No visit is complete without getting out onto the strait that splits the city and two continents. From the water, Istanbul rearranges itself into a single sweeping panorama: Ottoman waterfront mansions (yalıs), the fairy-tale Dolmabahçe and Çırağan palaces, the fortress of Rumeli Hisarı, and the great suspension bridges linking Europe to Asia. You have two easy choices. The cheapest and most local is the scheduled public ferry, especially the long Bosphorus tour boats from Eminönü, where a few lira buys the same views the tour boats charge much more for. Private and small-group cruises, some at sunset with dinner, add commentary and comfort. Either way, sit on the right-hand side heading north for the palace-lined European shore, bring a light layer as it is breezy on deck, and time it for late afternoon when the low sun turns the domes and water to gold. Ferries also make a perfect cheap crossing to Asian Kadıköy.
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