Best Private Yacht Tours

On a private Bosphorus yacht tour you have the boat to yourselves and sail the strait that divides Asia from Europe, beneath its bridges and along shores lined with palaces and wooden mansions. Hourly hire is the norm here, or there is a fixed two-hour cruise, and boats range from 13-metre motor yachts for couples up to event boats seating 72. Since the route is much the same on every boat, the real decision is how big the boat is and where it departs.

Picking a boat for your group size

Count your guests first, then set a budget.

• Up to 12 guests: at $190 per hour, the Aura charter is the cheapest boat listed, a 13-metre motor yacht. Ice and soft drinks are included, and departure is from Eminonu. One step up, the luxury yacht for up to 12 starts at $375 an hour and collects you from Galataport or your hotel.
• 12 to 32 guests: ZENDAY, based at Istinye, fits 22 guests at most, from $390 an hour. Built with families and groups of friends in mind, the family and friends yacht for 6 to 32 costs from $525 an hour, transfers included.
• Events and large groups: for parties, weddings and corporate evenings there is the mega yacht for up to 40 at $1,000 an hour and up, and the Corona Tokyo event boat, from $1,050 an hour for groups as large as 72.

If you would like commentary as well as a crew, book the two-hour private yacht cruise on the Bosphorus: it costs $600 per group and comes with a licensed guide who explains the sights along both shores.

Departure piers

Each pier leads to a different two-hour route. Eminonu departures begin near the Golden Horn and the old city, handy if your hotel is in Sultanahmet. Bebek, Istinye and Arnavutkoy lie further up the strait, nearer the second bridge and the Rumeli Hisari fortress, where the water is less busy. Every boat page names its pier; some include hotel transfers and others arrange them on request.

Choosing the time of day

Mornings and middays are the calmest and work well for families with small children. From May to September sunset is the slot most people ask for, and it sells out first, particularly at weekends. Night cruises show the bridges and palaces lit up, but you see little of the wooden waterside houses. In winter, check for a heated saloon. The Marilyn, for instance, has heating, takes as many as 28 guests and costs from $599 an hour.

What is charged separately

Insurance, the crew and fuel for the usual Bosphorus route are covered by an hourly charter. You pay separately for food, catering menus, decorations, drinks other than water or soft drinks, and longer trips to the Princes' Islands or toward the Black Sea. Planning a birthday or a proposal? Get prices for decorations and cake before booking, not on the day itself.

Pairing a cruise with other tours

An afternoon on a yacht goes well after a city tour in the morning; our VIP day with a yacht and a Mercedes S-Class does both for $1,800 per group. Our luxury tours list more premium choices, and the Bosphorus tours page has cheaper shared cruises. The Bosphorus yacht rental guide compares hourly rates and piers, and our Bosphorus Strait guide describes what you will see from on deck.