💡 The Short Version: A dinner cruise with a show is €20 to €27 for 3 hours. The bestseller is the Mega Lüfer dinner cruise with a private tablead, from €27, with 75,402 reviews. The Turyol cruisead is also €27 and boards at Karaköy; the Pereme cruisead is €20 from Kabataş. The set dinner and soft drinks are in the ticket. Unlimited alcohol, a window-side table and hotel pick-up are options you pay for when you book. The Turyol cruise boards from 20:00 and leaves on time. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult. For a daytime or sunset boat without dinner, see the Bosphorus cruise guide.
The four cruises compared
| Cruise | From | Length | Boards at | The show | Alcohol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner Cruise and Show with Private Tablead | €27 | 3 to 5 hours | Depends on the option | Turkish folk dances, belly dance, Latin and flamenco dances, a DJ | Unlimited, if you choose the option |
| Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Showad | €27 | 3 hours | Karaköy ferry pier | A 1½-hour Turkish night show with a live DJ | Unlimited local drinks, if you choose the option |
| Dinner Cruise, Window Side Table Optionalad | €21 | 3 hours | Pier opposite Kadir Has University, Cibali | Turkish dances, belly dance, Latin rhythms, a DJ | Soft drinks, tea and coffee |
| Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Showad | €20 | 3 hours | Kabataş port | Folk and belly dance, a whirling dervish number, a DJ | Two drinks, if you choose the option |
The cruises
The Bosphorus Bridge lit at night. Photo: Andrey Filippov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Mega Lüfer dinner cruise with a private table
From €27 · 3 to 5 hours · 75,402 reviews · HGR Cruise Travel Agency
Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Tablead runs on the Mega Lüfer yachts, and you cannot choose which of the three you board. The standard dinner is six cold mezes, a hot starter, a main of sea bass fillet, mixed grill or a vegetarian dish, and seasonal fruit, with unlimited soft drinks, Turkish tea and coffee. The show covers Turkish folk dances, belly dance, Latin and flamenco dances and a DJ. The main indoor saloon seats 160 and the VIP lounge on the upper deck 100.
Options, each priced when you book, per person: a window-side table, a table close to the stage, a seat in the VIP lounge (a seating choice that does not change the menu), a VIP menu, a birthday package, unlimited alcohol and hotel pick-up and drop-off. If you book the transfer, be ready at your hotel at 19:00, and the van collects between 19:00 and 20:00. A booking for one person is seated with other guests rather than at a private table. The listing asks you to bring your passport or ID card, and the cruise is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Turyol cruise from Karaköy
From €27 · 3 hours · 14,470 reviews · Turyol Bosfor Dinner Cruise
Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Turkish Night Showad boards at Karaköy ferry pier, a two-minute walk from Karaköy tram station on the T1. Wait outside the pier gates; you do not need a ferry ticket. The boat, the “Turyol Bosfor”, takes passengers between 20:00 and 20:30 and leaves on time. The dinner is a Turkish starter plate, a green salad, a pastry, a main of grilled meatballs, spicy chicken skewers or baked seasonal fish (grilled vegetables with rice or pasta for vegetarians) and dessert or fruit. With the drinks option the local beer, rakı, vodka, wine, gin and soft drinks are unlimited, and imported drinks are charged extra. The show runs for 1½ hours.
The Karaköy ferry pier, with the Galata Tower on the hill behind. Photo: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mega Lüfer cruise from Cibali
From €21 · 3 hours · 2,642 reviews · HGR Cruise Travel Agency
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show – Window Side Table Optionalad boards the Mega Lüfer-3 at the pier opposite Kadir Has University on the Golden Horn, a one-minute walk from Cibali station on the T5 tram, which runs from Eminönü. It has the same dinner as the bestseller, unlimited soft drinks and a private table. A window-side seat is guaranteed only if you choose the window-side table option. Suitcases and large bags are not allowed on board, and the departure point can change in bad weather, with notice.
Pereme cruise from Kabataş
From €20 · 3 hours · 2,275 reviews · Pereme Tours by Dentur Avrasya
Istanbul: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Showad boards the “Pereme” at Kabataş port, a five-minute walk from Dolmabahçe Palace and reached by the T1 tram or the F1 funicular from Taksim. The dinner is cold starters, a salad, potato croquettes, a main of grilled fish, grilled chicken, grilled meatballs or mushroom pasta, and dessert and fruit. It is the cheapest of the four, and the boat is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. The show has folk and belly dancers, a whirling dervish number and a DJ.
Choosing a cruise
- The pier. Karaköy and Kabataş are on the T1 tram; Cibali is on the T5, which starts at Eminönü. The Istanbul public transport guide has the fares.
- Alcohol. It is an option on three of the four, priced into the ticket when you choose it. Imported drinks cost extra on the Turyol cruise.
- The table. A window-side seat costs extra on the two Mega Lüfer cruises. Without it you are seated in the saloon.
- The show. All four run belly dance and folk dance with a DJ. A whirling dervish number is part of the Pereme and Mega Lüfer shows. It is entertainment; the ceremony is a different evening, covered in whirling dervishes in Istanbul.
- Hotel pick-up. An option on all four, priced when you book.
What to book before you go to Istanbul lists the sights that need tickets. The Bosphorus cruise guide compares the daytime and sunset boats, and the Sultanahmet walk or Istanbul walking tours fill the day before. Where to eat in Istanbul covers dinner on land, and where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas, with Kabataş and Karaköy within reach of the T1 tram.
Common questions
How much is a Bosphorus dinner cruise?
From €20 to €27 per person on GetYourGuide for a 3-hour cruise with dinner and a show. The bestseller is the Mega Lüfer dinner cruise with a private table, from €27, with 75,402 reviews. Window-side and close-to-stage tables, unlimited alcohol and hotel pick-up are paid options.
What is included in a Bosphorus dinner cruise?
A set dinner of cold mezes, a hot starter, a main course (sea bass, mixed grill or a vegetarian dish) and fruit or dessert, unlimited soft drinks, Turkish tea and coffee, and the live show. Alcohol is an option on three of the four cruises on this page, and imported drinks cost extra on the Turyol cruise.
Where does a Bosphorus dinner cruise leave from?
It depends on the cruise: Karaköy ferry pier for the Turyol cruise, Kabataş port for the Pereme cruise, and the pier by Kadir Has University at Cibali for one Mega Lüfer cruise. The Mega Lüfer bestseller names its meeting point per option.
What time does a Bosphorus dinner cruise start?
Boarding for the Turyol cruise is 20:00 to 20:30 at Karaköy, and the boat leaves on time. Hotel pick-up for the Mega Lüfer bestseller is between 19:00 and 20:00. The other sailing times show in the booking calendar.
Is there a vegetarian or halal dinner on the cruise?
Yes. The operators of all four cruises list vegetarian dishes, and the Mega Lüfer and Turyol cruises say they cater for vegetarian, pescetarian and halal diets.
