Istanbul Sunset Cruise Experience on Luxury Yacht -Local guide

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Istanbul, Turkey

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Alan_J ·

Jun 2026

This was excellent. The snakes weee great, the staff was attentive and accommodating, and the sites were fabulous! This is a must do.

· LAURA_D ·

Apr 2026

We enjoyed throughly. Servet was so knowledgeable. He’s truly amazing . Highly recommend him . The walking was easy and going to the bazaar was amazing

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Overview

Cruising the Bosphorus Strait affords magnificent views of Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, and the most magical time to set sail is at sunset. On this early evening cruise, relax on a luxury yacht and enjoy drinks and snacks on board as you glide past 19th-century palaces, Rumeli and Anadolu Fortresses, and the Galata district. The cruise lasts approximately 2 hours.

Admire incredible views of Istanbul from the water at sunset
Sip homemade lemonade and snack on fresh fruits and baklava
Gain insight into Bosphorus landmarks with live onboard commentary
Maximum 40 passengers: far more intimate than the large cruise ships

What's Included

A pleasant tour accompanied by an experienced guide
Complimentary drinks, homemade lemonade with fresh mint, water, tea and coffee
Daily prepared fresh season fruits plate and delicious cookies and baklava served aboard
Restroom on the boat

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Alcoholic Beverages

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Kabatas Square
Kabataş, Meclis-i Mebusan Cd., 34427 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
Meeting Point: KABATAŞ SQUARE (opposite Kabataş Tram Station) Our team will be waiting across from BELTUR café, near the FUNICULAR ELEVATOR, holding a sign that says Golden City Tours. Please arrive 15 minutes before the cruise departure time.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Dolmabahce Palace (Pass By)

Beşiktaş (Pass By)

Ciragan Palace Kempinski (Pass By)

Ortakoy (Pass By)

Buyuk Mecidiye Camii (Pass By)

Bosphorus Bridge (Pass By)

Kuruçeşme (Pass By)

Bebek (Pass By)

Arnavutköy (Pass By)

Rumeli Fortress (Pass By)

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Pass By)

Kucuksu Pavilion (Pass By)

Anadolu Hisari Fort (Pass By)

Kuleli Military High School (Pass By)

Beylerbeyi Palace (Pass By)

Üsküdar (Pass By)

Maiden's Tower (Pass By)

Galata Koprusu (Pass By)

Galata Tower (Pass By)

Galataport (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
Not recommended for travelers with seasickness and vertigo
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

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Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Halimat_E

Even though it was freezing, we had an amazing time! Nur, The tour guide was kind and very patient. We enjoyed the beauty of the sea whilst getting premium knowledge of the city. It was a great experience. Definitely to try again in summer!

Reviews

4.9

based on 2,166 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great views

ANKIT_S, Jun 2026

Our family enjoyed the evening also information provided was good and refreshments on board was passable

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Great way to see and learn about the city!

Shannon_B, Jun 2026

This is our first time to Istanbul. We did the cruise as our first activity in the city. It was a great way to learn about the city and see it from the river. Snacks and drinks are limited but we knew that going into it. You can buy alcohol while on board. They do stop so you can watch the sunset and take some great photos. I would highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Highly recommended

Alan_J, Jun 2026

This was excellent. The snakes weee great, the staff was attentive and accommodating, and the sites were fabulous! This is a must do.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Nice to see the sites on...

Celeste_P, May 2026

Nice to see the sites on both sides of the Strait Good snacks and narration of the buildings and some history.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Wonderful sunset, cruise on luxury yacht

Kim_N, May 2026

The staff was amazing. And the ride itself was incredible. The snacks were very good. The drinks were not outrageously priced. The only issue was that the person the microphone could not be understood. I will say I’m not sure how you could’ve fixed this.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Good boat tour; bad food and wine

Minh_H, May 2026

The boat is comfortable, though be sure to sit on the starboard side for the best views. Note that if you purchase the ticket with the wine included, it includes one glass per person. My partner and I got a second glass thinking it was included, but we were charged 900 tl upon exit.l (which would have been fine had the wine been good). The purchase price should be Co sidwred the price of the tour alone; the food was largely inedible, as demonstrated by the fact that the plates distributed and the plates collected looked almost exactly the same.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Good but minor quibbles

Jenny_Z, May 2026

A nice river cruise. Arrived early at the meeting point, but somehow they already had a group seated in the best seats on the boat when they escorted us on, so everyone else was relegated to the worse upstairs seats. They provided snacks and drinks, but only had enough alcohol for some participants to receive. Overall friendly staff and good experience, those organizational issues notwithstanding.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Best service

DINESH_K, May 2026

They were very friendly. Enough of personal space to enjoy with in group They serve basic snakes Staff was very helpful

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Loved our luxury tour

Jenny_S, May 2026

Such an amazing way to see so many mosques, palaces, and both Europe and Asia on our luxury yacht with lovely treats!! We loved the staff. They were friendly and very quick with setvice.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Highly Recommended

Marie_H, Apr 2026

The group was bigger than I expected but I needn’t have worried, the yacht was big and comfortable with lots of space for everyone. The service was great with individual plates of fruits , deserts, nuts provided for each passenger. The tour took us to the 2nd bridge on the Bosphorus with a great tour guide pointing out key points of interest on the East and West shores. Recommend to get a broader view if life in Istanbul.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Highly recommend this tour , ask for Servet

LAURA_D, Apr 2026

We enjoyed throughly. Servet was so knowledgeable. He’s truly amazing . Highly recommend him . The walking was easy and going to the bazaar was amazing

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

we did the sunset cruise....

