Istanbul Yacht Charter 2027: Hourly Rates by Yacht, Capacity, Piers and What's Included

An Istanbul yacht charter is priced per hour for the whole boat, not per person: on our fleet it runs from $190 per hour for a 13 m motor yacht holding 12 guests to $1,050 per hour for a 72-guest event boat, with a minimum of 2 hours. The smallest option is Aura, from $190 per hour, and if you want a fixed two-hour price instead, the 2-hour private Bosphorus yacht cruise is $600 per group.

Istanbul yacht charter prices by yacht

The table lists every Istanbul yacht on our site with a stated size, so you can match the boat to your group. Prices are "from" prices per hour for the entire yacht. Capacity and pier come from each yacht's own page, and a few listings say hotel or Galataport pick-up instead of a fixed pier.

If you want a single number for a normal outing, multiply by two: Aura for two hours is $380 in total, and the 12-guest yachts at $299 or $300 come to $598 to $600. That is the same as the $600 fixed-price 2-hour cruise, so the choice is really about the boat and the pier, not the price. Our blog post on Bosphorus yacht rental price per hour explains how the hourly number is built.

Minimum hours and what is included

On the yachts that state it, the minimum charter is 2 hours. On Aura, the price includes the private use of the whole boat, a licensed captain and crew, fuel for the standard Bosphorus route, insurance, waiter service for the stated number of guests, and soft drinks and ice. The larger and VIP yachts list captain and crew, fuel and marina fees, indoor and outdoor seating, bottled water, flexible departure and hotel or cruise-port pick-up and drop-off. The exact "included" list is on each yacht page, and it differs between boats.

Not included on Aura: food and drinks beyond the soft drinks, catering menus, longer routes beyond the standard Bosphorus route, and guests above the stated capacity. You may bring your own food and drinks and the crew will serve them; only catering teams may use the galley. Confetti, torches, fireworks, flammable materials and barbecues are not allowed on board.

Piers: Eminonu, Istinye, Arnavutkoy and Bebek

Where you board changes the first half hour of your charter. Eminonu sits at the southern, Old City end of the Bosphorus, close to the Galata Bridge, so the first stretch of water is the skyline of the historic peninsula. Bebek, Arnavutkoy and Istinye are further north on the European shore, which means you start closer to Rumeli Fortress and the second bridge and spend less of a 2-hour charter just getting there. On the larger yachts that list hotel or Galataport pick-up, the pier question disappears: you board where the transfer leaves you.

The route: 2, 3 and 4 hours on the Bosphorus

The standard route runs north from the pier along the European shore past Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace and Ortakoy Mosque, under the Bosphorus bridge, past Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side and on to Rumeli Fortress, then back. Two hours covers that. The route can be changed with the captain before you set off.

Three hours leaves time to anchor for a drink or a photo stop instead of keeping a steady pace. Four hours or more is the point at which swimming stops become possible on Aura, and it suits a party, a long lunch afloat or a day with a slower plan. For a full day we quote on request; ask us for the daily rate. A professional guide is not part of the hourly yachts, but the 2-hour private cruise and the 5-hour luxury cruise list a guide telling the story of the city.

Sunset, proposals, birthdays and parties

A sunset charter is the classic choice: pick the departure time so that the yacht is under the bridge as the light turns. Check the sunset time for your date, because it moves by several hours across the year. Our pages on the sunset Bosphorus yacht cruise and the private Bosphorus yacht tour give the typical timings, and Bosphorus yacht rental in Istanbul is the overview.

For occasions, start from the dedicated pages: the birthday yacht party, the Bosphorus yacht proposal and the general yacht party in Istanbul page. Group-trip ideas are in the posts on a stag do in Istanbul, a hen do in Istanbul and birthday celebrations in Istanbul. Larger parties should look at White Istanbul (up to 32 guests) or the Corona Tokyo event boat (up to 72).

Choosing a yacht by group size

For a couple or a family of up to four, the smallest boat is enough: Aura at $190 per hour has two cabins, though cabins are not used on hourly charters, so think of it as a roomy open-deck boat with a salon. For six to twelve guests the 12-guest yachts at $299 to $600 per hour give more seating and a more polished finish, and AMESIN N at 26 m is the longest boat in that capacity class. Between 13 and 32 guests the real choice is ZENDAY (up to 22 guests, $390 per hour, built in 2026), Marilyn (up to 28) or White Istanbul (up to 32, built in 2025). Above 32 guests the options are the mega yacht (up to 40) and the 72-guest Corona Tokyo event boat.

The practical rule we give guests: price per head falls quickly as the group grows. Eight friends on the $299 yacht pay about $75 each for a two-hour charter, while a group of 30 on White Istanbul pays about $40 each for the same two hours, before food and drinks. The boat you choose matters more than the hour you add. A second point is the pier: if half your group is staying in the Old City, Eminonu is easier than Bebek, and the yachts with hotel pick-up remove the problem.

Extra services and how to book

Beyond the boat itself you can ask for catering menus, hotel transfers and a full-day charter; these are priced separately from the hourly rate. Our team in Istanbul organises the captain, the pier, the transfer and the timing, so the only decisions on your side are the date, the number of guests and the boat. Pets are welcome on selected boats if you tell us in advance, and the terms for each boat are on its yacht page. For Istanbul sightseeing around the charter, our Istanbul tours are a good start, and our sister yacht site has more boats at takeyacht.com yacht rental. See also our page: boat rental in Istanbul.

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