A fun night of entertainment, these dance shows full of exotic costumes, Whirling Dervishes, and belly dancers are on the best Istanbul tours. The dinner cruise with Turkish Night show complete with hotel pickup, allows you to see all of Istanbul’s beautifully illuminated palaces while you enjoy good food and fresh air.
What to Expect
Istanbul Turkish Night is an experience that will take you into a mysterious outstanding world full of traditional Turkish music, the famous belly dancing, delicious dishes, and local wine. This is a whole night program that will introduce you to the mysterious belly dancing world which combines Turkish folk music with religious and traditional wedding dances from all over Turkey.
The show is even more complex than that. Besides the ceremonial dances and dancers, you will also enjoy quite a performance with lavish and colorful clothing, a fire show, and even an authentic wedding ceremony. After this intense folk and unforgettable experience, special transportation is ensured to take you back to your Istanbul hotel.
Dinner Show
Istanbul Turkish Night is not only an exquisite artistic performance but also a dinner cruise. The entire night you are invited to treat your taste and stomach. You will start with appetizers, wine at your discretion, and then an abundance of typical and amazing Turkish meze dinner. In total, a four-course dining experience.
Only after the delicious food, the second part of the night starts. The belly dancer appears and all the fascinating historical costumes and music. Then the ceremonies begin with a Whirling Dervish show, oriental group show, gypsy and Caucasian dances, etc.
Belly Dancing
The traditional belly dance is real artistry combined with science, not just a simple exotic dance. It is called the Oriental dance throughout the entire Middle Eastern tradition. Everything that you see and fascinates you with grace, mystery, and sensuality is created by professionally trained dancers. The famous women dancers that move mainly from their hips are known as belly dancers. The male dancers that accompany them are called Zenne.
Traditionally, the entire dance must be executed barefoot, by both women and men. There is an entire philosophy about the reasons beyond this. It is an essential detail that permanently keeps dancers continuously in connection with the vitality and inspiration of Mother Earth. It is an important element to perform a correct dance.
The main element of the belly dance is the wide, energetic movement of the abdominal muscles. The other helpful elements are the hip and chest movements that need to be fluid and synchronized. Since the movement of the abdomen is essential, the steps made are not the central focus, being very delicate and rather just for support. You will see from time to time some shaking or other fluctuations. However, they are just for the variation’s sake. There is no type of jumping, as the requirement for the dancers is to permanently keep their feet in connection with Mother Earth and the floor.
Folklore Dancing
These traditional dances are ingrained in Turkey’s culture and mind ever since the time of the Byzantine Empire. Traditionally this type of extravagant dance is reserved for special occasions, weddings, and various celebrations.
The music is played live and you will not be able to remain sitting for long. Despite the exquisite embellishments on the dancers’ costumes, they are incredibly flexible and allow them to make those wide abdominal movements.
Dinner Cruises
These Turkish Night cruises on the Bosphorus Strait are a major attraction for any tourist coming to Istanbul. During the 3 or 4 cruising hours you will experience an unparalleled combination of delicious Turkish dishes, Istanbul sights, romantic ambiance, and glittering entertainment.
Of course, the famous Turkish wine is abundantly present as always.
As the night surrounds you, admire spectacular views of brightly lit mosques and enchanting palaces as sail beneath the Bosphorus bridges. You will not only watch neutrally the artistic performances. You will even be invited to join the entertainment and the live DJ performances and surprises.
Schedule
The procedure to enjoy all these is easy. You will make a reservation, and then receive the confirmation, and afterward, they will notify you regarding the transfer from your hotel. When the respective time comes, a specialized guide will come to pick you up right from your hotel lobby and will bring you to the luxurious restaurant boat.
Once embarked, the first experience is the warm greeting with an opening cocktail and appetizers. Immediately after the boat sets sail on the Bosphorus. You have food and drinks at your disposal for the entire trip. At the same time, you will be entertained with specific Turkish shows. Everything is created by professional artists that will display specific traditions from various parts of Turkey and the Black Sea.
The dinner cruise ends around 23:30 at the Kabatas port. Here the transfer team will be waiting to take you immediately back to the hotel.
Sightseeing
The dinner cruise starts around 20.00 – 20.30 so you will have the privilege to enjoy the unique sunset on the Bosphorus. During the cruise, you pass through major historic buildings of Istanbul, beautifully illuminated Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Maiden’s Tower, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, and Rumeli Fortress.
FAQ
Below you’d find answer to our most frequently asked question about Turkish Night dinners shows and dinner cruises in Istanbul.
Turkish Night
The Turkish night cruise is a kind of boat cruise on the Bosphorus in the evening. With dinner and Turkish night shows like Turkish Gypsy Dances, Caucasian Dances, Oriental Group Show, Turkish Folk Dances, Rhythm Show, Oriental Dance, Whirling Dervishes, and a Professional DJ.
The prices depend on the beverage package that you choose. The cheapest option is a non-alcoholic beverage option that includes unlimited soft drinks from around €35 per person. The upgraded package with unlimited local alcoholic drinks is around €45. If you want premium international drinks, then this costs a little more.
We prefer using Acetes Travel to book Turkish Nights on the Bosphorus. Their 3-deck luxury boats have both open and closed decks, and the professional dance teams are quite good, as are the food and the service.
Around 3.5-4 hours. The boats usually leave Kabtas Pier at 8:00 pm and return around 11:30 pm.
Yes, but this can vary from boat to boat. A typical vegetarian menu would include oven potatoes and sautéed vegetables with curry rice. On request, some other dishes might include vegetarian pizza or pasta with vegetable sauce.
Yes, children between 3 and 7 years old are typically allowed on these boats It’s however, not a good environment for infants, as there are lots of bright lights and loud noises.
Yes, but usually only on request. When organizing surprise birthday parties, cakes may cost €10 or so extra.
The easiest way is by tram to the Kabatas Pier. This is the last stop on the route, and the pier is right across the street from the tram station. If arriving by car, you can park near Dolmabahce Palace, which is a scenic 5-minute walk to Kabatas pier.