonal moonlight tour. Children under 7 travel free. Tickets are sold at the booth on the Bosphorus tours pier at Eminönü.
Private cruises leave Eminönü, Kabataş and Beşiktaş throughout the day, usually for 90 minutes to two hours, and many include an audio guide. Evening dinner cruises with folk dance shows are popular but should be booked ahead. For a cheap taste of the water, an ordinary commuter ferry from Eminönü to Üsküdar or Kadıköy costs a standard Istanbulkart fare.
Ferries can be cancelled in storms, and the open decks are cold and windy in winter, so bring a warm layer. In summer, sit inside or on the shaded side of the deck. The cafés on board sell tea, simit and soft drinks at modest prices, and fish restaurants line the harbour at Anadolu Kavağı if you want lunch during the stop.
Nearby
The Eminönü piers sit at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. The Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque are just behind them, and the T1 tram stop is a few minutes’ walk away. Across the bridge, Karaköy and the Galata Tower are a fifteen-minute walk.
