VIP -22% up to 30 guests Princes’ Islands Tour from Istanbul
Four car-free islands in the Sea of Marmara, the clearest water near Istanbul, and two ways to get there — the public ferry, or a private boat that skips the queue.
Istanbul’s Car-Free Archipelago
The Princes’ Islands sit in the Sea of Marmara, an hour or so off the city, and they run on different rules. There are no private cars. There are pine woods, nineteenth-century wooden mansions, Greek and Armenian churches, and the clearest swimming water within reach of Istanbul.
Nine islands make up the group; four are inhabited and served regularly. Most visitors go to Büyükada, which is the largest and the busiest. The quieter three are the reason to go back.
The Four Islands You Can Visit
In order of size, which is also roughly the order of how busy they get.
| Island | Known for | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Büyükada | The largest island. Wooden mansions along the shore road, the Splendid Palace hotel, and the climb to the Aya Yorgi church on the southern hill. | Half to full day |
| Heybeliada | Pine forest, the naval school on the waterfront and the Halki seminary on the hill — the historic Greek Orthodox theological school, closed since 1971. | Half day |
| Burgazada | The quietest of the three larger islands. The house of the writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık is now a small museum. | 2–3 hours |
| Kınalıada | Closest to the city and the least wooded, with a long-established Armenian community and easy swimming from the rocks. | 2–3 hours |
The remaining islands — Sedef, Kaşık, Yassı, Sivri and Tavşan — are either private, tiny or uninhabited.
Getting There: Public Ferry or Private Boat
The two options are genuinely different days out, not two prices for the same thing.
| Public ferry | Private boat | |
|---|---|---|
| Departs from | Kabataş, Eminönü, Kadıköy or Bostancı, on a fixed timetable | Your pier, at the hour you choose |
| Journey | Roughly an hour to an hour and a half from the European side | Direct, and the crossing is part of the day rather than a queue |
| Route | Calls at the islands in a set order | You decide which islands, which bays and how long at each |
| Swimming | From public beaches and rocks, shared and often crowded in summer | Anchored in a quiet bay, straight off the boat |
| Best for | Solo travellers, couples, tight budgets, off-season visits | Families, groups, summer weekends, anyone short on time |
In July and August the ferry queues at Kabataş and the beaches on Büyükada are the two things visitors complain about. That is the specific problem a private charter solves — see our swimming tour to the islands, which anchors in the quiet bays rather than docking at the busy piers.
What There Is to Do
Walk or cycle the shore road
With no private cars, the coast roads belong to bicycles, electric shuttles and pedestrians. Büyükada has two loops, and the outer one takes a couple of unhurried hours with the sea on one side and pine woods on the other.
Look at the houses
The islands were where Istanbul’s Greek, Armenian and Jewish merchant families summered, and the wooden villas they built — deep verandas, carved eaves, garden walls — are the main architectural reason to come. Many are still lived in.
Climb to Aya Yorgi
The church of St. George sits on Büyükada’s southern hill at the end of a steep cobbled path. The view from the top covers the whole archipelago and, on a clear day, the city skyline behind it.
Eat by the water
Every island has a row of fish restaurants along the pier. Prices are higher than the mainland; the setting is the point.
Swimming: The Real Reason to Take a Boat
The water around the islands is the clearest anywhere near Istanbul, and it is what turns a sightseeing trip into a day out. The public beaches on Büyükada and Heybeliada work, but they fill quickly and charge for entry and sunbeds.
The alternative is to arrive by private yacht and anchor in a bay instead. Our island swimming charters include two safe swim stops, lifejackets and swim gear, and cold drinks on deck — and the boat is yours, so you decide when to move on.
Charter a Boat for the Day
Live rates for the private yachts we run island trips on.
VIP -22% up to 30 guests 
VIP -21% up to 25 guests 
VIP -22% up to 20 guests 
Premium -17% up to 15 guests 
Premium -23% up to 15 guests 
Premium -29% up to 12 guests 
Premium -20% up to 12 guests 
Luxury -14% up to 10 guests 
Luxury -23% up to 10 guests ⭐ Most Popular 
Luxury -29% up to 8 guests 
Luxury -22% up to 6 guests When to Go
June to September is the swimming season and the islands are at their best and their busiest. Weekdays are noticeably calmer than weekends.
April, May and October are ideal for walking and cycling: the pines smell of resin, the light is soft and the piers are quiet.
Winter is beautiful and almost empty, but many restaurants and guesthouses close and the sea crossing can be rough.
Practical Notes
- No private cars. Getting around is on foot, by bicycle or on the electric shuttles that replaced the horse-drawn phaetons.
- Take cash. Cards work at restaurants, less reliably at kiosks, bike hire and beach entrances.
- Shoes matter. The climb to Aya Yorgi is steep and cobbled, and the shore roads are longer than they look on a map.
- There is shade, but not everywhere. Bring water and a hat between June and September.
- Last ferries fill up. If you are going back by public boat on a summer Sunday, do not leave it to the final sailing.
Princes’ Islands Questions
Roughly an hour to an hour and a half by public ferry from the European side, depending on the service and how many islands it calls at before yours. Departures from Bostancı and Kadıköy on the Asian side are shorter. A private boat goes direct.
Büyükada if it is your first time — it has the mansions, the Aya Yorgi climb and the widest choice of places to eat. Heybeliada if you want pine woods and quiet. Burgazada and Kınalıada if you want almost no other visitors.
Yes, and the water is the clearest near Istanbul. There are paid beach clubs on Büyükada and Heybeliada, and free swimming off the rocks. The quietest swimming is from a boat anchored in a bay, which is how our island charters run.
One day covers a single island comfortably, or two if you move early. Trying to see three in a day by public ferry means spending most of it on boats and piers.
No private cars. Service and emergency vehicles are the exception, and electric shuttles now do the job the horse-drawn phaetons used to. It is the quietest place within reach of Istanbul.