Princes Islands 2-Island Boat Trip with Music, Lunch and Transfer

Cibali pier and the Sea of Marmara crossing

The day starts on the Golden Horn at the Cibali pier in Fatih, beside the university campus in a restored tobacco factory. Leaving from here means the first half hour is already sightseeing: the boat passes under the Galata Bridge, rounds Seraglio Point below Topkapi Palace and heads out into the Sea of Marmara with Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the old city walls lined up along the shore behind you.

The Princes' Islands lie about 20 kilometres south-east of the city, and the crossing to the first island takes roughly an hour and a half at the boat's easy pace, with music on deck and the sea breeze that makes a Princes Islands boat trip from Istanbul such a relief in summer. Our Istanbul team suggests a seat on the open upper deck on the way out and the shaded lower deck for the return.

Kınalıada, the first of the islands

Kınalıada is the smallest of the four inhabited Princes' Islands and the nearest to the city. Its name means henna island, after the reddish colour of its hills, which were once mined for iron and copper; from the sea the bare rusty slopes stand out against the greener islands beyond. The village is a cluster of summer houses around a small harbour, with a modern mosque and a church side by side and almost no traffic.

Here the boat stops for a short guided walk: your host leads you through the quiet lanes, explains how the islands became the summer retreat of Istanbul's families in the nineteenth century and points out the viewpoints over the water. It is a gentle stroll of around 45 minutes rather than a hike, so it suits everyone in the family, and there is time for a tea or an ice cream on the waterfront before you reboard.

Lunch on board and the sail to Büyükada

Back on the boat, lunch is served as you sail on past Burgazada and Heybeliada towards Büyükada. The meal is a simple halal lunch prepared on board; drinks are not included, so you can buy soft drinks, water or tea from the boat's counter. Eating on the water with the islands sliding past is one of the pleasures of this Princes Islands tour with lunch, and the host keeps the music going during the crossing.

This leg takes well under an hour. On the way you see the naval school on Heybeliada and the pine-covered hills of Büyükada growing larger, with the domes of its monastery on the highest peak. Keep your swimming things in a small bag ready for the afternoon, because the free time on Büyükada starts as soon as the boat ties up at the harbour.

Büyükada: mansions, pine forest and electric vehicles

Büyükada is the largest and best-known of the nine islands, and the place most people mean when they plan a Büyükada day trip from Istanbul. Private cars have never been allowed, and since 2020 the old horse carriages have been replaced by small electric vehicles, so the streets are quiet and the air smells of pine. Around the harbour are cafés and ice-cream shops, and behind them climb avenues of ornate wooden mansions with carved balconies built by wealthy Istanbul families more than a century ago.

With several hours of free time you can hire an electric vehicle, bike or scooter near the pier (paid on the spot) and ride the loop road around the island past the mansions and the forest, or walk up towards the hilltop monastery for the view over the whole archipelago. Our team recommends the loop ride first, then the beach, so you finish the day cool.

Büyükada beaches and the return to Istanbul

The island's beaches lie on its quieter southern and western coasts, small coves of pebbles and sand with sun loungers and clear water, reached by a short electric-vehicle ride or a 20-minute walk from the harbour. Swimming on the Princes' Islands is pleasant from June to September; outside those months the beaches are still a beautiful spot for a walk and a tea with a view of the Marmara.

Late in the afternoon everyone meets back at the boat for the sail to the city. The return crossing is the slow, golden part of the day: the sun drops behind the old-city skyline as you approach, with the minarets of Sultanahmet and the Galata Tower catching the last light, before the boat enters the Golden Horn and ties up again at Cibali. Guests with the transfer option are then driven back to their hotels.