Bosphorus Cruise Tours in Istanbul: Times, Piers and Prices

From the water you see palaces, fortresses and wooden mansions on both shores of the Bosphorus in a single trip. Choose your Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul around the time you have: a guided tour through the Golden Horn, a morning or sunset yacht, a dinner cruise with a Turkish night show, or a private yacht for your own group.

Updated 24 October 2026 · Prices checked 24 October 2026

Short on time? Choose the guided 2-hour Bosphorus tour from Eminönü. It costs €25 per adult. Departures are at 10:00 and 14:00.

Prefer a smaller boat? The morning yacht leaves Kabataş at 10:30 with up to 20 guests and costs €50 per adult. The sunset yacht also takes up to 20 guests and costs €60 per adult. Sunset departures change with the season.

For a night out, the 3-hour dinner cruise leaves Kabataş at 20:30. It costs €40 with soft drinks or €50 with local alcoholic drinks.

For your own group, a private dinner yacht for up to 14 guests costs €150 per hour, with a 2-hour minimum. The dinner menu is €50 per guest.

For an independent budget option, the public Şehir Hatları short tour costs ₺340 for foreign passengers. It is booked separately from our cruises.

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Choose your light: daytime views, sunset or the city after dark.

The guided 2-hour tour suits a first visit, the dinner cruise suits a night out with a show, and a private yacht suits a special occasion. Start with the part of the day you want to spend on the water.

• First visit or history: take the guided tour for commentary on the Bosphorus and Golden Horn landmarks.
• Couples: choose the sunset yacht for a smaller group, or private dinner for a yacht just for you.
• Families: the morning yacht offers a daytime trip with pastries and hot drinks. Children’s fares depend on age and cruise.
• Groups and celebrations: request a private charter around your date, group size and occasion.

If you want a boat tour in Istanbul mainly for the views and prefer to arrange everything independently, consider the public Şehir Hatları tour. For a wider comparison of public ferries and cruises, read DoInIstanbul’s Bosphorus cruise guide . DoInIstanbul is our sister brand.

Still comparing experiences? Read how to choose a Bosphorus cruise, or browse all cruises and Istanbul guides by topic.

Our daytime Bosphorus tours in Istanbul give you two different ways to see the shores: guide commentary on a sightseeing boat, or a smaller yacht with refreshments. Choose an Istanbul day cruise that leaves room for the rest of your plans.

Guided Bosphorus sightseeing cruise

10:00 · 14:00 · 2 hours · Eminönü

€25 per adult

Follow the Golden Horn and the European shore toward the second bridge, with guide commentary in English, Arabic, French or Russian. Turkish tea and Nescafé are included. This cruise suits first-timers and history lovers who want the landmarks explained. Central hotel pick-up is included; add your hotel when reserving. You pay on board.

Reserve the guided cruise

Bosphorus morning cruise

10:30 · 150 min · Kabataş · Up to 20 guests

€50 per adult

Start the day on a yacht with pastries, hot and soft drinks, and Turkish coffee with Turkish delight. This is a light refreshment service rather than a full Turkish breakfast. It suits families or anyone who prefers daylight views and a smaller group. Central hotel pick-up is included. Reserve your date and pay on board.

Reserve the morning cruise

Choose the guided sunset tour for commentary, or the sunset yacht for a smaller group and refreshments.

Guided Bosphorus sunset tour

Seasonal departures · 2 hours · Eminönü · Up to 100 guests

€25 per adult · €18 per child aged 2 to 7

Watch the light change over the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus with commentary on the sights you pass. Hotel pick-up and drop-off is included in Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Nişantaşı and Taksim. Departure changes with the season: 16:30 in December, 17:30 in October and 19:30 in June and July. Reserve now, pay on board.

Reserve the guided sunset tour

Bosphorus sunset yacht cruise

Seasonal departures · 150 min · Kabataş · Up to 20 guests

€60 per adult · €42 per child aged 2 to 7

Our sunset yacht leaves Kabataş with up to 20 guests and serves snacks, savoury pastry and Turkish coffee with Turkish delight while you sail. It leaves about an hour before sunset, so the time moves with the season: 16:30 from November to January, 17:00 in October and 19:00 from May to July. Reserve now, pay later on board.

Reserve the sunset yacht

The dinner cruise combines an evening on the Bosphorus with dinner and a Turkish night show.

