Istanbul Day Cruise: Bosphorus & Black Sea

309 Ratings

Beyoğlu

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Embark on a full-day cruise in Istanbul, exploring the Bosphorus Strait and the Black Sea. Discover landmarks, swim in the Black Sea, and enjoy a delicious onboard lunch!

Duration: 6 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Rumeli Fortress - Commissioned by Mehmed II in the 15th century, this fortress is located at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus and was instrumental in the conquest of Constantinople. Please note that the fortress is closed on Wednesdays; during this time, visitors will have free time to explore the delightful Bebek neighborhood.
Ortakoy -…

What's Included

Private Yacht
Lunch
Tour Guide

What's Not Included

Gratuities
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Private transportation

Additional Information

Embark on a delightful day cruise through Istanbul along the Bosphorus Strait and the Black Sea! With a knowledgeable guide on board, discover the rich history of Istanbul and enjoy three exciting stops, including a visit to the charming fishing village of Anadolu Kavagi. Explore the summer retreats of the city’s Ottoman-era sultans at Ortaköy and…

Location

Dolmabahçe Mosque

Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi

Our partner travel agency for meeting with our guests.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.3

(309 Ratings)

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1 star

Njbell1957

Oct 29, 2025

Enjoyable and about the right length to see most of the Bosphorus. - The yacht used was very comfortable for small groups. Our guide Sadat was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about explaining the local sites and connections to Turkish history and culture. Using meet up points near the T1 Tram stations worked out very well to avoid traveling by car or taxi on congested central Istanbul streets.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kate_l

Sep 27, 2025

A lovely way to view both sides of Istanbul! - We appreciated this trip because it was smaller, more detailed, longer and more personal than a ferry ride. There were eleven people in our group, ranging in age from mid-20s through 70s. Our guide, Khalid, was knowledgeable about the four stops we visited, as well as about the political and cultural situation of modern-day Turkey. His narration was interspersed with personal anecdotes that gave us insights into Istanbul life and customs. The lunch was quite nice and freshly prepared, with a variety of typical Turkish elements. Though we had anticipated going slightly into the Black Sea, we were told that only special-visa passengers were allowed to do that. We did approach and see the border between the Bosphorus and the Black Sea, though. Two of our four stops were on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. A lovely way to view and learn about both sides of Istanbul.

Review provided by Viator

Mary

May 29, 2025

6-hour relaxing boat ride up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea - The tour itself was excellent. Sedat is a knowledgeable guide, as well as friendly and accommodating. The boat left a little to be desired. It was smaller than I expected and was showing some wear and tear. The crew that operated the boat were great, though. It’s 4/5 stars because the pickup location was changed last minute to the train station, which isn’t close to the dock. I’d rather have had the option to meet them at the boat, like it was described in the tour description because that would have saved me 30+ of drive time. Also, the boat was an hour late to arrive so we didn’t arrive back from the tour until an hour later. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience with a few areas of improvement.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Anne

May 9, 2025

Lovely lunch trip on the Bosphorus - Knowledgeable guide in Baris. We enjoyed the boat trip and 3 stops. The stops were a bit rushed so it would have been nicer to stop once and have lunch on shore instead. Overall we have had a lovely trip.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Catherine_c

Apr 20, 2025

Bospherus tour not as advertised - The trip was wonderful, but not at all what was advertised or what I paid for. Before getting into that, let me just say that our guide for the trip on April 13 was excellent, very knowledgeable and excited to share information. The trip was supposed to be on a private vessel. It was supposed to "stop to visit the pretty Ortaköy neighborhood; and enjoy guided tours of the ornate Küçüksu Palace and Rumeli Fortress. There’s even a chance to swim in the Black Sea." Instead - apparently because our group was too small - our guide took us to a public ferry that we could not depart from until it reached its final stop in Anadolu, just before the final bridge and the Black Sea. In Anadolu we enjoyed an unplanned visit of a ruined castle and views of the final bridge before the Black Sea as well as a lovely lunch at a restaurant on the harbour. Then we took the ferry back to the port in Istanbul. The trip was memorable and enjoyable. But the description shoud have warned about possible changes and, as we took a ferry, should have been a lot less than the 217.33 CAD I paid. A promised partial refund has not materialized.

Review provided by Viator

Yoshihiro_m

Jul 4, 2025

The original announcement said you could do a short swim... - At first, the guide told us that we could swim for a short time, but when the day came, we were told that there would be no swimming. There was no swimming on another company's Japanese tour, so I chose this English tour because there was swimming, but the guidance on the day said there was no swimming, so I was disappointed. In that case, I should have chosen a Japanese tour. But the English guide was kind.

Review provided by Viator

Carola_s

Oct 24, 2025

Disappointing - Several strikes: 1. The boat trip was fine but the offering is misleading, It didn't reach the Black sea, even though that's what is advertised. They should be truthful and change the add. 2. Our guide's English language was very limited. 3. He wasn't even aware that the palace and the fortress stops were closed. When arriving, to these sites, he went to get tickets and only then found out ihey are closed on Mondays, 4. I also fault the company for not informing us at the time of booking. We could have booked it for Tuesday. 5. The man who was the coordinator was nice and polite, tried to compensate by offering us tickets to see the swirling Dervils. He made the effort but it's not ok.. That's not what we signed out for.

Review provided by Viator

Marva_w

Oct 26, 2025

Tour was canceled day prior. I made other plans. Then got a phone call asking where I was. DISORGANIZED - Tour operator is unreliable. Receved a message day prior that tour was being Canceled at last minute.

Review provided by Viator

Jamie_a

Oct 4, 2025

Canceled Tour at the Last Minute - Operator canceled late the night before we were scheduled. They gave us the option to reschedule but we couldn’t with our flight schedule. I didn’t really understand because when I told them I had my heart set on seeing the Black Sea, they offered a private tour for $500USD. Im not sure why that one would’ve been okay but the tour we had booked had to be canceled. Additionally, the day of our scheduled tour, the weather was fine. They did give us a full refund so that was nice of them but I’m still very disappointed. I would recommend anyone booking this have a backup plan.

Review provided by Viator

Terry_w