Shared Bosphorus Dinner Cruise in Istanbul
A set dinner, a Turkish-night stage show and the lit shoreline, from €30 per guest.
This is a shared dinner boat that leaves Kabataş Pier in the evening, boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30, after dark in every season. It is not a private yacht: for a boat of your own, see our private yachts.
What does the Bosphorus dinner cruise cost, and what does it include?
Vesper's shared dinner cruise is €30 per guest with unlimited soft drinks, or €35 per guest with two glasses of local wine, beer or raki. Both include a set dinner, the Turkish-night show and a DJ. You board at Kabataş Pier; times: boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30; the sailing is about 2 hours 45 minutes. Children aged 3–7 pay half; under 3is free. You pay in cash on the boat.
Prices, packages and times at a glance
Two shared packages on one boat and one route. The only difference is what is in the glass.
| Package | Drinks | Per guest | Child 3–7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft drinks | Unlimited soft and hot drinks | €30 | €15 |
| Local alcohol | Unlimited soft and hot drinks, plus 2 glasses of local wine, beer or raki | €35 | €17.50 |
- Boarding and pier
- Kabataş Pier
- Departure and return
- boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30 (return to Kabataş or Fındıklı)
- Length of the evening
- about 2 hours 45 minutes
- Payment
- Pay in cash on board. If you would prefer another method, such as bank transfer or SWIFT, message us.
What is on the plate, and what is on the stage
Dinner starts with cold starters, a seasonal salad and a hot starter. You then choose one main course from four: grilled fish with rocket, onion and lemon; a grilled chicken steak; grilled meatballs, both with rice and potatoes; or a vegetarian plate. Baklava and fruit finish the meal.
Between courses the floor belongs to the performers: a whirling dervish, Turkish folk, gypsy and Caucasian dances, a belly-dance group, a rhythm show and then a DJ. Soft and hot drinks (cola, iced tea, juice, tea and coffee) keep coming on both packages.
Dinner cruise or sunset sail?
The two evenings answer different wishes. Istanbul's sunset runs from 17:36 in December to 20:40 in June, so the evening dinner boat (boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30) leaves after the sun is down on every day of the year: you get the lit palaces and bridges, not golden hour. For the light itself, take our shared sunset cruise, from €30 per person. Choose the dinner boat when the meal and the show are the point of the night.
Children and families
Children are welcome on both packages. Under 3 they travel free, ages 3–7 pay half the package price, and from age 8 the adult price applies. As a worked example, two adults and two children aged 3–7 pay €90 in total on the €30 package, or €105 on the €35 package. The show and the DJ run late, so tell us the children's ages when you write.
Want a dinner just for your group? Hire a yacht
A shared boat means other guests and a fixed programme. If you would rather keep the evening to your own people, hire a private yacht for a dinner of your own: the whole boat is from €220 for 2 hours, and a meal menu from €55 per person is chosen with you. You can look at the boats in the fleet.
Where the boat leaves, and what you pass
Boarding is at Kabataş Pier, beside the T1 tram terminus. Times: boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30; the sailing is about 2 hours 45 minutes and ends back at Kabataş or Fındıklı. The route passes Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Maiden's Tower, Rumeli Fortress, both Bosphorus bridges and Beylerbeyi Palace. Staying on the Asian side? Plan your own way to the pier; the return is late. In winter you are not out in the cold: the boat has a closed, heated saloon where dinner and the show take place.
After dinner
The programme runs until the boat is back.
Bosphorus dinner cruise FAQ
- How much is the Bosphorus dinner cruise?
- €30 per guest with unlimited soft drinks, or €35 per guest with two glasses of local wine, beer or raki added. Children aged 3–7 pay half, under 3 is free.
- What time does it leave, and when is it back?
- Times: boarding 19:45, departure 20:45, back around 23:30; the sailing is about 2 hours 45 minutes. You board at Kabataş Pier and are back at the pier at the end of the night.
- What do we eat?
- A set menu: cold starters, a seasonal salad and a hot starter, then one main course from four (grilled fish, grilled chicken steak, grilled meatballs or a vegetarian plate), and baklava with fruit. Unlimited soft and hot drinks come with both packages.
- What is the difference between the two packages?
- Only the drinks. The €30 package has unlimited soft and hot drinks; the €35 package adds two glasses of local wine, beer or raki per guest. Imported drinks are an extra charge on board.
- What does a family of four pay?
- Two adults and two children aged 3–7 come to €90 on the €30 package and €105 on the €35 package. A child from age 8 pays the adult price.
- Is this a private boat?
- No. It is a shared dinner boat, and other guests are aboard. If you want a boat only for your own group, a private yacht starts from €220 for the whole yacht, with a meal menu from €55 per person added on request.
- Is it cold on board in winter?
- No. The dinner boat has a closed, heated saloon, so you stay warm through the meal and the show even in the coldest months.
- How do we pay, and can we cancel?
- Pay in cash on board. If you would prefer another method, such as bank transfer or SWIFT, message us. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Full terms are on the booking and cancellation page.
An Istanbul night with dinner
Send us the date, the number of guests, the children's ages and the package. We reply with what is free.