Luxury Yacht Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show
- DurationAbout 3 hours (20:45–23:45)
- Daily
- Group
- Pickup available
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Overview
This is the classic Istanbul evening: a three-hour night cruise on a large luxury yacht that sails from Kabataş up the Bosphorus to the second bridge and back, while you eat a three-course Turkish dinner and watch a full Turkish night show on board. The lit façades of Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, the Bosphorus Bridge, Beylerbeyi Palace and Maiden's Tower pass the windows; on deck a folk-dance troupe, a whirling dervish, the comic Ashuk-Mashuk dance and an oriental dancer perform, and a DJ and saxophonist close the night. It is a shared cruise with a host at the pier; the default option includes hotel pickup and drop-off from the central districts, and couples can add a reserved window table for two.
Highlights
- Three hours on the water between Europe and Asia on a large, modern yacht with indoor saloon and open decks
- Three-course Turkish dinner of meze, a grilled main course and dessert; halal, vegetarian and pescetarian menus available
- Unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, coffee and fruit juice throughout the evening
- Turkish night show: regional folk dances, a whirling dervish, the Ashuk-Mashuk comedy dance and an oriental dance performance
- Live saxophone and a DJ set on deck under the bridge lights after dinner
- Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace and Maiden's Tower floodlit from the water
- Mobile audio guide in Arabic, English and ten other languages that names each landmark as you pass
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Sultanahmet, Taksim, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray and Topkapı on the default option
Full Description
Kabataş pier and Dolmabahçe Palace from the water
The yacht boards at Kabataş, the pier beside the last stop of the T1 tram and the F1 funicular from Taksim, which is why a Bosphorus dinner cruise from Kabataş is so easy to reach from any central hotel. Our host meets you at the tram station, walks you to the gangway and shows you to your table; the engines start at 20:45 and the first sight is already there: Dolmabahçe Palace, 600 metres of white marble façade built in the 1850s as the sultans' new residence, now lit from below so every column and carved gate shows.
Next to it stands the slender-minareted Dolmabahçe Mosque, then Çırağan Palace, the 19th-century palace that burned out in 1910 and was rebuilt as a hotel. From the window the two palaces, the Beşiktaş ferry pier and the stadium lights pass in the first ten minutes, which is when the cold meze arrive; take your first photos now, because the shore is closest here.
Ortaköy Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge
Ortaköy Mosque is the most photographed building on the strait: a small baroque mosque of 1856 that sits right on the quay with the first Bosphorus Bridge rising behind it. On the night cruise the bridge's cables are lit in slowly changing colours, and the yacht passes almost directly under the deck, 64 metres above the water, so that the whole saloon looks up at once. This is the moment most guests step out to the open deck, and the show pauses for it.
The bridge, opened in 1973 and officially the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, was the first permanent link between the European and Asian shores. Beyond it the European side becomes a string of waterside villages, Kuruçeşme and Arnavutköy, with their old wooden yalı mansions lit at the water's edge. The hot main course is usually served on this stretch.
Bebek, the second bridge and the Asian palaces
The yacht continues past Bebek, the bay of moored sailing boats and seafront cafés that is Istanbul's smartest shore, and on towards the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the second crossing of 1988, where it turns. This upper stretch is the quietest part of a Bosphorus night cruise: the water is wide and dark, Rumeli Fortress is a floodlit line of towers on the hillside, and the lights of the Asian shore come closer as the yacht crosses the strait.
Coming back down the Asian side you pass Küçüksu Palace, the small 1857 hunting lodge at the mouth of the Göksu stream, and then Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer palace of 1865 where foreign royals were lodged, its marble arcades lit directly beside the Asian bridge tower. The audio guide on your phone names each one; by now dessert is on the table and the folk dances have begun.
Maiden's Tower and the Old City skyline
Off Üsküdar, on a rock just 200 metres from the Asian shore, stands Maiden's Tower, the small white lighthouse tower that appears on half of Istanbul's postcards. A tower has stood here since Byzantine times; the present one dates from 1725 and the legends about a princess locked away from a prophesied snakebite are told by every host on board. The yacht slows here for photographs with the tower lit and the Old City behind it.
Then the cruise turns west for the finale: the skyline of the historic peninsula seen from the water, Topkapi Palace on its point, the domes of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, the Galata Bridge with its lit arches, Galata Tower above Karaköy and the long modern quay of Galataport, before the yacht slips back into Kabataş at about 23:45.
The Turkish night show and dinner on board
The show is why this cruise is booked rather than a plain sightseeing boat. It runs in sets between courses: a folk-dance troupe in regional costumes performing dances from the Black Sea, the Aegean and the south-east; a whirling dervish turning in the white robe of the Mevlevi order; the Ashuk-Mashuk dance, a comic number with two puppet-like characters that children love; and an oriental dance performance. A saxophonist plays between sets and a DJ opens the deck for dancing in the last half hour.
Dinner is a set three-course Turkish menu: a plate of cold and hot meze, a grilled main course of meat, chicken or fish, and a dessert, with unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, coffee and juice; Turkish coffee is sold separately. Halal is the standard here, and vegetarian or pescetarian plates are prepared on request when you book.
Itinerary
- Hotel pickup (transfer options)Our driver collects you between 19:00 and 20:00 from your hotel in Sultanahmet, Laleli, Aksaray, Taksim, Sirkeci, Eminönü or Topkapı; be in the lobby by 19:00.
