Bosphorus Cruise

The Bosphorus Strait defines Istanbul. The main street of modern trade and boundary between continents, this narrow waterway is today lined by small fishing villages that are increasingly being absorbed into an exploding metropolis. During this full-day cruise up the Bosphorus, we will explore the geography of this urban waterway and some of the hidden architectural and cultural treasures that lie along it.

A full-day excursion on the Straits

We begin at the main ferry pier in Eminonu and grab the public ferry that goes direct to the Black Sea. During the hour-long ride we'll grab some seats in an ideal part of the boat, a tray of hot mint tea, and enjoy our docent's narrative journey through the history of the Strait and s/he paints a portrait of its role in the city since Roman times. As we pass some of the smaller towns and fishing villages, as well as Ottoman palaces, we'll learn about the architectural and urban history of the shoreline and about some of the demographic pressures facing the city today. We might also catch sight of a submarine or supertanker plying its way from the Black Sea to the Med (or vice versa), a fantastic example of the Strait's strategic importance today.

There will be plenty of time for questions, conversations, and even a traditional snack and we ride northward on the ferry.

We'll disembark at Sariyer, a quaint fishing village on the European side, where we can visit one of the most delightful house museums in Istanbul and a frequently visited treasure: the Sadberk Hanim (Lady Sadberk) house museum. Originally a seaside mansion of the famous Koc family, the museum today houses part of their collection of art and objects that represent a wide swath of Turkish history and form a great textbook for understand aristocratic culture in Turkey for the last several centuries.



Hunger will probably be gnawing at us by now, so we'll grab a cab and head down to Ortakoy, also on the European side, for a late lunch right on the Bosphorus. For participants on a private version of this program, the afternoon is left open to a variety of options, including taking a ferry across to the Asian side or a cab down to Karakoy for the Istanbul Modern, one of Istanbul's most exciting new museums. For participants on the small-group walk, we'll head to Istanbul Modern and wind up the day there.