Yacht Rental in Istanbul 2027: Hourly Prices, Bosphorus Route and Booking for Russian Travellers

Renting a yacht in Istanbul costs from $190 per hour for the whole boat, not per person, and the usual minimum is 2 hours, so a two-hour Bosphorus cruise starts at $380. Captain, crew and fuel are in the price. For a couple or a family of up to 12 most guests pick the yacht for 12 guests at $299 per hour, and bigger groups have boats for 22, 32, 40 and 72 guests. Every option is on our page for yacht rental in Istanbul. Need a yacht today or tomorrow? Send the date, the number of guests and your hotel on WhatsApp, and we will check which boat is free and tell you where we pick you up.

We have worked in Istanbul since 2010 (TÜRSAB group A, no. 15751). This page works out what a private yacht really costs, what the price includes, where the boats leave from, what you see in two hours, how to pay when Russian bank cards do not work abroad, and what to know about entry. Dollar prices come from our own pages. We give no rouble figures because the rate moves every day.

How much does a yacht rental in Istanbul cost in 2027?

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

The price on the site is per hour and for the whole yacht, and the size of your group does not change it. That makes the sum cheap for a bigger group and dear for a couple: two hours on the smallest yacht cost $380, which for 12 guests is about $32 a head. On the yacht for 1 to 12 guests with an optional transfer two hours come to $598, roughly $50 a head when full. A separate two-hour product with snacks and a guide on board is sold at a group price: $600 for 2 hours.

Prices vary with season, day of the week and extras, so ask us for the price on your date. The easiest way to compare boats by guest count and pier is the yacht prices in Istanbul section of the site.

What is included in the price and what costs extra?

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

On the pier yachts (Aura, ZENDAY, AMEŞİN N, White İstanbul, Corona Tokyo) the hourly price includes the whole boat for your group, a licensed captain with crew, fuel for the standard route, insurance and service for the stated number of guests. Aura adds soft drinks and ice. Not included are food, drinks from the menu, hotel transfer and longer routes.

On the yachts with pick-up, fuel, marina fees and water are included, and the private yacht for 1 to 12 guests adds soft drinks and tea. Food and alcohol cost extra. On the pier yachts you may bring your own food and drinks and the crew serves them. Confetti, torches, fireworks and barbecues are banned on board, and swimming stops start at four hours of charter time.

An example: 10 guests, 3 hours on ZENDAY ($1170) plus the set menu for everyone ($650) come to $1820. If you bring your own food and drinks, you stay at the plain hourly price. If you want to combine water and land, add a private Istanbul tour on a neighbouring day.

Where do the yachts leave from: Eminönü, Bebek, İstinye, Arnavutköy, Galataport?

Aura, private yacht from Eminönü, from $190 per hour

The pier decides what you see in the first half hour. Eminönü is closest to the hotels in Sultanahmet: Aura sails from there north past Ortaköy and the bridges to Rumeli Fortress and back, and Galata Tower and the Old City skyline are in view from the start.

Bebek (White İstanbul, Corona Tokyo) lies halfway up the European shore: the fortress and bridges are close, and more of the trip is left for the upper Bosphorus. Arnavutköy (AMEŞİN N) lies just south of Bebek, İstinye (ZENDAY) in the far north: from there you pass Rumeli Fortress and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, then head south along both shores. Wooden mansions, fortress walls and calmer water are best seen from these three piers.

The yachts with pick-up collect you from your hotel or from Galataport in Karaköy, which suits cruise-ship passengers. At the other piers guests find the boat themselves or book a car for $100.

A two-hour Bosphorus route: what will you see?

Bosphorus mega yacht for parties, up to 40 guests, from $1000 per hour

On the tour pages of the yachts with pick-up we list the sights along the route: Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque under the Bosphorus Bridge, Rumeli Fortress, Küçüksu Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden's Tower. You agree the exact route with the captain before casting off.

