Princes’ Islands

Full Day Tour | (minimum 2 guests)

PRINCES’ ISLANDS are one of the most popular places for daily trips from İstanbul.

BÜYÜK ADA, the biggest of the Princes’ Islands, is reachable by ferry from İstanbul and takes around 2 hours cruise. Motorized vehicles are forbidden on the island, so phaetons (horse drawn carriages) and bicycles are used for transportation. We have “small tour” of the island by phaetons. Guests also have free time to rent a bike and explore island on their own after lunch.

Lunch served at one of the best fish restaurants of the island.

You can also see during the tour:

TOPKAPI PALACE * LEANDER’ S TOWER * ÜSKÜDAR
from the boat

The islands constitute the Adalar district of Istanbul province.They consist of four larger islands, 

1. BÜYÜKADA , ("Big Island") with an area of 5.46 km.
2.  HEYBELI ADA, ("Saddlebag Island") with an area of 2.4 km .
3. BURGAZ ADA, ("Fortress Island") with an area of 1.5 km .
4. KINALI ADA ("Henna Island") with an area of 1.3 km .

The small islands are :

1. Sadafadası ("Mother-of-Pearl Island")
2. Yassı ada ("Flat Island")
3. Sıvrı ada ("Sharp Island")
4. Kaşık adası ("Spoon Island")
5. Tavşan adası ("Rabbit Island")

During the summer months, the Princes' Islands are popular destinations for day trips from Istanbul. As there is almost no motor traffic on the Islands, the only transport being bicycles and electric cars .

You can take the public transportations from eminonu and kapataş or beşikatş in the European side in Istanbul .

During the byzantium  period, princes and other royalty were exiled  on the islands, and later members of the OTTOMAN sultans family were exiled there too, giving the islands their present name. They were taken by the Ottoman fleet during the siege of Constantinople in 1453. During the nineteenth century, the islands became a popular resort for Istanbul's wealthy, and Victorian era cottages and houses are still preserved on the largest of the Princes' Islands.

There are several historical buildings on Büyükada, such as the Ayia Yorgi Church and Monastery dating back to the sixth century, the Ayios Dimitrios Church, and the Hamidiye Mosque built by SULTAN ABDULHAMID . Büyükada consists of two peaks. The one nearest the iskele (ferry landing), Hristos, is topped by the former Greek Orphanage, a huge wooden building now known as the Prinkipo Environmental Center .In the valley between the two hills sit the church and monastery of Ayios Nikolaos and a former fairground called Luna Park. Visitors can take the 'small tour' of the island by electric cars , leading to this point, from where it is an easy climb to Ayia Yorgi, a tiny church with a café on the grounds .