Bosphorus and Black Sea Cruise

Where the Bosphorus ends and the Black Sea begins

Most Bosphorus cruises turn around at the second bridge. This one keeps going — all the way up to the mouth of the Black Sea, where the strait opens out and the horizon suddenly looks wider. You actually feel the shift from city water to open sea. The wind changes, the waves pick up a little, and on clear days you can see freighters waiting in queue to enter the strait heading south.

Duration is about four hours. The route goes past all the standard landmarks on the way up (Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy, Rumeli Fortress, Bebek) and then continues past the lesser-known villages: Sarıyer with its fishing harbour, Rumelikavağı with its Byzantine tower, and up to Anadolu Kavağı on the Asian side at the mouth of the Black Sea.

There’s a stop of about 45 minutes at Anadolu Kavağı — enough time to walk up to Yoros Castle (a short climb with the best panoramic view of where the Bosphorus meets the sea) or to eat at one of the fish restaurants by the harbour. Most guests do one or the other. Then the boat returns south to the main pickup point.

Who this is for: travellers who’ve done the standard Bosphorus cruise and want something longer and less touristed, anyone interested in the geography of how a strait actually works, people who like a walk in the middle of their day on the water. Not for short timeframes — this eats up half a day.

Practical: bring something warm for the deck — open water past the second bridge is noticeably colder. Snacks and soft drinks onboard; for a proper lunch, budget for a fish restaurant at the Anadolu Kavağı stop (cash or card, around €20 per person).