The vibrant, lively and colorful city of Istanbul is a complete package for any traveler. Situated across the strait of Bosphorus, there are plenty of things to do in and around Istanbul. Among the many things one gets to try and explore in Istanbul, it came as a shock to me when many of my friends weren’t aware of the day trip to the Princes Islands from Istanbul. It is safe to say that my visit to the Princes Islands from Istanbul was one of the main highlights of my time in the city.
While planning my day trip to Princes Island from Istanbul, I struggled to find sufficient information on how to reach the islands, what would be the best time to go there and most importantly which of the islands will be the best to visit. So, based on my personal experience of visiting the Princes Islands from Istanbul – I have compiled this photo guide with all the information on planning a trip to the islands from Istanbul. As the islands are immensely pretty and picturesque, I thought it only makes sense to draft a photo guide – because why not?
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What Are The Princes Islands?
Just located on a short 17km distance away from the shores of Istanbul is a cluster of nine small islands called the Princes Islands. Among all the islands, only four of them are developed and opened for the general public and tourists. The four accessible islands are Kinaliada, Burgaz Island, Heybeliada, and Buyukada.
The islands are called Aladar in Turkish and got its English name of Princes Islands as they were used to be the exile of the royalties during the Byzantine and Ottoman era. Later on, the riches of Istanbul occupied the islands for their summer breaks and constructed beautiful wooden Victorian houses, which are still well-maintained and can be seen on the Islands. Back in the day, the islands were very popular for the sale of fresh Turkish delights, which were prepared on the island especially for the wealthy folks who lived there. With time, as mainland Istanbul emerged to be the tourist hotspot, all of the best Turkish delights and sweets are now found in Istanbul’s main center.
One piece of information important to be known prior to plan your day trip to the Princes Islands from Istanbul is that all of the islands are completely motor-free. This means that the only mode of transport on the islands are horse carriages, which I will not recommend using (I will cover this issue later in the post), and bicycles.
Now that we know a little something about the Princes Islands near Istanbul – let’s see what each of the islands has to offer.
Kinaliada Island
Kinaliada Island is the nearest island from the shores of Istanbul. It is also the only island among all of the islands with a beach. Most of the visitors visit the Kinaliada Island to enjoy a nice time on the beach by swimming or just lazing on the sun loungers as there are not many other activities to do there as compared to the other three islands. It also happens to be the smallest island among all four.
Burgaz Island
The next island which is situated right after Kinaliada Island is Burgaz Island, which is the third smallest island with an area of only 1.5 square km. Burgaz is considered to be a sleeping island due to its calm and quiet vibe as very few tourists actually chose to visit this island. For anyone looking for a relaxing day break from the chaotic city of Istanbul – Burgaz is the place to be!
Heybeliada Island
The second-largest island in the Princes Islands is the Heybeliada Island. Less crowded than its mighty neighbor Buyukada, Heybeliada has a mystical pine forest and hills apt for strolling along with some Victorian-era buildings and houses. If anyone wants to stay a night on this island, there are a bunch of good hotels for an overnight stay.
Buyukada Island
Buyukada Island is the largest and most popular island visited by tourists among all the Princes Islands. The island is stretched over an area of 5.4 square km and offers plenty of activities for visitors. The island features a beautiful sea-front dining experience along with shopping, cycling, hiking, and sightseeing opportunities.
How To Go To The Princes Islands
The ferry schedule for a day trip to Princes Island from Istanbul is different in summer and winter. During the warmer months when there are more tourists in the city, the ferry to the islands runs every day throughout the week from morning to 6 PM in the evening. However, during the winter months, the frequency of the ferries visiting the Princes Islands is limited to only four days a week.
The Cheapest Way to Visit The Princes Island
The best and cheapest way to visit the Princes Islands is to take a regular ferry run by the Sehir Hatlari Company. You can board this ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy on the European side and from Bostanci on the Asian Side.
- Cost: Each ride costs 5TL with the Istanbul Kart card
- Duration: 90 mins
If you are planning to visit the Princes Islands by the Sehir Hatlari ferries bear in mind that the ferries operate on a first come first serve basis. It is highly recommended to board an early morning ferry, especially on the weekends. Avoid taking the last few ferries back from the islands to Istanbul as they fill up really fast and in case you are not able to get a place on one – you might be forced to spend the night on the islands.
