Bosphorus Sunset Cruise

MerrySails operates a shared Bosphorus sunset sailing built for guests who want the golden-hour experience on the strait without sitting through a full evening dinner programme. Boarding begins around 18:30 from Karaköy ferry pier, beside the Mimar Sinan statue (by Marmaray, near Balıkçı Kemal) — and the yacht leaves the pier at 19:00 for an approximately 2-hour loop along the southern Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is a 31-kilometre strait separating Europe from Asia, linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul straddles both banks, and the southern stretch of the strait — from the old city up to Rumeli Hisarı — holds the densest concentration of Ottoman waterfront heritage in the country. From the deck the route passes Dolmabahçe Sarayı (the 1856 imperial residence built for Sultan Abdülmecid I), the Maiden's Tower on its small islet about 200 metres off the Asian shore, the 1853 Baroque façade of Ortaköy Camii against the first Bosphorus Bridge, and finally Rumeli Hisarı — the 1452 fortress Mehmed II raised in four months to control the strait before the conquest of Constantinople. The yacht turns there and heads back south as the sky moves into blue hour. We operate two pricing tiers on the same route. The base Without-Wine fare is €34 (€30 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday sailings), and the With-Wine fare is €40 (€35 on the same three weekdays). The midweek discount applies automatically at checkout — no coupon code is needed, and the structure is fixed every week of the year. Onboard hospitality is laid out across three small categories rather than one long list. Hot drinks include freshly brewed tea and Turkish coffee. The cold-drink selection is iced tea, house lemonade, a seasonal fruit juice and bottled water. A snack platter with mixed nuts, salted crackers and a fresh-fruit plate is served from the moment guests board. Guests on the With-Wine package additionally receive two glasses of wine each. A live English-speaking guide narrates the landmarks as the vessel passes each one. MerrySails operates under Meryem Yıldız Travel — TURSAB A Group licensed since 2001 with 50,000+ guests hosted on the Bosphorus over that period.