Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Optional Bosphorus Cruise Istanbul

Sultanahmet Square, where the loop begins

The bus starts beside the main road on Sultanahmet Square, the open space between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia that was once the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Standing here you have the two most famous buildings of the old city on either side, the Egyptian obelisk and the Serpent Column in the gardens, and the Sultanahmet stop of the T1 tram two minutes away. Departures run every hour from 10:00 to 17:00, so most travellers take the 10:00 bus, ride the full loop to understand the city, then use the afternoon to hop off where they liked most.

Our Istanbul team suggests visiting Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on foot before or after the ride, because the bus only passes them. Remember that the Blue Mosque closes to visitors during the five daily prayers and asks for covered shoulders and knees, with a headscarf for women; Friday midday is the busiest moment. The Sultanahmet tour on the bus is the overview; the mosques deserve their own hour each.

Eminönü, the Spice Bazaar and the Galata Bridge

From Sultanahmet the bus drops down to Eminönü, the busiest waterfront in Istanbul, where the ferries to Kadıköy and Üsküdar leave, anglers line the Galata Bridge and the New Mosque faces the square. The Spice Bazaar stop is a favourite place to hop off: the L-shaped covered market from 1664 sells dried fruit, spices, Turkish delight, coffee and cheeses, and the streets behind it are the old wholesale quarter. The Spice Bazaar opening hours are roughly 08:00 to 19:30 in summer, shorter in winter and on public holidays.

If you are wondering how to get to the Spice Bazaar from your hotel, the T1 tram to Eminönü is the simplest way, and the bus stop is next to it. A good half-hour here means a fish sandwich by the bridge, a look at the Rüstem Pasha Mosque with its Iznik tiles above the market, and a walk across the Galata Bridge to Karaköy to rejoin the next bus. All the food here is halal, as everywhere in Istanbul.

Karaköy, Galataport and the Dolmabahçe shore

Across the Galata Bridge the route follows the European shore of the Bosphorus through Karaköy and the renovated cruise port of Galataport, with its promenade, the Istanbul Modern museum and cafés facing the water. Next comes Kabataş and Dolmabahçe Palace, the 19th-century residence of the last sultans with its 600-metre marble facade on the strait; the bus stop is beside the palace clock tower and Dolmabahçe Mosque. The palace is closed on Mondays and needs its own ticket, which the bus ticket does not include.

From the open top deck the view over the Bosphorus is the best on the whole loop: the Maiden's Tower, Üsküdar and the Asian hills across the water. Many families hop off at Dolmabahçe for the palace or for the Naval Museum in Beşiktaş, a short walk further on, which displays the gilded imperial rowing barges of the sultans. The Beşiktaş bazaar stop puts you next to the pier for ferries to Kadıköy and Üsküdar.

Over the Bosphorus Bridge to Beylerbeyi Palace

The highlight of the route is the crossing of the Bosphorus Bridge, the 1973 suspension bridge that links Ortaköy in Europe to Beylerbeyi in Asia. Pedestrians cannot walk across it, so the top deck of the bus is one of the few ways to see the strait from its middle, with Ortaköy Mosque at the European foot and the whole line of waterside mansions, ferries and tankers below. The crossing takes a few minutes and is the moment everyone reaches for a camera.

On the Asian side the bus stops at Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer palace of the Ottoman sultans from 1865, set in a terraced garden at the water's edge under the bridge. Is Beylerbeyi Palace worth visiting? Our team says yes if you like Dolmabahçe but want fewer crowds: its halls, Bohemian crystal and the sea-gate pavilions take about an hour, and a Beylerbeyi Palace ticket is bought at the gate (closed on Mondays). The bus then recrosses the bridge back to Europe.

Taksim Square and Şişhane

Back on the European side the route climbs to Taksim Square, the modern centre of Istanbul with the Republic Monument, the new Taksim Mosque and the entrance to İstiklal Street, the pedestrian avenue with its red nostalgic tram. The Taksim stop is the natural place to hop off for lunch, shopping or a walk down İstiklal to the Galata Tower and the Tünel funicular, which brings you back to Karaköy in two minutes.

The Şişhane stop at the lower end of Beyoğlu is close to the Galata Tower, the 14th-century Genoese watchtower with the best panorama of the Golden Horn, and to the M2 metro. Travellers staying in Taksim or Beyoğlu can also start their loop here instead of Sultanahmet. From Şişhane the bus returns towards the Golden Horn and the old city to complete the circuit, where the Bosphorus cruise of the default option can be added at the pier.

The Bosphorus sightseeing cruise (default option)

The default option includes a Bosphorus sightseeing cruise on a shared boat, the classic way to see Istanbul from the water. The boat glides along the European shore past Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque and the waterside mansions of Arnavutköy and Bebek towards the Bosphorus Bridge, then returns along the Asian shore past Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuzguncuk and Üsküdar, with the Maiden's Tower and the Topkapı Palace skyline at the end. Indoor and open-deck seating are both available.

Best time to take the Bosphorus cruise is the late afternoon, when the light softens over the water and the city skyline turns gold; in summer the breeze on deck is a welcome break from the heat. Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours including boarding and keep your voucher ready on your phone. The cruise and the bus loop fit comfortably into one day when you start at 10:00 and plan the boat for the afternoon.