When you know what you are passing: palaces on both shores, two castles facing each other, and three bridges.
About 31 km, from the Golden Horn to the Black Sea
About 700 m, between Aşiyan and Kandilli
Palaces on both continents, and two castles
The city’s tours sail every day, winter included
There is no set route. You choose the hour the boat leaves, where it goes and whether anyone cooks, and we find the boat that fits.
Your date, how many of you there are, and roughly what the time on the water is for.
Sunset in July and sunset in November are two different bookings, so the hour comes first.
From an eight-guest cruiser to a ninety-guest yacht, chosen for your numbers and the month.
At Kuruçeşme, Ortaköy or Bebek, with your own food or the crew’s, and a guide if you ask.
Heading north from Eminönü, Europe is on your left and Asia on your right. Our boats moor in the middle of this stretch, at Kuruçeşme, Ortaköy and Bebek.
Out of the Golden Horn, Topkapı Palace’s sea walls fall behind you and the Maiden’s Tower comes up ahead, off Üsküdar.
It stands about 250 m off the Asian shore at Salacak, on a rock ringed by shallows.
Asian shore, on your right heading north
Dolmabahçe Palace’s white front runs along the water, and a little over a kilometre on comes Çırağan, a sultan’s palace that is now a hotel.
Built from 1843 to 1856, and closed to visitors on Mondays.
European shore, on your left heading north
The Ortaköy Mosque sits at the European foot of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, and Beylerbeyi Palace, the sultans’ summer house, lies under its Asian end.
Opened in 1973 with a main span of 1,074 m, the first of the three bridges.
Ortaköy on your left, Beylerbeyi on your right
The long front of the Kuleli military school faces Arnavutköy’s wooden houses, and Bebek’s bay opens just beyond.
Surface water runs south from the Black Sea, which sits about 40 cm higher than the Marmara, and the flow quickens south of Kandilli.
Arnavutköy on your left, Kuleli on your right
Rumeli Hisarı faces Anadolu Hisarı and the Küçüksu Pavilion across the water, and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge crosses just north of them.
At 698 m from Aşiyan to Kandilli this is the strait’s narrowest point, and its deepest water, 110 m, lies off Kandilli.
Rumeli Hisarı on your left, Anadolu Hisarı and Küçüksu on your right
The city’s long ferry tour turns at Anadolu Kavağı, below the ruins of Yoros Castle. The third bridge crosses about 4 km further north, close to the Black Sea.
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge opened in 2016 with a main span of 1,408 m, the longest of the three.
Anadolu Kavağı on your right; the bridge spans both shores
January days reach about 10°C and the sea sits near 9°C. A winter charter comes with a heated cabin, and the sun sets around 6 pm.
Dolphins and porpoises live in the strait all year, seen most in spring and autumn, and a ship passes through about every 13 minutes. On a private boat nobody else comes aboard, so a restless child can move about.
Strong north winds blow down the strait in winter and can chop up the water. Captain Ömer of Ortaköylü knows which bay is sheltered when they do.
A layer more than on land, and flat shoes for the deck. The wind on the strait can shift quickly in spring and autumn.
Bring your own or let the crew arrange it. Tea, coffee and water come aboard either way.
Nothing on the water is labelled. A licensed guide aboard tells you whose palace that was.
April to June and September to October are the easiest months on the water. By the Turkish State Meteorological Service’s long-term averages, May, June and September bring days of 22 to 27°C and fewer than eight days with rain, and the sun sets after 7 pm.
The sea is coldest in February and warmest in August, and from September to February it stays warmer than the air.
Licensed guides, TÜRSAB member #7651Guiding Istanbul since 2011145 Google reviews rated 5.0560 TripAdvisor reviews rated 4.8Yes, for most visitors to Istanbul. From the water you see the palaces, fortresses and waterside mansions of both continents in one sitting, along a strait about 31 km long from the Golden Horn to the Black Sea.
Even a short cruise passes Dolmabahçe Palace, the Ortaköy Mosque and the first bridge, and the weather is kindest from April to June and from September to October.
Yes. In January Istanbul averages highs of about 10°C and rain on 16 days by the Turkish State Meteorological Service’s figures, and the sun sets around 6 pm, so a winter cruise is over before dinner.
The Bosphorus is emptier than in summer, and with The Other Tour a winter charter comes with a heated cabin rather than a sun deck.
Yes. Dolphins and porpoises live in the Bosphorus all year: researchers on the strait counted 387 sightings in 60 survey trips in 2006, and they are seen most in spring and autumn.
On Istanbul’s city ferry tours children under 6 travel free and under 12 pay a child fare. On a private boat with The Other Tour nobody else comes aboard, so a restless child can move about.
Going up the Bosphorus from Eminönü to the second bridge: Dolmabahçe and Çırağan on the European shore, then Beylerbeyi and the Küçüksu Pavilion on the Asian side, with Topkapı Palace on the Old City’s point behind you.
Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi and Küçüksu belong to Türkiye’s National Palaces and open to visitors; Çırağan is now a hotel.
Three: the 15 July Martyrs Bridge (1973) between Ortaköy and Beylerbeyi, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) at the narrows, and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge (2016) near the Black Sea. Below them, the Eurasia Tunnel carries cars under the seafloor.
Istanbul’s long city ferry tour turns at Anadolu Kavağı, so it passes under the first two bridges.
Istanbul’s city ferries run a long tour of about six hours, from Eminönü at 10:35 am to Anadolu Kavağı and back by 4:40 pm, and a short tour from 2:40 pm, every day.
A private boat with The Other Tour stays out as long as you book it, and our dinner cruise from Kabataş lasts about three hours.
One layer more than you would wear in Istanbul’s streets, and flat shoes with grip for the deck. The wind on the Bosphorus can shift quickly in spring and autumn, and from November to March a hat and gloves earn their place on deck.
On The Other Tour’s dinner cruise from Kabataş in Istanbul you choose a package with or without alcoholic drinks. On a private Bosphorus boat you can bring your own food and drink or have the crew arrange it, and tea, coffee and water are included either way.
Tell us your date, how many of you there are and what the cruise is for. There is nothing to buy in advance. We reply within a day with a boat that is free on your date and what the cruise would look like.
