Bosphorus Cruise Today: Ferry Times, Piers and Ticket Prices

Yes, you can take a Bosphorus cruise today without booking ahead: the public Şehir Hatları short tour leaves Eminönü at 14:40 every day for 340 TL (foreign passenger fare), and the long tour leaves at 10:35 for 640 TL return. Private tour boats also sail from the Eminönü waterfront through the day. If you would rather have hotel pick-up and a guide, our Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up starts from $75 per person and can often be arranged at short notice.

The details below are for the winter timetable, which Şehir Hatları runs from 7 September 2026 to 27 June 2027.

Today's public Bosphorus tours: times and fares

Şehir Hatları is the ferry company of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. It runs two sightseeing routes on the strait, separate from its commuter ferries. Fares below are the official box-office prices. Foreign visitors pay the foreign passenger fare, which is double the domestic one.

Children aged 0 to 6 travel free on all Bosphorus tours.

Short tour. After Eminönü the boat calls at Üsküdar (14:55) and Ortaköy (15:10), then turns back down the strait. It is the right choice if you only have an afternoon.

Long tour. This is a full day trip to the mouth of the Black Sea. The 10:35 boat calls at Beşiktaş (10:50), Üsküdar (11:05), Kanlıca (11:35), Sarıyer (12:05) and Rumeli Kavağı (12:15), and reaches Anadolu Kavağı at 12:25. It waits there until 15:00, then returns by the same piers, arriving at Eminönü at 16:40.

The summer moonlight cruise (Mehtap Turu) runs on Saturdays in the summer season only; its foreign passenger fare is 730 TL return.

Where to board

The Bosphorus tours leave from the Eminönü Boğaz Hatları pier, on the old-city side of the Galata Bridge, close to the New Mosque and the Spice Bazaar. From Sultanahmet, the T1 tram takes you to the Eminönü stop in a few minutes, and the pier is a short walk away. Our page on Galata Bridge and Eminönü shows the area.

There are several piers along this stretch of waterfront, for commuter ferries to Kadıköy and Üsküdar and for private tour boats. Look for the Şehir Hatları "Boğaz Hatları" signs for the public tours.

If you stay in Beşiktaş or on the Asian side, you can also join the long tour at Beşiktaş (10:50) or Üsküdar (11:05). Check at that pier's ticket office that it sells Bosphorus tour tickets before you queue.

Buying the ticket

• Buy at the pier ticket office. Istanbulkart is not valid for the Bosphorus tours; they need a separate ticket from the office (gişe).
• Arrive 30 minutes early in spring and summer. In winter the boats are rarely full, but on sunny weekends the upper deck seats go first.
• Return tickets on the long tour. If you buy one way, you need another way back from Anadolu Kavağı, which on the Asian side means a long bus ride. Most visitors should take the return ticket.

Commuter ferries are a different matter. The boats between Eminönü, Karaköy, Beşiktaş, Üsküdar and Kadıköy are paid with Istanbulkart like any city ride, and a short crossing to the Asian side is the cheapest way onto the water. It is not a Bosphorus tour, though: the commuter routes cross the strait rather than sailing along it.

Public ferry, tour boat or private yacht?

On the public ferry you get the same water and the same views, but no explanation of what you are looking at. A guided cruise or a private boat adds that context, and a private yacht lets you choose your own time, including sunset. For yacht options see our Bosphorus yacht rental page.

What you see, and which side to sit on

Heading north from Eminönü, the European shore is on your left and the Asian shore on your right.

Left side (European shore): Dolmabahçe Palace, the Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque beside the Bosphorus Bridge, the Bebek waterfront and Rumeli Fortress at the narrowest point of the strait.

Right side (Asian shore): the Maiden's Tower off Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi Palace, the wooden waterfront mansions (yalı) of Kandilli and Kanlıca, and Anadolu Fortress.

On the way back the sides swap, so you see both shores on a return trip whatever seat you pick. In winter the open deck is cold and windy; bring a warm layer even on a sunny day.

Planning the stop at Anadolu Kavağı

The long tour gives you about two and a half hours in Anadolu Kavağı, the last village on the Asian shore before the Black Sea. There are three sensible ways to use it:

1. Walk up to Yoros Castle. The ruined castle on the hill above the village looks out over the entrance to the Black Sea. The path is steep, so wear proper shoes.
2. Have lunch by the water. The harbour is lined with fish restaurants. Ask for prices before you order fish sold by weight.
3. Do both, without rushing. Walk up first while the restaurants are busy with the boat crowd, then eat later.

Be back at the pier before 15:00. The return boat does not wait, and the next practical way back is a long bus journey.

Tours that cover this

• Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off: from $75 per person, 3 hours.
• Morning Bosphorus Cruise Tour with Spice Bazaar Stop: from $40 per person.
• Full-Day Bosphorus Cruise and Two Continents Tour: from $88 per person.
• Private Bosphorus Yacht Cruise, 2 Hours with Guide: from $600 per group.

To see what still has space today, check our Istanbul tours today page or browse all Bosphorus tours.

Frequently Asked Questions