Subhash_R, Apr 2026

we did the sunset cruise. The boat and crew were nice. Its not much of a view but you will see some of the buildings etc.

Golden City Sunset Cruise.

Patti_J, Apr 2026

Good clear instructions for the meeting point. Dennis was our tour guide. He had a lot of interesting info and his English was very good. Lots of tasty snacks were served along with lemonade and tea.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Great 2 hr option!

Anonymous, Apr 2026

My husband and I had a great experience on this cruise! The time duration was perfect, it's incredibly scenic and tours so many beautiful spots. The snacks were generous as well.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon

Perfect sunset cruise!

kelly_t, Apr 2026

the Istanbul sunset cruise was wonderful. The small boat setting was perfect for a date night, it was quiet and uncrowded. The small bites were perfect> The tour guided did a great job at explaing what we were seeing, answering questions and sharing the history of the area.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Good experience. Get to...

Shailen_S, Apr 2026

Good experience. Get to see other parts of Istanbul wouldn’t otherwise normally do. The highlight was seeing blue marks from the water lit up. Wish the cruise wasn’t so long up the strait and spent more time in the heart of the city. Staff very nice. Guide’s English was good but accent made difficult to understand.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Good tour!

Melissa_M, Apr 2026

Great cruise. Lots of seating inside and out. The snacks were good. The only thing was the microphone was a little harsh, a better sound system would really help! Those, great size boat. Good tour!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Easy. Very welcoming. The...

Steffen_S, Apr 2026

Easy. Very welcoming. The audio for the description was not great, could not understand all. At the end it got cold, extra layer recommended.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Awesome

Vittoria_M, Mar 2026

Very friendly staff, highly recommend! I traveled with my sister and we lived to see the city from the outside perspective. Great vibe and great explanations.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon...

Great boat trip

Christine_H, Mar 2026

Well organised very enjoyable boat trip with lots of refreshments provided throughout. Can highly recommend

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon...

Wonderful sunset cruise!

Gary_P, Mar 2026

Wonderful yacht and a great crew, with fantastic narration. Really enjoyed myself and the sunset was timed perfectly!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon...

Organized, clean, well run tour!

michael_d, Feb 2026

Great way see all of the best istanbul waterfront palaces and homes. Would recommend to anyone visiting.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon...

It was really nice...

Eapen_K, Feb 2026

It was really nice experience in Bosporous. It was a sunset cruise and the snacks and drinks were complementary. It was a small group tour in Yacht and would recommend this to anyone.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon...

Small boat with just 30 people inside. sweets tea and fruits! Very kind tripulation. Excellent cruise

Maria_M, Feb 2026

Small boat with just 30 people inside. sweets tea and fruits! Very kind tripulation. Excellent cruise

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to host you and hope to see you again soon.

Unsafe bow end boarding...

Keith_C, Jan 2026

Unsafe bow end boarding (my partner fell against the anchor) and the commentary was difficult to understand as we were on the upper deck relying on a cheap speaker which was echoing with the one below. The crew was pleasant and served snacks throughout the cruise but we came away with no additional knowledge of the area due to the technical issue mentioned above.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, We believe that the incident during boarding occurred when you accidentally hit the “bollard” (rope connection point) on the deck. The anchor is located outside the boarding area and is not accessible to guests. These safety features are necessary for secure navigation, and all our equipment is regularly checked and maintained. Regarding the speaker, during the winter season, windy sea conditions can affect sound transmission on the upper deck. Inside the boat, all commentary is clear and audible, and guests always have the option to move downstairs for better clarity. Thank you for your understanding.

Notified me of Cancellation Last Minute

Mica_W, Jan 2026

We planned our day around being able to get to the meeting point (which is out of the way of the city) on time. We got there & there was no one to greet us, ten minutes before we were scheduled to depart I go a phone call notifying me that the cruise was canceled due to weather conditions. Wish we got advance notice, this wasted a lot of our time and energy.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, On the day of the program, we tried to reach you because the cruise could not be operated due to weather conditions. A severe storm in Istanbul made sailing unsafe and hazardous, so canceling the tour was unavoidable, and your payment was refunded in full. This situation was entirely caused by weather conditions and was not due to any fault on our part. It is also verifiable: official weather reports for Istanbul and news sources confirming that sailing was temporarily suspended clearly demonstrate that the tour could not safely take place. Even if one might claim that the weather was fine, all official sources confirm that it was unsafe to operate. We appreciate your understanding and hope to welcome you on a safe and enjoyable tour in the future.

istanbul cruise

anjham_a, Jan 2026

On time, well planned and did what they said they would do. Weather was snow and it was great to see Istanbul in the snow

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Awesome!

Halimat_E, Jan 2026

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for your kind words :) We were very pleased to have you and hope to see you again soon..

Great adventure! We were...

Paula_B, Dec 2025

Great adventure! We were very well taken care of. Kids were not bored at all even though the cruise was 2 hours. The yacht was very clean and operational. Highly recommend!