Yacht rental from Bebek: which yachts board there and where to go

Ten of our yachts board in Bebek: seven Luxury yachts and three large Comfort yachts. The smallest takes up to 10 guests and the largest up to 70. Hourly rates start at €260 for the whole yacht, with a 2-hour minimum. It’s just you, your guests and the crew on board. Read on to see which yachts board in Bebek, where to go from there and how to reach the boarding point.

Bebek at a glance

Bebek is a neighborhood on the European shore of the Bosphorus, between Arnavutköy and Rumelihisarı. Historic waterside mansions line the shore, a promenade with cafés runs along the bay, and the walls of Rumelihisarı Fortress rise just to the north. It’s a green, quiet stretch of the Bosphorus, yet not far from the center.

For a yacht trip, Bebek has one clear advantage: it sits between the first and second Bosphorus bridges. From here it’s easy to head north toward the fortress and the second bridge, or south toward the palaces and the Bosphorus Bridge.

Yachts that board in Bebek

According to our yacht list at the time of writing, 10 yachts board in Bebek. The cards below this article always show the current list with photos and prices.

Kandilli is the neighborhood across the water from Bebek, on the Asian shore. You can board the three Carpathia yachts in either Bebek or Kandilli; we’ll pick whichever suits you when you book.

Pick a yacht that can take your whole group. For a small group (up to 10 guests), Kaderim 1 is a good fit. For a big celebration or a company event, Mega Carpathia takes up to 70 guests. Children count as full passengers, so include everyone when you tell us your group size.

What it costs

You pay by the hour for the whole yacht, not per person. In Bebek, hourly rates start at €260 for the whole yacht; the minimum rental is 2 hours, and prices don’t include VAT (KDV). 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 long as the yacht is free that day.

How the price adds up, and what it comes to per person in a group, is covered in our guide to Istanbul yacht rental prices.

Where to go from Bebek

The exact route depends on the boarding point and conditions on the water, and we can shape it around you. From Bebek you can head one of two ways, or combine both.

North: the fortress and the second bridge

Right next to Bebek stands Rumelihisarı, a 15th-century Ottoman fortress built in just a few months ahead of the conquest of Constantinople. Across the water, on the Asian shore, is Küçüksu Pavilion, a small, elegant palace where the sultans came to rest. Farther north, the shores get greener, with more waterside mansions.

South: the palaces and the Bosphorus Bridge

South of Bebek you pass Arnavutköy, Ortaköy Mosque right at the water’s edge, the Bosphorus Bridge, Çırağan and Dolmabahçe palaces on the European shore and Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side. With enough time, you can go as far as the Maiden’s Tower at the mouth of the Bosphorus. Most of these sights are on the route of our Classic Bosphorus Cruise; it can start from Bebek, and the price depends on the yacht you choose.

You can ask the captain to come closer or slow down for photos if conditions allow. For more on what you’ll see along the way, read our guide to Bosphorus landmarks seen from the water.

At sunset

We time the departure to the sunset on your date. Usually we leave about 30 minutes before sunset, which is enough to watch it from the water. If you want to be at a particular spot farther away, such as the bridge, we leave about an hour before. How well you’ll see the sunset depends on the clouds. A similar trip is our Bosphorus Sunset Cruise; it can also start from Bebek, and the price depends on the yacht you choose. For dinner for two on the water, see our Romantic Dinner Cruise.

Getting to the boarding point

Bebek is on the coast road along the European shore of the Bosphorus, an easy taxi ride from Beşiktaş, Ortaköy or Taksim. We’ll send you the exact boarding spot on WhatsApp once your yacht is confirmed.

If you’re staying far from Bebek, you have two options. You can book a transfer to the yacht as an extra. Or you can board somewhere else: on request, we can start from another boarding point 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. It’s usually simpler and cheaper to take a transfer to the yacht than to bring the yacht to you.

What to bring

You can bring your own food and drinks: on some yachts it’s free, on others there’s a small service fee. You can also order breakfast, lunch or dinner on board. It gets cooler on the water in the evening, so bring a jacket. Every yacht has a heated saloon, so there’s always somewhere warm. All yachts in the Comfort+ class and above have blankets, as do almost all Comfort yachts.

We sail all year round. 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.