Bosphorus Cruise › Lunch Cruise
Bosphorus Lunch Cruise — Two Hours of Lunch, Two Continents of View
A 2-hour midday sail with a private window-side table, a five-course Turkish menu and the Bosphorus skyline running past your seat. Free cancellation, no deposit.
5-course lunch
Hotel pickup (on req)
4.8/5 · 4,100+ reviews
Lunch on the Bosphorus, Sun on the Deck
The Bosphorus Lunch Cruise is a slow, sunlit two hours between Europe and Asia. You board at Kabataş, settle into a private window-side table and watch Dolmabahçe Palace, the Bosphorus Bridge and the Maiden’s Tower drift past while a fresh Turkish lunch is served course by course.
It’s the cruise we recommend to first-time visitors who want to see the city, eat well and not lose half a day to taxis between sights. Two hours, one boat, one continuous panorama from the Old City to the Asian shore — and lunch you’ll actually remember.
The menu is a five-course Turkish lunch with cold and hot starters, a main of grilled chicken, sea bass or vegetarian moussaka, traditional dessert and unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegan and gluten-free options are available on request when you book.
Bosphorus Lunch Cruise — 5-Course Turkish Lunch From €30
Two hours on the water with a private table, a five-course Turkish menu and unlimited soft drinks. , free cancellation up to 24 hours, no deposit required.
LUNCH CRUISE · PRIVATE TABLE
Bosphorus Lunch Cruise
5-Course Lunch · Soft Drinks · Open Deck
- 2-hour cruise with your own private table
- 5-course Turkish menu — cold & hot starters, mains, dessert
- Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options on request
- (on request)
- Free cancellation up to 24h before departure
- No deposit, pay on the boat
DURATION
2 hrs lunch
Daily 13:00 & 15:00 departures
TRANSFER
Hotel pickup
European & Asian side
MENU
5-course Turkish
Vegetarian & vegan options
OPEN DECK
Sun & sea
Photography stops included
From Hotel Lobby to Last Course: How Your Lunch Unfolds
Hotel Pickup
Our shuttle collects you from your hotel lobby — Sultanahmet, Taksim, Beşiktaş or the Asian side. The driver carries a sign with your name and the boarding briefing starts on the way.
Pier Welcome
You arrive at Kabataş Pier. A host walks you to the boat, checks your reservation and shows you to your private table — window-side if you booked early.
Departure & First Courses
The boat eases out of the harbour. Cold starters land on the table — meze, smoked aubergine, hummus, fresh bread — and the first photo stops appear over Dolmabahçe Palace.
Main Course on Deck
You glide under the Bosphorus Bridge. The main course is served — your choice of grilled chicken, sea bass or vegetarian moussaka — with sunlit panoramas of Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian shore.
Dessert & Return
Traditional Turkish dessert, unlimited tea and coffee while the boat turns at Rumeli Fortress and heads back along the European shoreline at a relaxed pace.
Drop-off
You’re back at Kabataş Pier. Our shuttle takes you to your hotel or the next stop on your day. The whole experience ends with the city still wide-open in front of you.
Your 5-Course Lunch on the Bosphorus
Cold Starters
Hummus, smoked aubergine, ezme, mixed pickles and fresh village bread served as soon as you sit down.
Hot Starters
Crispy filo cigars, sigara böreği and a small Aegean-style halloumi plate, brought out as the boat clears the pier.
Mains — Three Choices
Grilled chicken with seasonal rice, sea bass fillet with lemon-butter, or vegetarian moussaka. Choose at the table.
Dessert
Traditional Turkish dessert — baklava, sütlaç or a lighter seasonal fruit plate, served at the turn-around point.
Drinks
Unlimited soft drinks, Turkish tea and Turkish coffee throughout the cruise. Wine and beer are available as paid extras.
Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten-Free
Tell us when you book and we prepare a full alternative menu — no surcharge, no awkward swaps at the table.
Bosphorus Lunch Cruise Reviews from Real Istanbul Travellers
“We took the lunch cruise on our second day in Istanbul and it ended up being the highlight of the trip. The window table, the sea bass and the slow pace of the boat — exactly what we needed after a morning of running between mosques.”
Sara & Marco
“Travelled with two kids (6 and 9). The crew gave them a small fruit plate before our starters arrived and the open deck gave them somewhere to move. Great option if you don’t want to gamble on a long restaurant lunch with children.”
Emma H.
“Booked this for a small business group of six. The private table layout, vegetarian options for two of us and the panoramic views worked far better than the corporate restaurant we’d planned. Hotel pickup made the logistics painless.”
Markus B.
Best Months for a Bosphorus Lunch Cruise
Lunch service runs daily, all year. The view changes with the season — pick what you came to Istanbul for.
Spring
MARCH — MAY
Tulip season ashore, mild 18–22°C on deck. Our quietest months for lunch — easy to get a window table even on a same-day booking.
Summer
JUNE — AUGUST
Peak season. Open deck is the place to be at lunch — book 3–5 days ahead. Sea breeze keeps the boat cooler than the city.
Autumn
SEPTEMBER — NOVEMBER
Warm light, fewer crowds. Often the best photography window of the year — the strait turns soft gold from October on.
Winter
DECEMBER — FEBRUARY
Heated indoor saloon, dramatic skies, fewer guests. The 13:00 departure catches the brightest light of the day.
Looking for a Different Time of Day?
Lunch not the right slot? Two natural alternatives if your day is already booked between 13:00 and 15:00.
Bosphorus Day Cruise
Six hours of daytime sailing with a multilingual audio guide. Best for first-time visitors who want every landmark and don’t mind a longer trip.
Bosphorus Dining Cruise
Evening cruise with a full dinner, live entertainment and the Istanbul skyline lit up. Best for travellers staying in town for the night.
+35K
Lunch Guests
4.8/5
Average Rating
2 hrs
Lunch on Water
24/7
Reservation Support
Bosphorus Lunch Cruise FAQ
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