Private Bosphorus Cruise: Istanbul from Your Own Boat
Palaces, waterfront mansions and bridges, from your own boat rather than a packed ferry.
Private Bosphorus Cruise
Follow the classic Bosphorus line or decide where to stop as the day goes on. Three formats come up most often: morning cruises with breakfast, late-afternoon departures timed to sunset, and night cruises under the city lights. You and the captain pick the photo stops together.
- Your own route and duration
- Breakfast, lunch or dinner options
- Photo stops
- Historic mansions and the bridges
- Day, sunset or night cruise
How long does a Bosphorus cruise take, and what sets the price?
The route: what you see along the way
The route is not fixed, but the classic line covers both shores. Where you stop and how far north you go is decided on the day.
European shore
Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan, Ortaköy Mosque, Kuruçeşme, Bebek bay, Rumeli Fortress and Emirgân — the most photographed stretch of the strait.
Asian shore
Beylerbeyi Palace, the Kuleli Military School, Çengelköy, Anadolu Fortress, Küçüksu Pavilion and Kanlıca. We slow down past the waterfront mansions on the way back.
The bridges and the Maiden’s Tower
We pass under the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. The Maiden’s Tower is the classic stop on the way back and the most requested photo spot.
Which hour should you pick?
Morning
The calmest hours on the water, with little traffic and flat sea. The usual choice for breakfast cruises.
Sunset
We cast off about an hour before sunset. This is the best light for photography, and when most proposals and shoots are scheduled.
Night
Once the bridges and mansions light up the strait looks completely different. The most requested slot for celebrations and larger groups.
Yacht Charter in Istanbul: Our Fleet
Barbaros-1
A motor yacht with a wood-panelled saloon and a shaded open deck, set up for Bosphorus cruises.
View the boat→
Beyaz Kumru
A motor yacht with a broad teak deck, an enclosed saloon and seating laid out for celebrations.
View the boat→Other experiences
Check a date
Tell us your date and what the day is for, and we will put together a programme for you.