What's included in the Istanbul Night Cruise?

The dinner, course by course

Dinner is served at your table, and it starts before the boat moves. When you board, from 20:00, the cold mezes are already laid out, family style, for everyone at the table to share. The rest follows once the evening is under way.

• Eight cold mezes: tomato and cucumber, white cheese, kısır (a bulgur salad), haydari (a thick yogurt dip), fava (a broad bean purée), pembe sultan (beetroot with yogurt), potato salad and a seasonal salad.
• Hot starter: kalem böreği, a slim filo roll fried crisp.
• Main course, one per guest: köfte, grilled chicken, grilled salmon or the mixed grill, each served with bulgur pilaf, mashed potatoes and grilled tomato and pepper.
• Dessert: two pieces of baklava.

Each guest chooses their own main course at the table, so a couple or a family can try different ones. A vegetarian main is prepared on request in place of the meat or fish. You do not need to arrange it in advance: tell your waiter when the mains are ordered.

Unlimited soft drinks for every guest

Water, cola and juice are unlimited for every guest, children included, from the moment you board until we are back at the pier. You never pay for a soft drink on this cruise, and no one counts glasses.

Alcohol is the one drink that is not in the base price. You can add the unlimited drinks package when you book, or order drinks at the bar on the night. The section on extras below has the details.

The live show, and a DJ

The show runs through dinner in the main salon, where the stage is. It has four acts, and their order can change from night to night:

1. Whirling dervish: the Mevlevi sema, the turning ceremony of the dervishes.
2. Anatolian folk dances: the horon from the Black Sea, the zeybek from the Aegean and the halay from the east.
3. Drum ensemble: davul, darbuka and bendir.
4. Belly dance.

There is also a DJ, and the dance floor belongs to the guests. There is no interval and no act has a fixed time, so there is no clock to watch: the show comes to you while you eat. The full programme is on our Turkish night page.

The cruise itself: both shores after dark

The boat leaves Eminönü Pier at 21:00 and spends about three hours on the Bosphorus. The route takes in both shores:

• Up the European shore: Karaköy with Galata Tower above it, Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace and Ortaköy Mosque, then under the Bosphorus Bridge to Bebek and Rumeli Fortress.
• The turn: at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, with Anadolu Fortress across the water.
• Back along the Asian shore: Beylerbeyi Palace, Üsküdar and Maiden's Tower, then Eminönü Pier between 23:45 and 00:00.

The route can be adjusted for sea and weather conditions. Whenever you want the view without glass, the open-air terrace on the top deck is yours.

The boat and your table

We sail on a 46-metre boat with two enclosed, climate-controlled dining decks with panoramic windows, a stage in the main salon, a bar, and an open-air terrace on top. It carries up to 300 guests.

Tables are assigned in advance, so there is no race for seats at the pier: your table is ready when you board. The dining decks are heated in winter and air-conditioned in summer, which is why the cruise sails every night of the year.

What costs extra

Three things are not in the €24.7 price. All of them are optional, and all of them are paid on the boat together with the cruise.

• Unlimited drinks package, €15 per adult (18+). An open bar all evening with beer, rakı, vodka, gin, and red and white wine. Imported drinks such as whisky, tequila and champagne, and cocktails, are sold at the bar at an extra charge. How it works: the unlimited drinks package.
• Hotel transfer, €5 per person. Pickup before boarding and the ride back after the cruise, from central districts including Sultanahmet, Taksim and Beşiktaş. Children aged 0 to 3 ride free. Areas and timing: hotel transfer.
• Romantic table, €15 per booking. Flowers and candles at your table, one charge for the table, not per person.

There is no service charge and no booking fee on top of these prices. For the full price list and example totals, see our prices.

Book in a minute, pay on the boat

Pick your date on our booking form: it adds the extras you want and shows your total before you send anything. Send the summary to us on WhatsApp or Telegram, and we confirm in the same chat with the meeting-point pin. There is no prepayment, and cancellation is free up to two hours before departure.