Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour

Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 1Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 2Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 3Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 4Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 5Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti, Eyüp Sultan and Balat – Half-Day Boat and Bus Tour – İstanbul 6
See Istanbul from three different perspectives in half a day: from above over the Golden Horn from Pierre Loti Hill, up close through the streets of Balat, and from the water on a Bosphorus boat ride. Meet your guide in Sultanahmet or get picked up from your hotel. Travel along the shores of the Golden Horn in an air-conditioned bus, passing the remnants of the city walls on your way to Eyüp. The first stop is Pierre Loti Hill. Enjoy free time at the viewing terrace overlooking the entire Golden Horn and the skyline on the opposite shore. Descend from the hill to Eyüp by cable car; the ride takes about 2 minutes and the ticket is included in the tour. Next, explore the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb with your guide. Here you learn about this mosque's place in the city's spiritual life—the Ottoman sultans girded their swords here upon ascending the throne. In Balat, walk among colorful bay-windowed houses and hear from your guide about the church, synagogue and school buildings left behind in the neighborhood by Greek, Jewish and Armenian communities. At a nearby local shop, Turkish delight, baklava and apple tea are served; shopping is optional. The final part of the tour is a boat cruise on the Bosphorus. As you glide between the European and Asian shores, see Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower from the water. After the boat ride, return by bus to the starting point or your hotel area.

Tour Information

  • Duration: 3.5 Hour
  • Languages: en
  • Categories: Daily Tours, Boat Tours, Istanbul Tours, Turkey Tours, City Tours & Cultural Trips
  • Age Groups: Baby: 0 - 3 · Child: 4 - 7 · Adult: 8 - 99

Included Services

  • Professional Guide
  • Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
  • Boat / ferry ticket
  • Cable car or funicular ticket
  • Local tasting
  • Turkish coffee and tea
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Taxes (VAT)

Not Included

  • Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
  • Food and drinks not included in the menu
  • Museum entrance fees

Meeting & End Points

  • Starting Point: Buhara 93 Restaurant
  • Ending Point: Buhara 93 Restaurant

Meeting Points

  • Buhara 93 Restaurant — Sultan Ahmet, Nakilbent Sk. No:13 A 15, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
  • Sultanahmet — Sultanahmet
  • Osmanbey — Osmanbey
  • Harbiye — Harbiye
  • Fındıklı — Fındıklı
  • Karaköy — Karaköy
  • Tepebaşı — Tepebaşı
  • Sirkeci — Sirkeci
  • Kadırga — Kadırga
  • Beyazıt — Beyazıt

Tour Route

  1. 13:00 · Buhara 93 Restaurant — Meeting at Sultanahmet Square

    Your tour begins at Sultanahmet Square, in front of Buhara 93 Restaurant. With the hotel transfer option, you don't need to come to this point; you are picked up from your hotel and set off together with the rest of the group.

  2. Along the Golden Horn by Bus

    You head toward Eyüp by air-conditioned bus along the shores of the Golden Horn. Along this inlet, which served as Istanbul's main port for centuries, the remnants of Byzantine-era sea walls, the old mansions of Fener and Balat, and the bridges of the Golden Horn pass by your window. Your guide shares the stories of these neighborhoods along the way.

  3. Pierre Loti Hill

    The hill above Eyüp takes its name from Pierre Loti, the French naval officer and writer who lived in Istanbul at the end of the 19th century and brought the city into his novels. The coffeehouse where Loti is said to have watched the Golden Horn is still open under the same name today. From the viewing terrace you see the entire Golden Horn, its bridges, and in the distance the silhouette of Gala

  4. Descent to Eyüp by Cable Car

    You descend from the hill to Eyüp Square by cable car. On the roughly 2-minute ride, through the cabin window you see the Golden Horn and, stretching along the slope, the Eyüp Cemetery—one of Istanbul's oldest cemeteries—from above. The cable car ticket is included in the tour.

  5. Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb

    The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, is one of Istanbul's most visited spiritual sites. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari passed away before the city walls during the 7th-century Arab siege; after the conquest, Fatih Sultan Mehmet had the tomb and mosque built over his grave. Ottoman sultans would gird their swords here upon ascending to the throne. Accompanied by your

  6. Balat Streets

    For centuries, Balat has been a neighborhood on the shores of the Golden Horn where Greek, Jewish and Armenian communities lived side by side. Together with your guide, you walk along steep streets lined with colorful bay-windowed houses. You learn from your guide about the Fener Greek Boys' High School, known as the "Red School" for its red bricks, the Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church—cast in Vienna

  7. Turkish Delight and Tea Treat

    At a local shop in Balat, Turkish delight, baklava and apple tea are offered to guests. You can taste the varieties and, if you wish, purchase the ones you like; shopping is not obligatory.

  8. Bosphorus Boat Cruise

    The final part of the tour is a Bosphorus boat cruise departing from Eminönü Pier. As you sail along the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and separates Europe from Asia, you see from the water on the European side the Dolmabahçe Palace, completed in 1856, the Çırağan Palace, now used as a hotel, and the Ortaköy Mosque right beside the bridge; on the Asian side, Beylerb

  9. Buhara 93 Restaurant — Return

    After disembarking from the boat, you return to the meeting point in Sultanahmet by bus. With the hotel transfer option, you are dropped off in the area where your hotel is located.

Popular Points

  • Golden Horn Bridge
  • Pierre Loti Hill
  • Eyüp Cemetery
  • Eyüp Cable Car
  • Eyüp Sultan Mosque
  • Balat
  • Istanbul Fatih Private Fener Greek High School and Middle School
  • St. Stephen's Church (Iron Church)
  • Eminönü Pier Square
  • Dolmabahçe Palace
  • Çırağan Palace
  • Büyük Mecidiye Mosque
  • Beylerbeyi Palace
  • Rumeli Fortress
  • Maiden's Tower
  • Galata Tower

Tour Rules

Identity and Entry Documents

  • Allowed: Passport or photo ID

Transport and Baggage

  • Allowed: With the transfer option, your pick-up time varies depending on your hotel; the exact time is notified on the tour day
  • Allowed: At the end of the tour you are dropped off in Şişli, Beyoğlu, Sultanahmet or Fatih

Optional Tours and Payments

  • Not Allowed: The Balat tour includes a visit to a local shop; shopping is not obligatory

What to Bring and Dress Code

  • Allowed: Clothing that covers shoulders and knees
  • Allowed: Comfortable shoes

Good to Know

  • Allowed: Skip the ticket queue with direct entry
  • Allowed: The tour is led by an English-speaking guide
  • Allowed: Eyüp Sultan Mosque may close briefly for visits during prayer times
  • Allowed: The program may change depending on traffic and weather conditions

Booking Conditions

  • Reservation request is instantly confirmed.
  • Pay 30% now, the rest by Cash, Bank/Credit Card
  • (Taxes Included)

Upcoming Departures

Tap a date to open the booking calendar with that date selected.

Recommended Tours

Frequently Asked Questions

Are taxes included in the tour price?
Yes, taxes are included in the prices shown on this page.