Istanbul Half Day Morning Bosphorus Boat Cruise Tour
Sightseeing Cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul
Relaxing Bosphorus cruise from Istanbul with Spice Bazaar visit and panoramic views. Hotel pick-up included, ends in Sultanahmet.
Tour Overview
Start your day with a scenic and relaxing Istanbul Morning Bosphorus Cruise, where the beauty of two continents unfolds before your eyes. This half-day tour is ideal for travelers who want to experience Istanbul’s rich heritage from the water, without waking up too early. Cruise along the famous strait, see the city’s stunning palaces and wooden mansions, and enjoy shopping in the historical Spice Bazaar.
- Morning departure – perfect balance of sightseeing and leisure
- Visit the vibrant Spice Bazaar and sample Turkish Delights
- Relaxing Bosphorus boat ride between Europe and Asia
- Pass by iconic landmarks: Dolmabahçe Palace, Rumeli Fortress, Beylerbeyi Palace
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
Tour Itinerary
08:00 (approx.) ─ Our travel team will pick you up from your centrally located hotel in Istanbul.
(Pick-up time may vary depending on your hotel’s location.)
Transfer to the meeting point and meet your professional English-speaking tour guide and other participants.
- Drive along the Spice Bazaar: On your way to the pier, pass by the historic Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Bazaar). Your guide will share stories about Istanbul’s old trade routes and city walls. You may have the opportunity to stop and browse colorful spices and local treats.
- Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise: Board the cruise boat and begin sailing along the legendary Bosphorus Strait. Witness the beauty of Istanbul from the water as you pass between Europe and Asia. See Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus Bridges, and centuries-old wooden villas lining the shore.
- Sailing Route: The boat sails up to the second Bosphorus Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge), then turns around and returns to the starting port.
After disembarkation, transfer back to Sultanahmet area. The tour ends around late morning.
What's Included & Excluded
Included
- Pick up from Central Hotels. (Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Beyazit, Laleli, Taksim, Beyoglu, Karakoy)
- Entrance fees in the program
- All necessary land transportation by A/C Touristical Buses
- English Speaking Licenced Tour guide
- Bosphorus Boat Cruise
- Local Taxes
Not Included
- Personal Expenses
- Any Meals and Drinks during tour
- Any extra fees for transportation if your hotel is not central
Important Remarks
Please read the following important information carefully before booking. These remarks contain essential details about your tour experience.
- Hotel pick-up is available only from centrally located hotels (Fatih, Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Taksim, Beyoğlu, etc.).
- Drop-off is to Sultanahmet Square. Return to hotel is not included.
- No food or beverages are served on board.
- This is a panoramic sightseeing cruise; no stops are made during sailing.
More Details
Your morning begins with a comfortable hotel pick-up, followed by a scenic drive along Istanbul’s historical heart. Passing the ancient city walls and the lively Spice Bazaar, your guide brings the city’s past to life before you even step on the boat.
Soon, you’re boarding a traditional Bosphorus cruise vessel. As the boat glides through the strait, the city reveals its elegant silhouette — palaces, mansions, minarets, and bridges float by in slow motion. From the wooden Ottoman villas to modern waterfront homes, the shores of the Bosphorus tell Istanbul’s layered story.
With Europe on one side and Asia on the other, the experience is both tranquil and powerful. The breeze, the skyline, and the stillness of the water make this morning cruise a perfect balance of discovery and relaxation.
After the tour, you’re gently brought back to Sultanahmet, carrying not only pictures, but also a deeper feel for Istanbul’s soul.
This Bosphorus river trip is great, you can discover the Asian and European shore sides. It is about 10 miles trip around the shore and sees the old houses, pasha villas, palaces, and all the activities around the Istanbul shore of the Bosphorus trip.
The best way to see two continents in Istanbul. The Bosphorus river cruise sightseeing is a great attraction in Istanbul. It typically takes an hour and thirty minutes between Asia and Europe continents. There are announcements by tour guides that tell you what you are seeing. We were on a half-day afternoon tour of Istanbul that included this cruise and Pierre Loti Hill so we had a tour guide. Wonderful cruise sightseeing on Bosphorus and a good guided tour in Istanbul. Recommend it to all visitors to Istanbul. We enjoyed the view during our cruise trip on the Bosporus Strait. We can see the European side and the Asian side with a different view. There is a nice view from Pirre Loti hill and use the cable car on the hill.
A month ago, I went to Istanbul with my family. It is a really lovely and mystic city with great people. We decided to join a lovely Bosphorus cruise trip. It is very attractive, if you do not have seasick then you have no reason not to go on this trip. we had a short tour in the afternoon included cable car. This tour goes around the European and Asian parts of Istanbul and you can see the beauties all around there, green nature besides historical buildings from Bosphorus. The best part of the trip was our guide on the tour, he gave good information about the historical sights, share nice stories and tips on what to see later on our holiday. The best of the city is Bosphorus.
It was an excellent experience on Bosphorus by the guidance of Erdal. I highly recommend the cruise on Bosphorus and sightseeing around Istanbul with the guide. Thank you ToursCE team for your effort and friendship. You made our holiday unforgettable in Istanbul and Turkey.
We travelled to Turkey and thought the trip fantastic. logistics were perfect -everything on schedule and on time. accomodations were as promised and some of best we have experienced. The food in in Turkey was wonderful and the sights in bosphoros were ones that I will always remember.
Hello everybody. When I joined the this tour weather was very nice,sunny. I saw everywhere clearly. There are many historical buildings on the bosphorus. palaces,mansions, waterside house and and mosques. Also there are three bridge on the bosphorus but I saw just two bridge because I joined normal cruise. there is different option for see all bosphorus until third bridge. istanbul is wonderfull city, able to spend a pleasant time in Istanbul. I think anybody should see istanbul before death ?
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