Who is a Bosphorus dinner cruise for?

Couples

Couples are the guests we see most. Tables are set along the windows of two enclosed salons, so the palaces, Ortaköy Mosque and the bridges pass by while you eat. Between courses, the open terrace on top and the open decks at the front and back are a few steps away, and the stretch under the Bosphorus Bridge is the photograph most couples take home.

For an anniversary, a birthday or a proposal, add the romantic table for €15 per booking: a table prepared for two. Tell us the occasion when you book, in the same chat. If you bring your own cake, hand it to the crew when you board and they serve it at no charge.

Families with children

Children are welcome on every sailing. Children aged 0 to 3 go free, children aged 4 to 9 pay €19.7, and from 10 they pay the adult price of €24.7. Two adults with a six-year-old and a two-year-old, with hotel pickup, come to €84.1 in total, paid on the boat.

The show holds children's attention: the whirling dervish, the Anatolian folk dances, the drum ensemble and belly dance happen close to the tables. The eight cold mezes give a fussy eater plenty to choose from, and the mains include köfte and grilled chicken. The salons are kept between 21 and 24 °C all year.

The one thing to plan for is the late finish: the boat is back at Eminönü Pier between 23:45 and 00:00. With small children, hotel pickup and drop-off for €5 per person makes the end of the night easy, and children aged 0 to 3 ride free.

Friends and groups

A group of friends, a team night or a family gathering: book everyone in one booking, so tables are assigned for the whole group in advance. The unlimited drinks package covers beer, rakı, vodka, gin, and red and white wine for €15 per adult, which takes the bill-splitting out of the evening. Imported drinks such as whisky, tequila and champagne, and cocktails, cost extra. There is also a DJ, and the dance floor belongs to the guests.

Solo travellers

You book one seat, at the same €24.7 as everyone else. Dinner, the show and the dance floor give the evening a shape, which is what a first night alone in a big city often lacks. The pier is about a minute's walk from the Eminönü stop of the T1 tram, and hotel pickup and drop-off from 13 districts takes care of the late return.

First-time visitors to Istanbul

If you have only a few nights in the city, one evening on the water shows you its shape: Karaköy and Galata on one side, then Dolmabahçe and Çırağan palaces, Ortaköy Mosque under the Bosphorus Bridge, Bebek and Rumeli Hisarı, before the boat turns at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and returns past Beylerbeyi, Üsküdar and the Maiden's Tower. Everything is lit, and you see both continents from one table.

Who should choose something else

• If you want a quiet dinner. This is a dinner show with drums, belly dance and a DJ, and much of the boat ends up dancing.
• If you want daylight sightseeing. The boat leaves at 21:00, so you see the city lit up at night. For daylight views, a daytime ferry is the better choice.
• If you need a special diet. The dinner is a set menu with a vegetarian main on request. For any other requirement, ask us on WhatsApp before you book.

Our honest assessment of the whole evening is in is a Bosphorus dinner cruise worth it.

Book for your group, pay on board

Booking costs nothing: there is no prepayment, you pay on the boat, and cancellation is free until 19:00 on the day. Choose your date, add the guests and extras you want, and send the summary to us on WhatsApp or Telegram.