Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show from Istanbul
Description
Make the most of an evening in Istanbul with a sparkling 3-hour dinner cruise experience on the Bosporus Strait. Admire spectacular views of Istanbul’s beautifully illuminated palaces, mosques and Bosporus bridges and enjoy a delicious 3-course dinner with select drinks. Glittering entertainment from belly dancers, whirling dervishes and other artistes is included, along with hotel pickup and drop-off. Upgrade to an alcoholic drinks package if you wish.
Tour Options
Itinerary
you take a Bosphorus tour, you’ll pass many lavish and intriguing buildings, but the most opulent of them all, surely has to be the 600m long Dolmabahçe Sarayı (Dolmabahce Palace). It took 13 years to build and was completed in 1856, and served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. The palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid (who decided there should be a more European palace than Topkapi) and designed by Armenian architect Karabet Balian and his son Nikoğos Balian. (read Balyan family on wikipedia). It is an ostentatious blend architectural styles including Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical and modern Ottoman, dripping in luxury
The mosque which decorates many postcards of the city is right on the Bosphorous, in Ortaköy. It is officially called Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque). It was ordered to be built by Sultan Abdülmecid on the grounds of an earlier mosque. The mosque was built between 1854-1856, in neo-Baroque style. Nikoğos Balyan was the architect of the mosque, who was also the architect of the Dolmabahçe Palace. Within the mosque, there are several examples of Islamic calligraphy executed by Sultan Abdülmecid himself.
The Bosphorus Bridge is one of two bridges that spans the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. It stretches from Ortakoy on the European side to Beylerbeyi on the Asian side and is sometimes referred to as the First Bosphorus Bridge. At 1560 meters long, the Bosphorus Bridge was the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1973 and was the first bridge to connect Europe and Asia since a bridge spanning the Dardanelles in 480 B.C. Today, it is the 21st longest suspension bridge in the world. In 2007, an LED lighting system was installed to illuminate the bridge at night and the computerized system is now used to create a colorful light show every evening. While the bridge is typically closed to pedestrians, it opens each October for the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon – the only marathon that crosses from one continent to another.
Rumelihisarı or Boğazkesen Castle is a medieval fortress located in Istanbul, on a series of hills on the European banks of the Bosphorus. The fortress also lends its name to the immediate neighborhood around it in the city's Sarıyer district.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge, spanning the Bosphorus strait. It is named after the 15th century Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who conquered Istanbul in 1453 and ended the Byzantine Empire. The bridge was designed by Freeman Fox & Partners, who had previously also designed the Bosphorus Bridge. An international consortium of three Japanese companies, one Italian and one Turkish company carried out the construction works. The bridge was completed on July 3, 1988 and opened by Prime Minister Turgut Özal who drove his official car by himself as the first to pass. The cost of the bridge amounted to USD 130 million.
Beylerbeyi meaning "Lord of Lords", is located in the Beylerbeyi neighbourhood of Üsküdar district in Istanbul, at the Asian side of the Bosphorus. An Imperial Ottoman summer residence built in the 1860s, it is now situated immediately north of the 1973 Bosphorus Bridge.
The Maiden's Tower, also known as Leander's Tower since the medieval Byzantine period, is a tower lying on a small islet located at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait 200 m from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Important Information Pick-up is available only from hotels located in the following areas: Istanbul City Center Hotels, Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Laleli, Grand Bazaar, Sirkeci, Karakoy, Taksim, Beyoglu, Fatih, Eminonu, Cankurtaran, Sisli, Kadırga, Kumkapi, Beyazit. Hotel pick-up is scheduled between 19:15 and 20:00. No transfers are provided from hotels outside these locations, and there is no pick-up service from the Asian side of Istanbul.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Alcoholic beverages are offered from 18 years old
Reviews(9)
Our dinner cruise on the Bosphorus was absolutely amazing. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The dance shows and live music added such a lively touch to the night. Cruising with the stunning Bosphorus view was truly unforgettable. I would definitely love to do it again
This was a magical experience. They welcomed us with delicious appetizers and a main course, we saw many monuments from the ship and they entertained us with a show. Everything was perfect. I will always carry this experience in my heart.
