Bosphorus Tour: Explore Must-See Istanbul Attractions from Spice Bazaar to Topkapi Palace
4.0
14 Ratings
Fatih

If cities have souls, then Istanbul’s is right here, where the Golden Horn meets the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, and the most intense activity is the movement of people and the selling of things: from domestic fire extinguishers to fresh fish grilled over wood fires on moored ketchas.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Halic - You will have a sightseeing tour of the Golden Horn in minivan
  • Bosphorus Strait - 90-minute Bosphorus cruise, following along the shores and taking in many of Istanbul’s iconic sights.
  • Misir Carsisi (Spice Market) - The most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.
What's Included
  • 1.5-hour scenic cruise
  • Air-conditioned vehicle transport
  • Convenient hotel pickup
  • Professional English-speaking guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Personal expenses
  • Hotel drop-off
Location
Egyptian Bazaar
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.0
(14 Ratings)
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1 star
Guide613749
Dec 20, 2019
.. - Wonderful tour with a superb tour guide. John was so informative and made it fun for us. He went beyond and helped us out with directions as well. Pleasure to know him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Les
Sep 26, 2019
Short cruise and Istanbul tour - This trip was very good as the cruise down the Bosphorus was not too long and the information provided by the young tour guide was superb, with lots of info on the area, history, culture and general traditions. Good value for money.
Review provided by Viator
Panagiotis_a
Jun 24, 2019
Excellent tour to beautiful Bosphorus - The tour was very well organized in two parts: one part was a panoramic bus ride along the western coast of the Golden Horn, the second part was the boat trip along the Bosphorus. Besides it being a beautiful day, our guide Diana was intelligent, very well informed and flexible in offering various suggestions to look at sites which were not on the program. We (a family of three) thoroughly enjoyed it.
Review provided by Viator
Frances_b
May 13, 2019
Excellent tour - Our guide was charming and very well informed - nothing was too much trouble and we had an excellent introductory drive followed by a detailed cruise by water
Review provided by Viator
Aqua
Feb 16, 2018
Ask for Emre as your guide and you... - <p>Ask for Emre as your guide and you will not be disappointed. He has a university education in history and speaks great English. He was the best guide Ive ever had on a tour and I am a person who gets city tours in every city I stay in. Highly recommend this tour for simplicity and time. Wish Id booked a longer one! But I believe any tour with Emre would be packed full of great information. <br/> We started off with a rather long drive from our hotel pick up to the Egyptian Spice Market. During the drive Emre told us everything about what we were seeing. Neighborhoods, ancient buildings, how the citizens function and gave many helpful pointers - which you need in Istanbul. <br/> It is typical for tours here to take you to a handicraft expert or a reputable vendor and the stop in the spice market was a few minutes to use the WC as well as a fun introduction to a vendor here. Theres no particular pressure to buy but we did since we wanted to anyway. Saved time. The vendor was so charismatic and fun. It was great fun trying so many traditional treats and the tea he made us was delicious. <br/> Moved on to the boat - I believe a sight seeing ferry - it is two level. There is a WC. The top level was semi covered which worked well for the cold wind and the need for Photos. They sell snacks but you can get Turkish tea or coffee which is lovely. The views were amazing and the informations day background history and context about what we were seeing was just so valuable! Wish we could have Emre on all our tours!</p>
Review provided by Viator
518812
Nov 22, 2023
Essential - Unmissable walk to enjoy the magnificent views of this imposing city. Ahh, and a private ride is not necessary, whether on public boats or on boats that offer a 2-hour ride at very affordable prices, it is perfect to enjoy. Choose days with good weather and sun, it makes it more attractive
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rlahozmd
Jun 4, 2018
Nice view of Istanbul - It is best if you have a guide with you who can point out the significant buildings. The boat was noisy so we couldn’t hear the audio recording.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R
Sep 12, 2015
We took the half day Bosphorus... - <p>We took the half day Bosphorus cruise and it was all that it promised to be. The guides - both of them - could explain the history of all the monuments which we passed. The ride was comfortable, with enough space to move around and watch both sides. Great trip.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Marisa
Dec 28, 2015
It is quite a complete tour, with... - <p>It is quite a complete tour, with overviews of the main spots in the city, along with lots of information both historical and current. The cruise trip is beautiful, I recommend it. However, I do not recommend making any purchases on the quick visit to the Spice Bazaar Egyptian Bazaar since you can find much better prices outside. <br/> This tour is mostly useful for a first view of the city, early in your trip.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Franklin-5
Nov 30, 2015
The van tour of the Golden Horn was... - <p>The van tour of the Golden Horn was a tour of the congested highways of Istanbul. We didnt leave the car once. It would of been good if we had planned photo opportunities. </p> <p>This tour also ran an hour late which i was only informed by our guide once we were on the boat on the Bosphoros. I had my flight home booked in the afternoon. Since it ran overtime, it caused me a lot of stress to get to the airport on time.</p>
Review provided by Viator
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