The Asian Side of the Bosphorus

Quick answer: the Asian side of the Bosphorus is a chain of former villages that the city grew around rather than over. Seen from the water it is lower, greener and less monumental than the European bank — fewer palaces, more wooden houses, more tea gardens under plane trees. If you have already done the standard Istanbul itinerary, this is the half that will surprise you.

Üsküdar and Salacak

Üsküdar is the oldest continuously settled part of the Asian shore and it feels like a different city from Beyoğlu across the water: more conservative, more residential, built around its mosques. Two of them sit right at the water and are best appreciated from it — Şemsi Pasha Mosque, a very small sixteenth-century Sinan building on the waterfront, and Mihrimah Sultan Mosque above the ferry pier.

Just south of Üsküdar is Salacak, and this is where you get the photograph. Maiden’s Tower sits on its islet a few hundred metres offshore here, with the old city, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque lined up behind it. From the European side you see the tower against water; from Salacak you see it against Istanbul. Any cruise that crosses to this shore early gets the same composition from a better angle still.

Kuzguncuk

A small valley neighbourhood immediately north of Üsküdar, and the one people fall in love with. Its main street, İcadiye, runs inland from the water lined with restored wooden houses painted in colours that have made it a permanent film set — a great many Turkish television series are shot here.

Its real distinction is older. On a single short street stand a mosque, a Greek Orthodox church, an Armenian church and two synagogues, because Kuzguncuk was for centuries a mixed neighbourhood of Jewish, Greek, Armenian and Muslim families. That coexistence is the thing locals will tell you about first, and it is not a marketing line — the buildings are all still there.

From the water you see the mouth of the valley and the coloured houses climbing away from the shore. It is a place to go ashore and walk rather than to look at from a deck, and it is easy to reach by ferry or a short taxi from Üsküdar.

Beylerbeyi and Çengelköy

Beylerbeyi Palace sits directly beneath the first bridge — the white marble summer palace built in the 1860s for Sultan Abdülaziz, used to house visiting heads of state, and open to the public today. It is far more manageable than Dolmabahçe and considerably less crowded, which for many visitors makes it the better palace visit.

Çengelköy, just north, is a village square with a very large plane tree, a famous tea garden underneath it, and a local reputation built on a cucumber. The small, thin-skinned Çengelköy cucumber is a genuine local variety and it is sold at the waterfront in season. The waterfront row of wooden houses here is one of the best-preserved on either shore.

Kandilli and the narrows

Kandilli sits on the point at the narrowest part of the strait, where the current runs hardest and the water visibly speeds up. The hillside above it holds the Kandilli Observatory, which has been recording earthquakes since 1868 and is still the country’s principal seismic monitoring institution.

Below it the strait bends sharply, and this is one of the two turns that make the Bosphorus genuinely difficult for large ships — our guide to the strait itself goes into why. From a yacht it is simply the point where the two banks come closest and both fortresses appear at once.

Immediately north is Anadolu Hisarı, the oldest Ottoman building in the city, with its 1699 waterfront mansion beside it — the oldest on the strait.

Kanlıca, Beykoz and Anadolu Kavağı

Kanlıca is known across Istanbul for one thing: yoghurt, eaten with icing sugar dusted over it, sold at the pier and from small boats. It has been the local speciality for generations and the ferry stop exists partly because of it.

North of Kanlıca the strait empties out. Beykoz is green and low-rise, with the old Ottoman meadows behind it. At the far northern end, where the Bosphorus opens to the Black Sea, sits Anadolu Kavağı — a fishing village dominated by the ruins of Yoros Castle on the headland above, a Byzantine fortress with commanding views over both the strait and the open sea.

Anadolu Kavağı is the traditional turnaround point of the full-day public ferry, and reaching it by private charter is a half-day booking rather than an evening one. It is worth knowing that before you plan around it.

Doing it by ferry — and when a charter is the better answer

We would rather be straight about this. The Asian shore is exceptionally well served by public ferries. The Bosphorus ferry line stops at several of these villages, an Istanbulkart costs a few lira per journey, and if your goal is to walk around Kuzguncuk and Çengelköy and eat somewhere, the ferry is the right tool and a private yacht is not.

Our ferry-versus-yacht comparison works through the trade-off in detail. The short version: the ferry gives you access and costs almost nothing but runs to a timetable and a fixed route. A charter gives you the water itself — holding close to one bank, slowing down where you want, crossing when you want, and being out there at the hour when the light is doing something, which is rarely the hour the timetable offers.

For an evening on the water rather than a day of sightseeing, the charter is the answer. For a day of sightseeing, take the ferry and spend the money on lunch.

Seeing this shore from a charter

Most cruise routes from Karaköy cross to the Asian bank at some point rather than running one side and back. A two-hour charter typically takes in Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi and the bridge; three hours reaches Kandilli and the narrows properly. Our route page covers each duration, and charter pricing starts from €150 per hour for the whole yacht with a two-hour minimum.

Landings are limited to public piers and depend on the day and the traffic, so if going ashore on this side matters to you, say so at the quote stage rather than assuming it. If a whole yacht is more than you need, the shared Sunset Group Tour runs daily from Karaköy at €34 per person on a shorter fixed route.

Constantine Yachts is operated by AST Turizm, a TÜRSAB member agency (No. A-805) in tourism since 1967, rated 4.9–5.0 across 700+ verified reviews on Google, Viator and GetYourGuide as of August 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Asian Side of the Bosphorus

Is the Asian side of Istanbul worth visiting?

Yes, particularly if you have already done the historic peninsula. It is more residential and less monumental, and neighbourhoods like Kuzguncuk, Çengelköy and Beylerbeyi give a much better sense of how the city actually lives.

What are the main villages on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus?

Going north from Üsküdar: Kuzguncuk, Beylerbeyi, Çengelköy, Kandilli, Anadolu Hisarı, Kanlıca, Beykoz and Anadolu Kavağı at the northern end.

Where is the best view of Maiden’s Tower?

From Salacak, just south of Üsküdar on the Asian shore. From there the tower sits in front of the old city skyline rather than against open water, which is the composition most people are after.

How do I get to the Asian side of Istanbul?

Public ferries cross constantly from Eminönü, Karaköy and Beşiktaş to Üsküdar and Kadıköy, and the Marmaray rail line runs under the strait. An Istanbulkart covers all of it and a crossing costs very little.

Is the ferry or a private yacht better for seeing the Asian shore?

The ferry, if your goal is to go ashore and walk around the villages — it is cheap and it stops at them. A charter, if your goal is time on the water at a particular hour, close to the bank, at your own pace.

What is Kanlıca known for?

Yoghurt, served with icing sugar dusted over the top. It has been the local speciality for generations and is sold at the pier.

Can a charter yacht drop us off on the Asian side?

Only at public piers, and it depends on the day and the traffic. Tell us at the quote stage if going ashore matters to you and we will tell you honestly what is realistic for your route.