Bosphorus Cruise in Istanbul

Everyone agrees you should get on the water in Istanbul. Where people go wrong is the boat. Walk along the quay at Eminönü and you will be offered a dozen cruises within five minutes, and they are not the same product. Broadly there are three kinds, and the right one depends on how much time you have and what you want from it. Our Bosphorus guide covers the palaces, fortresses and villages you pass; this page is about choosing the boat.

1. The public tours (Şehir Hatları)

Şehir Hatları, the city's own ferry company, runs two sightseeing routes from Eminönü. The Uzun Boğaz Turu (long Bosphorus tour) goes the whole length of the strait, calling at Beşiktaş, Üsküdar, Kanlıca, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı before a long break at Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea, then returns in the afternoon. The Kısa Boğaz Turu (short tour) is a much shorter afternoon loop calling at Üsküdar and Ortaköy.

Who it suits: almost everyone on a first visit. The boats are big, stable ferries with indoor and deck seating, a tea counter, and Istanbul families on board. Who it doesn't: anyone with only a morning, since the long tour really does take the day, and anyone who wants a commentary. There isn't one.

2. Private and small-group tours

Private companies run shorter loops from Eminönü and Kabataş, usually around the southern half of the strait and back, leaving more often than the public boats. Above them sit small-group boats and private yacht charters, which pick you up at a pier near your hotel and go where you ask.

Who it suits: short stays, families with restless children, and groups who want the boat to themselves. Who it doesn't: anyone happy to plan around a timetable, because the public ferry shows you more of the strait for less.

3. Sunset and dinner cruises

Sunset cruises are usually private boats leaving an hour or so before dusk, with drinks and snacks. The light on the old city and the bridges is lovely at that hour, and a small sunset boat can be a good evening. The large dinner cruises with a belly dance show, folk dancing and a set menu are a different thing: loud, packaged, and mostly about the show. We would skip them.

There is also a free version of the sunset. An ordinary commuter ferry from Karaköy or Eminönü to Kadıköy, paid with an Istanbulkart, crosses the mouth of the Bosphorus in about twenty minutes, with the domes of Sultanahmet turning gold behind you.

Public tours: no advance booking is needed. Buy a ticket at the Şehir Hatları office at the Eminönü pier (look for the sign for the Boğaz İskelesi, next to the Galata Bridge) and board there. Summer and winter timetables differ, and departures are few, so check the schedule on the Şehir Hatları website the day before. The long tour is a return ticket; keep it for the trip back.

Private tours: book with a licensed company, directly or through your hotel. Before paying, check:

• whether hotel pickup is included, or you need to get to the pier yourself
• which pier you leave from, since Eminönü, Kabataş and Karaköy are in different places
• how long the boat is out and how far north it goes
• how many people share it, and whether drinks and food are included
• the cancellation policy for bad weather, which on the Bosphorus mostly means strong wind

Ignore the touts on the Eminönü quay with laminated photos. Their boats are real, but you learn little about what you are buying.

• Pick a side, then switch. Heading north on the public ferry, the European shore with Dolmabahçe and Rumeli Hisarı is on your left, the Asian shore on your right. Change sides on the way back.
• Board early for a place on the open deck, especially on summer weekends.
• Bring a layer. The wind on the water is cool even in July, and cold from October on. See our what to wear guide.
• Eat at Anadolu Kavağı, or walk up to Yoros Castle for the view of the Black Sea, but keep an eye on the return time. Missing the boat means a long bus trip back.
• Try the yogurt at Kanlıca if your boat stops there.
• Pick a clear day. On hazy or rainy days the far shore fades out, and the short commuter crossing is a smarter choice than a long cruise.