Private Bosphorus Cruises: Our Boats and Your Day
Twelve boats, and for an evening one of them is yours. You pick the hour it leaves, where it goes and whether anyone is cooking. Groups run from two people to ninety, and nobody else comes aboard.
What Changes When the Boat Is Yours
On a scheduled boat the route and the timing are set, and the deck belongs to eighty strangers. On a charter you set them, and the only people aboard are the ones you brought.
Sunset in July is a different booking from sunset in November, so the hour is the first thing we ask. Then whether you want to sit still off Kuzguncuk for an hour or keep moving, and whether food comes aboard, and whose.
Bring your own, or let the crew handle it. You can come aboard with your own food and drink, or have the catering arranged for you. Tea, coffee and water are included either way.
The Boats We Run
| Boat | Guests | Length | Moored at | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evora 1 | up to 8 | 20 m | Kuruçeşme | Two to eight people, the smallest of them |
| Mercan | up to 10 | 17 m | Kuruçeşme | Built in 2023 and run by one family |
| Elisa | up to 14 | 19 m | Bosphorus | Unfussy, good for a small group |
| Corona | up to 15 | 21 m | Bosphorus | Yellow, and hard to miss on the water |
| Positive | up to 20 | 18 m | Bebek | The deck and the music to yourselves |
| Black Carpathia | up to 20 | 22 m | Bebek | The most room per guest. Proposals and anniversaries |
| River M | up to 25 | 20 m | Kuruçeşme | Indoor and outdoor space for a mid-sized group |
| River | up to 36 | 25 m | Bosphorus | Birthdays and sunset parties |
| Yeditepe | up to 40 | 24 m | Bosphorus | A regular on the Golden Horn |
| Ortaköylü | up to 40 | 21 m | Ortaköy | Captain Ömer’s boat, and the one for big celebrations |
| Safir | up to 90 | 24 m | Bosphorus | The largest. Weddings and company events |
| Dilnişin | small groups | 24 m | Bebek | Four cabins, built for a slow evening |
CruiseBosphorus is ours too. Same company, same licence, same crews. A few of the boats have longer write-ups there if you want a proper look at one before you decide.
Whichever you like the look of, tell us the date and your numbers and we will say which are free.
What People Charter Them For
Sunset, the most asked forDinner on the waterBirthdays and proposalsCompany eveningsSunset is what most people ask for. Dinner works best on the longer boats, where there is room to lay a table properly. Birthdays, proposals and anniversaries are a large share of what we run, and plenty of companies take an evening on the water instead of a function room.
Whatever the occasion is, it decides the boat more than the budget does. A proposal wants space and quiet. A fortieth birthday wants a deck and a sound system.
Tonight, if a boat is free
Last-Minute Sunset Cruise
The weather turned and you are already in Istanbul. Boats free up, so it is worth asking.
Who You Are Chartering From
The Other Tour has run private trips in Istanbul since 2011, licensed under TÜRSAB #7651. The boats are ours and the crews are people we work with every week, not a charter desk we phone on the day. If you want the strait itself rather than a boat on it, that is the Bosphorus.
Ortaköylü is skippered by Captain Ömer, who has worked this strait long enough to know which bay is sheltered on a windy afternoon. If you want a licensed guide aboard as well, ask, and we will bring one of our 55 guides.
Questions People Ask Before Chartering
How much does a private Bosphorus cruise cost?
It depends on the boat, the length of the charter and the hour, so we quote rather than publish a rate. Tell us the date, the number of guests and how long you want, and you will get a figure back within a day.
How many people fit on the boats?
Anything from eight to ninety. Evora 1 and Mercan suit eight to ten, Positive and Black Carpathia take twenty, River M twenty-five, River thirty-six, Yeditepe and Ortaköylü forty each, and Safir ninety.
Can we bring our own food and drink?
Yes. You can come aboard with your own catering, or have the crew arrange it, including a laid dinner table on the longer boats. Tea, coffee and water are included either way.
Where do the boats leave from?
Bebek, Ortaköy and Kuruçeşme, all on the European shore and all a short taxi from most central hotels. Black Carpathia and Positive are at Bebek, Ortaköylü at Ortaköy. We confirm the exact pier when the date is booked.
Can a guide come along?
Yes, and it makes more difference on a boat than people expect. There is nothing to read out there, so whatever you learn between two bridges is something someone told you. Ask and we will bring one of our 55 licensed guides aboard.
Can we book at short notice?
Often, yes, depending on which boat is free. Write with the date you have in mind and we will tell you straight away. This is what the last-minute sunset cruise exists for.
Do you charter in winter?
Yes. The strait in January is sharper and emptier than in August, and a winter charter means a heated cabin rather than a sun deck. Tell us the month and we will say which boat suits it.
Check a Date on the Water
Tell us when you are here, how many of you there are, and roughly what the evening is for. That is enough for us to come back with a boat and what it would look like.
We reply within a day. If you want to read what guests said first, that is on TripAdvisor, on Google and on our reviews page.
Tell us your date and your numbers. We reply within a day.
