Walk along the Bosphorus 11.30 long departure. Bosphorus tours: what, where, how much? Great Bosphorus Tour

The Bosphorus is a real landmark of Istanbul. The seemingly ordinary strait connecting the Black and Marmara Seas is for every Istanbul resident something like the heart of the city. Tourists who come to the capital of three empires are fascinated by the grandeur of the Bosphorus and cannot resist taking a tour along it.

It is generally accepted that the Bosphorus Tour is the most scenic and definitely the most popular excursion in Istanbul. A Bosphorus tour is not just a boat trip. This is a whole culture - you will see luxurious villas on the banks of the strait, listen to the muezzins, whose voice sounds from every minaret, enjoy the fresh air of one of the greatest cities in the history of mankind, you will be able to feed the ever-hungry seagulls with fresh simits, and also look at the panoramas of the endless roofs of Istanbul. Looking at Istanbul from a boat along the Bosphorus, you can see something you will never see from the shore. That is why millions of tourists fill the boats going to Boaz Tour every year.

Bosphorus tours are either official or private. Official tours are those that operate on boats owned by the municipality. The most popular place from where many Bosphorus tours depart is Eminonu Pier. As soon as you appear here and turn your head towards the ships, you will immediately be invited to tours from all sides. There are also large tourist ships with a guide who will talk in English all the way about everything you will pass by. There are also small yachts that offer individual tours with and without services (you can even order dinner and book the time you need). Prices for a Bosphorus tour can vary from 10 liras to several hundred dollars, depending on the class of the vessel and the services provided.

The official tour (operated by the municipal company Sehir Hatlari) of the Bosphorus can be short or long. The short one (kisa Bogaz turu) departs from Eminonu every day at 14:30 and lasts 2 hours. Please note that between November 3rd and March 1st the short tour is only available on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. During the short tour, the ship does not stop and turns around immediately after the second bridge over the Bosphorus.

The Bosphorus Long Tour starts at 10:35 am at Eminonu Pier and includes 5 stops - Besiktas at 10:50, Kanlizda at 11:15, Sariyer at 11:45, Rumeli Kavagi at 11:55 and Anadolu Kawagi - at 12:05. The steamer leaves the Anadolu Kavagi pier at 15:00 with the same stops (Rumeli Kavagi - at 15:10, Sarıyer - at 15:20, Kanlıca - at 15:40, Beşiktaş - at 16:10, Eminonu - at 16: 25). The route of the long tour reaches almost to the Black Sea. During the time that the ship will stay in Anadolu Kavagı, you will have time to walk around Yoros Castle and dine at wonderful fish restaurants, of which there are a lot.

In summer, to the usual types of walks along the Bosphorus (short and long tours), another official tour is added - the so-called “mehtap turu”, which goes from Eminonu to Anadolu Kavagi and back. The special thing about this tour is that it takes place at sunset and allows you to admire Istanbul at night. The ship departs from the Eminonu pier at 19:15, Üsküdar - 19:30, Besiktas - 19:40, Ortakoy - 19:50, Çengelköy - 20:05, Rumeli Kavagı - 20:40 and arrives at the final station of Anadolu Kavagı at 20: 50. The return route makes the same stops and departs from Anadolu Kavagi at 22:00, arriving at Eminonu at 23:30. The cost of such a tour is 20 TL.

Istanbul at night is an incredible spectacle loved by millions of tourists

Traditionally, on all municipal ships you will be offered hot tea, soft drinks and snacks. The cost is slightly higher than on the shore, so if you want to save money, take a snack with you.

Also, hundreds of private companies and firms, as well as individual owners of boats, longboats and yachts, are ready to offer you a Bosphorus tour. Prices depend only on your wishes and have no upper limit. Private travelers go on tours very often - 7-10 times a day and sometimes plan the route more carefully than municipal carriers. In addition, tours depart not only from Eminonu, but also from other marinas (Avcilar, Besiktas, Kabatas, Ortakoy, Kadikoy, Uskudar, Cengelkoy, Anadolu Hisari, Rumeli Hisari, etc.). The minimum cost for private owners is only 10 TL. For example, a tour from Kadikoy will cost you 12 TL, and from Usküdar - only 10 TL.

