Top 11 Yacht and Catamaran Cruises in Istanbul

1.Istanbul Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,465 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $30Our pick

Cruise from Kabataş along both shores of the Bosphorus on a small yacht with indoor and outdoor seating. You’ll see palaces, mosques, bridges, fortresses, and waterfront neighborhoods while enjoying tea, coffee, lemonade, fruit, baklava, and cookies. The group can reach 40 people, and the boat returns to Kabataş after about 2 hours 15 minutes.

“I really enjoyed the cruise, even though sunset was just at the end due to the time of year (July). The commentary provided was excellent (and better than a city tour I had taken earlier - and paid more for), and the snacks and drinks were a welcome addition. I'd recommend sitting on the left-hand side of the boat (in the direction of travel) as ALL the sights are on that side of the boat, and we had taken seats on the other side :( Still, I'd recommend this experience as it was an enjoyable and memorable couple of hours. Oh, and get to the meeting point when they suggest.…”

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2.Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Yacht with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,845 reviews · 2h 15m · from $19

Cruise from Kabataş toward the Bosphorus’s second bridge, passing palaces, mosques, fortresses, and waterfront homes. An English-speaking guide such as Aleyna, Betül, Nur, or Erdem points out the sights while you enjoy canapés, fruit, homemade mint lemonade, tea, and coffee. The yacht has indoor and covered areas, with a sunset stop near Maiden’s Tower.

“it was such a pleasure trip with affordable price. everything stated in the ad acted accordingly. only improvement need is to provide location precisely.”

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3.Bosphorus Yacht Cruise Experience: Visit the Asian Side

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,251 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

Spend about 2.5 hours cruising the Bosphorus on a comfortable yacht with English commentary, tea, coffee, water, savory pastries, sandwiches, fruit, and Turkish delight. You’ll pass palaces, mosques, fortresses, bridges, and waterfront homes, then stop briefly in Asian-side Kanlıca. Hotel pickup is offered from Taksim, Sultanahmet, Karakoy, and Sirkeci.

“This was better than I expected. Plenty of room.on the boat, able to sit in shaded area if necessary. Great snacks and water, tea, coffee. People able to purchase other drinks. Our guide Marat has grown in the area and a wealth of information. I wish we had done this on our first day”

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4.Bosphorus Sunset Yacht Experience: Istanbul’s Best

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,181 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $48

Spend about 2.5 hours on a 25-meter yacht between Europe and Asia, passing palaces, mosques, bridges, fortresses, and waterfront neighborhoods. An English-speaking guide provides commentary while you enjoy tea, coffee, juice, lemonade, fruit, and canapés. Hotel pickup is available in Fatih and Beyoglu.

“Nice tour. The boat was great. My wife gets motion sickness, but no issues here. Friendly staff and great guide. Everyone got their perfect pictures. Thx”

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5.Bosphorus Yacht Cruise with Stopover on the Asian Side – (Morning or Afternoon)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,657 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $48

Spend about 2.5 hours aboard the Sunset Bosphorus yacht, cruising between Istanbul’s European and Asian shores with commentary from guides such as Nahed, Serdar, or Senol. You’ll stop for about 30 minutes in Kanlıca to sample local yogurt, Turkish coffee, and snacks. Hotel pickup is available in Fatih and Beyoğlu.

“Highly recommend this yacht cruise! The boat was modern, spacious and clean. They provide snacks and refreshments which were really nice. The guide/announcer who gave us the info about the sights we were seeing was very informative and entertaining. The Kanlica yogurt is delicious! The cruise was the first thing we did in Istanbul and was a great way to orient ourselves. Highly recommend this tour My husband loved it as much as I did.”

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6.Bosphorus Yacht Cruise at Sunset with Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,549 reviews · 2 hours - 125 minutes · from $15Best value

Spend about two hours on a small yacht cruising between Europe and Asia as Istanbul shifts from sunlight to city lights. Guides such as Kadir, Yasin, Hasan, and Hassan share stories along the route, while you enjoy fruit, cookies, nuts, tea, coffee, and open-air views of Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Fortress, the bridges, and Maiden’s Tower.

“It was a amazing journey, Hospitality in the yacht was good. Value for money. Mr. Yasir and team did a great job. Appreciated.”

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7.Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on a Luxury Yacht

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,435 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $59

Spend 2.5 hours on a 25-meter yacht cruising between Istanbul’s European and Asian shores. An English or Spanish-speaking guide, often praised for clear, witty commentary, points out palaces, bridges, mosques, and waterfront villas while you enjoy tea, coffee, juice, fruit, baklava, cookies, and light snacks.

“Wonderful slow cruise on comfortable yacht with informative commentary. Very nice snacks and fruit plates with the option to purchase alcohol. Would recommend for a most enjoyable way to see the Bosphorus in the evening.”

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8.Luxury Sunset Yacht Cruise on the Bosphorus – Refresh & Relax

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 966 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50

Cruise the Bosphorus for about 2.5 hours on a 35-capacity yacht, passing Ottoman palaces, waterfront mosques, fortresses, and bridges. A live English-speaking guide explains the sights while the crew serves tea, coffee, water, fruit, cookies, baklava, and snacks. Hotel transfer may be available, and the boat returns to Kabataş.

“This was a beautiful way to be introduced to the amazing city of Istanbul. The crew was accommodating and very welcoming. The narrator gave great historical information about the sites on both the European and Asian sides. The boat was spacious and easily accommodated the group. It was clean and well maintained. The wind was brutally cold but blankets were offered and available for everyone. The sunset was incredible and the captain parked the boat in order for us to get the best possible pictures. The tour was punctual and better than advertised. Don’t hesitate to book this experience, you won’t regret it!”

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9.Bosphorus Sunset Yacht Cruise with Live Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 678 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $35

Spend 2.5 hours on a 25-meter yacht between Istanbul’s European and Asian shores. Your English or Spanish-speaking guide points out palaces, bridges, fortresses, seaside villas, and Maiden’s Tower while the crew serves lemonade or juice, tea, coffee, baklava, cookies, nuts, and fruit. Outdoor and indoor seating give you a view in most weather.

“The tour was amazing! The boat was extremely comfortable and the crew very attentive and kind. The guide was very knowledgeable and manage to entertain while giving lots of information. Highly recommended!”

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10.Private Yacht Cruise on Bosphorus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 207 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Cruise Istanbul’s Bosphorus aboard a private yacht for up to 12 people. You’ll pass Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy Mosque, Rumeli Fortress, Beylerbeyi Palace, Galata Tower, and more while enjoying tea, coffee, lemonade, fruit, cookies, and baklava. An English-speaking local guide provides context, with Wi-Fi and a restroom on board.

“Was a great experience and really enjoyed the cruise. They were very nice and it was well organized. The snacks were good and beautifully views and the guide was very informative”

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11.2 Hours Luxury Private Yacht Cruise on the Bosphorus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Set out from Kabataş on a private yacht for a two-hour English-language cruise past Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy, Rumeli Fortress, Beylerbeyi, and the Maiden’s Tower. Your group gets fresh fruit, cookies, baklava, lemonade, tea, coffee, water, and a restroom aboard. Guide support may be available, with Elena and Nour named in guest feedback.

“This people called me many times before my booked fully paid trip asking to move my trip for 2 hours earlier, than at the end that have changed the meeting location which was 30 min far from existing one, I had to pay extra money for the taxi and spend another hour in Istanbul traffic, so bad experience. Because I booked it for my mother birthday for certain time and location close to our hotel. Boat is super old, it doesn’t worth the money, you can take cheaper one and it will be the same”

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