Bosphorus Cruise

The dinner cruise was lousy in every way/​a low point of our trip. Good was disgusting as was the when. Entertainment was cheesy and low quality. And each performer and photographers kept begging for tips. You couldn’t see anything outside. It was overpriced and at any price horrible!

My wife and two friends did this on our first day in Istanbul and it was a great way to get acquainted with the city. It’s a half day tour that makes a stop at a fishing village. You have enough time for lunch and to explore the town and a historic fort. If you like photography, it’s a great place to capture some shots. It’s also very relaxing to sit inside and watch the city slowly go by you as you cruise.

Nice tour up the Bosphorus, 90 minutes each way. Avoid the long, 6 hours tour; you get stuck in a small village for three hours just for lunch!

Our party was visiting from the US, and had the Groom’s local family members along with us to guide our tour. It was a bit rainy the day we took the short tour to see the castle, military school and housing along the water. Loading and unloading was surprisingly easy. And there were local boys selling roses. It was a handy little joy to have locals to bring a bit of special local flavor. One rose for only 5 tL. Great deal!
The boat is big enough so that, although it was choppy, it didn’t rock too much. Only one of our party became ill, and took a dramamine, that made her sleepy later at dinner. Most people won’t need any special medications, but we did have one member of our party who was elderly, and he had a good time as well.
We had a great time with a coincidence meeting others from Lithuania who just attended their best friend’s wedding. THe deck on this boat is a great place to meet other international travelers. You can see the castles, and other landmarks, right up close from the boat. There was no loudspeaker explaining what we were passing, so we were glad to have locals along to give us a history lesson. Best part was we got to have a good time and bond with our soon to be in-​laws.
Well recommended. We would return for the long tour next trip to Istanbul.