Bosphorus dinner cruise

20:30 · 3 hours · Kabataş

€40 soft drinks · €50 with local alcoholic drinks / adult

Sit down to a 4-course dinner with Turkish meze while the bridges and waterfront light up. The programme includes eight or more live shows and a DJ. Choose the soft-drinks package or the package with local alcoholic drinks when reserving. A reserved table and central hotel pick-up are included. It suits groups and visitors who want their evening meal and entertainment in one outing.

Reserve the dinner cruise

A private cruise gives your group its own yacht. Choose a dinner package or request a charter built around your occasion.

Private yacht in Istanbul

Your group · From 2 hours

Request a charter quote

Plan a proposal, birthday or time on the water with family and friends. Tell us your preferred date, group size, duration and occasion so the offer can address your plans. Non-dinner charters are quoted individually. Boarding can be arranged at Karaköy, Eminönü or Kabataş; your booking confirmation identifies the pier.

Get a charter quote

Private Bosphorus dinner cruise

Up to 14 guests · From 2 hours

€150 / yacht hour + €50 menu / guest

Book the yacht for your group and add a fish, meat or vegan set menu. The hourly yacht rate covers up to 14 guests; the menu is charged separately for each person. You may bring your own alcoholic drinks. Share your preferred date, departure time, guest count and duration so the team can confirm the arrangements.

Reserve private dinner

Corporate events on the Bosphorus

Private charter · Tailored catering

Request an event proposal

Bring your team together on the water for a company dinner or private event. Send the date, guest count, preferred duration and catering needs. Include your boarding and transfer requirements so the proposal can cover them. Boat options, capacity and the menu are agreed for your event rather than assumed from a shared-cruise package.

Plan your event

Our scheduled Bosphorus cruises last between 2 and 3 hours. The guided daytime tour and guided sunset tour last 2 hours. The morning yacht and sunset yacht last 150 minutes. Dinner runs for 3 hours, from 20:30 to about 23:30.

Private yachts have a 2-hour minimum; request a longer trip if you want more time for dinner or your celebration. Allow time for boarding and any hotel pick-up as well as the cruise itself.

Our guided tours leave from Eminönü; the morning yacht, sunset yacht and dinner cruise leave from Kabataş. Private yachts board at Karaköy, Eminönü or Kabataş, with the pier confirmed for your booking.

Add your hotel name when you reserve and we confirm the pick-up time on WhatsApp. The pick-up area depends on the cruise, so match the package to your hotel rather than assuming every departure uses the same transfer.

Private transfer arrangements are discussed with your offer. Our office address is not a boarding point.

A boat trip in Istanbul brings the waterfront into view from the strait between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus routes pass palaces, fortresses and waterside neighbourhoods. The guided departures from Eminönü also take in the Golden Horn. These are views from the water, rather than visits inside the landmarks.

Along the Bosphorus

The waterfront landmarks on our Bosphorus routes include:

• Maiden’s Tower
• Ortaköy Mosque
• Beylerbeyi Palace
• Küçüksu Palace
• Rumeli Fortress
• Anatolian Fortress
• Dolmabahçe Palace

In the Golden Horn

Guided tours from Eminönü also show:

• Bulgarian St. Stephen’s Church
• Fener and the Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Balat, the old Jewish quarter
• The old Ottoman shipyard
• The old fez factory
• Eyüp

Our scheduled Bosphorus cruises cost €25 to €60 per adult. The guided daytime and guided sunset tours are €25. The morning yacht is €50, and the sunset yacht is €60. Dinner costs €40 with soft drinks or €50 with local alcoholic drinks.

Children’s fares are €18 on guided tours for ages 2–7, €35 on the morning yacht for ages 4–7, €42 on the sunset yacht for ages 2–7, and €28 on dinner cruises for ages 4–7.

Private dinner costs €150 per hour for the whole yacht, with a 2-hour minimum, plus €50 per guest for the menu. Other private charters and company events are quoted individually. The independently booked public Şehir Hatları short tour is ₺340 for foreign passengers. Prices checked 24 October 2026.

Choose your cruise above, then reserve on its booking page. Add your date, adults, children in the stated age band, full name, hotel, phone number with country code and e-mail. We confirm hotel pick-up details on WhatsApp.

For private dinner, include your preferred departure time and duration. For a charter or corporate event, send your requirements and the team will reply with an offer.

Every booking is paid on board, so there is no prepayment to lose if your plans change. Please tell us on WhatsApp as early as you can if you need to cancel. If a cruise cannot run, we contact guests on WhatsApp.