Friends, today we're going on a sea cruise along the Bosphorus. This strait, along with the Golden Horn Bay, is a true symbol of beautiful Istanbul. Many tourists taking such trips use various tour agencies, but I'll tell you how to save money and plan this little journey on your own.
Bosphorus Tour: Where to Find the Cheapest Bosphorus Cruise
I've seen different prices for Bosphorus boat trips—some places charge 75 or 100 Turkish lira, and some even 70 euros. The cheapest option is to buy tickets for such a cruise at the city ferries' ticket office. The starting point of the route is Eminönü Pier. The ferry stops at several other docks in the city, but I recommend starting the trip here, as you might not find seating later on.
Travelers have two options for the Bosphorus cruise: a short and a long route. In the first case, the ferry departs from Eminönü at 14:40, with a travel time of about two hours. The long tour starts at 10:35, and at 12:25, the ferry stops at Anadolu Kavağı village, where travelers have two and a half hours of free time. Nearby are the ruins of Yoros Castle; many tourists hike up to enjoy magnificent views and take interesting photos.
The ferry returns at 15:00. You can return to the center on it, but I chose another option and took a regular scheduled ship back to Eminönü, which departs earlier. You can check the schedule of Istanbul ferries on this website. Planning trips on any mode of transport is convenient with the Moovit app.
I took such a trip about a year ago. At that time, the one-way fare for the long route was 39 Turkish lira. Prices in Turkey have risen significantly since then; probably, tickets for the Bosphorus tour have also become more expensive, but I'm sure such a trip today remains the most cost-effective way to explore the strait's landmarks.
Bosphorus Cruise
The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, dividing Istanbul into two parts—Asian and European. The strait is about 30 kilometers long, with the European coastline being more than one and a half times longer than the Asian one due to numerous bays on the western coast, including the famous Golden Horn, which is considered part of the Bosphorus.
During the sea cruise, you can see many famous places in Istanbul: on the way, tourists encounter Dolmabahçe Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Çırağan Palace, Anadolu Fortress, Rumelian Fortress, Yoros Castle, numerous mansions, parks, and picturesque bays. The ferry passes under two of the three Bosphorus bridges, which look simply grandiose. On the way, there are many ships sailing between the two seas. Sometimes you can see submarines or even dolphins here. While I saw a submarine with my own eyes, I only heard about dolphins from locals. They say dolphins started appearing here after the ecological situation improved in this region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The leisurely route ends almost at the Black Sea. You can observe the surrounding landmarks from both the indoor areas and the open decks of the ship. To take pictures for the article, I chose a spot outside, but I got very cold from the chilly wind, even though it was 21 degrees Celsius outside. Keep this in mind when planning such a trip.
At the end of the story, I leave a link to an article about Yoros Castle, which you can visit in one day with this leisurely route. It's a great attraction for those who want to take photos of beautiful nature and the ruins of ancient structures.
Have a nice trip!