Please note that even in the heat of the Bosphorus. If you have a light jacket, play it safe and take it with you. After all, no traveler has ever been happy with a cold. If you decide to tour the Bosphorus in autumn or winter, dress as warmly as possible and estimate the weather in advance. You can get acquainted with the weather diary for 2013.

Official tour cost:

— Long tour (round trip) — 25 TL
– Long tour (one way) – 15 TL
– Short tour – 12 TL
– Short tour (for children) – 6 TL

If fate or the wind of travel takes you to Istanbul, be sure to set aside one day for a boat trip along the Bosphorus. Fresh air, coolness even on the hottest day, a lot of beauty around, a delicious lunch in a fishing village - it’s definitely worth a try. There are several options for a walk: you can take a speedboat and a personal guide, sail as part of an organized group, or go independently and inexpensively on an excursion boat. We chose the last option and did not regret it at all.

The total duration of the walk is about six hours, we sail for two hours to the village of Anadolu Kavaği on the Black Sea coast, there we walk and have lunch, then return on the same boat.
1.

Our ship departs from the Eminou pier, which is very close to our hotel and the Galata Bridge. The ship has three decks, we take a place on the top one so that it is cooler and has a better view.
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The journey is long, we arrived early to catch one of the first flights. The restaurants on the Galata Bridge are still empty.
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The ship departs and sails first along the Golden Horn Bay. Turkish flags on the shore can be seen in many places. The Turks are clearly proud of their country.
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Our route passes through almost the entire Bosphorus and ends near the exit to the Black Sea. On the left bank is Europe, on the right is Asia. The length of the strait is about 30 km. The maximum width of the strait is 3700 m in the north, the minimum width is 700 meters (this is the narrowest intercontinental strait). The depth of the strait is from 33 to 80 m.
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What makes Istanbul so beautiful is the combination of old and modern. It looks very colorful, but at the same time organic.
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Previously, palaces for the nobility were built on the banks of the Bosphorus. Architects were invited from Europe, so you can find common features of a walk along the Bosphorus with a walk along the canals and rivers of St. Petersburg.
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In addition to architecture, you can watch passers-by. The ship docks at Istanbul piers several times. Sometimes entire melodramas unfold on the shores.
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Police bus and a policeman with a gun. Perhaps there is an important institution somewhere nearby.
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One of the two bridges across the Bosphorus is the one and a half kilometer Ataturk Bridge. The width of the bridge is 33 meters, the height of the supports is 165 meters above the water. From the roadway to the surface of the water - 64 meters.
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More than 200,000 vehicles pass through the bridge every day, carrying about 600,000 passengers. In terms of its length, the bridge is considered the 13th bridge in the world. There is a toll to cross the bridge; pedestrians are not allowed to cross the bridge. However, once a year the bridge is opened to pedestrians, this happens in October, when marathon runners run across the bridge.
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Looking back, the Golden Horn and the main attractions that create the profile of Istanbul are left behind. The shadow of the bridge forms a symbolic feature on the sea.
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Meanwhile, there are a lot of interesting things around. For example, the Rumeli Hisary fortress. This is one of two fortresses built opposite each other at a narrow point on the Bosphorus. With the help of either of the two fortresses it was possible to control the passage of ships through the strait.
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The peculiar architecture on the shore does not let the eye get bored.
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A second bridge appeared ahead - the Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge, built quite recently, in 1988. The bridge is very similar to its older brother, the same one and a half kilometers, tolls and closed to pedestrians.
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A variety of ships are constantly sailing towards you, from small boats to huge giants.
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There are fish in the Bosphorus, seagulls fly above the waves. You can meet dolphins frolicking not far from the ship.
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To get an idea of what we were passing through, we took an advanced audio guide that shows and talks about points of interest along the way, which are tracked by GPS. I even have an idea to write a review of this miracle and publish it on Habré. A very interesting and useful thing.
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Meanwhile, an ancient fortress appeared ahead, this is the end point of our journey.
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But before we landed, something else caught our attention.
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A submarine is sailing along the Bosphorus. I saw submarines several times in Sevastopol, there are two of them - Russian and Ukrainian, but each time I only saw them moored. And here - please, a real working submarine, and even a foreign one and at full speed!
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There are friendly military men sitting in the control room who wave when they see the camera lens. One of the most powerful impressions of the entire walk!
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And we moor at the Anadolu Kavağı pier. Once there was a Greek settlement here, now the main occupation of the residents is fishing and serving tourists in numerous restaurants.
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You can even tell about the direction of restaurants by looking at their cats.
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But before we dine on freshly caught fish overlooking the sea, we go to the ancient fortress. Proud representatives of the feathered family sit on the roofs of village houses.
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Quite far from the sea you can find boats that have fallen into disrepair.
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There is an absolutely gorgeous view of that part of the Bosphorus that connects it with the Black Sea.
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The fortress nearby does not represent anything special except respect for antiquity. There are many such fortresses in Crimea: the Genoese, who controlled the Black Sea coast in the 14th-15th centuries, left behind many similar structures. Offhand, I remember in Feodosia, Sudak, Balaklava. The entrance to the fortress is closed for security reasons.
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We return to the embankment and find an inexpensive restaurant. As part of the set lunch, they brought a salad, assorted seafood, decent-sized fish and a glass of beer or other drink of your choice. Very tasty and noticeably cheaper than in Istanbul.
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After lunch we board our ship. There is a real feast on the shore.
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Hundreds of tourists from all over the world dine in a dozen restaurants. It is noticeable that tables with sea views are given priority.
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We are leaving the pier. We meet dolphins again.
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A few sketches from life on the shore.
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Smile and wave!
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Tanker Baku. Loading capacity is more than 100 thousand tons.
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37. Another cruise ship. Really want to.

