Galataport Cruise Season 2027: New Lines, Winter Sailings, Numbers

Istanbul's cruise port expects 2027 to be busier than 2026. Galataport says current booking requests point to a stronger year, provided there are no new geopolitical shocks. Two luxury brands, Aman at Sea and Orient Express, are due to start calling in 2027. In 2026, the port expects about 200 ship calls and 520,000 passengers, down from 224 calls and nearly 600,000 passengers in 2025. If your ship stops in Istanbul next year, a guided day such as our Istanbul Old City private tour is the most common way to make the most of a 10-hour call.

Here is what the port has announced, what changed in 2026 and how a port day works.

The numbers: 2025, 2026 and the 2027 outlook

These are the figures given by Galataport Istanbul's port director, Tolga Tuncay, in interviews in June and August 2026:

Official national data show the pattern for the first half of 2026. Turkish ports received 488 cruise ship calls between January and June. Kuşadası was the busiest cruise port, and Istanbul came second, with 93 calls and 182,621 passengers.

The port has not published a call count for 2027 yet. Treat any exact figure you see elsewhere with caution until the 2027 schedules are final.

Why 2026 came in lower

Before the year began, the port had expected 2026 to match 2025. Two problems changed that:

• The Strait of Hormuz closure during the US/Israel–Iran conflict left some cruise ships stranded in the Persian Gulf. Voyages that were meant to reach Istanbul were cancelled.
• The Black Sea is still closed to cruise itineraries because of the Russia–Ukraine war. Many of those voyages used to start or end in Istanbul.

Even so, the homeport share of traffic held at its 2025 level. Homeport passengers start or end their cruise in Istanbul, so they usually add a hotel night and a flight. The number of cruise companies using Istanbul as a homeport rose by 50% between 2023 and 2025.

New for 2027: Aman at Sea and Orient Express

Galataport has confirmed that cruise ships operated by Aman at Sea and Orient Express are scheduled to begin Istanbul calls in 2027. Both are small, high-end brands. In our experience, guests on small luxury ships usually prefer a private guide to a large coach excursion.

The port has not published the dates of their first calls, so check your cruise line's itinerary for Istanbul times.

Istanbul now has a winter cruise season

The cruise season in Istanbul has traditionally run from April to November. That is changing:

• The first winter season at Galataport was in 2024, with 25 voyages and 55,000 passengers.
• For 2026–27, Aroya Cruises has added 25 winter sailings from Istanbul, running from 10 October 2026 to 24 April 2027. Ports on the routes include Bodrum, Marmaris, Kuşadası and Alexandria.
• The winter programme aims to carry 150,000 passengers, with 143% more sailings and 188% more passengers than the previous winter.

The port aims to operate all twelve months, so a cruise from Istanbul is now possible in December or February.

Who sails through Istanbul

Galataport's passenger profile for 2026:

• Nationalities: Americans are the largest group, at 25%, followed by Italians, British, Germans and Spanish.
• Age: 58% of passengers are 46 to 75, and 25% are 16 to 45.
• Turkish passengers: 25,000 Turks sailed from Istanbul in 2025, 70% more than in 2024. The port expected about 35,000 in 2026.

How long you get in Istanbul

The port gives two average figures that are useful when you plan:

• Transit passengers spend about 10 hours in the city.
• Homeport passengers can stay up to 28 hours at the start or end of the cruise.

Galataport is on the European shore in Karaköy, between the Galata Bridge and Tophane. Its passenger terminal is underground, so the waterfront above stays open to the public. The port is designed for three large ships and 15,000 passengers a day, and the director says capacity is not an issue.

Few cruise ports are this close to a city's main sights. Galata Tower, Karaköy and Istanbul Modern are within walking distance. The T1 tram at Tophane reaches Sultanahmet, the old city, in five stops. Dolmabahçe Palace is a short ride along the Bosphorus in the other direction. Our page on things to do in Galata and Karaköy covers the area right outside the terminal.

Planning a 10-hour port day

This is the kind of plan we use for a transit call with a guide and a vehicle. Adjust it to your ship's times:

Three things decide how this day works:

1. The day of the week. A Tuesday call means no Topkapı, and a Sunday call means no Grand Bazaar.
2. Prayer times. Tourist visits to the mosques pause during prayers, and Friday midday is the longest pause.
3. Visas. Rules for cruise passengers depend on your nationality and on whether you fly in or out of Türkiye. Check with your cruise line and see our Turkey visa requirements update.

For a sense of ticket costs, see our Hagia Sophia ticket price update. If you would rather book a guide on the Istanbul side, our sister company runs private Istanbul tours.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Old City Private Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and Grand Bazaar: from $200 per person, 6 to 8 hours, which fits a transit call.
• Dolmabahçe Palace Private Tour with Guide and Ticket: from $150 per person, 6 to 8 hours.
• Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off: from $75 per person, 3 hours.
• Private Bosphorus Yacht Cruise, 2 Hours with Guide: from $600 per group, a good add-on for homeport guests.

See all the options on our Istanbul tours and shore excursions pages, or browse Istanbul as a destination.

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