Istanbul Cruise Port
Sultan Ahmet, Fatih, Istanbul, TUR
Istanbul’s state-of-the-art cruise terminal, Galataport, opened in 2021 to much fanfare. Stretching for almost a mile (1.2 kilometers) along the Bosphorus Strait, the modern port sits where Europe and Asia meet, and it features the world’s first underground cruise ship terminal, a shopping and cultural complex, and room for mega-ships.
Travelers docking at Istanbul Cruise Port are in the heart of Istanbul’s Karakoy (Galata) neighborhood. For a thorough city overview, take a tour; most cover highlights such as the Blue Mosque, the UNESCO-listed Hagia Sophia, and Ottoman-era Topkapi Palace. Other tour highlights include a shopping trip to the legendary Grand Bazaar, a scenic boat cruise along the Bosphorus, a Turkish cultural experience such as a belly dancing or whirling dervish show, and a traditional Turkish meal.
Galataport is also an important shopping and cultural destination, home to two art museums, a shopping mall, and several hotels, restaurants, and bars.
ATMs, currency exchange booths, car rental kiosks, restrooms, and tourist information points are available at the port.
Istanbul cruise port is fully accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
Cruise liners dock at the Galataport terminal on the Bosphorus waterfront at Karakoy. Trams run from Karakoy (a few blocks from the terminal) across the Galata Bridge to the Spice Bazaar, Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Alternatively, it’s a 10-minute walk to the Galata Bridge, or you can catch a taxi to Taksim Square and walk down the pedestrianized Istiklal Caddesi. Sea shuttles also run across the Bosphorus to Kadikoy-Uskudar on Istanbul’s Asian side.
Istanbul Cruise Port welcomes liners operated by Princess, Celebrity, Oceania, Costa, Cunard, Hapag-Lloyd, and MSC Italian, and more than 500 cruise ships a year dock at the terminal. The currency is the Turkish Lira (best sourced from banks and ATMs), although some stores also accept euros. Turkish is the official language, although Arabic and Kurdish are also spoken, and English is widely understood at major tourist sites, shops, and bazaars.
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