Princes' Islands Day Tour from Istanbul

Overview

Full-day Princes' Islands tour from Istanbul: ferry to car-free Buyukada, electric taxi through the pine forest, Aya Yorgi Hill views, lunch and free time by the sea.

The Princes' Islands are a cluster of nine car-free islands an hour from the noise of Istanbul. You are collected from your hotel in the morning and driven to Kabatas pier; the ferry passes Kinaliada and Burgazada and reaches Buyukada in about 90 minutes. Feeding simit to the seagulls on the way is the children's favourite moment, while your guide explains the islands' Byzantine exile past and 19th-century mansions.

On Buyukada you take a short walk through the square framed by wooden mansions, then ride electric island taxis (which replaced the old horse carriages) through pine forest to the foot of Aya Yorgi Hill. Those who wish climb the 20-minute slope for a 360-degree view of the Marmara; others wait at the hilltop tea garden. Lunch, included in the price, is at a seaside restaurant with fish and grill options and a halal menu.

In the afternoon you have two hours of free time: bicycle hire (children's bikes available), swimming at the beach (June to September), ice cream and a stroll through the market street. The 17:00 ferry returns to Kabatas, followed by your hotel transfer. This is our most requested family programme in summer; the sea breeze keeps the island 5 to 6 degrees cooler than the city.