Bosphorus Cruise 2027: Ferry, Dinner Cruise and Yacht Prices

A Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul costs from 340 lira (about 580 roubles) on the municipal Şehir Hatları ferry to $75 for a sightseeing cruise with lunch and hotel pick-up, and from $299 an hour for a private yacht for up to 12 people. All our Bosphorus cruises are on one page. You can go today or tomorrow: send your date and hotel name on WhatsApp and we reply with what is still free, hotel transfer included.

We have run private tours in Istanbul since 2010 (TÜRSAB A-group licence no. 15751), and every season we host travellers from Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Below is every way onto the water: the ferry, city lines with an Istanbulkart, boats, cruises and a private yacht. Prices are in dollars, in roubles at the Central Bank of Russia rate for 31.10.2026 ($1 = 80.56 ₽) and in lira (Central Bank of Russia, October 2026: about 17 roubles per 10 lira).

Bosphorus cruise prices: every option for 2027

Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up, from $75

The ferry keeps to a timetable and has no guide. The lunch cruise adds the transfer, a meal and a guide. The yacht is paid for as a whole boat, by the hour, and leaves when it suits you.

Ferry fares are set by the city, and our prices are taken from our site on 31 October 2026. They vary by season, date and what is included, so ask us for the price on your day. Our cruises and yachts are free to cancel up to 7 days before the trip. Shared daytime cruises are compared in detail on our page on the Bosphorus lunch cruise.

Bosphorus cruise by ferry: the Şehir Hatları long and short tours

Guided Bosphorus cruises, from $75

Şehir Hatları is Istanbul's municipal ferry company. Both of its sightseeing sailings start at Eminönü pier, next to the Spice Bazaar and the T1 tram stop. You buy the ticket at the pier office, and children under 6 travel free. A foreigner pays twice the local fare: on the winter 2026–2027 timetable the short tour costs 170 lira for locals and 340 lira for foreign passengers.

The long tour takes the whole day. The ferry goes almost to the Black Sea and waits about two and a half hours at Anadolu Kavağı: time for a fish lunch on the harbour and the climb to the ruins of Yoros Castle, which looks out on the third bridge. In cold or rain that stop drags, so in winter bring a warm jacket or take the short tour.

Besides the city ferries, private boats run by Turyol and Dentur Avrasya leave Eminönü and Kabataş on loops of about 90 minutes. We found no verified price for 2026; it is posted at the kiosk. Before paying, ask whether the boat reaches the second bridge: tours sold by touts on the quay sometimes turn back early. In winter the Şehir Hatları tours sail once a day; check times and fares on sehirhatlari.istanbul.

Bosphorus cruise on your own: city ferries with an Istanbulkart

Guided Bosphorus cruises, from $75

The cheapest way to see the Bosphorus is on the ordinary city ferries that Istanbul residents take to work. You pay with an Istanbulkart, which is sold and topped up with cash lira at machines by the piers. On the fare in force since 20 July 2026, a ride from Kadıköy to Beşiktaş costs 65.21 lira (about 110 roubles).

For a short trip, two crossings work well. The Eminönü – Üsküdar ferry passes the Maiden's Tower, and Beşiktaş – Kadıköy gives you Dolmabahçe Palace and the Old City from the water. At sunset it is one of the best views in Istanbul for the price of a bus ride.

For a long trip on your own there is the Bosphorus line from Eminönü to Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı, calling at Beşiktaş, Ortaköy, Bebek and Emirgan: on 1 October 2026 the full ride cost 76.90 lira with an Istanbulkart. There is no guide. Timetables, lines and transfers are covered on our page on the Bosphorus by public ferry.

Bosphorus sightseeing cruise with lunch and hotel pick-up

Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up, from $75

Our Bosphorus lunch cruise costs $75 per person (about 6,040 roubles). A car collects you from your central hotel between 12:00 and 12:30, the boat sails at about 13:00, and a freshly prepared lunch is served on board. The cruise itself lasts about 3 hours; with the drive from and back to the hotel it takes longer.

The price covers the transfer, lunch, a licensed English-speaking guide, entrance fees, parking and local taxes. Drinks with lunch cost extra. The boat passes the Ortaköy Mosque and Rumeli Fortress, and the guide explains which palace belonged to whom.

The guide on this cruise speaks English; Russian is guaranteed on the private yacht option, described below. For families with children this cruise is easier than the ferry: no pier to find and no ticket queue.

Bosphorus dinner cruise with a Turkish night show

Bosphorus dinner cruise with Turkish night show, from $90

The dinner cruise with show costs $90 per person (about 7,250 roubles). The transfer collects you from your hotel between 19:00 and 20:00, the boat sails at about 20:30, and the whole evening from hotel to hotel takes about 6 hours.

