--- title: "Istanbul Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/istanbul description: "Where two continents embrace across the Bosphorus" --- # Istanbul πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡· Β· Turkey Β· Eastern Mediterranean > "Where two continents embrace across the Bosphorus" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1.1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 12.4h - **Departure Sailings:** 128 - **Visiting Sailings:** 521 - **Cruise Lines:** 10 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Oct (95 sailings), Nov (73 sailings), May (65 sailings) ## About Istanbul Istanbul's Galataport terminal is built underground along the waterfront, and the walk through it is longer than you'd expect. Once outside, the Galata Bridge is about a 10-minute stroll along the water. Its lower level has fish restaurants, and the upper deck gives you views toward Sultanahmet on one side and KarakΓΆy on the other. The tram from the nearby stop runs straight to the historic centre. Sultanahmet has the major sites packed close together: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern. The Grand Bazaar is a few blocks further and genuinely overwhelming in size. Cover shoulders and knees for mosque visits. For food, start with a simit and Turkish coffee from a street vendor, then try meze at a meyhane in Beyoğlu. Use an Istanbulkart for the tram and metro. Insist on the meter in taxis. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** TRY (Turkish Lira) - **Language:** Turkish - **Timezone:** Europe/Istanbul (UTC+3) - **Tipping:** 5-10% at restaurants ## Location Coordinates: 41.0222, 28.9761 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Istanbul/@41.02217,28.97611,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Istanbul&ll=41.02217,28.97611&z=13) ## Things to Do in Istanbul Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~12h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Istanbul Bosphorus Sunset Cruise Experience on Luxury Yacht](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/f64f28e2-caa6-4bb4-b895-c7fe4aa2d751.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (5,642) | 2h 15m | βœ“ | €30 | Viator | | [Istanbul Taste of Two Continents Food Tour - Spice Market & Ferry](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4daf8275-171d-4547-ba54-cb3e005b6f93.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (3,730) | 5h 30m | βœ“ | €123 | Viator | | [Istanbul Sunset Luxury Yacht Cruise Experience with Local Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/b980b633-c9eb-4071-a3ae-7b263c328355.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (2,584) | 2h | βœ“ | €30 | Viator | | [Istanbul Bosphorus Yacht Cruise with Live Guide & Asian Side Stop](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7f993a7f-fbfd-4243-8762-d622c832632b.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (2,389) | 2h 30m | βœ“ | €50 | Viator | | [Istanbul Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus in Sultanahmet and Taksim](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/1425756b-7d97-4cb3-b121-beb561b1b6f9.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (2,179) | 6h | βœ“ | €26 | Viator | | [Istanbul Gedikpasa Historical Turkish Bath with Privacy Option](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/52f7af57-7485-47e0-9fd5-af6ee3bfccac.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (2,015) | 1h | βœ“ | €50 | Viator | | [Enjoy Istanbul’s Bosphorus:2-Hour Daytime, Sunset & Night Cruises](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/be3e253f-696b-49f9-a33b-70e421c89e65.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (2,010) | 2h | βœ“ | €10 | Viator | | [Turkish Food Night and Rooftop Experience Istanbul](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0f1d65b8-7387-4204-9446-3098def2a472.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (1,106) | 3h 15m | βœ“ | €68 | Viator | | [Istanbul Luxury Sunset Yacht Cruise with Transfer Option](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/7b82b9bd-5b80-42da-aab0-3726724ec5e2.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (892) | 2h | βœ“ | €25 | Viator | | [Istanbul Traditional Turkish Dinner and Dervish Experience](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4a295002-46b0-4858-8527-2622b70b0682.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (744) | 3h 30m | βœ“ | €90 | Viator | | [Istanbul Luxury Bosphorus Sunset Yacht Cruise with Live Guide](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d400f1ca-4270-4a62-b9b6-7f0a44403707.md?via=markdown) | 5β˜… (705) | 2h 30m | βœ“ | €35 | Viator | | [Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise by Luxury Yacht with Asian Side Stop](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/08099d88-4b6a-4d23-9bcb-d4788d810fad.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (628) | 2h 30m | βœ“ | €25 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Izmir](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/izmir.md): 178 nm - [Kusadasi](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/kusadasi.md): 206 nm - [Kavala](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean/kavala.md): 207 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Norwegian Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/norwegian-cruise-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) - [TUI Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/tui-cruises.md) - [Virgin Voyages](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/virgin-voyages.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/pulse-of-the-adriatic-corfu-bari~MSC-ORCHESTRA-20270106-3.md)** - **Price:** €202 per person (€404 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [MSC Orchestra](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises/msc-orchestra.md) - **Duration:** 3 nights - **Departure:** 2027-01-06 - **Itinerary:** Pulse of the Adriatic – Corfu & Bari ## Featured Cruises from Istanbul Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Adriatic & Aegean Vein – Istanbul & Kusadasi](https://cruisello.com/cruises/adriatic-aegean-vein-istanbul-kusadasi~MSC-LIRICA-20270109-7.md) | MSC Lirica | MSC Cruises | 2027-01-09 | 7 | €492 | | [Island Odyssey – Mykonos, Kusadasi & Santorini](https://cruisello.com/cruises/island-odyssey-mykonos-kusadasi-santorini~RCL-RHAPSODY-20270514-7.md) | Rhapsody Of The Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2027-05-14 | 7 | €851 | | [Minaret & Mosaic – Trieste, Istanbul & Athens](https://cruisello.com/cruises/minaret-mosaic-trieste-istanbul-athens~MSC-SPLENDIDA-20270421-9.md) | MSC Splendida | MSC Cruises | 2027-04-21 | 9 | €1,286 | ## Browse Cruises - [Cruises departing from Istanbul](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?departurePorts=istanbul) (128 sailings) - [All cruises visiting Istanbul](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=istanbul) (649 sailings) ## Browse - [Eastern Mediterranean cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/eastern-mediterranean.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)