Maiden's Tower

It was one of our worst experiences, not only in Istanbul, but ever. We tried to research how to get to the tower, we checked not only on the official website, but also several other websites, the google maps and our travel book. It all wrote that you can go from both the European and the Asian side, which is a total lie. Someone from the european side told us that you can only go from the Asian side, so we went there, but on the üsküdar main boat station we couldnt find any information. Some people told us to walk in one direction, which we did (20 minutes) and we saw the ferry going to the opposite direction, so we turned back. We were walking back and forth for an hour, in the ice-rain and wind, without finding any one that would know how to get to the tower-ferry, and most of them didnt kmow english, and didnt want to help at all. When we reached the station the unfriendly staff said that we need to wait an other hour until the next boat (on the websites it said every 20 minuted), in the cold and wind, because there is no waiting room in the winter (???) and no café nearbie ( I am writing this review right now in the cold, with freezing hands - sorry for the typos - waiting for the ferry). Although the heavily overpriced tower (32 euros!!) is included in the museumpass (105 euros), the transfer is not, and it is 2 times as high for foreigners. I felt so betrayed. We are freezing right now. Update: we finally went to the tower, it was basically empty in the inside (only an expensive café is inside), and you could not really enjoy the view in the rain. It turned out that the transfer from the European side is not a lie, only the staff in Galataport, and the Google Maps did not know about it. We tried to ask the staff on the island when the transfer comes to the European side, but the no one knew the answer, so we went back with the next transfer to Asia, which came 15 minutes after our arrival. We were not alone - all the people left after 15 minutes, because there is not much to see.

There was a PR event on when we visited for a fashion brand. So it slightly dampened our visit because there was so much equipment everywhere. The tower itself is beautiful and the views are beautiful but other than that and the cafe there was nothing to see there. We had gotten our tickets in conjunction with the Galata Tower tickets which made it slightly cheaper. It’s a must see as part of an Istanbul visit but our visit was slightly disappointing because of the event.

A walk along the seaside will lead you to Maiden’s Tower, where you’ll also see many locals fishing. However, it can be quite sunny during the day, and the view is average. Visiting around sunset is recommended.

We really wanted to add this to our trip and it didn't disappoint. Recommendations would be to buy a museum pass if you are going to other places like Topkapi palace or Pammukale or Galata Tower or get the combo pack for entery to both Maiden's Tower and Galata Tower. The best way to get there is via the public ferries and the ticket office is a 1 to 2 minute walk to the left of the Karaköy ferry exit. The boats from Üshukudar don't run any longer and we would recommend using either the trams, trains or ferries to get there. The view was amazing and we got to see the sunset as we were departing.

Never went to the tower but enjoyed viewing from the shoreline in Üsküdar. Highly recommend you visit at sunset to capture great images as the day turns into night and the evening chill floats off of the water. Include this in your Istanbul visit.

Stunning view, I liked that the number of people going on the ferry service was regulated, we got an hour to explore, it was quite lovely.

Get the boat at Eminou ( by the Galata bridge ) and have a nice trip over the Bosporhus to the Maidens tower ( Kiz Kulesi ). A James Bond: Die another day was filmed. You will see Topkapi palace , Galata tower, Dolmbahce palace on the european side, Bosphorus bridge and asian side.

wonderful place to visit, which is included in the € 105 5 day museum pass, there is a kiralik that takes you there for 150 turkish lira

As we took our tour of the Bosphorus, we passed by the Maiden's Tower, we had seen it before during our earlier trip and we had enjoyed its sights from the Asian side coast several times. It is an iconic landmark in Istanbul. All the way back in 408 BC the Athenian general Alcibiades probably built a custom station for ships coming from the Black Sea, that was the first document of what is the Maiden's tower today. In the early millenia after Christ, the tower was used as a watch tower for troops defending the city. It had also been used as a lighthouse, quarantine station and as a site for several modern movies and TV series seen worldwide. Today, the interior is now a café and restaurant, with private boats taking visitors from the mainland to this small rock formation.

The Maiden's Tower was built by an ancient Athenian general In 408 BC to control the movements of the Persian ships along the Bosphorus. Back then the tower was located between the ancient cities of Byzantion and Chrysopolis. It was used as a lighthouse for centuries, the interior of the tower has been transformed into a popular café and restaurant, with an excellent view of the former Roman, Byzantine & Ottoman capital. Private boats make trips to the tower several times a day.

A wonderful place for a romantic date. You can take the kiz kulesi from the Asian or European side of Istanbul. You should make reservations for dinner, however we noticed it wasn't too busy. There was also a bar at the top of the tower where some choose to spend their time waiting for the ferry to return us back to Istanbul. The ferry is free if you have a meal at the maiden tower. They have a small menu where you choose a 4 course meal. This includes a cold appetizer, hot appetizer, entree and dessert. The meal was mediocre for a fancy place honestly. The place is really all about the view and environment. Staff was really great and helpful. They suggest for you to take a tour to the top of the tower after the entree as they prepare your dessert. On the way to the top of the tower, there is many historical facts and legends posted.

Great spot for a different viewpoint of Istanbul and to do something a little different. If you're a tourist, odds are you're staying on the European side of the city, so you have to take a water taxi over to the Usukudar. Once you're there, it's 20TL to get from the shore to the Maiden Tower island. The boats leave every 15 minutes. There is a cafe and restaurant inside of the tower, but it's a bit steep for me. I was more interested in the sights and the bit of history I learned from my visit. It used to be a toll center for he Bosporus strait during the Byzantine Empire, then changed to a lighthouse later on. There are binoculars for 1 lira on top if you'd like to look around. I found the sights to be splendid and unmatched! I was happy I went!

I agree with Ken S. Maybe we were both there at the same time?! This is a nice little excursion that will still leave most of the rest of your day free to sight-see elsewhere or do whatever else it is you like to do with your life. It costs 20TL to ride across from Uskudar. There was a small discount for students (16TL I think). There were signs on the island for a Kabitas departure, but there were no boats running to Kabitas on a Saturday afternoon in February. Once on the island, you basically enter the tower and walk up a winding staircase. There are little historical facts and stories to read along the way. It was great that the signs were all posted in both Turkish and English. When you reach the top you exit to a 360 degree exterior balcony with great views. The tower has a cafe and a restaurant. I ordered a cup of çay in the cafe...it was 5TL. Almost as outrageous as when they tried to charge me 10TL for a bottle of water at Topkapi Palace.

Very nice location in the middle of the river! The view from the top is amazing. The venue is very romantic, great live music and friendly staff. They even called our tour guide to ask whether someone is vegetarian. So I got a vegetarian plate.. That was very attentive. Since I'm very sophisticated when it comes to food the grilled vegetables were just too greasy for my taste. Should have mentioned no oil when they called. My husband loved the salmon on the starter plate.