The Dentur Avrasya Grup operates passenger ferryboats on numerous routes up the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn in Istanbul, sometimes duplicating the routes of the TurYol and Şehir Hatları ferries.
The Dentur Avrasya website, in Turkish and English, is useful.
Bosphorus Cruises (Boğaz Turları)
May through September, Dentur Avrasya Bosphorus cruises depart from Kabataş and Beşiktaş.
Hop On & Hop Off Bosphorus Tour
This is an excellent way to visit some of the imperial palaces on the Bosphorus: six daily departures make a loop cruise starting from Kabataş, stopping at Beşiktaş, Emirgan, Küçüksu Kasrı, and Beylerbeyi Palace, returning to Kabataş. The loop cruise takes 1-3/4 hours, but you can hop off the boat at any stop, then hop on the next boat which arrives an hour (or two, or three) later. Obviously, it's a good idea to start your cruising with one of the earliest boats—they begin at 11:45 am. If you join the tour at one of the intermediate stops (Emirgan, Küçüksu Kasrı, or Beylerbeyi Palace), it's half-price.
Full Bosphorus Tour
The daily Full Bosphorus Tour round-trip cruise is similar to the Şehir Hatları traditional ferryboat cruise in that it takes about 5-1/2 hours, with a 3-hour stop at Anadolu Kavağı, giving you time to walk up to the Yoros Kalesi fortress, and to have a seafood lunch if you wish. The Dentur Avrasya Bosphorus Cruise departs Kabataş dock at 11:15 am, Beşiktaş dock a 11:30 am and, for the return trip, from Anadolu Kavağı at 15:30 (3:30 pm).
Beşiktaş-Üsküdar
This is Dentur Avrasya's most active route, with boats departing Beşiktaş and Üsküdar continuously every day from about 06:00 am until 01:15 am.
Kabataş-Üsküdar
Dentur Avrasya ferries operate continuously between these two docks from about 06:10 am to 01:00 am.
Beşiktaş-Kabataş-Princes Islands
Dentur Avrasya operates about six ferries daily from beşiktaş via Kabataş to Heybeliada and Büyükada in the Princes Islands. The voyage between Beşiktaş and Büyükada takes 90 minutes.
Eminönü-Bebek
This is a weekday-only commuter service, with one voyage departing Bebek at breakfast time, and one voyage departing Eminönü in early evening.
Avcılar-Adalar
Boats depart from Avcılar, on the Sea of Marmara shore west of Atatürk Airport and Küçük Çekmece, for the Princes Islandsduring the summer months from mid-May through September.
Yalova-Princes Islands
In summer, Dentur Avrasya operates one daily mid-morning cruise from Yalova, on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, to Büyükada and Heybeliada, returning in the evening.
Dentur Avrasya Grup
Tophanelioğlu Caddesi, Başaran İş Merkezi No:3 Kat:2 Altunizade, Üsküdar, İstanbul
Tel: +90 (212) 258 9314, (216) 444 6336
Fax: +90 (216) 325 3601
bilgi@denturavrasya.com
—by Tom Brosnahan
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