Private Yacht Charter & Rental in Istanbul

What your cruise costs — the whole yacht, never per seat:

2-hour sunset cruise · €300 total (up to 12 guests) 3 hours with a swimming stop · €450 total (up to 12 guests) 4-hour celebration · €600 total (up to 12 guests)

Ten guests on a two-hour cruise works out at €30 per person. No port tax, no booking fee, no service charge at the end — the hourly rate is the rate. Catering, decoration or a musician are optional extras, priced only if you want them.

WhatsApp us — fixed quote the same day

Send your date, group size and occasion — we answer in minutes during the day. Free cancellation or date change up to 24 h before departure, any prepayment refunded in full.

Can we bring our own food and drinks?

Yes. On a private charter the yacht is yours, so you are welcome to bring your own cake, snacks and drinks, wine included; tell us in advance so the crew can keep them cold and serve them. If you bring in full outside catering, a per-person service fee applies and is itemised in your written quote.

Is the price per person?

No. Every price we quote covers the entire yacht for your group.

Staying several nights rather than chartering for an evening? We also run multi-night yacht stays where the yacht is your hotel as well as your transport — from €1,400 per night for the whole yacht.

How many guests can join?

From a couple celebrating alone up to 200 guests, the right yacht depends on your group; the largest come from our partner fleet. Tell us your number and we will match the yacht.

Yacht choice and sample budgets by group size: 20 guests, 30 guests, 50 guests and 100 guests.

Where does the charter start?

Karaköy, in central Istanbul — easy to reach from both the old town and the new town.

How far in advance should we book?

Sunset slots on summer weekends fill first. For a specific date and hour, earlier is safer.

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 Turizm, 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. For private charters we can also board at Kuruçeşme, Bebek, Kadıköy, Beşiktaş or Kabataş — in fact almost anywhere on the Istanbul shoreline — for a surcharge that depends on the distance from Karaköy. Details for each pier are on our boarding points page.

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 (€26 in winter). From roughly nine guests upward (about twelve at the winter price) 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 292 reviews, with more than 800 guest reviews in total across Google, Viator and GetYourGuide.

How much deposit do you take, and how do we pay?

A deposit of at least 30% holds your date; the balance is paid on the day of the cruise. You can pay by card, cash or bank transfer. Card payments run through Stripe over a secure SSL connection, so your card details are handled by the payment provider and never stored by us. For the whole sequence, from the same-day quote to the day of the cruise, see what a yacht charter costs and how booking works.

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 is for the whole yacht and includes up to 12 guests, so children cost nothing extra unless the group is larger than 12 (each guest above 12 adds a one-off €25). 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 Turizm 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 four 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 (€82 in winter, when adults pay €26), and under-3s are free. A two-hour private charter is €300 for the whole yacht for up to 12 of you, plus €25 for each extra guest — which is why larger families usually end up chartering.

Can we design our own route?

That is the point of a private charter. Tell us what you want to see – the palaces on the lower strait, the fortresses and the yali mansions further up, a cove for swimming, a restaurant to be dropped at – and the captain plans the route around it. Nothing is fixed except the departure time.

How many hours do most people book?

Two hours is the minimum and suits a sunset run down the lower Bosphorus. Three to four hours is the most common choice and lets you linger at the fortresses and go further north; a full day is what you need to go up to the Black Sea mouth or across to the islands with a swim stop.

Can we charter in the morning rather than the evening?

Yes, and mornings are underrated – the water is at its calmest, the light is good for photographs and the strait is quiet. Morning charters are also the easiest slots to get at short notice in high season. Our guide to a private daytime yacht charter shows what two or three hours on the water in daylight look like.

Can we extend the charter on the day?

Often, at 150 EUR per hour, depending on whether another booking follows yours. If you think you might want longer, book the extra hour up front and release it if you do not use it – that way the time is guaranteed.

Do you have more than one yacht?

We operate our own yachts and work with a partner fleet, which together cover groups from a couple up to 200 guests. When you tell us your group size and the kind of day you want, we put forward the yacht that fits rather than the one that happens to be free.

Can we look around the yacht before we book?

Yes – viewings are arranged at the pier when the yacht is in, usually with a day or two’s notice. If you are not in Istanbul yet we send photographs and a walkthrough video of the actual yacht rather than a stock gallery.

Is there a Russian-speaking guide or a Russian audio guide?

Yes. A free audio guide, including Russian, is available on every cruise. On a private charter we can also arrange a live Russian-speaking guide for an extra fee, quoted at booking.

Where does the private yacht depart from?

Karaköy, on the European side, a short walk from the Karaköy tram stop. We send the exact pin on WhatsApp once your booking is confirmed.

Can we board from Beşiktaş, Bebek or the Asian side instead?

Yes. For private charters Kuruçeşme, Bebek, Beşiktaş, Kabataş and Kadıköy are all possible, with a distance-based surcharge quoted in writing before you book.

What time can a charter start?

Any time between morning and late evening, subject to the yacht’s schedule. Sunset is the most requested slot; the exact sunset time for your date is on our sunset times page.

Can I choose the route?

On a private charter, yes. Two hours covers the classic route (Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy, Bebek, Rumeli Fortress, back along the Asian shore); longer charters can go further north past the second bridge, into the Golden Horn or to a swimming stop.

Should I cancel if the forecast looks cloudy?

No. Cloud does not stop a cruise and often makes a better sunset. Only wind or sea state that the captain judges unsafe cancels a departure, and then you choose another date or a full refund.

Can I cancel my booking?

Up to 24 hours before departure, free, with any prepayment refunded in full. New Year’s Eve and other special dates have their own terms, stated in the written quote.

Can I add a photographer, a violinist or a DJ?

Yes, all three are arranged on request and priced separately. For proposals we have seven scenarios, from a violinist on deck to a message under the bridge.

How do I pay, and is my card safe?

At least 30% on booking and the balance on the day. Card payments run through Stripe, a US-based, PCI DSS Level 1 certified platform, and card details never reach us; bank transfer to our EUR or USD accounts is also fine.