Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour with Boat Trip and Lunch Option
- DurationAbout 7 hours (09:45 departure)
- Daily
- Group
- Pickup available
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Overview
This full-day Princes' Islands tour takes you out of the city by boat for a slow day on Istanbul's car-free islands. The boat leaves the Golden Horn at Balat, passes the old-city skyline and the Maiden's Tower, and crosses the Sea of Marmara to Heybeliada, where lunch is served on board in summer, before docking at Büyükada for about two hours of free time among wooden mansions, pine woods and beaches. A guide on board tells the islands' story on the way back. It is a shared tour with four ways to book: boat only, with lunch, with hotel pickup on the European side, or the complete day with pickup and lunch, the default option described here. It suits families and anyone wanting a restful day away from the crowds.
Highlights
- Boat trip from the Golden Horn across the Sea of Marmara to the Princes' Islands
- About 2 hours of free time on Büyükada, the largest and liveliest island
- Second island stop at Heybeliada or Kınalıada from mid-March to mid-November
- Lunch served on the boat in summer, in an island restaurant in winter
- Guide on board explaining the islands' Byzantine and Ottoman past
- Hotel pickup and drop-off on the European side with the default option
- Views of Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Maiden's Tower from the water
- Optional bike rental or electric buggy ride around Büyükada's mansions
Full Description
The boat trip from Balat across the Sea of Marmara
The day starts on the Golden Horn at Balat, the old waterfront quarter below Fener, where the boat is moored a short walk from the Balat stop of the T5 tram. Guests with hotel pickup are brought here by air-conditioned vehicle from the central European-side districts, and boarding is between 09:45 and 09:55. The boat heads down the Golden Horn under the Galata Bridge, rounds the Sarayburnu point below Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, and passes the Maiden's Tower before opening out onto the Sea of Marmara.
The crossing to the islands takes about an hour and a half each way, which is why most of this Princes' Islands tour is spent on the water: find a seat on the open deck, watch the Asian shore and Kadıköy slide by, and feed the seagulls that follow the boat with the sesame bread the guide hands out. Our Istanbul team recommends a light jacket even in summer, because the sea breeze on deck is always cooler than the city.
Heybeliada, the pine island with lunch on board
Heybeliada is the second-largest of the Princes' Islands and the greenest, its two hills covered in pine forest with the long white buildings of the old naval academy along the shore. In the Byzantine centuries the islands were monasteries and places of exile for deposed emperors and statesmen, and Heybeliada still has a monastery on its highest hill. From mid-March to mid-November the boat calls here, or at the small island of Kınalıada, and lunch is served on board while you take in the view of the pier and the wooden houses climbing the slope.
Lunch is a simple Turkish meal, halal as everywhere on the islands, with drinks sold separately. In winter, from mid-November to mid-March, the tour visits Büyükada only and lunch moves to a restaurant on the island if the weather is poor. A Heybeliada tour is quieter than Büyükada, so this short stop is a good moment for photographs of the Marmara and the distant city skyline.
Büyükada, two hours among the Ottoman mansions
Büyükada is the largest of the Princes' Islands and the one everyone pictures: a pier lined with cafés, a clock tower, and streets of tall late-Ottoman wooden mansions with carved balconies, painted white, cream and pale blue, in gardens of bougainvillea and pine. The island is car-free, so people get around on foot, by rented bicycle or on the small electric buggies that replaced the horse carriages; both are paid locally. A buggy loop of the island takes under an hour and passes the grandest houses and the pine woods.
With about two hours here you can choose between a walk through the mansion streets, a swim on one of the small beaches in summer, a bike ride, or simply tea and ice cream by the pier. If you are wondering whether Büyükada is worth visiting from Istanbul, our team's answer is yes, and this is the easiest way to see it with a guide on hand and the return boat waiting.
The return and the end of the day in the old city
On the boat back the guide tells the islands' history, from the Byzantine monasteries and exiled princes who gave the archipelago its name to the Greek, Armenian and Jewish families who built the summer mansions in the nineteenth century, and the ferries that still bring Istanbul residents out on summer weekends. The return crossing takes about an hour and a half, with the old-city skyline growing larger ahead of you and the sun lower over the water.
Back on the Golden Horn there is an optional stop of around thirty minutes at a gift and leather shop in Sultanahmet, which you are free to skip. Guests with pickup are then returned to their hotels on the European side; others are dropped at Balat, Eminönü, Taksim, Fatih or Beyoğlu, all well connected by tram, ferry and metro. The day ends around 17:00 to 17:30 depending on the season and the sea.
Itinerary
- Hotel pickup on the European side (default option)An air-conditioned vehicle collects you from your hotel in Taksim, Şişli, Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Beyazıt, Sirkeci or Beyoğlu at the time sent after booking, from about 08:30, and brings you to the Balat pier in about 30 minutes.
