Istanbul Bosphorus Lunch Cruise with Hotel Pick-Up & Guide

Istanbul Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up: the key facts

This is a group outing on the Bosphorus with lunch served on board. We collect you from a central Istanbul hotel, you board near the Golden Horn, and the boat sails past Dolmabahce and Ciragan palaces, under the Bosphorus bridges, along the Asian shore by Beylerbeyi Palace and back by the Maiden's Tower. A licensed English-speaking guide explains what you see, and a transfer takes you back to your hotel.

It suits first-time visitors who want to see the strait and its waterfront mansions in daylight without giving a whole day to it, and anyone who prefers a calm afternoon to a late night on a dinner boat. The price is from $38 per person.

What time does the cruise start, and how long does it last?

The page's FAQ says the tour starts at 12:45 and finishes at around 18:00, so plan on most of the afternoon, including the hotel pick-up and the drive back. The booking form, however, offers start times from 08:00 to 14:00, and the overview calls it a "midday cruise" that leaves "your evening free". These do not fully match, so treat the times as approximate and ask us to confirm the exact pick-up time for your hotel in writing before you pay. A morning in the Old City and this cruise in the afternoon fit well on the same day.

What will we see from the boat?

The listed sights are the Golden Horn, Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the Bosphorus bridges and the Maiden's Tower, with the wooden waterfront mansions along both shores. You see the palaces from the water; the price does not include going inside any of them. If you want to tour Dolmabahce itself, read our Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace guides, or our overview of the Bosphorus Strait for the history of each shore.

What is included in lunch, and what costs extra?

Lunch is served on board and is part of the price. Drinks with lunch are not included, so budget for water, soft drinks or tea. Special seat requests on the boat, such as a window table, are also extra, and hotels outside the central pick-up zone pay an additional transfer fee. The page does not describe the menu, so if you are vegetarian, need halal food or have an allergy, tell us when you book and ask us to confirm what can be arranged.

Is my hotel inside the pick-up zone?

Pick-up and drop-off are included for centrally located Istanbul hotels. The page does not list the districts that count as central, and hotels outside the zone pay an extra fee. Send us your hotel name and address when you book and we will tell you whether a surcharge applies and how much it is, in writing, before you pay. If you are staying near Sultanahmet, our guide to where to stay in Istanbul explains the main areas and how far they are from the piers.

How is this different from the dinner cruise?

The Bosphorus dinner cruise runs in the evening and adds a Turkish night show with folk and belly dancing. The lunch cruise is quieter and shows the shoreline in daylight. One point to check: the FAQ says the dinner cruise costs from €50, "€17 more than this tour", which would put this one at €33, while the price box shows $38 and the similar-tours box lists a dinner cruise at $90. Go by the price we quote you in writing. Our page on Bosphorus dinner cruises compares the evening options.

Is the cruise suitable for children and older travellers?

There is no long walking: you go from the vehicle to the pier, then sit on the boat for the cruise. That makes it one of the easier outings in Istanbul for families and for travellers who tire quickly. Piers and gangways can have steps, so tell us in advance if someone in your group uses a wheelchair or walks with difficulty, and we will check what is possible for your date. On cooler days the open deck can be windy, so bring a light jacket even in spring and autumn.

Can we combine it with other Istanbul tours?

Yes. Because it runs in the afternoon, it fits after a morning walk in the Old City or before an evening free in Beyoglu. If you want a full day that includes both the historic sights and a boat ride, compare the Istanbul full-day city tour with Bosphorus cruise. For a shorter boat trip without lunch, see the Bosphorus boat cruise tour, and for your own boat, the private 2-hour Bosphorus yacht cruise. All options are listed on our Bosphorus tours page, and things to do on the Bosphorus covers what you can add on your own.

How do we book the lunch cruise?

Choose your date and the number of guests in the booking form on this page, or write to us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88. Give us your hotel name so we can check the pick-up zone, and mention any dietary needs. We then send you the confirmed pick-up time, the meeting details and the final price in writing before you make any payment. Get Turkey Tours is a TÜRSAB-licensed agency, licence A-15751.