Bosphorus Tour

Boating and Sailing tour in Istanbul

Tour Price : $200 Duration : 2 hours Languages: English, Turkish

This is a boat tour on the Bosphorus Strait, which can be done either by public ferry or on a private yacht. The Bosphorus separates two continents — Asia and Europe — and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Once you come to Istanbul, this is something you must experience.

The boat tour lasts about two hours, and during the journey you will see two suspension bridges, two castles, three palaces, and many beautiful wooden houses along the shoreline.

Rumeli Hisarı (European Fortress): This impressive fortress was built by Sultan Mehmet II just before the siege of Constantinople. Its purpose was to stop any aid coming from the Black Sea. The fortress is located at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, only 660 meters wide.

Boğaziçi Köprüsü (Bosphorus Bridge): Opened in 1973, it was the first bridge to connect Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus. At the time, it was considered one of the largest suspension bridges in the world and today still ranks among the biggest.

Dolmabahçe Sarayı (Dolmabahçe Palace): This was the first European-style palace in Istanbul, built by Sultan Abdülmecid between 1842 and 1853. Its construction cost the equivalent of 35 tons of gold, and 14 tons of gold leaf were used just for the ceilings.

Inside the palace, you will find the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, with 750 lamps and weighing 4.5 tons. Dolmabahçe also has the largest collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the world, and one of its grand staircases is decorated with Baccarat crystal bannisters.

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