I had the privilege of traveling to Istanbul for a conference for work. It was my first time visiting this gorgeous city, and I was so lucky that my mom decided to join me for a long weekend exploring together! I had heard marvelous things about the food, culture, and atmosphere and was so excited to experience it. To prep for my trip, I read a non-fiction book about the city called Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World, to brush up on its history. One undeniable theme in this book, is the significance and glory of the Bosphorus Strait. Its beautiful sparkling turquoise waters carry so much history, and I knew I wanted to spend time on the water for at least one day. Taking a boat tour would also be an opportunity to leave the big city and take in the timeless views from the water.

While I couldn’t find the exact link to our cruise, GetYourGuide offers its Istanbul: Bosphorus and Black Sea Cruise with Lunch. The cruise covers the same area with lunch, a stop in Anadolu Kavagi, and swimming in the Black Sea (a bonus that my tour did not have)! It’s a five-hour leisurely cruise that passes by major Istanbul landmarks, beautiful houses, and bridges along the Bosphorus, plus it offers free time to explore a quaint fishing village, Anadolu Kavagi.

I’m really happy we booked a lunch tour because we were able to breakaway from the city and also have time to explore a small Turkish town on the water. Once we boarded the boat, our first hour was filled with SO many beautiful views and photo opportunities.

Since I was in Istanbul for work, I was staying at the Sheraton Istanbul City Center. It was a great venue for a conference, had comfortable rooms, and a lovely breakfast buffet with so many wonderful Turkish dishes. The hotel offered a free shuttle that took us straight to Taksim Square for sightseeing, people-watching, and plenty of shopping!

My favorite site to see from the water was the Ortaköy Mosque – it’s truly stunning. We had visited this mosque and surrounding neighborhood the night before, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.

We enjoyed a relaxing cruise up the Strait and once the major sights were passed, and we were fatigued from snapping photos, lunch was served! We had delicious dips and bread with a choice of type of meat (or vegetarian option) for our main course. After lunch, we went back out to the deck, enjoyed the breeze, and cruised.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at our destination. When we stopped in Anadolu Kavagi, we meandered the winding streets, popping into a few stores, taking photos, and of course grabbing some ice cream! It was a nice opportunity to see a local town outside the bustling Istanbul. We got to see the fishing boats and fishermen prepping their catches of the day. We had about an hour to explore the town, and then it was back on the boat for watermelon and post-lunch relaxing as we glided back to Istanbul.

The Bosphorus lunch cruise was one of my favorite day tours I’ve ever taken. The boat ride was smooth, lunch was great, and I loved that we had free time off the boat to explore an area in Turkiye that I never would have scouted out on my own. If you’re interested in a relaxing afternoon, witnessing views of Istanbul from the water, and enjoying Turkish food, this tour is for you! The link to the tour is here!

❤ Natalie Anne

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