Anadolu Kavagi (Istanbul) Travel Guide: What To Do, Transport, Food & More

If you’ve already done Topkapi Palace, made your way up the Galata Tower, and squeezed your way through Istiklal Street, it might be time to catch your breath — preferably somewhere with a fresh sea breeze, fresh fish, and zero traffic… 

And Anadolu Kavağı offers exactly that!

This sleepy little fishing village is located on the northern edge of Istanbul’s Asian side, just before the Bosphorus opens into the Black Sea. Most visitors travel to Anadolu Kavagi for two simple reasons: hiking up to Yoros Castle and eating fresh seafood at one of the dozens of waterfront restaurants.

Getting there is also half the fun. It’s a joy to glide along the Bosphorus and watch how the crowded city skylines slowly give way to little seaside mansions, then green hills, then quiet coves. As you approach Anadolu Kavagi, the landscape opens up into wide stretches of forest and empty sky. It’s quite a striking contrast! 

We especially love the moment when the ferry makes its final turn into Anadolu Kavagi and seeing all of the colorful fishing boats bobbing near the pier — absolutely delightful. 🙂 

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about visiting Anadolu Kavağı, including how to get there, what to do (including a detailed guide to hiking to Yoros Castle), where to eat, and why it’s one of the best day trips from Istanbul if you’re craving some peace and fresh air.

How to get to Anadolu Kavagi

Anadolu Kavağı is about 22 km (14 mi) from the city center (Sultanahmet), so it’s important to plan your trip thoroughly beforehand! Ferries are limited, and nobody wants to get stuck on the wrong side of the Bosphorus without a ride back, right? 😁

While on the ferry to Anadolu Kavağı, you’ll see some of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, like Dolmabahçe, Kuzguncuk (a cozy waterside neighborhood), Beylerbeyi Palace, the iconic Bosphorus Bridge, Anadolu Hisarı, and much more. 

You have two options:

🛳️ Option 1: Take a Bosphorus Cruise (Public Ferry)

Şehir Hatları offers the most popular do-it-yourself trip to Anadolu Kavağı. It’s budget-friendly, but it also requires more planning and attention to ferry timetables.

If you’re confident with public transport and want to explore independently, this is a solid option. Just be aware there’s only one daily departure, and return times are fixed. Let’s take a look: 

📍 From the European Side
Take the Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour (“Uzun Boğaz Turu”) from Eminönü Pier.

It departs around 10:35 AM and gives you about 2.5 hours of free time to wander around. The return ferry departs at 3PM and arrives back in Eminönü around 5:00 PM. The “cruising time” of the Eminonu to Anadolu Kavagi ferry takes about 2 hours. 

This option is ideal if you’re staying in Sultanahmet, Galata, or Beyoğlu. You can check updated schedules on the official site or visit the pier a day before to confirm.

📍From the Asian Side
If you’re staying on the Asian side (like in Kadıköy or Üsküdar, for example), you’ll need to go to Üsküdar Pier. From there, you have two options:

• 11:05 AM – Long Bosphorus Tour (this is the same boat that leaves Eminönü, above, at 10:35 AM and returns at 3PM). 
• 11:35 AM – Regular ferry (good for a flexible, DIY day if you’re comfortable with ferry timetables)

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🚤 Option 2: Take a Private Bosphorus Tour 

If you’d rather skip the ferry schedules and enjoy the journey with zero logistics to worry about, a guided Bosphorus cruise is 100% the easiest way to visit Anadolu Kavağı— no transfers, no guessing where to go, and no stress. Everything’s taken care of, and you still get the same experience (with fewer crowds!) 

Here are two top-rated options:

🗺️ Afternoon Bosphorus & Black Sea Cruise (through GetYourGuide | 5/5 ⭐)
Click here to check availability & book →

🗺️ Lunch Cruise to the Black Sea (through Viator, 4.9/5 ⭐)
Click here to check availability & book →

Both of these tours include hotel pick-up, onboard lunch (and soft drinks), and an English-speaking guide. You’ll set sail from the city center, enjoy a guided cruise along the Bosphorus, have some free time in Anadolu Kavağı (perfect for hiking to Yoros Castle or grabbing lunch), and return back to the city. 

What To Do in Anadolu Kavagi

After that dazzling introduction, you’re probably thinking, Ok great, I want to visit! What are the best things to do in Anadolu Kavagi? Look no further! 😉

Anadolu Kavagi is quite compact, and you can easily see the highlights in about two hours (plus time for lunch if you’re hungry). Here’s what not to miss: 

Visit Yoros Castle 

Without a doubt, one of the most important tourist attractions in Anadolu Kavağı is Yoros Castle (also known as Yoros Kalesi or Hieron Castle). Sitting on the hilltop and overlooking the town and pier, this castle has quite an interesting history. 

