New Year’s Eve on a yacht in Istanbul: how to plan December 31

Yes, you can ring in the New Year on a private yacht in Istanbul — just you, your guests and the crew. We sail on New Year’s Eve (December 31) on request at a special rate. The one thing to know up front: book early. Demand for that night is very high, and yachts book up fast. Below: how the night works, how warm it is on board in winter, how to pick a yacht and what to send us when you get in touch.

How New Year’s Eve on the water works

We plan your December 31 cruise around your request: which yacht, how many guests, when you set off, how long you stay out and which boarding point suits you. The price depends on all of that.

We don’t publish prices for December 31. The rate is quoted on request and differs from the regular hourly rates on our site. As on any other day, it’s for the whole yacht, not per person, and VAT (KDV) is not included. For a sense of what a yacht costs on a regular evening, see our guide to Istanbul yacht rental prices.

We’ll share the booking terms for that night when you get in touch.

Why booking early matters

On a regular day, same-day bookings are possible if a yacht is free, and booking 2–3 days ahead gives you a wider choice. New Year’s Eve is different. Demand for that night is very high, and we can’t promise a free yacht without an early booking.

So message us as soon as you know you’ll be in Istanbul on December 31 — ideally before early December. The earlier you ask, the more yachts are still free and the easier it is to find a boarding point near your hotel. The same goes for Valentine’s Day (February 14).

Will it be cold on the water?

We sail year-round, and the Bosphorus is worth seeing in winter too. Every one of our yachts has an enclosed, heated saloon, so you can sit at the table in the warmth and watch the lights through the windows. Most yachts have blankets for guests: all yachts in the Comfort+ class and above, and almost all in the Comfort class. You can wrap up in one and step out on deck with a cup of tea or your own drinks, then head back inside.

Dress for the weather, and add a layer. It’s colder on the water in the evening than on shore during the day, so bring a warm jacket even if you’re taking a taxi to the boarding point.

What you see from the water that night

It gets dark early in winter, so you see the city lit up for most of the evening: palaces and mosques along the shore, old neighborhoods on the hills, and the bridges across the Bosphorus — the strait that runs through Istanbul between Europe and Asia. The exact route depends on the boarding point and conditions on the water, and we agree on it with you in advance.

Want a shot of a bridge or the lit-up shore? You can ask the captain to come closer or slow down for photos if conditions allow.

On New Year’s Eve, the city usually puts on fireworks by the Bosphorus Bridge and in Ortaköy, and they’re easy to see from the water. The fireworks are run by the city and the program can change, so we can’t promise them. Where the yacht will be at midnight is something we agree on with you in advance, if conditions on the water allow.

Choosing a yacht for your group

Start with the number of guests. Each yacht has its own capacity, and children count as full passengers, so include everyone. Then choose by class — Comfort, Comfort+, Business or Luxury — and by boarding point. We most often sail from Bebek, Arnavutköy, Karaköy and the Golden Horn, and other boarding points closer to where you’re staying are possible on request.

You can compare yachts, their capacity and boarding points on our yachts page. Not sure which one fits? Tell us how many of you there are, and we’ll suggest a few that are free on that date.

What you can add to the evening

You can bring your own food and drinks: on some yachts it’s free, on others there’s a small service fee. If you’d rather not bring anything, you can order dinner on board.

For a celebration, these extras are available on request, depending on the yacht and date:

• Catering
• A DJ or performers
• Flowers and balloons
• Photo and video
• A transfer to the boarding point

None of these come as standard — they’re part of the evening only if you’ve booked them. Planning to propose at midnight? Our guide on how to propose in Istanbul covers how to keep it a surprise.

For a New Year’s party, look at Private Yacht Events: we choose the yacht with you and agree on the date, duration and route around your occasion, and the price is on request.

For a regular evening for two, there’s our Romantic Dinner Cruise, and for watching the sun go down, the Bosphorus Sunset Cruise. Their prices don’t apply on December 31: terms for that night are always quoted separately.

Weather and the captain’s call

The captain always makes the final call on going out. Rain or wind the captain considers comfortable won’t cancel your evening — there’s always the heated saloon. If there’s a storm or it isn’t safe to go out, we stay in port and move your cruise to another date free of charge. This rarely happens, but it’s worth knowing before you book.

What to send us when you get in touch

• How many guests, including children
• What time you’d like to set off and how many hours you want on the water
• Where you’re staying, so we can suggest a nearby boarding point
• Whether you want dinner, catering, flowers, photos or a transfer
• Whether you’re bringing your own food and drinks