A yacht for a large group in Istanbul: 18 to 70 guests on one boat

A large group doesn’t have to split up across several boats: one private yacht can take everyone, and it’s just your guests and the crew on board. We have 13 yachts for 18 guests or more, and the largest, Mega Carpathia, takes up to 70. Rates are for the whole yacht, from €233 to €800 an hour, with a 2-hour minimum. Prices don’t include VAT (KDV). Here’s how to pick the right yacht for your group, how the price works and what to tell us when you book.

Yachts that take a large group

The table lists our yachts for 18 guests or more at the time of writing. The cards below this article and our yachts page always show the current list with photos and prices.

Choosing by group size

• Up to 25 guests: three Luxury yachts from Bebek (Kaderim 4, Kaderim 6 and Kaderim 5), plus every larger yacht.
• Up to 30 guests: this is where you have the most choice. Five yachts take exactly 30 guests, across four classes and five boarding points: Bebek and Kandilli, Arnavutköy and Kuleli, and Hasköy on the Golden Horn.
• Up to 40 guests: Kaderim 8 and Kaderim 7 from Bebek, Su Royal from Arnavutköy or Kuleli, and Constantine from Hasköy. Constantine has the lowest hourly rate of any yacht in this table.
• More than 40 guests: only Mega Carpathia, which takes up to 70. You can board it in Bebek or in Kandilli, just across the water on the Asian shore; we’ll pick whichever suits you when you book.

Size matters as much as class: a large Comfort yacht can cost more than a small Luxury one. Children count as full passengers, so include everyone when you tell us your group size.

What a yacht for a large group costs

The hourly price covers the whole yacht and everyone on board, up to its capacity. Your total is the hourly rate times the number of hours, with a 2-hour minimum. People usually book 2 to 4 hours for the Bosphorus. If you’d like to stay out longer once you’re on board, you can add time as an extra, as long as the yacht is free that day.

The price of the yacht is shared by the whole group, so the more guests you have, the less each person pays. How to budget is covered in our guide to Istanbul yacht rental prices.

Additional services such as catering, a photographer or videographer, decorations, live music and transfers are paid for separately. What’s available depends on the yacht and date. A 20% deposit confirms your booking, and the balance is paid when you board.

Company events, weddings and celebrations

If your group is getting together for an occasion, take a look at our Private Yacht Events. The package works for a company event, a reception for partners, a wedding, an anniversary or an evening with family and friends. We find a yacht that fits your guest count and format, and agree on the date, duration and route with you. Catering, a DJ, performers, decorations, photos, transfers and special effects are priced separately, in line with safety rules and any permits needed. The price is on request: it depends on the format, so we prepare a tailored proposal.

For a birthday there’s our Birthday Yacht Celebration, and for a bachelor or bachelorette party, our Bachelor / Bachelorette Yacht Party. For ideas, see our guide to a bachelorette party in Istanbul.

What to tell us when you book

The more we know, the faster we can suggest the right yachts. Send us a WhatsApp message with:

1. Your date and rough time. Daytime or sunset, since that sets the departure time.
2. The exact number of guests, children included. A child takes a place on board just like an adult.
3. The occasion. A sightseeing trip, a birthday, a company event or a wedding: it shapes the choice of yacht and extras.
4. How many hours you’d like on the water. The minimum is 2.
5. Where most of your guests are staying. We’ll suggest a nearby boarding point or a transfer to the yacht.
6. Food and extras. We can arrange breakfast, lunch, dinner or catering on board. You can bring your own food and drinks: on some yachts it’s free, on others there’s a small service fee.

We’ll suggest yachts and give you a price. Once your booking is confirmed, we’ll send the exact boarding spot on WhatsApp, so you can forward it to all your guests straight away.

Tips for a large group

Get in touch early. Same-day bookings are possible if a yacht is available, but booking 2–3 days ahead gives you a wider choice. With a large group this matters even more: fewer than half of our yachts take 30 guests or more, and only one takes more than 40.

Think about getting to the boarding point. Our main boarding points are Bebek, Arnavutköy, Karaköy and the Golden Horn. We can also start from another one in Istanbul. 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. If your guests are staying outside the center, it’s usually simpler and cheaper to take a transfer to the yacht.

Choose your time. For a first trip on the Bosphorus, daylight works best. For sunset, we usually leave about 30 minutes before the sun goes down, or about an hour before if you want to be at a particular spot, such as the bridge. How well you’ll see the sunset depends on the clouds.

Plan for a cool evening. It gets cooler on the water in the evening, so ask your guests to bring a jacket. Every yacht has a heated saloon.

Special dates. On New Year’s Eve (December 31) and Valentine’s Day (February 14), we sail on request at a special rate, so book well ahead; for New Year’s Eve, before the start of December.