# Istanbul Bosphorus Swimming Tour - Site: Constantine Yachts - URL: https://constantineyachts.com/tour/istanbul-bosphorus-swimming-tour/ - Language: EN - Last updated: 2026-09-10 - Price: From €150 - Categories: Bosphorus Events ## Summary ★ 4.9–5.0700+ verified reviews on Google, Viator and GetYourGuide TÜRSAB A-805Licensed agency — verify it yourself Since 1967Family business on the Bosphorus Whole yachtPriced per yacht, never per seat A summer day on the water — anchoring in the quiet bays of the Princes' Islands or the northern Bosphorus, where the sea is clean enough to swim. Priced per yacht, from €150 per hour, two-hour minimum. ## Description Key takeaways A private Bosphorus cruise with a swimming stop in calm water. Private charter from €150 per hour, minimum 2 hours — the whole yacht is yours, never a shared deck. Six hours or more: the rate starts from €120 per hour — the yacht and crew are yours for the day, not just an evening. A swimming day is usually six or eight hours; we can run it shorter or longer to suit you. Departure from Karaköy; free cancellation up to 24 hours before sailing. Swimming Tours Istanbul: A Refreshing Blue Escape Escape the Heat: Your Private Oasis on the Water Istanbul’s summer can be intense, but there is a luxurious way to cool down without leaving the city. With ourSwimming Tours in Istanbul, you can enjoy the sun and the sea in the crystal-clear bays of thePrinces' Islandsor the secluded spots of the northern Bosphorus. Choose Your Route: Bosphorus or the Islands? Princes' Islands (Full Day):We anchor at the quietest bays of Büyükada, Heybeliada, or Burgazada. Ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and a full day of relaxation. The Bosphorus (Half Day):For a quicker escape, we head north toward the Black Sea entrance (Poyrazköy or Keçilik Bay), where the water is clean and the breeze is refreshing. Safety & Comfort First Secluded Bays:Our experienced captains know the cleanest and most private spots for swimming. Onboard Amenities:Spacious sunbeds, clean showers/changing rooms, and high-quality towels. Water Toys:Paddleboards, snorkeling gear, and inflatable toys are available upon request for extra fun. Plan Your Next Experience! Request a Quote Today Whether it's a high-stakes business meeting or a refreshing day at sea, we are here to help you plan the perfect itinerary. Contact us with your guest count and preferred date for a customized quote! How Pricing Works Your yacht is reserved privately — the rate starts at €150 per hour with a 2-hour minimum, and it covers the yacht and crew for your group alone, not per person. For a proper swim we recommend the half-day Bosphorus route toward Poyrazköy or Keçilik Bay, or the full-day Princes' Islands plan. Catering, drinks and a photographer are optional add-ons, each quoted separately — see the full Istanbul yacht rental price guide for worked examples. Not Sure Where to Swim? Our captains pick the cleanest, calmest anchorage for the day's conditions. If you want to daydream first, our guide to the five hidden bays of the Bosphorus accessible only by boat covers the coves we love most. And if you'd like to stay out late, extend your booking and sail home through the golden hour like a private sunset cruise. Frequently Asked Questions Is the price per person? No — you book the whole yacht. Ten friends on a swimming day share the cost of the yacht, not a ticket price each. Are towels and showers available on board? Yes — spacious sunbeds, clean showers and changing cabins, and quality towels are part of the yacht. Bosphorus or Princes' Islands — which should we choose? Short on time? Pick the half-day northern Bosphorus route (Poyrazköy / Keçilik Bay). For a full day of swimming and sunbathing, the quiet bays of Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgazada are worth the trip. Are there any hidden fees, port taxes or fuel surcharges? No. The hourly price covers the yacht, its crew and the fuel for your route. Extras such as catering, decoration or a photographer are priced separately and agreed before you confirm, never added afterwards. Who operates the yacht, and are you licensed? Constantine Yachts is the boutique yacht brand of AST Tourism, an Istanbul operator licensed by TÜRSAB (licence A-805) that has worked the Bosphorus since 1967. Every departure sails with a professional crew. How will we find the boarding point on the day? Boarding is at Karaköy on the European side, a few minutes from the Galata Bridge and the Karaköy tram stop. Once your date is set we send the exact map pin and photographs of the pier, so nobody is searching on the day. Other piers such as Kuruçeşme or Bebek can be arranged on request. From how many guests is a private yacht cheaper than per-person tickets? A two-hour private charter starts at €300 for the whole yacht. A seat on a shared sunset cruise costs around €34. From roughly nine guests upward the private yacht works out cheaper per person, and the yacht is yours alone. Is booking directly with you cheaper than booking through a platform? Yes. Platforms add their commission to the same departure; the last time we compared our own listing, the direct price was about 4% lower. You also speak to the operator rather than a call centre. Can we check your reviews before booking? Please do. We are rated 5.0 on Google from 259 reviews, with more than 700 guest reviews in total across Google, Viator and GetYourGuide. How much deposit do you take, and how do we pay? A 30% deposit holds your date; the balance is due before departure. Payments run through Stripe over a secure SSL connection, so your card details are handled by the payment provider and never stored by us. Can a guest who uses a wheelchair come on board? Unfortunately not. Boarding is from the pier over a gangway with a step, and we would rather tell you now than have someone turned away on the day. If a guest has limited mobility but can manage a step with help, write to us and we will talk it through honestly. Can we bring our dog? Yes, pets are welcome on board. Let us know in advance so the crew can prepare for them. Do children pay the full price? No. On the shared group tour children under 3 travel free and ages 3 to 7 pay a child fare of €15. On a private charter the price covers the whole yacht, so children add nothing to it. Tell us their ages when you book so the crew can prepare. Is it safe to bring young children? Yes. The Bosphorus is sheltered water rather than open sea, so the crossing is calm. Life jackets are on