Dinner is a welcome drink, cold meze, a main course of your choice (fish, chicken or meat), salad and dessert or fruit, with soft drinks included. The programme has Turkish folk dances, a belly dance performance, then a DJ and dance floor. The alcohol package costs extra, and imported drinks and tips are not included.

This is a night of entertainment, not a sightseeing tour: loud, crowded, tables in rows. If you want quiet and a view of the bridges, a private yacht with dinner on board ($65 per person on top of the yacht) suits you better. The two formats are compared on our page on the Bosphorus dinner cruise.

Bosphorus cruise by yacht: price per hour and for 2 hours

Bosphorus private yacht for up to 12 guests, from $299 an hour

On a yacht you pay for the whole boat, not per person. Our private yacht for up to 12 guests costs from $299 an hour with a 2-hour minimum, so from $598 (about 48,170 roubles) per cruise. With 12 people on board that is about $50 each, less than the dinner show.

You choose the departure time, and boarding is at a Bosphorus marina. The price includes the captain, crew, fuel, marina fees, soft drinks, tea and water. A Mercedes Vito transfer from your hotel or Galataport costs $100, lunch or dinner on board $65 per person, and the alcohol package $55 per person.

The 2-hour yacht with guide suits anyone who wants to understand what they are looking at: the guide talks about the palaces, the yalı mansions and the fortresses. It is also the easiest option to book with a Russian-speaking guide. Every boat, pier and hourly rate is on our page on Bosphorus yacht rental.

What you see from the water, and which side to sit on

Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up, from $75

Heading north from Eminönü, the shores pass in this order. On the European side: Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, the Ortaköy Mosque at the first bridge, Bebek and Rumeli Fortress, which Mehmed II built in 1452, a year before the conquest of Constantinople. On the Asian side: the Maiden's Tower, Beylerbeyi Palace, Küçüksu Pavilion and Anadolu Fortress facing Rumeli Fortress at the narrowest point of the strait.

There are three bridges. The 15 July Martyrs Bridge stands at Ortaköy, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge at Rumeli Fortress and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge near the Black Sea; you see it from the long tour and from Yoros Castle.

When the boat heads north, the European shore is on your left: that is where most of the palaces are and, late in the day, the setting sun. Sit on the left going up and on the right coming back. On the ferry the open upper deck fills first, especially at weekends, so be at the pier 20–30 minutes early.

Bosphorus sunset: times by month, winter and summer

Guided Bosphorus cruises, from $75

Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year and does not change its clocks, so the sun sets late in summer and early in winter. Moscow is also on UTC+3, so there is no time difference. To catch the sunset and then the bridge lights, start a two-hour cruise about 75 minutes before sunset.

In summer, from May to September, evenings on deck are warm and the sunset slots on the yachts go first. In winter, from November to March, the deck is cold and windy, and the Şehir Hatları short tour leaves at 14:40, long before sunset: only a yacht with an enclosed saloon lets you choose the time.

Over the New Year holidays, 1 to 8 January 2027, and the May holidays, evening yachts book up earlier, so message us as soon as you have your tickets.

For travellers from Russia: visa, payment and a Russian-speaking guide

Bosphorus private yacht for up to 12 guests, from $299 an hour

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.gov.tr, checked in October 2026), citizens of Russia with an international passport enter visa-free for up to 60 days for tourism. Citizens of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan can stay in Turkey visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180, and citizens of Belarus for up to 30 days per trip and no more than 90 days a year.

From Moscow to Istanbul is about 4 hours with Aeroflot, Pobeda and Turkish Airlines; some flights land at Sabiha Gökçen, further from Eminönü.

Mir cards are not accepted in Turkey in 2026, and Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks do not work abroad. Bring cash in US dollars or euros and change it at exchange offices (döviz) in town: the airport rate is worse. Şehir Hatları tour tickets are sold at the pier office for lira, and the Istanbulkart is topped up with cash at machines by the piers.

Our cruises and yachts are booked without prepayment, and we agree the payment method by message. We do have Russian-speaking guides: we confirm a licensed guide with Russian for your date in writing before payment, both for the yacht with guide and for Istanbul tours on land. How we choose the guide is explained on our page on a Russian-speaking guide in Istanbul, and multi-day programmes are described on our page on Istanbul tours in Russian.

To book, pick a date on the tour page or browse all Bosphorus tours, then send your date, number of guests and hotel on WhatsApp or through the contact form. If you are in Istanbul for several days, half a day on the water fits easily with a private Istanbul tour. Book on the site or message us on WhatsApp, and we reply with availability and the price for your day.

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