Looking for a cruise ship, not a Bosphorus boat tour?
Istanbul cruise and stay packages
Istanbul Cruise & Stay Packages
Tell us where you'd like to sail and when you'd like to travel. We'll help you choose and book your cruise, then arrange your Istanbul hotel, airport and port transfers, and sightseeing together. If you've already booked your cruise or hotel, we'll work around your existing reservations.
Plan my cruise vacationWe reply within 24 hours. No obligation.
- Your vacation
- Cruise booking, Istanbul hotel, transfers and sightseeing, planned together
- Your starting point
- An idea, a shortlist or an existing reservation
- Your contact
- One team for your cruise and Istanbul arrangements
- Your plan
- Built around your dates, budget and the way you like to travel
- Your choice
- A complete cruise-and-stay plan or the services you need
- Our reply
- Within 24 hours, by email or WhatsApp
What we can arrange
Your proposal can cover the cruise booking and the Istanbul services you request. You choose which arrangements to book.
- The cruise itself
- Help choosing and booking a cruise around when you want to travel, where you would like to sail and your budget
- Your Istanbul hotel
- A stay before or after the cruise, with an area and number of nights that fit your plans
- Airport and port transfers
- The rides between the airport, hotel and cruise port, planned around your bookings and luggage
- Your time in Istanbul
- Sightseeing, an evening out or a Bosphorus cruise, with a pace that suits you
Tell us how many nights you want in Istanbul before or after the cruise. We use your flight and sailing times to plan the hotel stay, transfers and sightseeing.
You receive a proposal showing the cruise, hotel and other arrangements included in your plan, with their prices. Review the choices with us before you decide what to book.
From enquiry to booking
- Send your travel details. Share your preferred month, destinations, number of travelers and approximate budget. You do not need to have chosen a ship or exact dates.
- Discuss the options. We reply within 24 hours to discuss cruise choices and the Istanbul services you need.
- Review the proposal. Check the cruise, hotel, transfers, sightseeing and prices listed. Ask for changes before deciding what to book.
- Confirm the services you want to book. We coordinate the bookings included in the plan you agree with us.
Plan my cruise vacation
Your cruise vacation
Send your preferred dates and the services you need. We reply within 24 hours. Sending this request does not book or charge anything.
Name, phone, email and consent are required. Cruise details are optional.
Planning around your cruise
We can help before you choose a cruise or after you have booked one.
You haven't booked your cruise yet
Share your preferred month, route and budget. We help you compare and book a cruise, then arrange hotel nights, transfers and sightseeing around its schedule.
You have a cruise booked and want an Istanbul stay
We arrange your hotel, airport and port transfers, and sightseeing before boarding or after your voyage. Already have a hotel too? We fit the remaining arrangements around it.
Your cruise ends in Istanbul
We can arrange extra hotel nights or sightseeing before your flight, with luggage arrangements and an airport transfer planned around disembarkation.
Your ship visits Istanbul for the day
Send your arrival and all-aboard times and the places you want to visit. If the ship stays overnight, we can also discuss evening activities.
Looking for a local boat experience rather than a cruise-ship vacation? See our Bosphorus cruises.
Choosing an Istanbul hotel
We suggest hotel areas based on your arrival time, number of nights, sightseeing plans and access needs.
- Karaköy, around Galataport: convenient for the waterfront and cruise terminal. The waterfront streets are easier with bags than the hills above.
- Galata and Beyoğlu: cafés, views and lively streets, with hills and cobbles to consider if walking is difficult.
- Sultanahmet, in the Old City: a good choice for time around Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace. We plan the ride across the Golden Horn to the port.
Tell us if you need time to rest after your flight or want to spend several days sightseeing. If you have already booked a hotel, send its name and address.
Airport, hotel and cruise port transfers
We can arrange airport-to-hotel, hotel-to-port and post-cruise transfers. Request the journeys you need and tell us which flights, hotels and cruise sailings are already booked.
Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) are on opposite sides of the city. Once you have your flights, share the airport, flight number and time, plus the number of travelers and large and cabin bags. We coordinate the port arrival around your ship's check-in window and confirm the meeting and drop-off details in writing.