Fun fact: The name Yoros may come from the Greek oros (mountain) or ourios (favorable wind). Given how windy it gets up there, we’re guessing it’s the latter. 😅

The exact origins of the castle are a bit murky, but the earliest parts date back to the Byzantine era, likely sometime between the 1100s and 1300s. In fact, if you look closely at the stonework inside the remaining tower walls, you might spot a faint Palaeologos family crest — a cross with four “B” shapes around it, the symbol of the last Byzantine imperial dynasty!

Yoros Castle was later used by the Genoese in 1352, who operated a customs station here to control shipping through the Bosphorus (and collect taxes 😏). After the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, Anadolu Kavagi castle was fortified by successive sultans but fell into disuse and eventually abandoned.

Although Yoros Castle is one of the few surviving Byzantine castles in Istanbul, its story doesn’t end there. Between 2010 and 2015, archaeologists carried out excavations around the site and uncovered pottery shards, foundations, and artifacts from both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. 

Just a short distance ahead, the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge was completed in 2016 — the third and final bridge along the Bosphorus. It’s interesting to see how antiquity and modernity meet in such a place, isn’t it?

If you’d like to dive deeper, our friends over at The Byzantine Legacy have a fantastic write-up on the castle’s full backstory, including some lesser-known archaeological findings and historical context. Definitely worth a read if you’re a history buff! 

Here’s how to visit Yoros Castle on your trip to Anadolu Kavagi:

How to Hike Up to Yoros Castle 

Now for the practical information: How to hike to Yoros Castle!

You can expect to walk about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) from the center of Anadolu Kavagi to Yoros Castle. It takes about 20 minutes, depending on your fitness level and pace. 

Travel Tip: Before you start hiking, you can stop at one of the grocery stores in town (either A101 or Şok) and grab some water and snacks. 

The hike up to Yoros Castle is a bit steep at some points, but it’s nothing too crazy. Just wear comfortable shoes, pace yourself, and you’ll be fine! 

As you get closer to the top, you’ll pass by a restricted military zone — it’s hard to miss with all of the warning signs posted. Don’t take photos in that area (not that there’s really anything exciting to photograph there anyway, but still something to keep in mind :)). 

Continue walking until you get to this point on the map. You’ll see a long stone staircase with a red sign marked “TO THE CASTLE / KALEYE GİDER”

Go up these stairs and follow the path; along the way, there will be more signs pointing you in the right direction. The trail passes through a few cafes, but don’t worry: the steps are public, and you do not need to eat there to keep going.

(On that note: Most of these cafes have very mixed reviews, and many travelers say the food isn’t worth the price. We recommend saving your appetite for something better by the waterfront!)

After climbing a few more staircases, you’ll reach a little dirt road. Follow it to get to Yoros Castle.

Once you’re at Yoros Castle, you can expect to spend around 30 minutes walking around, taking photos, reading the informational signs, and so on. That said, how long you stay is completely up to you — just don’t miss the ferry back!

We suggest doing a loop around the site:

• Start by walking north to the scenic lookout point — this is where you’ll get that perfect shot of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge stretching across the Bosphorus.
• Next, go through the gate and walk to the back of the castle. There’s another great viewpoint here of the surrounding villages near istanbul, plus an informational sign about the castle.
• Finally, return to the main “courtyard” area and step inside the tower walls to admire the stonework up close.
  

Once you’ve finished exploring Yoros Castle, the walk back down to the center takes about 15 minutes.

Walk Around Anadolu Kavagi Center

After exploring Yoros Castle, you’ll likely still have some time before the return ferry. This is the perfect chance to wander around the center of Anadolu Kavağı.

Right in the center of town you’ll find the Midilli Ali Reis Camii, a modest Ottoman-era mosque built around the late 1500s by a captain from the island of Midilli (Lesbos). 

The mosque suffered damage over the years (including a 600-year old plane tree falling on the roof) and has been partially rebuilt, but its courtyard still holds centuries‑old gravestones that hint at its long history.

Just past the mosque, look for a long wall decorated with a colorful mural, which features some of the local cats and dogs that live in the town. 🙂 

You can also pop into the small souvenir shops nearby, or enjoy a nice snack or lunch (check out our “Where to Eat in Anadolu Kavagi” section below for information). 

