In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A 2-hour tour boat from Eminönü or Kabataş is from €5 to €10 and comes with an audio guide; the Bosphorus sightseeing cruisead at €8 has 19,723 reviews. A sunset yacht with a live guide and snacks is €15 to €19, and a luxury yacht €50. The public ferry is the alternative: a crossing such as Kabataş to Üsküdar costs ₺51.81 on an Istanbulkart, and Şehir Hatları’s Long Bosphorus Tour runs up the strait to Anadolu Kavağı in about six hours. For dinner and a show, see the Bosphorus dinner cruise. Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
The cruises compared
Most of the listings follow one route: up the European shore past Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace and Ortaköy Mosque to the second bridge or Rumeli Fortress, then back along the Asian shore past Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden’s Tower. They differ in the pier, the boat, the guide and what is served.
| Cruise | Boat | Length | GetYourGuide from | Leaves from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Optionad | Tour boat, hourly sailings | 2 hours | €5 | Depends on the option |
| Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guidead | Tour boat | 2 hours | €7 | Eminönü |
| Sunset and Daytime Cruise, Drinks and Snackad | Tour boat | 2 to 3 hours | €7 | Kabataş |
| Day, Sunset or Night Cruise and Audio Guidead | Mega Lüfer yacht | 2 hours | €8 | Depends on the option |
| Day Cruises with Optional Asian Side Stopad | Tour boat, live guide | 2 to 3 hours | €10 | Eminönü |
| Yacht Cruise at Sunset with Snacksad | Yacht, 40 passengers at most | About 2 hours | €15 | Depends on the option |
| Sunset Cruise on Yacht with Live Guidead | Yacht | About 2½ hours | €19 | Kabataş |
| Yacht Cruise and Visit to the Asian Sidead | Small-group yacht | 2 to 2½ hours | €20 | Depends on the option |
| Sunset Cruise on a Luxury Yachtad | Luxury yacht | 2½ hours | €50 | Kabataş |
The public ferry
Şehir Hatları, the municipal ferry company, runs two things that reach the same water as the tour boats.
A Şehir Hatları ferry arriving at Eminönü. Photo: Calistemon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commuter crossings
₺50.15 to ₺71.07 on an Istanbulkart · Eminönü, Kabataş, Beşiktaş and Ortaköy to Üsküdar and Kadıköy
Ferries link Eminönü, Kabataş, Beşiktaş and Ortaköy on the European shore with Üsküdar and Kadıköy on the Asian shore, and Beykoz with Sarıyer further north. The fares below are the municipality’s tariff in force from 20 July 2026, paid with an Istanbulkart; ferries take no cash. A single-use ticket or contactless bank card is charged as two rides on most of these crossings, ₺120, so the Istanbulkart is cheaper.
| Crossing | Fare |
|---|---|
| Beşiktaş to Üsküdar | ₺50.15 |
| Kabataş to Üsküdar | ₺51.81 |
| Ortaköy to Üsküdar | ₺51.81 |
| Eminönü to Üsküdar | ₺58.52 |
| Beykoz to Sarıyer | ₺61.04 |
| Ortaköy to Kadıköy | ₺71.07 |
The Long Bosphorus Tour
About 6 hours round trip · one sailing a day in the 2026–27 winter timetable · Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı
In the 2026–27 winter timetable one sailing a day runs from Eminönü up the strait to Anadolu Kavağı, calling at Beşiktaş, Üsküdar, Kanlıca, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı on the way. The boat waits at Anadolu Kavağı, a seaside town at the mouth of the Black Sea with seafood restaurants and the Byzantine Yoros Castle on its hill, for a long stop before the return sailing, so the round trip is about six hours. Summer times differ, and Şehir Hatları publishes the fare and the day’s times on its app and website.
A commuter crossing has no commentary. The tour boats stay on the water for two hours with an audio guide or a live guide, and the Long Bosphorus Tour covers the whole strait.
Daytime boats from €5 to €10
Dolmabahçe Palace from the water. Photo: Helge Høifødt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guide
From €7 · 2 hours · 6,228 reviews · Sea Land Travel Agency · Eminönü
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guidead boards at the operator’s office by the Eminönü pier. The route runs up the European shore as far as the second bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, and back along the Asian shore, so both sides are covered. The audio guide comes in 11 languages and the fare includes unlimited Turkish tea and Nescafé.
Day, Sunset or Night Cruise with Audio Guide
From €8 · 2 hours · 19,723 reviews · HGR Cruise Travel Agency, Mega Lüfer yachts
Istanbul: Bosphorus Day/Sunset/Night Sightseeing Cruise & Audio Guidead is the most reviewed cruise on this page. You choose a day, sunset or night sailing, and the options add snacks, a lunch or dinner, or alcohol. The boarding pier depends on the option, so read it on the ticket.
Sunset and Daytime Cruise with Drinks and Snack
From €7 · 2 to 3 hours · 4,578 reviews · Dentur Avrasya · Kabataş
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sunset & Daytime Cruise, Drinks & Snackad leaves from the Dentur Avrasya pier on Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi at Kabataş, five minutes from Dolmabahçe Palace. The audio-guide link is sent to your phone, and soft drinks and snacks are included with the option marked for them.
Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Option
From €5 · 2 hours · 2,158 reviews · Travelgroup
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Sunset Optionad is the cheapest listing. Boats sail hourly, and the 4 pm and 5 pm sailings are the sunset ones. The audio guide is optional, and the QR-code ticket is emailed the day before.
Day Cruises with an Optional Asian Side Stop
From €10 · 2 to 3 hours · 1,585 reviews · Travels in Istanbul · Eminönü
Istanbul: 2–3 Hour Day Cruises with Optional Asian Side Stopad has a live guide in English or Russian, which the €5 to €8 boats do not. The boat turns round at Rumeli Fortress. The optional stop is one hour at Beylerbeyi on the Asian shore, where breakfast or lunch plates are sold as options, and the boat drops you at Eminönü or Karaköy. The operator says it is not suitable for people prone to seasickness.
Sunset yachts
The yachts carry fewer people and add a live guide and food, at €15 to €50.
Yacht Cruise at Sunset with Snacks
From €15 · about 2 hours · 2,248 reviews · İstanbul Efe Yat · 40 passengers at most
Istanbul: Bosphorus Yacht Cruise at Sunset with Snacksad is a small-group yacht with indoor and outdoor decks. It serves snacks, biscuits, a fruit platter, tea and coffee, and the listing says you may bring your own drinks. The guide speaks English.
Sunset Cruise on Yacht with Live Guide
From €19 · about 2½ hours · 4,058 reviews · Golden City Tours · Kabataş
Istanbul Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Yacht with Live Guidead boards at Kabataş Square, serves canapés, homemade lemonade and tea, and has a live English guide. It sails past the Maiden’s Tower at sunset.
Yacht Cruise with an Asian Side Stop
From €20 · 2 to 2½ hours · 1,489 reviews · The History Travel
Istanbul: Bosphorus Yacht Cruise & Visit to the Asian Sidead is a small-group yacht with a live English guide and a 20-minute stop at Beylerbeyi or Kanlıca on the Asian shore. Hotel pick-up is an option.
Sunset Cruise on a Luxury Yacht
From €50 · 2½ hours · 1,529 reviews · Velena Travel · Kabataş
Istanbul: Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on a Luxury Yachtad boards at Kabataş Pier, serves canapés, fruit and Turkish drinks, and has a live guide in English or Spanish. Pick-up is an option.
What you pass
The same landmarks appear on most itineraries, in this order going north on the European shore: the Galata Bridge and Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque under the Bosphorus Bridge, and Rumeli Fortress. Coming back down the Asian shore: Anadolu Hisarı, Küçüksu Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden’s Tower off Üsküdar. If you plan to visit Dolmabahçe or the Maiden’s Tower, the Dolmabahçe Palace tickets guide has the closed day.
Ortaköy Mosque beside the Bosphorus, with the Bosphorus Bridge behind it. Photo: Darwinek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Which cruise
- The cheapest look at the strait: the €5 and €7 two-hour boats from Eminönü or Kabataş.
- The most reviewed: the €8 audio-guide cruise, 19,723 reviews.
- A live guide on a day boat: the €10 Eminönü cruise, English or Russian.
- Sunset with food: the €15 small yacht, or the €19 yacht with a live guide from Kabataş.
- A stop on the Asian shore: the €10 cruise with a one-hour stop at Beylerbeyi, or the €20 yacht with a 20-minute stop.
- Dinner and a show: the dinner cruise, from €20.
- The whole strait to the Black Sea: Şehir Hatları’s Long Bosphorus Tour.
- Only a crossing: a commuter ferry to Üsküdar, ₺50.15 to ₺58.52.
What to book before you go to Istanbul lists the sights that need tickets and the days they are closed. Istanbul public transport explains the Istanbulkart and the ferries, and the Sultanahmet walk fits before a cruise from Eminönü. Istanbul walking tours and the whirling dervish show are the other evening and half-day bookings, and the Princes’ Islands day trip is a longer ferry ride. Where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas.
Common questions
How much is a Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul?
A 2-hour tour boat is from €5 to €10 on GetYourGuide, a sunset yacht from €15 to €50, and a dinner cruise from €20 to €27. The municipal ferries that cross the strait cost ₺50 to ₺71 per crossing on an Istanbulkart.
Where do the Bosphorus cruises leave from?
Mostly Eminönü, beside the Galata Bridge, and Kabataş, at the end of the T1 tram line near Dolmabahçe Palace. Karaköy is the third pier. Each listing names its own pier, so check it before you go.
How long is a Bosphorus cruise?
The tour boats take 2 hours, and the listings that stop on the Asian side run 2 to 3 hours. The Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour goes up to Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea and takes about six hours with the stop there.
Is a sunset cruise better than a daytime one?
The route is the same: palaces, bridges and the Maiden's Tower from the water. A sunset sailing adds the evening light, and the snacks-and-drinks yachts mostly run at sunset. Book a sailing time that matches the sunset, which comes earlier in winter.
Can I take the public ferry instead of a tour?
Yes. Şehir Hatları runs commuter ferries across the Bosphorus and a Long Bosphorus Tour to Anadolu Kavağı. Ferry fares are paid with an Istanbulkart or another electronic ticket, not cash.