For Istanbul Tourist Pass Holders
If you have the Istanbul Tourist Pass – it includes one back and forth journey to the Islands starting from Eminonu. For more detail on that, read this.
I skipped all the first three islands and choose to explore the Buyukada Island only as it is the most popular one with the most number of things to do there. I reached the island around mid-day on a summer afternoon and to be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed with the crowd of tourists there. Moreover, as my day trip to Princes Islands from Istanbul was scheduled during the peak summer month of June, the weather was not really pleasant but hot, however, I felt it was still better than the weather in Istanbul.
Upon entering the island, there is a small clock tower kind of place from where all the shops and different routes to the island begin. As all of the Princes Islands are motor-free, so, there are plenty of shops for bicycles and electric scooter rentals. The Princes Islands are also popular for plenty of instagramable spots, so there are tons of shops selling floral headbands and accessories which helps in making all those shots for Instagram more aesthetically pleasing.
Things to do in Buyukada Island
Stroll Around The Picturesque Island
First thing first, as soon as you reach Buyukada – the best way to explore the island is to just wander around its extremely beautiful streets and alleys. If you are lucky enough like me to visit Buyukada during summer, then you will also be greeted by the colorful flowers and trees everywhere on the island. However, while strolling on the streets – be mindful of the horse carriages as they ride them super-fast without caring much about the pedestrians. While I was walking, a young girl ahead of me almost got hit by the carriage. Luckily she just moved out of the way in time!
Rent A Bike or Electric Scooter
If you’re not very keen on walking around the island, then your best bet is to rent a bicycle or an electric scooter from one of the many bike rental shops on the island. As I choose to walk on foot over cycling, so I don’t know the exact cost of the bike rental. However, there are plenty of rental shops so take your time to go around them and get the best rate for your bike.
Visit Hagios Giorgios Monastery
One of the most prominent things to do in Buyukada is to visit the Hagios Giorgios Monastery, which is located at the highest point on the island. A short hike is involved in order to reach the monastery. Moreover, the hill on which the monastery is built is a 30mins bike ride away from the main jetty, therefore, if you’re planning to visit it, so time your stay on the island accordingly. As I did my day trip to Princes Island from Istanbul on the second last day of my trip across Turkey, I was quite tired and wasn’t very keen to do the hike or spend an entire day on the island.
Eat At A Sea-Front Café
Irrespective of which weather you go to the Buyukada Island, no visit to the island is completed without sipping a coffee or eating at one of the many chic sea-facing cafes. Just next to the main jetty is a series of pretty little cute cafes, which are so instagramable as well as serves delicious Turkish food. If you are visiting Buyukada in summer then don’t forget to eat the famous Turkish ice cream, the Dondurma.
DO NOT Ride The Horse Carriages
All of the Princes Islands are motor-free which means there are no engine vehicles permitted on the islands in order to protect the environment from pollution. However, one practice to preserve the environment has resulted in another major issue – animal abuse. All of the islands have plenty of horse carriages, a ride on which is considered as one of the topmost things to do on Princes Island.
Sadly, this so-called touristy activity is basically just contributing to animal abuse. Almost all of the horse carriages I saw, the horses seem to be in a miserable condition and looked burnt out and tired. The local men riding the carriages showed zero mercy towards the animals and were using a stick kind of a thing to hit the animal in order to pace it up. It was an unfortunate sight to see so many tourists paying for this major act of animal abuse.
Though many people might have the opinion that there is nothing much to do on the Islands – I still believe that a day trip to Princes Islands from Istanbul is a great way to get away from the chaos and pollution of the city and spend a nice afternoon amidst nature and serenity.
Fun Fact – There are many Victorian style houses on the Princes Island and luckily you book a stay in one of them! Check out these epic Victorian architecture hotels on Princes Island
- Buyukuda Princes Hotel
- Tiara Buyukuda Hotel
- Yali Butik Hotel
- Ada Palas Boutique Hotel
- Ada Palace Buyukuda Hotel
Check Out These Tours To The Princes Islands Before They Are Sold Out!
Want To Know More of Turkey’s Goodness? Check Out My Complete Turkey Travel Series:
- All About Traveling As A Solo Female Traveler in Istanbul
- Things To Do In Cappadocia WITHOUT Hot Air Balloon Ride
- An Ethical Guide on Visiting The Colorful Neighborhood of Balat in Istanbul
- Honest Review of Ramada Hotel Suites By Golden Horn In Istanbul
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