Bosphorus Tour

What Bosphorus Tour Operates

Bosphorus Tour, which styles itself Bosphorus Tour Organisations, runs yacht cruises and private charters on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, along with city tours and longer trips around Turkey. The About page describes it as "the city's leading boat sightseeing and dining cruises experience on Bosphorus" and says it "is privately owned company and sits in Velena Travel"; the footer gives Velena Travel's TURSAB License No. A13807. The homepage says "Business est. in 2006" and promises "Deal directly with the owners for the best price" and "Dedicated to providing luxury at an affordable price." Cruises leave daily from Eminonu and Kabatas piers, and the About page lists routes on the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, toward the Black Sea and to the Prince's Islands. Prices are shown in euros. The site runs in English and Spanish, and the phone line is marked "7/24."

Cruises and Prices

The homepage schedule lists the regular cruises. The Morning Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise runs from 10:30 to 13:00 for €40, and the afternoon cruise runs from 14:00 to 16:30 for €40, both described as "Small-Group of 25 to 30 guests" and running every day. The afternoon version stops for coffee and snacks in Kanlica on the Asian side, with "live commentary and fun facts from an experienced guide" and onboard Wi-Fi. The homepage headline boat is a "Best in class yacht - 82 ft - for 45 passengers."

The Bosphorus Sunset Cruise departs "1 Hour Before the Official Sunset Time" for a 2.5-hour cruise and is listed at €60 in the schedule, though a sunset card further down the page shows €50. The site also sells a sunset cruise with a live guide, a private sunset yacht, a 4-hour sunset and dinner cruise with live commentary and a DJ, and a breakfast cruise with "a light breakfast served with hot tea and coffee." The Bosphorus and Black Sea Cruise with Lunch runs 5 hours for €150. The Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with a Turkish night show, running in the evening past Dolmabahce Palace, Ortakoy Mosque and the Maiden's Tower, is listed as "Ask for price," as is a VIP dinner yacht with "smaller guest capacity." A winter timetable applies from 1 November to 15 March for some tours.

The dinner cruise page gives more detail than its price line. It lists a 3.5-hour evening cruise starting and ending at Kabatas, with "a delicious multi-course dinner featuring authentic Turkish cuisine" and a show that includes belly dance, regional folk dances and Whirling Dervishes. The dining section of the homepage says menus include "freshly caught seafood, locally grown vegetables, premium cocktails, beer from local breweries," prepared on board. The morning cruise's blog post highlights a stop in Kanlica for its well-known yogurt, and the afternoon cruise passes Dolmabahce Palace and the Rumeli Fortress before the Asian-side stop.

City Tours and Longer Trips

Land tours are part of the catalog. The Full-Day Classic Istanbul Tour, listed at €90, covers Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar, starting and ending at Kabatas. Combined tours pair Dolmabahce Palace (with skip-the-line entry and the Harem) with a sunset cruise, and a heritage tour of Galata Tower, the city walls and Yedikule with a sunset cruise for a small group of 10 is listed at €150. A private full-day Iznik tour visits ancient Nicaea. The company also sells private Istanbul tours by car or on foot, pitched as "No Bus, No Rush, No Sharing With Strangers," along with walking tours of Fener and Balat with an art historian and religious-heritage tours. Package holidays include a 5-day Istanbul stay with 4 nights of accommodation, airport transfers and 2 guided city tours, and 2-day flying trips from Istanbul to Ephesus and Pamukkale or to Cappadocia with a hot-air balloon ride. Beyond Istanbul, the site sells a 9-day escorted group tour taking in Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya and Cappadocia, 4-day and 6-day study trips for students, and blue cruise cabin charters of 4 days/3 nights and 8 days/7 nights on crewed yachts.

Private Charters and Weddings

Private charters cover weddings, birthdays, memorial cruises and corporate events, with team building such as a treasure hunt around historic Istanbul, where small teams use a kit of clues and riddles to reach the "great treasure." For corporate charters the events page says the team handles "selecting the appropriate yacht, menu, decorations, and entertainment, invitations, promotional items, and more," and for birthdays it offers help with themed parties. The wedding page says the company's consultants "plan, coordinate and organize your event," and invites couples to ask about packages that "include a wedding arch, two levels for your reception area, professional catering staff, seated dinner for up to 240 on the main deck, fresh flowers, linens, champagne toast, designer wedding cakes." For larger groups it lists 60, 250 and 260-person motor yachts. The private lunch cruise covers the Bosphorus and the Black Sea in 5 hours. Prices for charters are given only on request, by phone (+90 554 797 26 46) or email.

Booking and Terms

The About page says cruise bookings come with "two ways hotel and boat transfers included" and "a dedicated reception area" at the piers. The dinner cruise description mentions "optional hotel transfers." The wedding page states "Free cancellation prior to 24 hours cruise starting time," and the same line appears on the site's help panel. Tours are booked through "Book now" buttons on each listing or by phone.

What the Site Leaves Open and Who It Suits

The site does not say how many yachts it runs or which boat serves which cruise, beyond the 82 ft yacht for 45 on the homepage. The two sunset prices are not explained, the dinner cruise price is only available on request, and payment methods are not described. Nothing is said about accessibility for wheelchair users on board.

Bosphorus Tour suits visitors who want a daytime or sunset cruise on a smaller yacht, with a guide and a published euro price, and groups planning a wedding or party on the water. Those who want to combine the Bosphorus with Istanbul's old city sights in one booking will find several packaged options.