- Boarding at Balat on the Golden HornBoarding between 09:45 and 09:55; the boat leaves the Golden Horn, passes the old city and the Maiden's Tower and heads out onto the Sea of Marmara.
- Crossing to the islands with the guideAbout 1.5 hours on the water with commentary from the guide, open and covered seating, and seagulls to feed along the way.
- Heybeliada or Kınalıada and lunch on boardA stop of about an hour at the second island (mid-March to mid-November) while lunch is served on the boat; in winter the boat goes straight to Büyükada.
- Free time on BüyükadaAbout 2 hours to walk the mansion streets, rent a bike or buggy, swim in summer or relax at a café by the pier.
- Return boat tripAbout 1.5 hours back to the Golden Horn with the guide's talk on the islands' history and the city skyline ahead.
- Optional shop stop in SultanahmetA short visit of about 30 minutes to a gift and leather shop; participation is optional.
- Drop-offReturn to your hotel on the European side with the pickup option, or drop-off at Balat, Eminönü, Taksim, Fatih or Beyoğlu.
What's included
- Boat trip from the Golden Horn to the Princes' Islands and back
- Guide on board (English and Russian)
- Island entry
- Time on Büyükada and, from mid-March to mid-November, a second island (Heybeliada or Kınalıada)
- Optional gift and leather shop stop in Sultanahmet
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch and drinks
- Bike rental and electric buggy on Büyükada
- Tips
Is this right for you?
Great for
- Travellers without a car — hotel pickup is included
- Food lovers
- Anyone who wants to see it from the water
Think twice if
- You want a private tour — this one is shared with other travellers
- You get seasick easily
Not suitable for
- Wheelchair users (boarding and the island streets are not step-free)
- Travellers who are badly affected by seasickness on choppy days
Meeting point
With the default option, pickup is from hotels on the European side only (Taksim, Şişli, Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Beyazıt, Sirkeci and Beyoğlu); the exact time slot is emailed one to two hours after booking, so check your spam folder if it has not arrived. If you choose an option without pickup, come to the Balat pier on the Golden Horn: from the Balat stop of the T5 tram turn right towards the waterfront social facility, keep to its right-hand side and turn left, and the boat is moored directly behind the café on the shore. Please be there by 09:30 for boarding between 09:45 and 09:55; the boat cannot wait for latecomers.
Important information
- Bring your passport or ID card, a sun hat, sunscreen and a camera
- From 15 November to 15 March the tour visits Büyükada only
- Lunch is on the boat in summer and in an island restaurant in winter; drinks are not included
- Bike rental and the electric buggy on Büyükada are paid locally
- Most of the day is on the water and the island is explored freely; this is a nature and sea day rather than a museum tour
- Pickup is offered on the European side only; there is no pickup from the Asian side or the airport area
- Food and drinks may not be consumed in the vehicle
- Wear comfortable shoes; island streets are hilly and some are cobbled
- Children aged 3 to 6 pay the child rate; under-3s travel free on a parent's lap
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
Is this a shared or a private experience?
It is a shared tour on an excursion boat with a guide on board; the vehicle for hotel pickup is shared as well. We can arrange a private island day on request.
How long does the Princes' Islands tour take?
About 7 hours from the 09:45 departure at Balat, or around 8 hours door to door with hotel pickup from 08:30.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes with the default option and with the pickup-without-lunch option, for hotels on the European side in Taksim, Şişli, Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Beyazıt, Sirkeci and Beyoğlu. The two pier options have no pickup.
What is included?
The boat trip, the guide, island entry and, depending on the option, lunch and hotel transfers. Drinks, bike rental, the electric buggy and tips are not included.
Is the price per person or per group?
Per person, with a child rate for ages 3 to 6 on most options. The booking panel on this page shows the current price of each option.
Which islands do we visit?
Büyükada always, with about two hours of free time. From mid-March to mid-November the boat also calls at Heybeliada or Kınalıada for lunch on board; in winter it is Büyükada only.
Is it suitable for children and for reduced mobility?
Children love the boat, the seagulls and the buggies, and the pace is easy. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users because boarding and the island streets are not step-free.
What should I bring?
Passport or ID, a hat, sunscreen, a light jacket for the deck, swimwear and a towel in summer if you plan to swim, and some cash for bikes, buggies and drinks.
What is the best time of year to go?
May, June, September and October give warm days without the August crowds and the second-island stop is included. Winter days are calm and quiet but visit Büyükada only.
What happens in bad weather?
The boat has a covered area and sails in light rain. In summer lunch is on board; if the weather turns, lunch moves to a restaurant on the island. In rough seas the departure may be rescheduled and we tell you as early as possible.
Can I rent a bike or take the buggy on Büyükada?
Yes, both are available near the pier and paid locally; the guide shows you where. A buggy loop of the island takes less than an hour.
How do I book and confirm?
Choose your option and date on this page; our Istanbul team confirms your booking on WhatsApp within minutes and sends the pickup time or pier directions by email.
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