Now we are almost back, we are entering the Golden Horn Bay.
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Some people prefer to explore Istanbul from the Galata Tower, others from a helicopter.
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Passengers of our ship before disembarking.
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We go ashore, a ferry moored nearby.
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Cars drive out in four rows at once.
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We decide that to complete the experience we need to take a swim. You need to go to the beach by train. Entrance is paid, you wear a bracelet on your wrist like in all-inclusive hotels. The water is cool, there are few people, but “for show” we swim.
43.

There is an airport nearby, you can take pictures of planes and boats. I didn’t take long-focus lenses, so we’ll assume that’s how it was intended.
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Friends, have a wonderful time of day everyone!

Today we finally got to boat trips in Istanbul. After all, being here and not rushing to the sea is all the same? that in three days you can take a bus from Chernigov to Paris to the foot of the Eiffel Tower and still not dare to climb it.

I hope you have already solved all your household problems questions about accommodation in Istanbul (separate article about this), learned how the transport system functions from articles and wrote down in a notebook all the sights and a schedule for going around them clockwise from articles. Today we will find out what a tour of the Bosphorus in Istanbul can be like, its price and options for organizing sea activities.

Despite the fact that the question seems serious and requires skill, sleight of hand and basic knowledge, which is gleaned from articles on the Internet and glossy guidebooks, the problem is solved once or twice . At least it’s much easier than opening an aluminum can of Coca-Cola with hands slippery after greasy shawarma.

Let's get started!

Excursion

This is the most expensive alternative, but everything is the same as with people. You will also receive a guide with a Russian, French or Estonian (although this is a controversial issue) accent, tea and coffee and a memorable photo as a gift.