Transfers are arranged by our transfer company, Ride in Istanbul. You can discuss them with us as part of your vacation plan.
Galataport entrances and meeting points
A general Galataport address does not identify the entrance or vehicle drop-off for your sailing. We confirm these details for your ship and date when arranging the transfer.
- The cruise terminal is underground, below the promenade
- We confirm the entrance for your ship
- The entrance and car drop-off depend on your ship and date
- You receive the drop-off details in writing
- A general map pin may not be the place you need
- We share the agreed meeting and drop-off details with the driver
- Suitcases and long walks can make arrival tiring
- We plan with your bags, walking needs and equipment in mind
- Disembarkation and the coast road need time
- We plan pickup around your expected disembarkation and allow for traffic
We send the agreed meeting point, drop-off details and contact information before travel.
Luggage, access and timing
Include these requirements in your enquiry so they can be considered in the proposal.
- Will we and our bags fit in the transfer?
- Passenger count and the number of large and cabin bags
- Where do we meet our driver?
- A named airport, hotel or port meeting point, sent in writing
- Should we stay near the port or the sights?
- Your hotel area, number of nights and sightseeing plans
- Which entrance do we use at the cruise port?
- The drop-off and pickup details for your ship and date
- What happens to our bags after the cruise?
- Luggage arrangements agreed before planning sightseeing
- What if our flight leaves early after the cruise?
- Disembarkation, driving and airport time considered together; a later flight or extra night if needed
- We walk slowly or use a wheelchair
- Your walking limits and equipment, with any unconfirmed requirements made clear
- We are traveling as a family or group
- Rooms, vehicle needs and child seats on request
- Will sightseeing include shopping stops?
- No shopping stops unless you ask for one
- We already bought some parts of the trip
- Arrangements that fit around what you have booked
After disembarkation
If you are staying in Istanbul after the cruise, we can arrange your hotel, sightseeing and airport transfer.
If you disembark in the morning and fly in the evening, there may be time for sightseeing. We first check the time available and agree on luggage arrangements. A Bosphorus cruise is one option if its timing fits.
For an early international flight, we look at the connection before building plans around it. Sabiha Gökçen Airport recommends arriving at least three hours before departure; leaving the ship and driving to the airport need time too. We follow your airline's instructions and suggest a later flight or another night if needed. Ship clearance and traffic can change, so connections cannot be guaranteed.
Before you confirm
You can request the cruise and Istanbul stay together or only the services missing from your existing bookings.
We put the arrangements and prices in writing before you decide. Sending an enquiry creates no obligation to book. Sightseeing includes no shopping stops unless you request them.
Before traveling, check your government's current travel advice as you would for any international trip.
Cruise booking questions
Can you book the cruise itself?
Yes. We help you choose and book a cruise. We can also arrange your Istanbul hotel, transfers and sightseeing before or after it.
Do I need to choose a cruise before contacting you?
No. Send your preferred travel month, number of travelers, destinations and approximate budget if you have one. We can then discuss cruise options and the time you want to spend in Istanbul.
Can you arrange the cruise and Istanbul stay together?
Yes. Your plan can include the cruise booking, hotel before or after the voyage, airport and port transfers, and sightseeing in Istanbul. Your proposal shows the arrangements included and their prices before you decide what to book.
I already booked my cruise or hotel. Can you still help?
Yes. We work around your existing reservations and arrange the hotel, transfers or sightseeing you still need.
What if my cruise ends in Istanbul or only visits for a day?
We can arrange a post-cruise stay, a day before your flight, or a port-day visit built around your ship's all-aboard time. Tell us your cruise schedule and what you would like to do.
How fast do you reply?
Within 24 hours, by email or WhatsApp.
Bosphorus cruises and transfers
- Bosphorus cruise packages: a local boat experience during your Istanbul stay.
- Bosphorus dinner cruise: an evening boat trip during your Istanbul stay.
- Ride in Istanbul: our transfer company for airports, hotels and the cruise port.