A Bosphorus breakfast cruise from Istanbul is one of the gentlest ways to begin a day in the city: you board Le Vapeur Magique at Eminonu and sail along the strait between Europe and Asia while a generous Antakya-style breakfast is served at your table. This relaxed day tour is a fine choice for couples, families and anyone who wants to see the waterfront at its calmest, before the traffic and crowds arrive.
Cruise passengers docking in Istanbul can book the Bosphorus Breakfast Cruise as a convenient Istanbul shore excursion during their port call. This shared tour suits cruise passengers with a full day in port; let us know your ship’s schedule and we will confirm the pickup point at the cruise terminal or offer a private alternative. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Just tell us the ship and the day it calls at Istanbul — we take care of the rest.
The Bosphorus is a narrow, winding waterway that joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and has shaped Istanbul's fortunes for millennia. From the deck you pass Dolmabahce Palace, built in the 1850s as the sultans turned towards European taste, and the baroque-style Ortakoy Mosque, framed by the first bridge to link Europe and Asia. Further north stands Rumeli Fortress, raised in 1452 ahead of the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, while waterside yalis recall the summer life of Ottoman families.
Breakfast is the heart of this daily excursion. The spread draws on the kitchen of Antakya, the ancient city of Antioch, known for its spices, walnuts and pomegranate molasses. Expect a cheese platter with Ezine white cheese, olives, muhammara, pumpkin paste with strained yogurt, homemade jams, honey with cream, baked eggs with potatoes and peppers, sausage in sauce, oven-baked village cheese, simit and Kaytaz pastry, plus unlimited tea. This Istanbul day trip on the water includes a return hotel transfer; soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are at your own cost. As a daily Istanbul tour it pairs nicely with an afternoon of sightseeing in the old town.
Your full day programme — click to see every stop.
Bosphorus Breakfast Cruise Programme Your morning starts with a transfer to Eminonu, the busy ferry quarter at the mouth of the Golden Horn, where Le Vapeur Magique is waiting at the pier. Once aboard, you settle in as the boat slips out onto the Bosphorus and the city wakes up around you. Breakfast is served unlimited in the Antakya style: a cold selection of cheeses, black and seasoned green olives, muhammara, pumpkin paste with strained yogurt, a fresh salad, walnut, pumpkin and cherry jams, honey with cream and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, followed by hot plates of baked eggs with potatoes and peppers, sausage in sauce and village cheese baked with butter and garlic, with simit, bread, Kaytaz pastry and endless Turkish tea. While you eat, the shoreline unfolds on both continents, with Dolmabahce Palace, the Ortakoy Mosque, the Bosphorus Bridge, Rumeli Fortress and a string of elegant waterside mansions. There is plenty of time on deck for photographs in the soft morning light. The cruise returns to Eminonu, from where you are transferred back to your hotel.
Istanbul → Bosphorus Breakfast
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Real, verified reviews from travellers who explored Turkey with us.
My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
10+ years later we still talk about our Cappadocia balloon ride and the Bosphorus sunset cruise. Some memories are timeless. Thank you Inca Tour!