Needless to say, such tours cost a lot and in general, in mega-budget Istanbul, this is a waste. If you are ready to pay $40 or more per person, then this is your option. But they will feed you and give you a belly dance.

Here's a site for information: bosphoruscruise.combut cheaper buy tickets here.

If you are really looking for extravagant excursions, I recommend checking out this one search engine . There are tons of options here from locals on an individual basis. You will definitely find something for yourself.

Firstly, it’s cheaper than the travel agency, and secondly, it’s more sincere and intimate and, moreover, in Russian.

Grand tour with stops

Such tours are organized by the state carrier Sehır Hatlari (Şehir Hatları) and his commercial competitor Dentur Avrasya. Walks are carried out only once a day, as they take about 6 hours.

The first company operates them from the Eminonu pier, and the second from the Kabatas piers, with a subsequent stop in the Besiktas area.

Almost at the entrance to the Black Sea, a stop for 2-3 hours and a return journey is planned.

Such tours cost 25-30 liras each. Read more about them below.

Short walking tours

These are small tours lasting from 1.15 minutes to 1.45 minutes, depending on the company operating them. Here there is really a lot of competition and everyone will try to take you for a ride along the strait.

The cost of such a tour is 10-15 liras, and departure can take place from the following berths:

Eminonu
Kadikoy
Uskudar
Kabatash
Besiktas

Tours are carried out by carriers already known to us Sehır Hatlari And Dentur Avrasya , and the company Turyol . Well, as well as a group of private cab drivers, whose names are difficult to find out.

By the way, this is exactly what we left on, having simply come at the call of the subconscious in the evening to the Eminonu pier. Here stood the nameless longboat, which was one of the last to set off today. Here he is in the photo.

Routes

If you are not a fan of sea walks or you are particularly unlucky with the weather, then you can combine business with pleasure and arrange for yourself such a “bum tour” of the route through the Bosphorus.

Take an ordinary regular ferry departing from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian side, and just admire the passing beauty through the window. Of course, you won’t see everything, but, firstly, you will spend a minimum of time, and secondly, you will pay the price of a public transport ticket 2.60/5.00 lira per person .

Which companies offer Bosphorus tours?

There are 3 main players on the maritime exchange:

Sehır Hatları
Dentur Avrasya
Turyol

If you agree to a small tour, then I think 3 companies will suit you best:

firstly, it is ubiquitous and its ferries can be found at almost any pier,
secondly, its small and nimble ships pass closest to the coast so that you can see the coastal beauty.

There is no musical and entertainment accompaniment on such ferries, but the state company Sehır Hatları available audio guide for 20 liras , which will explain popularly in the language you need what is behind the stern.

The first 2 companies, as I said, conduct both large and small tours. Here we will dwell on them in a little more detail.

Sehır Hatları company: tours, routes and their costs

This state-owned company with the largest ferry of its competitors has only 2 sailings per day (a 3rd one is added from May to August):

Full Bosphorus Tour (Nostalgic Bosphorus Cruise) – big tour of Istanbul for 6 hours
Short Circle Cruise – short tour of 2 hours
Sunset Cruise - an evening cruise along the same route as the big tour, but at sunset (it seems like it was cancelled).

A useful bonus in terms of choosing this particular company is that you, as the owner Museum Pass Istanbul, which after reading you simply have to buy, gives you the right discounts 25% from the ticket price. The discount does not apply to other companies.

Despite the fact that this information is not available on the website, we have the latest news from the fields. Discounts on boat trips using the card are no longer given!

Great Bosphorus Tour

A 6-hour tour of Istanbul starts from the Eminonu pier, with short stops along the way at the Besiktas and Uskudar piers, and then proceeds almost to the exit from the Bosphorus to the Black Sea.

This is truly a grand tour for those who have free time in Istanbul and want to explore the entire Bosphorus and its coastal attractions in detail.

The downside is that it is now held only in the summer.

