- Worth visiting?
- Yes — on a warm weekday, as a full day
- Best island
- Büyükada for a first visit; Heybeliada for quiet
- Ferry from
- Kabataş via Kadıköy, or Bostancı on the Asian side
- Journey
- About 1¾ hours from Kabataş to Büyükada
- Cars
- Banned — electric shuttles, bicycles and walking
- Best season
- Spring and autumn; summer weekdays for swimming
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Yes — the Princes' Islands are worth visiting from Istanbul, provided you go on a warm weekday, give them a whole day, and go once the big monuments are behind you. They are nine car-free islands in the Sea of Marmara, reached on an ordinary city ferry, with pine woods, wooden mansions and a pace of life the rest of the city gave up a century ago. On a packed summer Saturday, or in the depths of winter, they are a harder sell, and we say so below.
Is Princes' Island in Istanbul worth visiting?
People usually mean Büyükada, the largest island, and the honest answer depends almost entirely on when you go:
| When | What the islands are like | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Summer weekday | Swimming, pine shade, seafood by the pier, a slow ferry home at sunset | Absolutely worth it |
| Summer weekend | The same islands with half of Istanbul on them; long queues for the ferry back | Go early, or pick another day |
| Spring and autumn | Green, mild and quiet — the best walking weather of the year | Our favorite time |
| Winter | Many restaurants shut, fewer ferries, a cold and sometimes rough crossing | Only if you love empty places |
The other deciding factor is how long you have. On a two-day trip the islands would cost you the Bosphorus or the old city, which is a bad trade on a first visit. They belong on day four or five. Our guide to how many days you need in Istanbul helps with that decision.
Why they are called the Princes' Islands
Because that is what they were for. In the Byzantine centuries the islands were where inconvenient royalty went: princes, empresses and deposed emperors were exiled to monasteries here, and not always gently. Later they became the summer retreat of Istanbul's Greek, Armenian and Jewish families, which is why they are scattered with churches, a synagogue and the extravagant wooden villas that give them their character.
The most famous exile came much later. Leon Trotsky lived on Büyükada from 1929 to 1933 after being expelled from the Soviet Union, and wrote much of The History of the Russian Revolution there. The house still stands, in ruins, and is a small pilgrimage for a certain kind of visitor.
Which Princes' Island is best to visit?
Four islands are served by the regular ferry, and they are more different from each other than people expect:
| Island | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Kınalıada | First stop from the city, smallest and barest; named for its reddish, henna-colored earth | A quiet half day with very few visitors |
| Burgazada | Small, leafy and local; the writer Sait Faik's house is a museum | A long lunch and a slow walk |
| Heybeliada | Second largest; pine woods, the naval school and the historic Halki seminary on its hill | Walking and cycling |
| Büyükada | Largest and grandest; the mansion streets, the main square, Aya Yorgi on the hilltop | A first visit |
If you only visit one, make it Büyükada. If your instinct is always to avoid the crowd, get off at Heybeliada and have the pine woods largely to yourself.
What to do on Büyükada
- Walk the mansion streets. Head uphill from the clock tower and within ten minutes you are among nineteenth-century wooden villas with verandas, gardens and a slightly faded grandeur that no photograph quite catches.
- Climb to Aya Yorgi. The monastery church of St. George sits on Yücetepe, the hill at the island's southern end. The last stretch is a steep cobbled path, and the reward is a view over the whole archipelago and a simple restaurant at the top.
- Hire a bicycle. The ring road around the island is the classic ride. It is hillier than it looks from the pier.
- Swim. Büyükada and Heybeliada have small beaches and beach clubs, most of them paid, with loungers — a real option from about June to September.
- Eat fish by the water. The restaurants along the harbor are where the day slows down properly. For more on what to order, our Istanbul food guide covers meze and fish.
How to get to the Princes' Islands from Istanbul
The islands lie roughly 12 to 20 kilometers south-east of the old city across the water, and the ferry is half the point of going. The regular city ferry leaves from Kabataş, calls at Kadıköy on the Asian side, then works its way down the islands — Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and finally Büyükada, about an hour and three-quarters after leaving. Shorter crossings run from Bostancı on the Asian side, and faster private sea-buses also operate in season.