Relax at Anadolu Kavagi Beach

If you still have time before the ferry, take a break at İBB Anadolu Kavağı Sahil Parkı, a peaceful waterfront park about 12 minutes from the pier. 

It’s a relaxing spot with picnic tables, shade trees, a public beach (albeit a bit rocky), and distant views of Yoros Castle from the shore.

Where to Eat in Anadolu Kavagi

Being so close to the Black Sea (and the Bosphorus, of course), it’s no surprise that Anadolu Kavagi is famous for seafood — and it doesn’t get much fresher than this!

Some Anadolu Kavagi regional specialities include mussels, either as midye tava (fried mussels) or midye dolma (stuffed mussels). In fact, this is *the* thing that the town is known for. 

While typically associated with Karaköy, balık ekmek (fish sandwich) is also starting to catch on. It’s typically made with fish like lüfer (bluefish) or istavrit (horse mackerel) — whichever is in season.

Classic meze (appetizers) like zeytinyağlı barbunya (beans in olive oil) and haydari (a garlicky yogurt dip) are common, especially in sit-down restaurants and tavernas. And, of course, ice cream is basically a rite of passage in the summer! 

Interestingly, you’ll also see many Anadolu Kavagi restaurants with the words “Alkolsüz,” which means that they don’t serve alcohol. The town slightly leans towards conservative, and most restaurants cater to a local crowd who prefer family-style dining. 

🥨 Lale Workshop and Cafe — While it’s not a typical seafood restaurant, Lale Cafe is such a cozy and welcoming spot that it deserves a mention on this list! It’s run by a sweet husband and wife (and cute cat 😺) and serves a variety of European dishes. We chatted with the owners and learned that the wife lived in Austria for 20 years, which is where the menu gets its inspiration from. As you might imagine, their most popular dish is schnitzel (which we highly recommend!)

🐟 Ceneviz Balık — A no-frills, very local spot that focuses on a few signature fish dishes. We ate the balık ekmek (fish sandwich) and loved it — the bread was soft, the fish grilled to perfection, and the service very friendly. On our last visit, we had a great conversation with the chef (fish grill master?) who proudly told us they use only in-season fish from the nearby waters.

🐟 Kavak Baba Restaurant — One of the most popular seafood restaurants in Anadolu Kavagi and ideal if you prefer a sit-down meal. The view over the water is also lovely!

☕ Hieron Doğal Anadolu Kavağı Aile Çay Bahçesi — If you need a little energy boost from climbing up (or down) Yoros Castle, this is a cute spot that has coffee, soft drinks, and small snacks available. 

🍨Tarihi Kafkas Dondurma — Craving ice cream? Then this place is a must-try! They’re famous for having more than 50 flavors of homemade ice cream, including some wild ones (like garlic, chili pepper, Turkish coffee, and more!). They also offer diabetic and vegan ice cream, so everyone can find a scoop to enjoy. 🙂 

🍞Baltacı Odun Ekmek Fırını — This bakery is famous for its hamsili ekmek (anchovy bread), a Black Sea specialty made with anchovies, corn flour, green onion, and tomatoes. 

Where to Stay in Anadolu Kavagi

Since it’s such a small fishing village, there are no hotels *in* Anadolu Kavagi — but don’t worry! 

There are some fabulous hotels in Sariyer, which is just a short 20-minute ferry ride away.

Six Senses Kocatas Mansions — The most luxurious hotel on this entire list, and for good reason. This boutique hotel is set in two historic Ottoman-era mansions and features only 43 rooms and suites; multiple in-house restaurants and patisserie; gym; and a full-service spa. 

It’s located right next to the Vehbi Koç House, a carpet museum that was also featured as the mansion in Aşk-ı Memnu (Forbidden Love)! The ferry pier is just a 5-minute walk away. Click here to check availability & book →

Fuat Paşa Hotel — This historic gem was originally built in the 1800s and offers a classic Ottoman mansion experience with views of the Bosphorus and beautifully-restored interiors. It’s a peaceful choice with traditional architecture and charm. Click here to check availability & book →

Slightly further, we have these two hotels:

The Grand Tarabya — You’ll definitely spot this Mid-Century Modern hotel from your ferry on the way to Anadolu Kavağı. 😁 The Grand Tarabya is a modern luxury hotel (it’s managed by Accor!) with sweeping views over the Bosphorus — perfect if you want five-star comfort a bit further up the coast. Click here to check availability & book →

MFB Tarabya Hotel — A boutique-style hotel that offers comfort and calm just a bit further north. It’s a good option if you’re looking for something quieter, but still close to the ferry route. Click here to check availability & book →

Questions & Answers