Istanbul, the Bosphorus

The Bosphorus is the strait that cuts Istanbul in two: Europe to the west, Asia to the east, in places only 500 m apart. From the Sea of Marmara to the mouth of the Black Sea, its shores line up imperial palaces, fortresses, mosques and some 360 villas and yalı, the wooden mansions built at the water's edge, which have survived to this day.

This page covers both shores, from Beşiktaş to Sarıyer on the European side and from Üsküdar to Kanlıca on the Asian side. It is the part of the city best seen from the water.

Seeing the Bosphorus from the water

The long ferry cruise

The Şehir Hatları municipal ferries run the long Bosphorus tour every day from Eminönü, on the historic peninsula, to Anadolu Kavağı, the last village on the Asian shore before the Black Sea. The boat runs along both shores, then stops at Anadolu Kavağı until mid-afternoon before heading back. Allow about six hours return. In summer 2026, it left at 10:35 am local time. Tickets cost 320 Turkish lira return, about €6, and 195 lira one way.

The Maiden's Tower

At the mouth of the Bosphorus, the Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi) stands on an islet 200 m off the Salacak shore in Üsküdar. It once controlled shipping between the Sea of Marmara, the strait and the Golden Horn. Now a museum, it opens daily from 9 am to 6 pm local time (ticket office until 5 pm). The boat crossing from Salacak costs 110 Turkish lira, about €2, and admission will be €30 from 1 April 2027. Under-18s must come with their parents.

The waterfront palaces

Dolmabahçe

Dolmabahçe Palace, in Beşiktaş, was the residence of the last Ottoman sultans. It is run by the National Palaces administration (Milli Saraylar):

• ticket offices open 9 am to 5 pm local time;
• closed on Mondays;
• Selamlık, harem and painting museum: 2,000 Turkish lira for foreign visitors, about €36;
• ticket for all national palaces: 3,500 lira, about €64;
• free under 6.

Beylerbeyi, Küçüksu and Ihlamur

On the Asian shore, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Küçüksu pavilion, together with the Ihlamur pavilion in Beşiktaş, are grouped in the "Dolmabahçe and Anatolian shore" combined ticket, at 2,750 Turkish lira, about €50. As Dolmabahçe closes on Mondays and Topkapı on Tuesdays, these visits fit best in midweek.

Fortress and villages

Rumeli Hisarı fortress guards the narrowest point of the strait, on the European shore. Admission will be €7 from 1 April 2027.

Between the palaces, the villages of the European shore, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy and Bebek, and those of the Asian shore, Çengelköy and Kanlıca, are best explored on foot along the quays, looking at the yalı.

Four palace hotels on the water

The European shore between Beşiktaş and Kuruçeşme concentrates Istanbul's grandest hotels. Sabaro has selected four, all on the waterfront.

• Çırağan Palace Kempinski: a former Ottoman imperial palace, built under Sultan Abdülaziz and reopened as a hotel in 1991, with an infinity pool on the Bosphorus.
• Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus: the 19th-century Atik Pasha palace, a 170-room Four Seasons since 2008, with a 2,100 m² spa and one Michelin Key.
• Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus: an urban resort in Kuruçeşme, between Ortaköy and Bebek, with a 3,500 m² spa, padel courts and a kids' club.
• Shangri-La Bosphorus: 186 rooms in a former 1920s tobacco warehouse near Beşiktaş pier.

Staying on the Bosphorus means space, pools and water views, at the cost of a drive or boat ride to the old city, 8 km from Ortaköy.

Getting to the Bosphorus

Istanbul Airport (IST) is 46 km from Ortaköy, about an hour's drive without traffic; Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is 41 km away, about 45 minutes. Traffic can double these times. Istanbul is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. From Ortaköy, Sultanahmet is 8 km away, about ten minutes by car without traffic.

What the foreign ministries say

None of the European foreign ministries followed by Sabaro advises against the shores of the Bosphorus. Several call for heightened vigilance throughout the country, recalling the attacks in Istanbul, including one on a church in Sarıyer, on the European shore, in January 2024. The Safety table on this page gives the advice for your country.

When to go

The upper Bosphorus is slightly cooler than the city centre: in Sarıyer, average highs range from 16 °C in April to 26 °C in June and 28 °C in July and August. It is also wetter from October to January, with close to 100 mm of rain a month and 125 mm in December. May, June and September are best for waterfront terraces and the cruise. The sea is above 21 °C from June to September.