Cruise up and down the Bosphorus and get to see both the Asian side and the European side all in one go. Bosphorus cruises are one of the most popular tourist activities and there are a lot of ferries that offer tours for you to enjoy.
Basically, you will start out at the Eminonu ferryboat dock. Then, you will take the ferry that will take you along the strait. The traditional Bosphorus ferry usually will stop at several docks and provides a tour that is 1.5 hours long and this will bring you until Anadolu Kavagi, passing by the docks at Besiktas, Kanlica, Yenikoy, Sariyer, and Rumeli Kavagi. At the last stop, you will have plenty of time to explore the sights nearby or for you to get a bite of lunch. The Turyol tour offers a quicker tour.
If this is too short for you, there are other ferry and tourist services that provide longer tours and more stops along the way. You can also opt to hire your own private cruise ship. Private tours usually offer you your own private place as well as dinner as the sun is setting or amidst the twinkling lights of the Bosphorus. The itinerary depends on the tour company.
The Southern part of the Bosphorus leads to the Golden Horn and the vicinity of the city center, while the northern part of the Bosphorus starts from the Bosphorus Bridge and right into the Black Sea.
Here’s a lowdown of what you will see:
The Southern Side is where you will find the Maiden’s Tower, also known as Leander’s Tower, where you can drop by for a refreshing meal. This is also the location of the Topkapi Palace, and other Ottoman palaces – the Dolmabahce Palace, Yildiz Park and Palace, as well as the Ciragan Palace. The ferry will also drop by the Ortakoy, the charming village where you can relax at a café.
At the opposite side, you will see the Rumeli Hisari, Bebek, the Kuleli Naval Academy, Cengelkoy Village, Beylerbeyi Palace, as well as the Bosphorus University. Additional attractions include Sariyer (the end of some ferry tours and where you can get a meal of fresh seafood), Tarabya village Buyukdere town, Kucuksu Kasri and the Anadolu Hisari.
Other sights you can see here is the Galata Tower (a Genoese tower that was further developed by the Ottomans and used as a watch tower and prison), the famous Bosphorus Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
If you want to be sure to have a seat, try to be at the terminal a good half-hour before the next ferry leaves. During peak times, the ferry is likely to get filled up early. Also, be sure to buy your ticket at the ticket booth.