In two hours from a pier on the European shore it usually goes like this: you sail south to Ortaköy and the bridge, stop for photographs at the mosque, then head north along the palaces to Rumeli Fortress and come back along the Asian shore. Three hours give the captain room for both shores without hurrying.

All the yachts, their prices and photographs are in the yacht rental in Istanbul section of the site. If you are only looking, open two or three pages and compare the boats by guest count.

Sunset, night or daytime: when is the best time for a yacht?

ZENDAY, yacht from İstinye for up to 22 guests, from $390 per hour

Sunset is the most requested slot. Istanbul stays on UTC+3 all year, like Moscow, so the clocks match Moscow time. The sunset times below are approximate, for about the 21st of each month, from the sun table of gaisma.com (retrieved 02.11.2026). Plan the departure so that the cruise ends half an hour after sunset, and you will see the bridges lit up. At night the lit-up ZENDAY looks good on the water.

Swimming from the yacht: our swimming stops start at four hours of charter time, and only in summer. The Bosphorus is a busy strait with a strong current, so you jump in only where and when the captain allows it. By day the yacht is good for the light in photographs, at night for the lights, and from November to March it is windy and cold on deck, so you will sit in the saloon.

A yacht for a proposal, a birthday or a hen party

White İstanbul, yacht from Bebek for up to 32 guests, from $599 per hour

Most couples plan a marriage proposal for sunset, with a photographer ($300) and decoration with a cake ($70) as add-ons. Two hours are enough, and the timetable and set-up are on our page about a proposal on a Bosphorus yacht. Torches, fireworks and confetti are not allowed on board, and the ring in your pocket is enough.

For a birthday or a hen party, White İstanbul and the "Family and friends" yacht for 32 guests suit well, and for a big group the mega yacht for 40 and Corona Tokyo for 72. Cake and decoration cost $70, a DJ $350. Ideas and the order of the evening are on our page about a birthday on a yacht in Istanbul.

If you are more comfortable in Russian, we have licensed guides who speak Russian, and we confirm the language in writing before payment for your date. More is on the page for a Russian-speaking guide in Istanbul.

How do you book and pay from Russia?

Bosphorus yacht for groups, 6–32 guests, from $525 per hour

To book, open the yacht page, choose the date, start time, number of guests and hours, tick the extras and send the request. We confirm the free date and the final price by email or on WhatsApp and answer in Russian. The website says "Book Now, Pay Later", and we confirm the payment terms for your date in writing.

Russian Mir, Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Turkey, according to the Travelto site (article updated 14.08.2026): you can neither pay nor withdraw cash with them, and UnionPay is accepted only in some places and not every time. So do not count on a Russian card: take a card from a foreign bank and some cash in dollars or euros, and ask us in advance how to pay for the yacht.

Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the date with a full refund, and in the last 7 days it is not refunded. If the coast guard closes the Bosphorus or the captain judges the trip unsafe, you can move the date or get the full amount back under the terms of the Aura yacht.

Visa, flight and season

Corona Tokyo, event yacht from Bebek for up to 72 guests, from $1050 per hour

Russian citizens do not need a visa for a tourist trip to Turkey: up to 60 days per entry and no more than 90 days in any 180 days. The passport must be valid for at least 120 days from the date of entry (Travelto, article of 15.09.2026, checked 02.11.2026). An internal passport is not accepted. This is an aggregator's information, so check it on the Russian foreign ministry site before you travel. Citizens of Kazakhstan and Belarus should check the entry rules on their own country's foreign ministry site.

A direct flight Moscow to Istanbul takes about 4 hours: according to Tutu (02.11.2026), Turkish Airlines flies from Vnukovo in 3 hours 55 minutes to 4 hours 5 minutes, Pegasus to Sabiha Gökçen in about 4 hours 20 minutes, and Aeroflot flies too. Check the 2027 timetable on the airlines' own sites.

Over the New Year and May holidays yachts are booked up first, so for 31 December and 1 to 9 May write to us as early as you can. For days on land, look at our Istanbul tours.

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