- Kabataş pierMeet our host at Kabataş tram station, board the yacht and take your seat; departure at 20:45.
- Dolmabahçe and Çırağan palacesThe floodlit European shore passes within the first 15 minutes while the cold meze are served.
- Ortaköy Mosque and the Bosphorus BridgeThe yacht passes under the lit bridge; most guests step out on deck for photos.
- Bebek and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet BridgeMain course on the quiet upper stretch, then the yacht turns at the second bridge.
- Küçüksu and Beylerbeyi palacesDown the Asian shore with the folk dances and whirling dervish on stage.
- Maiden's TowerA slow pass of the lit tower off Üsküdar for photographs, dessert on the table.
- Old City skyline and returnEminönü, Karaköy and Galataport from the water, DJ set on deck, back at Kabataş about 23:45.
- Drop-offTransfer guests are driven back to their hotel; pier guests take the tram or funicular, which run after midnight.
What's included
- 3-hour night cruise on the Bosphorus aboard a large luxury yacht, between Europe and Asia
- Three-course Turkish dinner: cold and hot starters, grilled main course, dessert (halal, vegetarian and pescetarian menus)
- Unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, coffee and fruit juice during the cruise
- Turkish night show: folk dances from the regions of Turkey, a whirling dervish performance, the Ashuk-Mashuk comedy dance and an oriental dance show
- Live music with a saxophonist and a DJ set on deck after dinner
- Mobile audio guide in Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and more
- Host at the pier who shows you to your table
Not included
- Hotel transfer (choose a transfer option if you need it)
- Turkish coffee (available on board)
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Is this right for you?
Great for
- Travellers without a car — hotel pickup is included
- Food lovers
- Anyone who wants to see it from the water
Think twice if
- You want a private tour — this one is shared with other travellers
- You get seasick easily
Not suitable for
- Children under 8 are not priced for this cruise; write to us before booking for a family
- Guests who cannot manage the gangway and the stairs between decks
Meeting point
On the default option with transfer, our driver collects you from your hotel in Sultanahmet, Laleli, Aksaray, Taksim, Sirkeci, Eminönü, Topkapı or a nearby area between 19:00 and 20:00; please be ready in the lobby by 19:00, and if your street cannot be entered by the vehicle we confirm the nearest meeting corner on WhatsApp. On the meet-at-the-pier options, come to Kabataş tram station about 30 minutes before the 20:45 departure, where our host waits with the group and walks you to the yacht; Kabataş is the last stop of the T1 tram from Sultanahmet and Eminönü and of the F1 funicular from Taksim.
Important information
- The cruise departs at 20:45 and returns at about 23:45; it runs every evening in all seasons
- Smart-casual dress is usual; bring a light jacket for the open deck, as the strait is breezy even in summer
- The window table for two is for exactly two guests; solo travellers and groups of three or more are seated at shared tables of four or six
- Halal, vegetarian and pescetarian menus are available; tell us when booking
- Turkish coffee is sold separately; all other soft drinks, water, tea, coffee and juice are unlimited
- Transfer guests must be in the hotel lobby by 19:00; pickup takes place between 19:00 and 20:00
- Pets are not allowed on board
- The yacht sails in rain as well; the saloon is enclosed and heated
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
Is this a shared or a private experience?
It is a shared cruise on a large yacht with a host; the window-table options give a couple their own reserved table by the glass but the cruise, dinner and show are shared with the other guests.
How long does the Bosphorus dinner cruise take?
Three hours on the water, from 20:45 to about 23:45, plus the transfer time if you choose a hotel pickup option.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes on the two transfer options, from hotels in Sultanahmet, Laleli, Aksaray, Taksim, Sirkeci, Eminönü and Topkapı; the meet-at-the-pier options have no transfer and you come to Kabataş by tram or funicular.
What is included in the dinner?
A set three-course Turkish menu: cold and hot meze, a grilled main course and dessert, with unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, coffee and juice; Turkish coffee costs extra.
Is the food halal?
Yes, the kitchen is halal as standard, and vegetarian or pescetarian plates are prepared when you tell us at booking.
What does the Turkish night show include?
Regional folk dances, a whirling dervish performance, the comic Ashuk-Mashuk dance, an oriental dance show, live saxophone and a DJ set for dancing at the end.
Is the price per person or per group?
Per person; the booking panel on this page shows the current price of each option, including the window table for two.
Is it suitable for children and for reduced mobility?
Families with children over 8 enjoy the show; younger children are not priced on this cruise, so write to us first. The yacht has a gangway and stairs between decks, so it is not ideal for wheelchair users.
Where exactly does the yacht leave from?
From the pier at Kabataş on the European shore, beside the Kabataş tram station and the Dolmabahçe Palace walls.
What should I wear and bring?
Smart casual clothes, a jacket for the deck, your phone and headphones for the audio guide, and a camera; there is no dress code beyond that.
What happens in bad weather?
The yacht sails in rain and the saloon is enclosed and heated; only in a storm warning does the harbour authority stop departures, in which case we move you to the next evening or refund you.
How do I book and confirm?
Book on this page, and our Istanbul team confirms on WhatsApp within minutes with the pickup time or the host's number; the menu choice can be sent in the same chat.
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