Bosphorus Cruise Tickets in Istanbul
Two ways to take a Bosphorus cruise with Vesper: a shared seat on a scheduled boat trip from €30 per person, or a private yacht for your own group from €220. Same pier, same strait, and you see the price before you book.
How much are Bosphorus cruise tickets in Istanbul?
A shared Vesper seat is €30 per person Monday to Thursday and €34 on other days (with wine €35 / €40). It is a 2-hour Bosphorus boat trip for up to 30 guests, boarding at Karaköy Pier Pier at 15:45 and leaving at 16:00. A private yacht starts at €220 for 2 hours for the whole boat, with fixed prices through 8 hours. Nothing is charged online; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.
Bosphorus cruise tickets compared: shared seat or private yacht
Both options are the same inner-strait Bosphorus cruise from the same pier. What changes is who is on the boat and how the price is counted.
| Shared sunset seat | Private yacht | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €30 Mon–Thu, €34 other days, per person (wine package €35 / €40) | From €220 for the whole boat, 2 hours; fixed prices at 2, 4, 8 hours (up to €1800 for 8 hours on the largest group yacht) |
| Duration | About 2 hours, scheduled sailing | You choose: 2, 4, 8 hours, your start time |
| Capacity | Up to 30 guests, shared with other travellers | Entry yacht up to 12 guests; up to 40 on the largest bookable yacht |
| Included | Live English-speaking guide, hot and cold drinks, snack platter | Captain, crew, fuel and the Bosphorus route; food, wine and extras quoted separately |
| Payment | Cash on board, nothing charged online | Paid on board, nothing charged online |
One number worth knowing before you pick: if you are a group of 12, the entry yacht at €220 comes to about €19 per person for the two hours, because the price is for the boat, not per head. A couple or a solo traveller will pay less with a shared seat. Details for each: the shared sunset cruise and the private sunset yacht.
How to book your Bosphorus cruise tour and pay
Open the date planner, pick a day, choose the shared seat or a yacht, and confirm. The planner shows live prices and which days are almost full or closed, and the boarding details arrive by email. Nothing is charged online: the shared sail is paid in cash on board and a private yacht is paid on board. Prefer to talk it through? Message us on WhatsApp, or go straight to the reservation page. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
Best time for a Bosphorus boat trip
For this boat trip the best light is at sunset. Shared sailings currently board at 15:45 and leave at 16:00. In November the sun sets around 17:46, so it goes down during the sail. Istanbul's sunset moves from about 17:36 in December to 20:40 in June; the Istanbul sunset times table gives the hour for every month. If sunset is the point of the trip, our Bosphorus sunset cruise page covers it in detail.
From the deck
Sailed on our own boats, not stock.
Departure pier and how to get there
The shared Istanbul boat tour boards at Karaköy Pier, near Balıkçı Kemal, Istanbul, and the yachts board at Karaköy too. Other piers can be arranged for a private yacht on request and may carry an extra charge. Open the pier on the map.
- T1 tram
- Get off at Karaköy. The pier is four minutes along the water, past the ferry terminal.
- Marmaray
- Sirkeci, then across Galata Bridge on foot — about twelve minutes, and the boats are in view the whole way.
- From İstiklal
- The Tünel funicular drops you at Karaköy in ninety seconds, which beats the walk down the hill.
- By car or taxi
- Ask for Karaköy Meydanı. The last stretch to the water is pedestrian, so you are set down a minute short of the pier.
Vesper is operated by MERYEM YILDIZ TURIZM SEYAHAT ACENTASI, TÜRSAB A Group licence #14316.
Bosphorus cruise tickets FAQ
- How much are Bosphorus cruise tickets?
- A shared Vesper seat is €30 per person from Monday to Thursday and €34 on other days; the with-wine package is €35 or €40. A private yacht for your own group starts at €220 for 2 hours, with fixed whole-boat prices up to 8 hours. The planner shows the exact total for your date before you book.
- How do I book and pay for the Bosphorus boat trip?
- Choose a date in the planner, pick the shared seat or a yacht, and confirm; the boarding details arrive by email. No online payment is collected: the shared sail is paid in cash on board, and a private yacht is paid on board as well. You can also book on WhatsApp.
- Where does the Bosphorus cruise leave from?
- Both the shared sail and the yachts board at Karaköy Pier Pier, near Balıkçı Kemal. Other Istanbul piers can be arranged for a private yacht on request and may carry an extra charge; we confirm the berth on WhatsApp.
- How long is the Bosphorus cruise tour?
- The shared sunset sail lasts about 2 hours and takes up to 30 guests. A private yacht is booked by the hour: 2, 4 or 8 hours, with the entry yacht taking up to 12 guests.
- What is included in the ticket?
- The shared sail includes the route past Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace and Ortaköy and under the first (15 July Martyrs) Bosphorus Bridge, a live English-speaking guide, hot and cold drinks and a snack platter. A private yacht includes the captain, crew, fuel and the Bosphorus route; food, wine, cake, a photographer or music are extras quoted separately.
- Can I cancel, and what if the weather is bad?
- Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure. If sea or weather conditions make sailing unsafe, we reschedule or, where that is not possible, refund what you paid.
Get your Bosphorus cruise tickets
Shared seats from €30 per person, private yachts from €220. Nothing is charged online.
Pick your date
Shared seat from €30 per person. Choose a date, confirm, and the boarding details arrive by email.
Book the shared Bosphorus cruise
Pick your date, see live prices and which days are almost full or closed, and confirm in a minute.
See dates & bookThe rest of the fleet
Amber Couples Yacht
1–12 guests
From €220 · whole yacht
Boutique Sunset Yacht
1–12 guests
From €240 · whole yacht
Private Sunset Yacht · 15 Guests
1–15 guests
From €260 · whole yacht
Twilight Family Yacht
1–15 guests
From €320 · whole yacht
Golden Hour Group Yacht
1–40 guests
From €380 · whole yacht
Skyline Event Yacht
30–90 guests
Quoted to your brief
Horizon Grand Yacht
80–150 guests
Quoted to your brief