You pay with an Istanbulkart, the city's travel card; fares are set by the municipality and change often enough that we would rather you check at the pier than trust a figure printed here. Our guide to public transport in Istanbul explains the card. Two pieces of advice save most of the stress: go early, and come back before the last rush. The late-afternoon queue at Büyükada pier on an August weekend is a genuine ordeal.
Getting around: no cars, and no horses anymore
Private cars are banned. For over a century transport was by fayton, the horse-drawn carriage, and for many visitors that was the defining image of the islands. After sustained animal-welfare campaigns and an outbreak of disease among the horses, the carriages were withdrawn in 2020 and replaced by electric shuttle vehicles. Bicycles are everywhere, and most of what matters is within walking distance of the pier. We mention this because a great many guidebooks still promise horse carriages. They are gone, and on balance that is a good thing.
The Princes' Islands in winter
People ask about December and January more than you would think, and the answer is honest: it can be beautiful, but it is a different place. Ferries run to a reduced winter timetable, many restaurants and all the beach clubs close, and the crossing is cold. On a clear, still day the empty lanes and the view back to the city are wonderful. On a gray, windy one we would rather send you to a hamam. Our guide to the best time to visit Istanbul covers the seasons in more detail.
Should you stay the night?
Büyükada and Heybeliada both have small hotels and guesthouses, and a night on the island is the secret most visitors never discover: once the last day-trippers' ferry leaves, the islands go silent and you have the lanes to yourself. It works best as the quiet end of a longer trip rather than a base for sightseeing — the commute back to the monuments is too long. For everywhere else, see where to stay in Istanbul.
The islands with children
Car-free streets, a ferry ride, bicycles and a beach make the islands one of the easiest family days in the city. Take snacks for the ferry, rent a bike with a child seat, and do not attempt the Aya Yorgi climb with small legs in the midday heat. More ideas are in our guide to Istanbul with kids.
A guided day or on your own?
Honestly, the islands are one of the few places in Istanbul where you do not need a guide all day — the ferry is easy and the island is small. Where we help is with the timing: which ferry, which island for your group, where to have lunch, and how to fit the day around a Bosphorus cruise or the Asian side. We can simply plan it and let you have the day to yourselves, or send a guide along for the history. Private guiding starts from €150 per group per day — see our tours or tell us your dates and we will plan the islands around the rest of your trip.
Princes' Islands — frequently asked questions
Is Princes' Island in Istanbul worth visiting?
Yes, on a warm weekday with a full day to spare — car-free lanes, wooden mansions, pine woods and a long lunch by the water. On a summer weekend it is very crowded, and in winter much of it closes, so the timing matters more than the island.
How do you get to the Princes' Islands from Istanbul?
By city ferry from Kabataş, which calls at Kadıköy and then Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada. Shorter crossings leave from Bostancı on the Asian side, and faster private sea-buses run in season. See our public transport guide for the Istanbulkart.
How far are the Princes' Islands from Istanbul?
Roughly 12 to 20 kilometers south-east of the old city across the Sea of Marmara. On the regular ferry, Büyükada is about an hour and three-quarters from Kabataş; the nearer islands are shorter.
What is there to do on Princes' Island?
Walk the mansion streets, climb to the monastery church of Aya Yorgi for the view, cycle the ring road, swim at a beach club in summer and eat fish by the harbor. The point is the pace as much as the sights.
Is it worth visiting the Princes' Islands in winter?
Only on a clear, still day. In winter the ferries run less often, many restaurants and every beach club close, and the crossing is cold. The empty lanes can be lovely, but on a gray day we would choose something indoors in the city.
How much is the ferry to the Princes' Islands?
The city ferry is paid with an Istanbulkart at the municipal fare, which is inexpensive and changes often, so check it at the pier rather than trusting an old figure. Private sea-buses cost more but are quicker.
Princes' Islands in pictures
See it with a private local guide
Every tour we run is private and tailor-made — you choose the places, your licensed local guide plans the day with you, and a private car is always included.
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