T i f f a n y H s u

When it is sunny the ferries get crowded, when it's rainy the mood turns romantic for those who are willing to take part.  I've taken it both in sun and in rain, and I prefer the rain.  

The first time I took the cruise I didn't realize there is an alternate to taking the full Bosphorus cruise round trip with an almost 3 hour wait in Anadolu Kavagi.  For your average first time tourist grabbing lunch in Anadolu Kavagi after a short hike to see the ruins of Yoros Castle and the view of the Black Sea is usually as adventurous as they want.  

So that's what my friend and I did without knowing there was another way.  We skipped the castle and went straight to a hidden recommendation, Bacchus Wine House.  I found the recommendation in an obscure post on Tripadvisor and couldn't find any other information on the place, but decided to take a chance.  With only vague directions of going towards the school and slightly up the hill.  My friend and I had a great time talking to Serif, the owner, is a former naval captain who loves wine.  We sampled a variety of Turkish wine while eating midye dolma, cheese, olives, and fried fishes while learning a few more phrases in Turkish.  We were the only tourist there, though not the only guests.  The room was crowded with officers in the navy, talking, smoking, eating, and enjoying a day off.  Definitely a a more enjoyable atmosphere compared with the seafood restaurants by the water.

Bacchus Wine House

Bacchus Wine House

Midye Dolma At Bacchus Wine House

Bacchus Wine House

As much as my friend and I enjoyed our time in Bacchus Wine House, we both agreed we'd be deathly bored if we didn't have that recommendation.  

With this in mind, when I decided to go back to Istanbul with my parents and Daniele, I knew they wanted to take the cruise, but I also knew they'd get bored quickly on Anadolu Kavagi.  Unlike my first visit, getting drunk and hanging out with the Turkish navy were probably not the solution. 

After doing a little research I came across mention of taking the cruise one way and then taking the bus back to Istanbul.  This requires either skipping Anadolu Kavagi and getting off one stop earlier at Sariyer OR take the cruise all the way to Anadolu Kavagi and then taking the ferry back one stop to Sariyer.  In Sariyer it is possible to take the 25E bus that goes to Kabatas tram station, where you can catch a tram back to Sultanahmet.  

Along the way you catch a few glimpses of the coast and you have the options to stop and see up close some of the sights you see from the cruise.  The route back has stops at Rumeli Fortress, Ciragan Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, and the trendy Ortakoy neighborhood.  This is much more fun than hanging out for a few hours only to see the same sights on the return journy that you saw on the outbound journey.  We skipped Rumeli Fortress since it was raining, but we did enjoy kumpir in Ortakoy and a visit to Dolmabahce Palace.  After seeing Topkapi Palace, seeing Dolmabahce was a completely different experience, with very heavy western influences, reflective of the time. 

Taking the cruise one way and the bus back turns a half day into a full day, but what you get in return for the time is much more rewarding.  

If you plan on taking the cruise during a sunny summer day, consider taking the bus to Sariyer first, stay there or take the ferry to Anadolu Kavagi.  Make sure to time things so you get to either Sariyer or Anadolu Kavagi to give yourself enough time to explore, then take the cruise back to Eminonu.  

The reason for this is because the cruise really does get crowded on sunny days, but on the way back there are less people on the ferry and the ones who are taking the ferry back have already seen the sights (you see all the same sights on the way to and from) so you will be more likely to have a better seat for sightseeing without having to fight crowds.

Enjoying a day on and along the Bosphorus via ferry and bus isn't a new and ground breaking idea, but it is obscure enough that it takes some digging to even discover this option exists.  Hopefully this helps someone who may have been on the fence about taking the full day cruise.