Romantic programmes in Istanbul happen almost entirely on the Bosphorus, and the reason lies in how the city is built: the strait runs some thirty kilometres between two continents, and everything that matters stands along its banks facing the water. From the deck you see what never assembles into a single picture from the street: Dolmabahçe palace with its marble facade along the quay, the Rumeli fortress, the Ortaköy mosque right under a bridge pier, the Maiden's Tower on its islet.

There are two formats. The group cruise runs to a timetable, about three hours, often with a stop on the Asian side; the sunset version is timed so the sun goes down behind the silhouette of the old city. A private yacht charter works differently: you take the vessel whole, route and hours are agreed, dinner is laid on board, and nobody else is on deck.

Points to note. After sundown it is noticeably colder on the water than on the promenade — something with sleeves is needed even in July. Bridges and palaces are floodlit once darkness falls, so an evening sailing gives a different picture from a daytime one. Private yachts are booked ahead, especially for weekends and for the fourteenth of February; at booking it is worth confirming whether dinner and drinks are included.