How to book a yacht in Istanbul, step by step

You book one of our yachts on WhatsApp. There are no user accounts or online payments on the website. You send us your date and group size, we reply with the yachts that are free and the price, and a 20% deposit confirms the booking. The balance is paid when you board. It’s just you, your guests and the crew on board. Here’s how it works, step by step.

Step 1. Pick a tour or a yacht

There are two ways to start.

A ready-made tour suits you if you’d like a set program. There are twelve on our tours page, from the Classic Bosphorus Cruise and the Bosphorus Sunset Cruise to dinner on board, a birthday or a full day at the Princes’ Islands. Tour prices are for the whole tour, not per person.

A yacht by the hour suits you if you want to choose the yacht, the length of the trip and roughly where to go yourself. Our yachts page shows each yacht’s class, capacity, boarding point and hourly rate. Rates are for the whole yacht, not per person, from €90 to €800 an hour depending on the yacht. The minimum rental is 2 hours, and people usually book 2 to 4 hours for the Bosphorus.

Not sure which to choose? Just message us and we’ll suggest options.

Step 2. Message us on WhatsApp

You can send the message straight from the website, and part of it will already be filled in.

• From a tour page. Each tour page has a short form: date, preferred time, number of guests, additional services and special requests. All fields are optional — we’ll confirm the details on WhatsApp. When you tap “Send on WhatsApp”, a message opens with the tour name and whatever you filled in.
• From a yacht page. The WhatsApp button opens a message with the yacht’s name and ID, so we know right away which yacht you mean.
• In your own words. Just message us on WhatsApp — there are buttons in this guide too.

We receive nothing until you send the message yourself. And a request from the website isn’t a booking yet: the deposit is what confirms it.

What to include in your message

The more you tell us in your first message, the sooner we can send options:

1. Date. If several days work for you, list them all.
2. Time. Morning, afternoon or evening. If you’d like to watch the sunset, say so: we’ll time the departure to the sunset on your date.
3. Number of guests, including children. Children count as full passengers, so include everyone.
4. Tour or yacht. The tour name, the yacht’s name or ID, or a class and budget if you’d like us to choose.
5. How many hours, if you’re booking a yacht by the hour.
6. Additional services. A guide, catering, a photographer or videographer, decorations, live music, transfers. What’s available depends on the yacht and date.
7. Preferred boarding point. Each yacht has its own boarding point; our Su yachts have two, Arnavutköy and Kuleli, and you choose. On request we can start from another one, including for the Classic Bosphorus Cruise or the Bosphorus Sunset Cruise.

Step 3. Get your options and price

We’ll tell you which yachts are free on your date and confirm the final price. It depends on the yacht, date, duration and the services you choose, and we agree on it with you before you book. Prices don’t include VAT (KDV).

If the yacht’s boarding point is far from where you’re staying, you have two options. We can start from another boarding point: if it’s close by, there’s no extra charge; if the yacht has to travel to reach you, that time is billed at its hourly rate. Or you can book a transfer to the yacht, which is usually simpler and cheaper. For a full breakdown of costs, see our guide to Istanbul yacht rental prices.

Step 4. Pay the 20% deposit

Your booking is confirmed once we receive a 20% deposit. We’ll tell you how to pay it on WhatsApp.

Step 5. Get your boarding spot

We’ll send you the exact boarding spot on WhatsApp once your booking is confirmed. Our boarding points are usually central, so it’s rarely a long ride.

Step 6. On the day

You pay the balance when you board. A captain and crew (at least two crew members) are always on board, and every yacht has a heated saloon, with tea and coffee included. You can bring your own food and drinks: on some yachts it’s free, on others there’s a small service fee. It gets cooler on the water in the evening, so bring a jacket.

If you’d like to stay out longer, you can extend the cruise as long as the yacht is free that day. Extra time is added as an additional service.

How far ahead to book

Same-day bookings are possible if a yacht is available, but booking 2–3 days ahead gives you a wider choice.

A few dates and extras need more notice:

• New Year’s Eve (December 31) and Valentine’s Day (February 14). We sail on request at a special rate. Demand is very high, so book early; for New Year’s Eve, before the start of December. We’ll share the booking terms for that night when you ask. More in our guide to New Year’s Eve on a yacht in Istanbul.
• Cake and decorations for our Bachelor / Bachelorette Yacht Party need to be ordered at least a day ahead. The yacht itself can be booked on the day if it’s free.

Weather and cancellations

The captain always makes the final call. If there’s a storm or it isn’t safe to go out, we’ll move your cruise to another convenient date free of charge. This doesn’t happen often. If there’s rain or wind but the captain is comfortable going out, we sail — there’s always the heated saloon.

If you cancel at least 10 days before your cruise, we’ll refund your deposit. For later cancellations, the deposit is non-refundable. For holidays such as New Year’s Eve (December 31) and Valentine’s Day (February 14), we’ll share the booking and cancellation terms when you ask.