Bosphorus Guides

Bosphorus Guides

Short, honest guides to the strait we sail every evening — written from the deck, not from a guidebook. Each one tells you what a landmark actually looks like from the water, when the light favours it, and how our routes pass it.

• The Bosphorus Sunset Guide — month-by-month sunset times, where the light goes, five photos worth planning for
• Dolmabahçe Palace from the Water
• Ortaköy Mosque & the Bridge
• Maiden’s Tower
• Rumeli Fortress
• Beylerbeyi Palace — the sultan’s summer house on the Asian shore
• The Three Bosphorus Bridges — which ones a cruise passes under, and why you cannot walk across them
• Anadolu Hisarı & Küçüksu Pavilion — the oldest Ottoman building in Istanbul, and the imperial pavilion next door
• Bosphorus Yalıs — the waterfront mansions, why so many are oxblood red, and which ones you can actually visit
• The Asian Side of the Bosphorus — Üsküdar to Anadolu Kavağı, village by village
• The Bosphorus Strait Explained — length, depth, the two opposing currents, and how busy the water really is
• The Princes’ Islands by Yacht: A Practical Guide
• Swimming Around the Princes’ Islands: the Coves and the Route
• Swimming on the Bosphorus: Where You Can, and Where You Must Not
• Bosphorus Restaurants and Clubs You Can Reach by Yacht
• Bosphorus Cruise on an Istanbul Layover — how many hours you really need, from either airport

Planning an evening on the strait? Compare our tours or go straight to the private sunset cruise.