Bosphorus Cruise for Italian Visitors: Morning, Sunset, Dinner, NYE

A Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul costs from $38 per person for a lunch cruise with hotel pickup, from $57 per person for a dinner cruise with a show, from $224 per person on New Year's Eve, and from $190 per hour for a whole private yacht. The real choice for most visitors from Italy is not which boat but which time of day: a morning sailing, a sunset on deck, a long dinner or the night of 31 December are four different experiences on the same water. Our Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pickup and guide is the simplest place to start. This page takes each time slot in turn, with the sunset hour for every month, so you can match the cruise to the evening you want.

Prices by time of day

The Bosphorus is the strait, about 30 km long, that splits Istanbul between Europe and Asia and joins the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. Every cruise below sails part of it. These are our current starting prices.

Prices are in US dollars. We confirm in writing what is included, how you pay and the pickup time before you book. The city's public ferries, run by Şehir Hatları, are much cheaper and have no commentary; our self-guided Bosphorus ferry guide explains how to use them.

Morning: the clearest light on the European shore

A morning sailing has two advantages. The sun is behind you as you look at the European shore, so the palaces and mosques on that side are lit from the front, and the water is calmer before the afternoon wind picks up.

What you see heading north from the old city:

• Dolmabahçe Palace, the long white façade of the late Ottoman court, right on the water in Beşiktaş.
• Ortaköy Mosque under the first bridge, the classic photo of the Bosphorus.
• Bebek and Arnavutköy, with the wooden waterside mansions called yalı.
• Rumeli Fortress, built in 1452 before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, below the second bridge.
• Beylerbeyi Palace and the villages of the Asian shore on the other side.

Our morning Bosphorus cruise with a Spice Bazaar stop, from $40 per person, pairs the boat with a walk through the Spice Bazaar at Eminönü. It suits visitors who want the strait explained and are happy to share the boat with other travellers. More on the shores is on our Bosphorus Strait page.

Midday: a lunch cruise for a short stay

The lunch cruise is the most practical choice for a short visit or a family with children. Pickup is from the hotel, lunch is on board, and the afternoon is free for something else.

Two versions:

• The Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pickup and guide, from $38 per person.
• The Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up and drop-off, from $75 per person, 3 hours, with transfers in both directions.

In summer, the midday sun on an open deck is strong. Sit inside or in the shade on the way up and go out on deck for the return. Our Bosphorus lunch cruise page has more on what the meal includes.

Sunset: when to sail, month by month

Sunset is the hour most people picture when they think of a Bosphorus cruise. The light turns gold on the mosques of the old city, the bridges light up and the shore goes from day to night in less than an hour.

Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year, with no change of clocks, so the sunset hour moves a long way between summer and winter. These are approximate times for the middle of each month in Istanbul:

Plan to leave the pier about an hour before sunset, so you are on the upper Bosphorus for the gold light and back under the lit bridges as it gets dark.

A shared show boat sails after dark, so for a real sunset you need a private yacht. The Aura 13 m private motor yacht for up to 12 guests starts from $190 per hour. Two hours, enough for the sunset loop, works out reasonably for a group of six or eight sharing the boat. Food, drinks and minimum charter times on some dates are confirmed with the quote. Our sunset Bosphorus yacht cruise page covers routes and timing.

Dinner: a show boat or a quiet table

After dark, the choice is between a lively shared evening and a private one.

The dinner cruise with a show. A large boat, tables shared with other groups, a set dinner and a programme of Turkish folk dances and a belly dancer as the floodlit shores pass. It needs no language and runs with hotel transfers. Two levels: the Bosphorus dinner cruise with Turkish night show from $57 per person, and the dinner cruise with folk and belly dance show and transfers from $90 per person. Drinks packages differ from boat to boat, so check what your ticket covers before you order a bottle of wine.

A private yacht dinner. For a couple's anniversary or a family who would rather talk than watch a show, a yacht is quieter, and the menu is agreed in advance. It costs more for two people but can be close to the show boat per person for a group.

Italian visitors often ask about the food. Dinner on the show boats is a Turkish set menu, usually with mezze to start; vegetarian options should be requested when you book. Our page on the Bosphorus dinner cruise compares the two evenings in more detail.

The night of 31 December on the water

New Year's Eve is the busiest night of the year on the Bosphorus. Boats fill weeks ahead, prices rise and the roads to the piers are crowded.

How it differs from an ordinary dinner cruise:

• The programme is longer, with dinner, a show and music running past midnight.
• Midnight on the water. The boats position themselves for the view of the bridges and the shore at the turn of the year.
• Getting home takes planning. Traffic around the waterfront is heavy after midnight, and some streets are closed. Transfers included in the ticket make the night far easier.
• It is cold. Late December evenings on the open deck are cold and often damp. Bring a warm coat for when you go outside at midnight.

Our New Year's Eve Bosphorus party cruise 2027 with dinner and show starts from $224 per person. For a group, a private yacht for the night is the other option; rates on 31 December are higher than on ordinary dates and minimum hours apply. Our page on the New Year's Eve Bosphorus cruise 2027 compares both, and the Istanbul events 2027 page lists what else is on in the city.

Arriving on a cruise ship

Many Italians first see Istanbul from the deck of a cruise ship. Large ships berth at Galataport, the cruise terminal in Karaköy on the European shore, a short drive from Dolmabahçe and from the piers where tour boats leave.

If you are in port for a day:

• Check your all-aboard time first. Build the day backwards from it, with a margin for traffic.
• A Bosphorus cruise fits well into a port day, because the boat leaves from the same shore as the terminal.
• A private yacht can be arranged by the hour for a family or group, so you set the start time around the ship.
• Combine it with the old city only if you have a full day ashore. Hagia Sophia and Topkapı need several hours on their own.

Our shore excursions page lists the formats we run for cruise passengers.

Practical notes for visitors from Italy

• Entry. Italian citizens can visit Türkiye without a visa for up to 90 days, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Check with your airline which travel document it accepts for your flight.
• Time. Istanbul is on UTC+3 all year. That is two hours ahead of Italy in winter and one hour ahead in summer.
• Money. Our prices are in US dollars. Euros are easy to change at licensed exchange offices in the centre, and we agree the payment method for each booking in writing.
• Language. Shared cruises run in English. On a private yacht or private tour, an Italian-speaking guide can be arranged on request, subject to availability. Our Italian-speaking guide in Istanbul page explains how it works.
• Clothing. Even in summer, the evening wind on the water is cool. Bring a light jacket for the deck.

For an Italian angle on the history of the strait, from the Genoese at Galata to the piers you leave from, see our Bosphorus cruise for Italians page. If you are planning more of the country, our Turkey tour packages from Italy start with Istanbul.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up and guide, from $38 per person.
• Bosphorus dinner cruise in Istanbul with Turkish night show, from $57 per person.
• Aura yacht charter Istanbul: 13 m private motor yacht for 12 guests, from $190 per hour, the usual choice for a sunset sailing.
• New Year's Eve Bosphorus party cruise Istanbul 2027: dinner and show, from $224 per person.

All our boats are listed under Bosphorus tours and yacht tours.

Frequently Asked Questions