Bosphorus Cruise for Korean Travellers: Which Boat, Which Pier

For most Korean travellers on a four- or five-day Istanbul trip, the best Bosphorus cruise is the one that fits the day you have free: the public short tour from Eminönü for 340 TL, a guided lunch cruise with hotel pick-up from $38 per person, a dinner cruise with a Turkish night show from $57 per person, or a private yacht from $190 per hour for the boat. This page is organised the way Korean visitors usually plan: first, check whether your package already includes a boat ride; then choose by the time of day and the pier nearest your hotel; then fit the cruise into a short itinerary that is often travelling with parents or children.

First, check what your package already includes

Many group tours sold in Korea for Turkey include a "Bosphorus cruise" in the Istanbul day. Before you book anything extra, read the line in your itinerary carefully and ask your agency four questions:

1. How long is it? A short boat ride on the lower Bosphorus can be under an hour. A full guided cruise usually takes two to three hours, and the public long tour about six.
2. Shared or private? A shared tour boat carries many groups at once. A private yacht carries only your family or friends.
3. Day or night? A daytime ride shows the palaces and the wooden mansions; a dinner cruise shows the lit bridges but much less of the shore.
4. Is a guide on board? On the public ferry there is no commentary at all.

If your package includes a short daytime ride, the most useful thing to add is usually the opposite: an evening on the water, either on a dinner cruise or a private yacht at sunset. If you are travelling independently, read on.

Four ways onto the water, by the time they take

The public ferry fares are the current Şehir Hatları prices for foreign passengers, sold at the pier ticket office. The winter timetable runs until 27 June 2027. Our public ferry guide has the full timetable with every stop, and the Bosphorus cruise tickets today page explains what you can still book on the day.

Which pier is nearest your hotel

Korean visitors usually stay in one of four areas. This is the nearest pier from each, and how to get there.

Private yachts are different: they board at a pier or marina agreed when you book, often in Bebek, Arnavutköy, Kuruçeşme or İstinye, and the crew can pick you up at a pier closer to your hotel. Our guided lunch cruise collects you from your hotel, so the pier does not matter.

Fitting a cruise into a 4- or 5-day trip

Flights from Incheon usually land at Istanbul Airport, and hotel rooms are rarely ready before mid-afternoon. That makes the first day a good fit for something gentle.

• Day 1 (arrival). If you land early, a dinner cruise or a sunset yacht is a good first evening, as you sit down the whole time.
• Day 2. The Old City: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace, which is closed on Tuesdays. Keep the water for another day.
• Day 3. The Bosphorus. A lunch cruise in the late morning, then Dolmabahçe Palace, closed on Mondays, or the Asian side in the afternoon.
• Day 4. The Grand Bazaar (closed Sundays), Galata and Balat, or a day trip.

Our 4-day Istanbul itinerary and 5-day Istanbul itinerary pages lay out each day in full.

Travelling with parents or small children

A large share of Korean visitors travel as families, often with parents in their sixties or seventies. A few practical points:

• Seats and shade. Daytime tour boats have open upper decks and covered lower decks. Older travellers usually prefer the covered deck with a window seat; the view is nearly as good.
• Boarding. Public ferries at Eminönü are busy, and boarding involves a gangway and a crowd. A private yacht boards at a quieter pier, which is easier for anyone who walks slowly.
• Toilets and food. Tour boats and most yachts have toilets. The public ferry sells tea and simple snacks, but bring water.
• Children. Life jackets are carried on board; ask for children's sizes on a private yacht when you book. Keep small children away from the rails on the open deck.
• Long tour stamina. The six-hour public long tour includes a steep climb at Anadolu Kavağı if you want the castle view. For grandparents, a two- or three-hour guided cruise is the better choice.

Our Bosphorus lunch cruise page describes the shared daytime option in more detail.

Photos from the deck: which side and what light

Couples and friends travelling from Korea often ask where to stand for the best photos. Two simple rules help.

• Sides. Heading north from Eminönü, the European shore, with Dolmabahçe Palace, the Ortaköy Mosque and Rumeli Fortress, is on your left. The Asian shore, with Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden's Tower, is on your right.
• Light. The European shore faces east, so it is lit in the morning. The Asian shore faces west and catches the late-afternoon and sunset light. For the Ortaköy Mosque under the bridge, a morning cruise gives the sharpest colours; for golden light on the Asian palaces, go late in the day.

On a private yacht, you can ask the captain to slow down or circle near the Ortaköy Mosque and the Maiden's Tower for photos. Our sunset Bosphorus yacht cruise page lists sunset times by month.

Booking from Korea: messages, payment and time

• Time difference. Istanbul is six hours behind Korea all year, as Türkiye stays on UTC+3. A message sent at 9 p.m. in Seoul arrives at 3 p.m. in Istanbul, during working hours.
• Messaging. KakaoTalk is not widely used in Türkiye. WhatsApp is the normal way to contact tour operators, drivers and restaurants, so install it before you leave.
• Payment. We quote in US dollars and confirm the price in writing before you pay. On the day, Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in central Istanbul, but carry some lira for the public ferry, tea on board and tips.
• Entry. Korean passport holders can visit Türkiye without a visa for up to 90 days, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A Korean-speaking guide on board

The shared cruises run with English-speaking guides. If you book a private yacht or a private day, a Korean-speaking licensed guide is arranged on request, subject to availability; we confirm the guide's name and the price before you pay. Licensed guides who work in Korean are few, so ask several weeks ahead, and earlier for the Chuseok and Seollal holiday weeks.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-Up and Guide, from $38 per person. The easy daytime choice for families.
• Bosphorus Dinner Cruise in Istanbul with Turkish Night Show, from $57 per person.
• Aura Yacht Charter Istanbul: 13 m Private Motor Yacht for 12 Guests, from $190 per hour. A private boat for a family or a group of friends.
• Private Bosphorus Yacht Cruise in Istanbul: 2 Hours with Guide, from $600 per group.

All our options are on the Bosphorus tours page. We also write Bosphorus pages for other travellers: for Gulf families, for Russian-speaking visitors, with sunset times for French visitors, on the Genoese history for Italians, and a full options guide in our Spanish-market page.

Frequently Asked Questions