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Istanbul Ferries

Photo credit: hans.griep / Foter / CC BY
Istanbul Ferries
  • (worth a trip)
  • 1-2 km
  • Easy
  • Low
  • 1 hour or less
  • 3 3

Unforgettable experience of crossing the sea and switching continents

Caferağa Mh. 34710 Kadıköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Tea and snacks are always offered on board

While in Istanbul, you cannot but enjoy traveling from one continent to another. While there are several means of crossing the Bosphorus, a ferry is the most enjoyable and romantic one. In fact, this 3-kilometer wide strait has been crossed here and there for thousands of years. It was the only means of getting to another part of the city until 1973, when the first Bosphorus bridge was built.

 

Istanbul has several places where you can hop on the ferry. They go between the city ports as well as to some further places, like Prince Islands. The most popular ferry stations within the city are Uskudar, Harem, Kadikoy, Eminonu, Kabatas and Besiktas. In general, there are 38 ferries carrying thousands of passengers each day from one continent to another and back.

 

In any case, you will need to cross Bosphorus during your stay in this city. My advice is, just try to utilize ferries as often as you can, instead of Marmaray (metro line under the strait) or the “Bridge between continents”. Why? Because this is the only place where you can experience that unforgettable feeling of fresh sea breeze on your face, observe seagulls flying all around your ferry and take some wonderful photos from the deck. If you are lucky enough, you will even see dolphins showing up their shiny backs from the water.

 

The trip from one side of the city to another takes about 25 minutes, so you have enough time to enjoy this minivoyage. However, if it is too little for you, just hop on another ferry and go back, or in some other direction. The token price is just 4 TL (around 1.50 American dollar), and even cheaper with Istanbulkart!



Opening hours

06:10 - 23:00

How to get there

Ferry stations are important transport intersections, so different public transport stops are close to these ferry stations.

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