Istanbul Ferry Guide: Routes, Fares, and the Last Boat Home
You finish dinner near the Galata Bridge at 9:30 p.m. and head to Eminonu for the boat to Kadikoy. It left at 21:05. Ferries across the Bosphorus run past midnight, but not from every pier, and that catches a lot of visitors.
An Istanbul ferry costs 50.15 to 65.21 lira across the strait with an Istanbulkart, and 151.23 lira to the Princes' Islands. Last boats across the Bosphorus leave around 1:00 a.m. from Karakoy and Besiktas. The city operator, Sehir Hatlari, runs most lines. Two private companies, Turyol and Dentur Avrasya, run the busiest crossings from their own piers.
In short:
- Across the strait, a ride costs 50.15 to 65.21 lira by Istanbulkart. City lines do not take cash.
- From Eminonu to Kadikoy, the last Sehir Hatlari boat is 21:05. Karakoy to Kadikoy and Besiktas to Uskudar run until 01:00.
- The long Sehir Hatlari Bosphorus tour leaves Eminonu at 10:35. Foreign visitors pay double, 640 lira.
- Mobile coverage holds on the water, so you can check for cancellations from the pier. Our Turkey eSIM is $9.50 for 5 GB on 2026-10-30.
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Times below use the 24-hour clock, as Turkish timetables do. They follow the Sehir Hatlari winter timetable, in force from September 7, 2026 to June 27, 2027, so check again for a summer trip.
Who runs the ferries
Sehir Hatlari is the city company. It has the most lines, including crossings, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, the islands, and tours. You pay by Istanbulkart, as on the metro.
Turyol runs between Eminonu, Karakoy, Kadikoy, and Uskudar, with about 470 sailings a day and a 65-lira ticket on its site. Its piers are separate. At Eminonu and Karakoy they sit by the Galata Bridge on the Golden Horn side. The Turyol pier at Eminonu is about 400 meters from the Sehir Hatlari piers, so look for the company sign.
Dentur Avrasya has three city lines, its own piers, and a Bosphorus tour. Its Dentur Mobil app shows tickets, sailings, and notices.
Mavi Marmara runs boats from Bostanci to the islands.
Main routes for visitors
| Route | Operator | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Kadikoy, Karakoy, Eminonu | Sehir Hatlari | Every 20 minutes, every 30 in the evening |
| Eminonu, Karakoy to Kadikoy | Turyol | About every 20 minutes |
| Uskudar to Eminonu | Sehir Hatlari, Turyol | Every 20 minutes |
| Besiktas to Kadikoy | Sehir Hatlari, Dentur Avrasya | Every 30 minutes |
| Uskudar to Besiktas | Dentur Avrasya | Nonstop loop |
| Kabatas to Uskudar | Dentur Avrasya | Every 10 minutes on weekdays, 15 to 20 on Sunday |
| Eminonu to Rumeli Kavagi | Sehir Hatlari | 12 sailings a day, some end at Sariyer |
| Golden Horn: Uskudar, Karakoy, Balat, Eyupsultan | Sehir Hatlari | Hourly |
| Kabatas, Kadikoy, islands | Sehir Hatlari | 15 sailings a day |
Kadikoy to Karakoy takes about 20 minutes. Eminonu to Besiktas takes 15 minutes, and to Rumeli Kavagi 1 hour 50 minutes. Golden Horn boats do not call at Eminonu. The nearest stop to the Old City is Karakoy, which is 20 minutes from Balat and 40 from Eyupsultan.
First and last ferries
| Route | Operator | First boat | Last boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kadikoy to Karakoy | Sehir Hatlari | 06:10 on weekdays, 07:00 daily | 01:00 from both piers |
| Eminonu to Kadikoy | Sehir Hatlari | 07:15, 07:30 on Sunday | 21:05 |
| Eminonu to Kadikoy | Turyol | 07:25, 08:40 on Sunday | 21:00, 21:30 on weekends |
| Uskudar to Eminonu | Sehir Hatlari | 06:25, 07:00 on Sunday | 22:00, or 22:30 from Eminonu |
| Besiktas and Uskudar | Dentur Avrasya | 06:10, 06:20 on Sunday, from Uskudar | 00:45 from Uskudar, 01:00 from Besiktas |
| Kabatas and Uskudar | Dentur Avrasya | 06:45, Saturday 08:00, Sunday 09:00, from Uskudar | 00:00 from Uskudar, 00:15 from Kabatas |
| Kadikoy to Besiktas | Sehir Hatlari | 06:45 on weekdays, 07:45 daily | 23:15, or 23:45 from Besiktas |
Sehir Hatlari also runs a night line between Kadikoy, Karakoy, and Besiktas on Friday and Saturday nights, with 8 trips each way. Boats leave Kadikoy from 23:45 to 04:55 and Besiktas from 00:15 to 05:30. Check the pier, since Kadikoy departures through 01:15 use the old pier and later ones use the new pier. Fares double from 00:30 to 05:30.