Route map :

Departure at 10.35 from Eminonu pier
Arrival at the final Andola Kawagi at 12:25
Departure from Andolu Kawagi at 15:00
Arrival back to Eminonu at 16:40

On the way back, you can also disembark at the Besiktas or Uskudar piers, if this is more convenient for you.

During a 2.5-hour stop, tourists are invited to go up to Yoros Fortress (not a banal walk in the fresh air, but a good workout) to examine the surviving towers and very suspicious surroundings, and have a hearty lunch in coastal restaurants with seafood cuisine that is more sane than in Istanbul itself. prices.

The cost of such a tour :

25 liras for adults
12.5 liras for children 6-12 years old
Free for children under 6 years old
15 lira one way trip

Short tour

There is also no particular choice here, since the ferry departs exactly at 14:30 and makes passing short-term stops at the Uskudar piers and at the first Bosphorus Bridge at the Ortakoy pier. Return at 16:30 with the same stops.

The route is designed to reach the second Bosphorus Bridge. In that direction you walk along the European part of Istanbul and can see from the sea the Galata district, Dolmbahce Palace, Ortakoy Mosque and Rumeli Hisary fortress.

On the way back, you will walk along the Asian coast and get a closer look at the Anadolu Fortress, Beylerbey Palace, the Maiden Tower and the magnificent private residences of wealthy Turks.

Short tour cost :

12 liras for adults
6 liras for children 6-12 years old
Free for children under 6 years old

Evening cruise

This is a kind of addition to the daily program. Departure at 17:30 with the same stop at fish restaurants in Andolu Kavagi for a couple of hours, as in the case of the Grand Tour, and return back to Istanbul will take place after 00:00.

You should inquire separately for this tour. Despite the fact that it is listed on the site, there have been rumors that it has already been cancelled!

tour cost for both children and adults 20 liras and discounts do not apply.

The ferries of this company are large, so there won’t be any problems with accommodation. They sell tea, coffee and various small snacks on board, but you can take all this with you, since the prices here are still higher.

The berth of this company is easy to find at the Eminonu pier by its characteristic yellow emblem. It is located two steps from the exit from the underground passage. As we exited immediately to the left, as in this photo.

Official site : en.sehirhatlari.istanbul

Dentur Avrasya company: tours, routes, cost

A fairly popular private company, which is based at the Kabatas and Besiktas piers, on the opposite bank from the Eminonu pier in the area of Dolmbahce Palace.

Their prices are a little more expensive, but the ships are smaller and faster. In addition to the large and small tours, similar to the previous company, it also carries out two interesting projects: hop-on-hop-off tours along the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

Grand Tour

The ships of this company depart from the Kabatash pier towards the exit from the Black Sea, followed by a stop for lunch and return back.

Tour schedule:

11:15 – departure from Kabatash pier
11:30 – stop at the Besiktas pier
12:45 – 3-hour stay at the Anadolu Kavagi pier
15:30 – return start
16:30 – Besiktas stop
16:45 – final station Kabatash

tour cost 20 liras

Short tour

It follows a similar route to other companies, but without calling at the Uskudar pier and therefore without a view of the Maiden Tower. Therefore, the tour time is 20 minutes shorter than that of other companies.

Departure at 10:30 from Kabatas pier followed by a stop at Besiktas pier

tour cost 15 liras

Tour of the Golden Horn Bay with stops

A very interesting option to spend a day on the water in Istanbul with several stops along the way.

The company's boats depart 3 times a day at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 and make 3 stops in the bay itself to visit the famous hill with a cable car and a view cafe Pierre Loti, go on a tour of the miniature museum Miniature and visit the industrial Rahmi Koch Museum .

There are only 3 ships per day, so it is logical to assume that if the maximum per day you can go ashore at intermediate stations 2 times. The first stop is on the 1st boat, the second stop is on the 2nd boat, and on the third you will need to go back or go ashore for the 3rd time and get to your location on your own.

tour cost 15 liras

Bosphorus Strait Tour with Stops

A wonderful option to see Istanbul from the water, and also make a note at each stop with a visit to a palace or fortress. The same program that you will see during a short tour of the Bosphorus without stops will now be available to you with stops and disembarkation.

