BOSPORUS (BOSPHORUS) CRUISES
Its English name "Bosporus" comes from mythology. Zeus had an affair with a beautiful woman named Io. When Hera, his wife, discovered his infidelity, she turned Io into a cow and created a horsefly to sting her on the rump. Io jumped clear across the strait.
Thus bous=cow,
and poros=crossing-place:
Bosporus= "crossing-place of the cow."
The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, is a strait that divides the European part (Rumelia) of Turkey with its Asian part (Anatolia). However, the Bosporus is so much more than just a body of water separating two land masses! Throughout history it has been coveted for its strategic location – attracting some of the world’s most interesting cultures to lay claim to the beautiful shores. One of the best ways to take in these amazing historic offerings is by boat. We offer several day cruises along the mighty Bosporus as well as an evening dinner cruise.
HALF DAY BOSPORUS CRUISES
Bosporus Cruise with Golden Horn(Half Day - Morning)
• Cruise on the Golden Horn• Cruise on the Bosporus
• Rumeli Fortress (from the sea)
• Cable Car to Pierre Loti
• City Walls
This tour starts by Golden Horn Cruise and and goes on with Bosporus Cruise. The magical journey which covers both European and Asian shores by our private boat will let you see the marvelous monuments and districts like: Maiden Tower (Kiz Kulesi), Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortakoy, Fethi Ahmet Pasa Mansion, Ortakoy Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School, Arnavutkoy, Bebek and more highlights of Istanbul located on both sides of the bosporus. We will also see the Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisari), which was built by Mehmet the Conquerer in 1452, for preparation of his planned siege of Byzantine Constantinople. Right after the cruise we will enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car, as we climb the hill to the cafe named after the famous French writer. When we finish our visit to the cafe, we will go back to Sultanahmet area and see the famous cith walls of Istanbul which were breached only twice in 1600 years.
Half day morning bosporous cruise starts at 08:45 and finish at 12:30. The rate is 35 Euro per person including professional guide and boat trip. Bosporus Cruises are usually more crowded than regular Istanbul tours.
Spice Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) to make booking
Golden Horn and Bosporus Cruise (Half Day - Afternoon)
• Cruise on the Golden Horn (Halic Cruise)• The Legendery Maiden's Tower
• Cruise on the Bosporus
• Rumeli Fortress
• Kanlica Village
The half-day afternoon bosporus cruise will start by the Golden Horn Cruise between Eyup and Eminonu. During the journey, the guide will tell you Orthodox and Jewish Heritage of Istanbul. We will then take a stop at the legendery Maiden's Tower, located right in the center of Bosporus. The cruise continues to Bosporus to see fabulous examples of Ottoman architecture on both Europe and Asia shores. We will also see the biggest fortress of Istanbul from the sea, the Rumeli Fortress. Before going back to hotels, we will also stop in Kanlica on the Asian side! So during your half-day cruise, you will step on both Europe and Asia. Even though famous throughout Turkey with her yogurt, there is more to Kanlica than merely yogurt. Kanlica is more like a sleepy fishing village rather than a suburb of bustling Istanbul
The afternoon half-day Bosporus cruise starts at 13:30 and finish at 17:00. The rate is 35 Euro per person including professional guide and admission fees. Bosporus Cruises are usually more crowded than regular Istanbul tours.
Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) to make booking
FULL DAY BOSPORUS CRUISES
Bosporus and Dolmabahce Palace (Full-Day with lunch)
• Golden Horn (Halic) Cruise
• Bosporus Cruise
• Rumeli Fortress from the Sea
• Dolmabahce Palace
• Bosporus Bridge
• Camlica Hill
This tour is combination of Bosporus Cruise and Dolmabahce Palace and Asian Side tours which you can find on our Istanbul Tours page. Bosporus and Dolmabahce Palace tour starts at 08:45 and finish at 17:00. The rate is 70 Euro per person including professional guide, entrance fees and lunch.
Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Monday and Thursday and will be replaced by a visit to Imperial Yildiz Park and Yildiz Pocelain factory. Spice Bazaar is closed on Sunday. Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) to make booking
Istanbul Cocktail (Full-Day with lunch)
• Galata
• Pera
• Sultan Palace of Yildiz
• City Walls
• Cable Car to Pierre Loti
• Cruise on the Golden Horn
• Cruise on the Bosporus
This tour is combination of Golden Horn and Bosporus and Pera and Sultan Palace of Yildiz tours which you can find on our Istanbul Tours page. Istanbul Cocktail tour starts at 08:45 and finish at 17:00. The rate is 70 Euro per person including professional guide, adimission fees and lunch.
Sultan Palace is closed on Tuesday and will be replaced with Imperial Yildiz Park and Yildiz Pocelain factory. Both cruises may be arranged by regular boats in case, there are not enough perticipants. On the weekend, we might use the tour bus instead of cable car to Pierre Loti because of the crowds.
Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) to make booking
Bosporus by Night (Night Cruise with dinner)
• Bosporus Cruise dinner and entertainment – no stops
You will be picked up from your hotel at 19:00 for transfer to the yacht. We sail up the Bosphorus, as far as the Black Sea. While passing under the suspension bridges and viewing Ottoman summer palaces, waterside mansions and modern villas which line the European and Asian coasts, you will enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Istanbul at night.
The cruise begins with a welcome cocktail on deck with DJ music. Then the show starts with "Uskudara Gideriken", a traditional Turkish musical melody performance. Next up, the "Asuk Masuk" an imitation play of dwarf characters which belongs to the Taseli district of Silifke, performed by 2 male dancers. Afterwards the belly dancer performs, followed by Anatolian folk dances from different regions of Turkey. The final performance of the evening is the passionate Turkish Roman Dance.
Dinner includes
Hors d'oeuvres, hot starters, fresh seasonal salad, grilled fish or chicken steak, dessert,
unlimited local drinks with a selection of local wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks and Turkish coffee.The rate is 70 Euro per person including boat trip, transfers, dinner and unlimited local drinks. Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) to make booking
We have a variety of boats with the capacity from 20 to 200 people. Please do not hesitate to contact us for private Bosporus cruises.
