Bosphorus Cruise Tour with Audio Guide

Istanbul E-pass includes Bosphorus Cruise with audio guide. Present your Istanbul E-pass at the counter and get access.

Bosphorus Boat Cruise Istanbul

Bosphorus, also recognized as the Strait of Istanbul, is a tight, natural strait and a globally famous waterway located in northwestern Turkey. It can also be pronounced as Bosphorus Strait. If you want to enjoy the Bosphorus in a relatively short time, it is the best choice for you. The tour starts from the Eminonu port and returns to the same place after a cruise to the second bridge in the Bosphorus.

Information about Istanbul Bosphorus Boat Cruise

There are three bridges in the Bosphorus and the second one or Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, is half-way from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.

On this cruise, you will see some of the most iconic places of the Bosphorus. After you start from the Eminonu port, the first highlight is the Dolmabahce Palace. Dolmabahce Palace was the residence of the royal family after the Topkapi Palace and it was built in the 19th century with the order of Sultan Abdulmecid. It was also the place that the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was using as a presidential palace and he died here in the year 1938. Today Dolmabahce Palace functions as a museum. After the Dolmabahce Palace, the second palace is Ciragan Palace. Ciragan means light and this was the secondary palace in the 19th century. After a big fire in 1910, the palace needed an extensive renovation and a hotel group did it. Today the building is on a lease from the government for 49 years and functions as a hotel.

After the Ciragan Palace, there is one of Istanbul's most iconic constructions, the Bosphorus Bridge. The oldest one in Istanbul that connects the continents is Bosphorus Bridge, built in the year 1973. Before this bridge, Istanbul's people used ferries to pass from the European side to the Asian side. Today there are three bridges and two tunnels under the Bosphorus to connect two sides. After the bridge, you can see the Rumeli Fortress, which is the biggest fortress of the Bosphorus. Before the attack of Constantinople in the 15th century, Sultan Mehmed the 2nd ordered this fortress as a security point for the Bosphorus. His idea was in the siege of Constantinople; there may be aid to Byzantines from the Black Sea. As a result, Rumeli Fortress was built to stop the possible help that may come from countries on the side of the Black Sea. Today the fortress is a museum, and in the summer, there are open-air concerts in the fortress.

After the fortress, the boat makes a U-turn and goes back to the same port that the tour started. While returning, you can see the royal guest house in 19th century back, Beylerbeyi Palace. After the Beylerbeyi Palace, you can also see the mythical Maiden's Tower. Maiden's Tower was built originally for collecting taxes from the passing through the Bosphorus ships. There are lots to talk about this Tower, including the story of two lovers who couldn't meet and a Roman King trying to protect his daughter from an oracle. After passing the Maiden's Tower, the tour ends in Eminonu, where it started after about 1 - 1.5 hours. After the cruise, if you are hungry, don't forget to try the famous fish sandwiches on the seashore.

The Final Word

What could be a better way than the Bosphorus Cruise Tour to explore Istanbul? With Bosphorus Cruise, you get to fulfill your thirst for boating and wandering about in the sea in the most enjoyable way possible. Istanbul E-pass gives you free entry for an unforgettable experience in the Bosphorus. You will see many attractions that will make your day on the cruise worth it on your way and coming back.