Üsküdar, Istanbul · On the water
See Istanbul from water level. You paddle out from Salacak, glide up to the Maiden's Tower, and take in the old city skyline from right between Europe and Asia. No experience needed. A guide is with you the whole way.
A Bosphorus canoe experience is a short guided paddle on the water in Istanbul. You set out from the Salacak shore in Üsküdar. You paddle up close to the Maiden's Tower, then back. The session lasts about one hour, and roughly fifty minutes of that is on the water. A guide stays with your group the whole time. You do not need any experience. A safety briefing and a short paddling lesson come first, and the canoe, paddles and life jacket are all provided.
How the hour goes
You meet your guide at the small fishing harbour in Salacak. It sits right across the water from the Maiden's Tower. The group is small, so this part is relaxed. You leave your bag in a safe spot and put on a life jacket.
Your guide shows you how to hold the paddle and how to steer. It is short and easy to follow. Most people have it after a few tries. If you have never been in a canoe, this is the part that settles the nerves.
Now you push off. Within a few minutes you are out on open water. You paddle at your own pace toward the Maiden's Tower while your guide stays close. Ferries cross in the distance. The city noise drops away fast.
Your guide picks the right spot and the right moment. From here you can see the old city skyline across the water. This is the shot people come back with. You get time to take it properly.
You paddle back to the harbour and step out. Then you sit down with a glass of hot Turkish tea and watch the strait for a while. It is a quiet way to end an hour on the water.
The Bosphorus, up close
You can know Istanbul well and still not have seen it from the water. From a canoe your eye sits just above the surface. The city rises around you instead of sitting in front of you. The scale changes completely.
The Bosphorus is the strait that splits the city between two continents. Paddling it is not a boat tour. You are in the water, moving under your own arms, at the speed you choose.
The tower sits on a small islet just off the Salacak shore. There has been a structure on that rock for well over two thousand years. It has been a toll point, a lighthouse, a quarantine station and a customs post.
The legends are better than the history. The best known one tells of a sultan who locked his daughter in the tower to keep her from a prophecy. Your guide will tell you the rest while you float beside it.
The harbour at Salacak belongs to a small fishing cooperative in Üsküdar. It faces the tower directly, so you are close to the best view within minutes of setting out.
It also sits sheltered from the strongest currents in the strait. That is what makes it safe for beginners. It is one of the reasons this stretch is the most used launch point for paddling in Istanbul.
On the water
What is included
Ready to get on the water?
Pick a day and a time. You pay at the meeting point, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Reserve a Seat · $30