Prince's Island tour

General information

Destination	Category
Istanbul, Turkey	Cruise and Boat Tours

Program details

The car-free Princes' Islands are only a short ferry ride from Istanbul, and provide a welcome break from the city heat and bustle.

The morning begins when you are picked from your hotel at 08:00 and transferred to the ferry terminal for a cruise on the Sea of Marmara heading for Büyükada, the largest of the nine islands making up the archipelago. On the way you'll be able to enjoy great views of the Topkapi Palace, Leander's Tower and Üsküdar on Istanbul's Asian shore. Büyükada is a popular resort for the locals in the summer with its white sandy beaches and fragrant pine forests, but it was once a place of exile for Byzantine Emperors (and Leon Trotsky) as well as a popular retreat for wealthy Istanbulites in the first half of the 20th Century.
You'll be enchanted by this small slice of traffic-free paradise. When you explore some of the islands' quiet back streets, you'll feel as if you've found your way back to the late 19th century and an Istanbul that no longer exists on the mainland. Tour the island in a horse-drawn carriage before having lunch in one of the island's many pleasant restaurants. We'll return to Istanbul in the afternoon arriving back at your hotel at around 17:00.

This full-day tour includes hotel pick up and drop off and transfer to the port, a return boat ride to the island of Büyükada with a guided tour, a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, lunch in a local restaurant (drinks are not included, vegetarian option included on request).


Meeting/pick-up point: Hotel pick up.

Start/opening time: Between 8am and 8.30am.

End/closing time: Between 4.30pm and 5pm.