board including children’s sizes, and the crew is told in advance how many children are aboard. On a private charter you also control the pace and the route. Will anyone get seasick? Very unlikely. The Bosphorus is a strait, not open sea, and the water is calm for most of the year. In years of hosting, seasickness has almost never been an issue — and if someone in your group is worried, we can keep the route close to the shore. Do you sail in winter, and is it worth it? Yes, year-round. Every yacht has an enclosed saloon as well as an open deck, so a cold evening does not cancel anything. Winter has fewer boats on the water, sharper light and, on the shared sunset tour, a lower fare — €26 instead of €34 from 3 November to 18 March. What happens if the weather cancels our departure? If the captain calls off a departure for safety, you choose: another date or a full refund. Cancellation is also free up to 24 hours before departure, so a bad forecast never costs you anything. What safety equipment is on board? Life jackets for every guest, including children’s sizes, and a professional crew on every departure. We operate as AST Tourism under TÜRSAB licence A-805 and have worked the Bosphorus since 1967. Can you arrange halal, vegetarian or vegan catering? Yes. Catering is quoted separately and built around your table, so halal, vegetarian, vegan and allergy requirements are straightforward — tell us when you enquire rather than on the day. Can we bring our own music or a DJ? Yes. On a private charter the sound system is yours: bring a playlist or bring a DJ. Tell us in advance if you are bringing equipment so the crew can plan the power and the setup. How do we get to Karaköy for boarding? Karaköy is one of the easiest points in Istanbul to reach. The T1 tram stops at Karaköy, city ferries call at the Karaköy pier, and the M2 metro at Şişhane is a short walk up the hill — as is the Tünel funicular from Beyoğlu. From Sultanahmet it is two tram stops. Once your booking is confirmed we send the exact map pin and photographs of the pier. Is an overnight stay on the yacht possible? Yes — that is a separate product. On an Istanbul yacht stay you sleep on board for two to four nights and the yacht becomes your hotel as well as your transport, from €1,400 per night for the whole yacht. What does a family of four actually pay? On the shared sunset tour: two adults at €34 and two children aged 3 to 7 at €15 comes to €98, and under-3s are free. A two-hour private charter is €300 for the whole yacht regardless of how many of you there are — which is why larger families usually end up chartering. Where exactly do you anchor to swim? In the sheltered coves north of the second bridge, up towards Poyrazkoy and the lighthouses at the mouth of the Black Sea, and in the bays around the Princes' Islands. All of them are off the shipping lane and out of the current, which is why we use them rather than stopping wherever the yacht happens to be. When is the swimming season on the Bosphorus? Roughly June to September, with the warmest water in August and early September. Outside those months a cruise still runs and the coves are quieter than ever, but most guests keep to the deck. Do we need to be strong swimmers? No. We anchor in calm water, the swim ladder goes down off the back, and life jackets are on board in adult and children's sizes. If someone would rather stay on deck the stop works for them too - most groups have one or two who never get in. How long is the swim stop? Usually 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how long you charter for and how far up the strait you want to go. On a full day there is time for two stops, typically one cove and one bay at the islands. Can we change and shower on board? There is a cabin to change in and a bathroom on board. Bring a towel and something to change into; on longer charters we can have towels ready if you ask when you book. Can we swim on the shared group tour as well? The shared sunset tour is a fixed two-hour route without a swim stop. Swimming needs a private charter, from 300 EUR for two hours for the whole yacht, because the yacht has to leave the route and anchor. On board — Talha, deckhand The bays we anchor in are not on the standard Bosphorus route, and that is the entire point. We go where the ferry traffic does not, drop anchor, and the water is clean enough that the people who swore they would not swim end up in it. I put the ladder down, I keep count of who is in the water, and I am the one handing you the towel when you come up. Bring a hat — the sun coming off the water is stronger than it feels. Booking direct — no agency in the middle. Booking sites do not sell what is on this page: they sell seats, we charter you the whole yacht. Write to us and no reseller takes a commission out of your budget, and your request does not pass through a middleman who flattens it into a standard package. Constantine Yachts is run by AST Turizm — TÜRSAB licence no. A-805, on the Bosphorus since 1967. Your date, your boarding time, your route and your extras are agreed with the same people who prepare the yacht. Booking and cancellation. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure — any prepayment is refunded in full. Inside 24 hours, contact us and we will try to move you to another slot. If the captain cancels a departure for safety, you choose: another day or a full refund. Full terms in our FAQ. What Our Guests Say Real guest reviews, each published on the platform under the guest’s own name — 700+ verified reviews across Google, Viator and GetYourGuide, as of August 2026. “Beautiful boat tour passing the Bosforo bridge. Wonderful views. Emre very good guide. Drinks, nuts, fruit and biscuits served during the cruise. Really a good experience!” — lucy B · Google review, August 2026“We had a great time at this tour with our family, we had delicious drinks and great snacks, the guide Emri was also really friendly and gave us great information and advice. I would definitely recommend!” — Elise Denneman · Google review, August 2026“Very good experience, with a nice staff. Light food, drin… ## Translations - [TR] https://constantineyachts.com/tr/tour/istanbulda-bogazda-yuzme-turu.md - [DE] https://constantineyachts.com/de/tour/bosporus-schwimmtour.md - [RU] https://constantineyachts.com/ru/tour/kupanie-v-bosfore-na-yahte.md - [FR] https://constantineyachts.com/fr/tour/baignade-bosphore-yacht.md --- More: https://constantineyachts.com/llms.txt · https://constantineyachts.com/llms-sitemap.txt