Thank you very much to the friends who recommended this Recommendation, it was really great and we had a lot of fun on board and they took us back to the hotel from the excellent hotel with shuttle service.
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. It was truly our pleasure to host you and be part of this unforgettable journey. Knowing that you had a memorable experience brings us great joy and strengthens our passion for what we do. Your lovely words are a great source of motivation for our entire team. We are also deeply grateful for your kind attitude and positive energy throughout the tour. We would be delighted to welcome you again and explore new destinations together. Our doors and hearts are always open to you! ❤ With warm regards
his cruise was the perfect way to combine sightseeing and Turkish culture. Watching the sunset over the Bosphorus while enjoying a delicious meal was a memorable experience. The belly dancing and folk performances were fun and engaging. Definitely worth it!
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. It was truly our pleasure to host you and be part of this unforgettable journey. Knowing that you had a memorable experience brings us great joy and strengthens our passion for what we do. Your lovely words are a great source of motivation for our entire team. We are also deeply grateful for your kind attitude and positive energy throughout the tour. We would be delighted to welcome you again and explore new destinations together. Our doors and hearts are always open to you! ❤ With warm regards
I called to book, and the lady I spoke to said they would be able to pick us up from our hotel, but the morning of the day, I got a WhatsApp message saying we were on the Asian side, therefore they wouldn't be picking us up or dropping us off. which was very disappointing. Aside from that, the vibe was amazing. My friend and I sat with a fanatical, welcoming family. We were seated right in front of where the actual show and fun were happening. Everyone literally passed the vibe check, as we all partied hard. I think the DJ could tell I was Nigerian; therefore, when I came out to dance, he played Nigerian music, which was wild and amazing. The waiter who attended to our table was amazing (he deserves a pay raise) and constantly checked on us. The food was not great, though. There were photographers there who took professional pictures (both hard and soft copies were given to us at the cost of $30). Every damn person I met passed the vibe check. I will definitely do this again whenever I visit Istanbul.
The food was not good, the chicken was pink and raw, things were cold, the wine was watery , entertaintment was boring, you cannot see the city because the lights of the boat reflect on the windows, they take photos and then charge you 3 times the price of the cruise if you like them. It was a very sad experience, it is okay if you dont have actual nice expectations, but even if you dont ask for much and try to be kind, yes, the waiters are good and attentive, but the whole activity is very low level. I wish I could have my money back
The idea of a one day cruise is great, sounds good and romantic, but being honest they did not deliver What we expected The staff were very kind but this is not a high end experience, even when it pretends to be, the food is very basic, not enough, in the middle they give you one chicken nugget... One, And it was cold. When you get the entrance with alcohol - you still need to pay inside the boat for special drinks. Someone came and took pictures of us, and then he brought the photos, we thought it was included in the price as noone told us before hand we needed to pay. Some How they take 5 minutes to make you pose for pictures, and then come back and charge you 100 EUR if you want the already printed photos of you.. It felt pushy, plus, we heard the photographers changing the prices for everyone . The view at night is not that great, there are a few spots that are illuminated at night but most of the time you dont see much so its not a good plan if you want to actually apreciate the city It gets very crowded and you barely have space to stand up from your table and go out. The dancers are sweet people but they are not entertaining enough, they do things people can learn in 2 days. There was only one guy who gave an actual performance. Most of the people there had fun because they joked and danced with their own families and friends, I enjoyed more watching them dance than the actual dancers. If I could go back and spend my last night in Istanbul in a different place, I would. I felt like I wasted my time- Not worth the price, do not recommend
Was expecting way more. For me it was not that worth. Got in a fight with my girlfriend because they come all happy and take pictures of you only to then ask you 100Euros for the pictures. 100Euros like 10Euros per picture. No way i will pay that much for pictures. After that i did not enjoy much, a feeling that they only want your money, its not like i did not like the pictures but why don't you say the price first, it would have saved us this feeling. And you see him selling the pictures for other for 30-50Euros... Very wrong way to do it. Food was ok not something like wow. Drinks where as much as you want. Alcoholic drinks where fine, but for something special they ask for 10Euros... for the price of the area that is insane. Dances where nice. Would not do it again. Good luck for who goes.
The waiter that served me was excellent. They tried their best to put the English speaking people together. Also the view from the river at night time was very good
