Cruising the Bosphorus

The Bosphorus is the reason Istanbul exists: a winding strait about thirty kilometres long that joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Europe from Asia, with the city spread along both shores. Seeing it from the water is essential, and it is also one of the most relaxing things you can do in a city that can be exhausting on foot. A standard sightseeing cruise leaves from Eminonu or the quays near Karakoy and Kabatas and heads north under the Bosphorus bridges and back. The parade on the European shore runs from the white marble facade of Dolmabahce Palace and the Ciragan Palace to the baroque Ortakoy Mosque at the foot of the first bridge, then past Bebek's bay and the fifteenth-century fortress of Rumeli Hisari, built by Mehmed II in a few months before the conquest. On the Asian side come the Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer retreat of the sultans, the little Kuleli military school, Kandilli and the Anadolu Hisari fortress, and between them the yali, the elegant wooden summer mansions of Ottoman pashas and merchant families, painted in ochre, pink and ox-blood red, their boathouses at the water's edge. Look back and you see the skyline of the old city, the domes and minarets of Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and the Suleymaniye, rising above the water. Dolphins appear in the strait more often than you might expect. Tiqets sells a range of options, from a ninety-minute cruise from the Eminonu ferry station with an audio guide to two-hour guided cruises, Bosphorus and Golden Horn combinations, longer trips toward the Black Sea with lunch, and evening dinner cruises with Turkish dance shows.

Choosing your cruise: for most first-timers a sightseeing cruise of ninety minutes to two hours is enough, ideally in the late afternoon so you return as the light turns gold on the old city. Guided or audio-guided cruises add context you will not get from the public ferry. Longer trips that run up toward the mouth of the Black Sea, with a lunch stop at a fishing village such as Anadolu Kavagi, suit those with a free day and good weather. Dinner cruises with a show are lively and touristy, best for groups who want a night out rather than a quiet evening, and private yacht charters are the romantic splurge. Check departure points before you book: some cruises leave from Eminonu, others from Kabatas, Besiktas or Karakoy, and hotel transfers are only sometimes included.

The local alternative: the public ferries of Sehir Hatlari run a scheduled Bosphorus tour from Eminonu, up the strait and back with stops on both shores, at a fraction of the price of a private cruise, and the ordinary commuter ferries between Eminonu, Karakoy, Kadikoy, Uskudar and Besiktas are the cheapest scenic rides in Europe. With an Istanbulkart you can hop across to Asia for tea and a simit and be back within the hour. The public long tour can be crowded in summer, there is no commentary, and schedules change by season, but it is a wonderful option for independent travelers. Many visitors do both: a guided cruise for the story, ferries for daily life.

Tips for the water: sit on the side facing the shore you most want to see, and swap on the return; the open upper deck is best for photographs but windy and chilly from autumn to spring, so bring a layer. Seasickness is rare, since the strait is sheltered, though the Black Sea end can be choppier. Sunset cruises book up in summer. In winter, ferries still run and the light is often beautiful, but upper decks are cold and some private operators run reduced schedules. Pair a cruise with Dolmabahce Palace, which faces the water near Kabatas, or with an evening in Ortakoy or Karakoy, both on the European shore near the cruise piers.