The 7 Best Istanbul Ferry Trips on the Bosphorus

1.Guided Food Tour with Ferry Ride and Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 770 reviews · 6 hours · from $115Our pick

Join an English-speaking guide such as Binnur, Önder, Salih, or Şenay for six hours of Turkish food in Istanbul. Start near the Spice Bazaar, cross to Kadikoy by ferry, sample breakfast, kebab, mussels, fish, künefe, and coffee, then finish with dessert in Karakoy.

“Excellent walking foodie tour around Istanbul, our guide Önder was an excellent host. We ate some delicious local food in about 9 different locations between the Europe and Asian sides - Turkish coffee, lahmacun, iskender kebab, mussels, kokoreç, fish wrap, künefe - and Önder had plenty of other restaurant recommendations for later along the way. Highly recommend doing this tour on your next visit to Istanbul!”

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2.Round-Trip Ferry Tickets to the Princes’ Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 586 reviews · from $11Best value

Take a return ferry from Eminönü to Büyükada, the largest and most famous Princes’ Island. Use your phone ticket, listen to an optional audio guide, then explore at your own pace, from Trotsky’s former home and St. George Church to beaches, cafés, and grand wooden villas.

“more than one hour because the boat stops in every island but an overall great experience!”

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3.Asian Side Walking Tour with Ferry Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 224 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $29

Meet your English-speaking guide at Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar, cross to Kadıköy by public ferry, and spend an hour exploring its market, antique shops, bar streets, tram-lined avenue, and colorful side streets. Guides such as Haluk and Emre add local food and transport advice.

“very informative guide. the Asian side is very different and more relaxed than the European side.”

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4.Troy Full-Day Guided Tour incl. Transfer, Ferry Tickets w/Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · 17 hours (approx.) · from $151Top rated

Leave Istanbul before dawn for Troy by comfortable minibus, ferry, and road transfer. You’ll cross the Dardanelles, eat lunch in Eceabat, and explore Troy with an English-speaking guide. Guides have included Lev, Cindy, Burak, Aytac, Charlie, and Cagri. Expect a very long day with limited time at the ruins.

“The small group pick up and tour itself were really good however at the end of the tour we were given tickets to a public bus which took 8 hours to return to Istanbul and stopped everywhere en route. We were not advised of this prior to joining the tour and expected to return in group vehicle. Because of this we did not take passports and so we're challenged at every stop by police as had no ID to cross regions on public transport. Very poor communication. Would not recommend at all.”

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5.Troy Guided Bus Tour with Ferry Tickets & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 119 reviews · 16 hours · from $148

Leave Istanbul early for Troy with hotel pickup, ferry crossings, lunch in Eceabat, and a guided walk through the UNESCO-listed ruins. Guides such as Levant, Sandy, and Beyza bring the Iliad, Temple of Athena, Odeon, ancient walls, and Trojan Horse replica to life. Expect a long but rewarding day.

“I love a good old trip around classical cities and Troy did not disappoint, the ruins gave you a good idea about the various eras in Troy. The museum was really good and Duygu our guide was very knowledgeable. Early start and late finish but scratched my Homer Iliad itch!”

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6.Taste of Turkey with Europe & Asia by Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 52 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $81

Join a guide such as Erol, Kim, Gamze, or Tolga for a 4.5-hour food walk from Eminönü to Kadıköy. Expect breakfast, market tastings, Turkish tea and coffee, sweets, local dishes, and a round-trip Bosphorus ferry ride in a group of up to eight.

“Erol was an excellent guide! This was so much more than a food tour. Erol is very knowledgeable and taught us about Turkidh history and culture and how they connected to the food. We loved what we went to places in both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul and visited places we would not have found on our own. This was an excellent tour with the best guide and we highly recommend it!”

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7.Taste of Turkey in Istanbul’s Europe & Asia by Ferry Crossing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $138

Spend about 4.5 hours tasting Turkish breakfast, market foods, coffee, and sweets while crossing from Eminönü to Kadıköy and back by ferry. Guide Erol Utgun adds useful context, answers sightseeing questions, and keeps the group to eight people.

“Erol Utgun our tour guide took us on an amazing tour that quickly gave us a better understanding of Istanbul by getting us better acquainted with its amazing culinary offerings. The streets of Istanbul are filled with interesting little restaurants, coffee, candy, spice souvenir shops but at first it can all feel a little overwhelming. Our Guide Erol Utgun carefully curated the tour allowing us to experience a wide variety of food and drink and gave us Insite to their origins in Turkish culture and their place in today's food scene. Erol not only gave us a feel for the food he answered all of our touristic questions and was…”

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