If you miss the last boat
After 21:00, walk across the Galata Bridge from Eminonu to Karakoy and take the Kadikoy ferry from there. From Besiktas, Dentur Avrasya runs to Uskudar until 01:00. The Marmaray rail line also crosses under the strait, with stations about 370 meters from the Eminonu pier and 330 meters from the Uskudar pier. Some metro lines run through the night on Friday and Saturday.
Istanbul ferry fares
| Route | Istanbulkart fare, 2026-10-25 |
|---|---|
| Kadikoy to Eminonu, Karakoy, or Besiktas | 65.21 lira |
| Uskudar or Kabatas to Kadikoy | 62.70 lira |
| Eminonu to Uskudar | 58.52 lira |
| Kabatas or Ortakoy to Uskudar | 51.81 lira |
| Besiktas to Uskudar | 50.15 lira |
| Princes' Islands | 151.23 lira |
These come from the Istanbul city tariff in force since July 20, 2026. A full island ticket on Turyol is 230 lira.
Cash is not accepted on city lines. Biletmatik machines at metro stations sell and top up Istanbulkart. You can also tap a bank card, which the tariff prices like a single-use ticket. On a ferry that comes to 120 lira per ride, about twice the Istanbulkart fare. The extra 50% transfer discount is only for personalized cards tied to a Turkish ID number, so short-term visitors should not count on it.
Bosphorus tours compared
| Tour | Departure | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sehir Hatlari long tour | Eminonu 10:35, back from Anadolu Kavagi 15:00 | About 6 hours, back by 16:40 | 320 lira round trip, 640 for foreign visitors |
| Sehir Hatlari short tour | Eminonu 14:40 | No stop | 170 lira, 340 for foreign visitors |
| Turyol | Eminonu, hourly from 10:00 to 20:00 | Ask at the pier | 300 lira |
| Dentur Avrasya | Kabatas from 10:30, Besiktas 10 minutes later | 1 hour 15 minutes | 300 lira from Kabatas, 250 from Besiktas |
The long tour calls at Besiktas, Uskudar, Kanlica, Sariyer, and Rumeli Kavagi, then stops at Anadolu Kavagi from 12:25 to 15:00. Sehir Hatlari tour prices come from its site in October 2025 and a local guide updated on September 7, 2026, which gave the same numbers. Turyol and Dentur prices are from October 25, 2026.
Dentur's tour has an audio guide in Turkish and English and turns back at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. A cheaper option is a regular ferry up the strait by Istanbulkart. Boats leave Eminonu for Sariyer and Rumeli Kavagi from 09:35 to 20:20.
Ferry to the Princes' Islands
Sehir Hatlari goes from Kabatas through Kadikoy. The first boat is 06:45, or 07:30 on Sunday, and the trip to Buyukada takes 1 hour 45 minutes. Evening express boats at 18:25 and 19:20 skip Kadikoy and take about 1 hour 10 to 15 minutes.
Turyol is handier in the daytime from the Old City side, with hourly boats from Eminonu from 09:40 to 13:40, and until 14:40 on weekends. Dentur Avrasya leaves Besiktas at 09:30 and 11:30, with stops at Kabatas and Sirkeci.
The Asian side is quicker. From Bostanci, Buyukada is 35 minutes on the Sehir Hatlari timetable. Mavi Marmara's autumn 2026 schedule lists 16 boats a day from Bostanci, from 07:10 to 23:00, with no 07:10 boat on Sundays or public holidays.