The movement of boats begins from the Kabatash pier at 11:45 and during the day they manage to make 8 trips until 8 pm.

I think this is a great offer - don't miss it!

tour cost 15 liras

You can find out more information at official website companies: denturavrasya.com.

Turyol company tours, routes, cost

This company only offers short tours, but according to reviews, it is the one that goes closest to the shore, if this is important to you. And they pass every hour, unlike other companies.

Tours start immediately from 3 berths: Eminonu, Kadikoy and Uskudar.

The cost of the tour is 15 liras (12 liras from the Uskudar pier). For the schedule, see the photo and official website : turyol.com

Friends, I hope now you have enough information at hand to make an intelligent choice of an excursion trip along the waters of the Bosphorus. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to voice them in the comment field.

Subscribe to updates , add yourself as a friend on social networks and come to the cinema You Tube to watch our videos. There is still a lot of interesting things ahead.

I have specially collected useful materials in separate sections “”, “” and “”.

And at the end, a short video about our evening walk along the Bosphorus:

Have a bright and memorable trip!

We learned about Bang Bao even before the trip - they say that the unique flavor, shopping, and very tasty seafood in the restaurants of this fishing village deserve the closest attention! And when you constantly observe this village both from your bungalow and from the terrace of the Nirvana Hotel restaurant, it is impossible not to be convinced of this personally!..

To get to the village of Bang Bao, which seems to be at arm's length, we had to make a rather long detour... It was impossible to go along the sea, since the road was eliminated, preparing the site, apparently for some kind of construction. In September, during the rainy season, the site turned into impassable clay slurry.

Accordingly, we had to travel twice as long – two kilometers instead of one...

But we saw what Thai chickens look like...

At the exit from the Nirvana Hotel there is a store where we were greeted very warmly - on the shelves are the most necessary things - basic products, drinks, cosmetics and personal care products. We also saw a couple of small hotels that we didn’t notice when we drove into Nirvana late in the evening. And in the village of Bang Bao itself there were quite a lot of them, however, mostly simple guest houses, far from even the two-star level of Nirvana...

Bang Bao also has its own school (pictured above). There is even a gas station (pictured below), although it doesn’t look quite familiar to us. . Essentially, this is a small stall where they sell gasoline bottled in liter bottles to scooter drivers...

That small cape on the map, in fact, is not such a thing, which is clearly visible if you switch the Google map to a satellite image. It is, rather, a pier, overgrown with boats, sales tents, guest houses and restaurants. It ends after half a kilometer with a lighthouse...

The goods in the tents are designed exclusively for tourists - inexpensive clothes for adults and children, swimsuits, many souvenirs, a huge selection of medicinal and massage oils... Even if you don’t buy anything on the way to the lighthouse, be sure to spend money on the way back - it’s impossible to leave without buying something! Just like with an empty stomach... In one of the restaurants in Bang Bao we had the opportunity to try the most delicious dish of the entire trip: finely chopped pieces of chicken fried with cashew nuts in a spicy-sweet sauce - Kai Phat or Kai Pad - you will lick your fingers!

On Koh Chang, in general, looking at the inexpensive prices, we took 4 dishes per person - not out of greed, as Russians usually do at All Inclusive, but out of a desire to try absolutely everything! You often don’t understand what you’re eating, but everything looks very appetizing! In a restaurant on the Bang Bao pier, for 7-8 courses with juice and beer, we spent about 1000 baht (25 euros) - not a little by Thai standards... The Thais, looking at a couple of thin Russians at a table full of food, invariably rolled their eyes

On the pier, mixed with market stalls, you can periodically find very colorful places...

And on closer inspection, the lighthouse looks no less beautiful than from the panorama of the Nirvana Hotel...

