If you want to spend a calm day far away from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul, this excursion to Princess Island is perfect! Enjoy a cruise on the Marmara Sea to the Princess Islands. Your ferry will bring you in 75 minutes to the Princess Islands Büyükada.
In the times of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires the islands were used as exile sites and as a monastery region. Today only 4 of the total 9 Princes' Islands are open to public settlement. Your boat will bring you to the most famous and most beautiful of these islands called Büyükada. The name is meaning Big Island and the size of the island is 5,4 km2 and has 7.300 inhabitants. Except for the fire brigade, police, and ambulance, only carriages and bicycles are allowed here.
- Take a walk through the center and get used to the silence that reigns on the island.
- See the Merkez Eczanesi, a pharmacy from 1870, and feel like being in a time tunnel.
- Go to Hamlaci Street 4 and see the ruin of the villa, in which Trotsky lived in exile between 1929 and 1933, writing his autobiography and the three volumes on the "History of the Russian Revolution".
- Rent a bike and take a round trip on the island. Along the way, admire the magnificent old villas lining up the streets.
- Explore the Greek Orthodox St. George Church on top of the island's tallest hill.
- Enjoy fantastic views of Istanbul, the Marmara Sea, and the neighboring islands.
- Stopover and visit the former Greek Orphanage, Europe's largest and the world's second-largest wooden house.
- Have a delicious lunch in one of the many restaurants around the harbor.
- Go to one of the public beaches (halk plaji) or beach clubs for swimming and sunbathing or keep on exploring the island.
- If you like hiking, you can also walk the island tour.
Departure times
From Istanbul: 9:45 am, 10:45am, 11:45am, 1:45pm.
From Princes Island: Every hour, the last ferry returns at 6pm.
Languages
The Bosphorus Cruise audioguide app is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, and Chinese.
Download the audio guide app before your tours on your smartphone.