Plan your return early. Last boats from Buyukada:
| Operator | To | Last boat |
|---|---|---|
| Dentur Avrasya | Mainland | 15:30 |
| Turyol | Eminonu | 18:15, 19:15 on weekends |
| Sehir Hatlari | Kabatas | 21:45 |
| Mavi Marmara | Bostanci | 21:50 |
| Sehir Hatlari night loop | Bostanci | 22:55, 00:35, 03:10 |
Rough weather can stop island boats. On October 19, 2026, Dentur Avrasya canceled all Heybeliada and Buyukada sailings for the whole day and posted the notice on its site.
Piers and connections
Distances below are straight-line figures from OpenStreetMap, from the Sehir Hatlari pier.
| Pier | Nearby |
|---|---|
| Eminonu | T1 tram 160 m, Sirkeci Marmaray about 370 m |
| Karakoy | T1 tram 180 m, Tunel funicular to Beyoglu 280 m |
| Kadikoy | M4 metro 270 m |
| Uskudar | Marmaray 330 m, M5 metro 380 m |
| Kabatas | F1 funicular to Taksim 180 m, T1 tram 200 m |
| Bostanci | M4 metro 210 m, Marmaray 240 m |
Kadikoy has two Sehir Hatlari piers. Boats to Kabatas and the Golden Horn use the new one, and boats to Uskudar and Ortakoy use the old one.
Wi-Fi and mobile data on the ferries
Do not count on Wi-Fi. In June 2025 Sehir Hatlari opened a work area with power outlets and IBB Wi-Fi on one ferry, the Ismail Hakki Durusu, and planned more. IBB Wi-Fi also needs registration in a city app.
Mobile data holds up better. nPerf's map on 2026-10-25 shows 5G most often for Turkcell and Vodafone at the Eminonu, Karakoy, Kadikoy, Uskudar, Besiktas, and Kabatas piers. In mid-strait it drops to 4G+ and 4G. Anadolu Kavagi shows 4G+ only.
You will want data for cancellation notices, walking to the right pier, and booking a taxi after the last boat. Our Turkey eSIM lists the Vodafone and Avea/Turk Telekom networks. We do not promise 5G. It installs at home over Wi-Fi with a QR code, your US number stays on as a second line, and days count from your first connection in Turkey. Your phone must be unlocked and support eSIM, so check your phone first.
1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps. Prices on 2026-10-30 are $7 for 3 GB, $9.50 for 5 GB, and $16 for 10 GB, each for 30 days. If you run low, you can add data to the same eSIM.
Questions
How much is a ferry in Istanbul?
By Istanbulkart, 50.15 to 65.21 lira on the main crossings and 151.23 lira to the Princes' Islands, as of 2026-10-25.
What time do Istanbul ferries stop running?
Karakoy to Kadikoy and Besiktas to Uskudar run until 01:00. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Kadikoy and Besiktas night line runs until 05:30.
Can I pay for an Istanbul ferry with a credit card?
Yes, by tapping a bank card, at 120 lira per ride. An Istanbulkart is cheaper. Cash is not accepted on city lines.
How do I get to the Princes' Islands from Istanbul?
Take Sehir Hatlari from Kabatas in 1 hour 45 minutes, Turyol from Eminonu by day, or a boat from Bostanci in about 35 minutes.
Is there Wi-Fi on Istanbul ferries?
Only on some boats, and it requires registration. Mobile data is more dependable, with 4G+ and 4G in mid-strait on the nPerf map.
Sources
- Sehir Hatlari, winter timetable 2026/27 (PDF, archived copy), October 15, 2026
- Sehir Hatlari, Bosphorus tour prices (archived copy), October 16, 2025
- Sehir Hatlari, work areas with IBB Wi-Fi (archived copy), June 4, 2025
- Istanbul city tariff, decision 813 (PDF, archived copy), October 13, 2026
- Metro Istanbul, fares and night metro, checked 2026-10-19
- Turyol, timetable and fares, piers, and passenger service, checked 2026-10-25
- Dentur Avrasya, Uskudar and Besiktas, Uskudar and Kabatas, islands, Bosphorus tour, and October 19 cancellation, checked 2026-10-25
- Mavi Marmara, Bostanci to Buyukada, checked 2026-10-30, and Buyukada to Bostanci, checked 2026-10-25
- e-yasamrehberi, long Bosphorus tour guide, updated September 7, 2026
- OpenStreetMap, piers and stations, October 25, 2026
- nPerf, Turkey coverage map, checked 2026-10-25