The night route, landmark by landmark
The boat leaves Kabataş at 21:00, sails north along the European shore, turns in sight of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and comes back down the Asian side. This is what you see, in the order you see it.
| Landmark | Shore | What you see from the water |
|---|---|---|
| Dolmabahçe Palace | European | The 600-metre marble façade of the last Ottoman palace, floodlit, minutes after departure. |
| Çırağan Palace | European | A former sultan's palace, now a hotel, lit gold along the waterfront. |
| Ortaköy Mosque & 15 July Martyrs Bridge | European | The most photographed frame on the Bosphorus: the baroque mosque under the first bridge's colour-changing lights. |
| Bebek Bay | European | Yachts, waterfront mansions and the curve of Istanbul's most expensive neighbourhood. |
| Rumeli Fortress | European | The 1452 fortress towers, lit from below, at the narrowest point of the strait. |
| Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge | — | The turning point of the cruise: the second bridge, lit from shore to shore, seen from the water before the boat heads back. |
| Anadolu Fortress | Asian | The older, smaller Ottoman fortress facing Rumeli across the water. |
| Beylerbeyi Palace | Asian | The summer palace of the sultans, right beside the first bridge's Asian foot. |
| Kuzguncuk & Üsküdar | Asian | Wooden houses, a lit mosque skyline and the ferry lights of Üsküdar. |
| Maiden's Tower | Mid-strait | The small lit tower on its rock just before the boat turns back to Kabataş. |
Bridge lighting, colours and timing are explained in our Bosphorus bridges guide.