Through its windows one could see a spiral staircase going up, but the entrance was closed.

My wife stopped me from trying to get to the top of the lighthouse through the window...

The Bosphorus is an important shipping route connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and the Mediterranean. Trade, military and tourist ships scurry back and forth along it around the clock. It originates from the Galata Bridge and from there, or more precisely, from the Eminonu embankment, all cruises along the strait begin. In general, a boat trip along the Bosphorus in Istanbul is an excellent opportunity to take a break in the middle of a day full of visits to other attractions. You can switch off from the rush for a couple of hours and just relax, drinking strong Turkish tea on the upper deck of the tourist ferry, contemplating the beautiful views from the water.

How to get to Eminonu embankment

You can independently get to the Eminonu embankment from any part of the city by using the high-speed tram. From the Taksim area you can take the funicular to Kabatas embankment, and then transfer to the high-speed tram to Eminonu. Or, as an option, take a walk along the famous one, going down to, and from there go out onto the Galata Bridge, crossing which you will find yourself exactly at your destination.

Eminonu on the map

Types of Bosphorus cruises

There are several ways to take a boat trip on the Bosphorus.

1) Tourist ferry. On the embankment there are ticket offices of several companies providing commercial transportation services for tourists; which one you choose is up to you. The editors of the site used the services of the Sehir Hatlari company, about which you can find out more. There are 3 types of commercial cruises on the Bosphorus - long, short and the so-called sunset cruise, at sunset. Ferries leave from the embankment every hour, so you won't have to wait long in any case.

Short circle cruise. It lasts about 2 hours along the route from Eminonu to the second bridge over the Bosphorus (Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge), after passing which the ferry will make a U-turn and head in the opposite direction. The only short stop along the route is near on the way there and back. The cost of a short tour is 12TL for an adult and 6TL for children under 12 years old. A short walk along the Bosphorus is perhaps the most popular of the tours and suits most people.

Long tour (full bosphorus cruise). Duration about 6 hours. It also starts from Eminonu and ends after 1.5 hours in the fishing village of Anadolu Kavagi, where you will have 3 hours of free time, and then you will need to go back. In Anadolu, you can visit the Yoros Fortress, which offers stunning views of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea, and also have lunch at one of the many local cafes or restaurants. The cost of a long tour is 25TL for an adult and 12.5TL for a child. It is possible to buy a one-way ticket at exactly 2 times less than the full price.

Sunset Cruise/Moonlight Tour. The sunset cruise is only available in summer, between mid-May and early August. It departs at 17.30 from Bostanci and arrives at 20:05 in Anadolu Kavagi, where you will have a long stop, and at 22:30 you will return. You will return to Bostanci at 01:00. The cost of such a tour is 20TL.

Tickets for both types of cruises are free for children under 6 years of age.

You can see the cruise routes in the pictures above. More detailed information, as well as cruise schedules, can be found on the website of the carrier company Sehir Hatlari.

It's important to remember that commercial tourist ferries do not have tour guides, but you can rent an audio guide to make your trip more meaningful.

2) Municipal ferries. Istanbul has good urban water transport, so if you want, you can save a little money and take a ride on the municipal ferry surrounded by Istanbul residents. Payment for this type of transport is made through and the cost is equal to the price of travel on any other public transport, i.e. about 2 liras. There are several routes, for example, you can go to Kadikoy, Yuskudar or along the Golden Horn.

3) Excursions. If you want more information than standard cruises can provide, then you can take one of the excursions. All excursions are conducted with Russian-speaking guides.

Bosphorus Tours in Istanbul

The site has collected under its wing the best excursions from independent guides of Istanbul, including art historians, designers, journalists and other creative people, and the routes that they offer go far beyond the standard approach to organizing excursion leisure. Immersion in the local environment in such a company will be maximum; you will be able to see Istanbul from a different, non-tourist side, and experience completely different sensations.