Princes' Islands Excursion from Istanbul 2027: Ferry, Price and What to See

Princes' Islands excursion from Istanbul: the cheapest way is the public ferry from Kabataş, about 1 h 40 min to Büyükada for 151.23 TL each way with an Istanbulkart (approx. €2.7), and the most comfortable is our full-day excursion of 8 hours, with hotel pick-up, ferry, lunch and a tour assistant who speaks Spanish, from $90 per person (approx. €81). If you are already in Istanbul, message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you whether there is a place for tomorrow. It is one of our day tours from Istanbul, and it combines well with any plan of Istanbul tours.

This page is for readers arriving from Spain, Mexico or another Spanish-speaking country who want to know how to get there, what it costs, what to see and whether it deserves a whole day. Euro prices are approximate: we use $1 = €0.895 (ECB, 30 October 2026) and $1 = 49.39 TL (Central Bank of Turkey, 14 October 2026).

What is the Princes' Islands excursion with us like?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

The full-day excursion starts with a pick-up at your Istanbul hotel. A ferry crosses the Sea of Marmara with the city skyline behind it, makes short stops at Kınalıada and Heybeliada and lands at Büyükada, the largest island. There you have lunch at a local restaurant and free time to wander among the wooden mansions, have tea by the sea or rent a bicycle. In the afternoon, the ferry back and the transfer to your hotel.

It lasts about 8 hours and the price is from $90 per person. It includes the round-trip ferry tickets, hotel pick-up and drop-off, lunch and a tour assistant who speaks English, Spanish or Russian. It does not include bicycle rental, the island's electric vehicles or personal expenses. It is a group tour, not a private one, and cancellation is free up to 7 days before.

One important point: the assistant accompanies the group and organises the day, but is not an official guide who explains every building. If you want historical explanations in Spanish, a licensed guide can be added for your date, always with written confirmation before payment. See how we handle it on our page about a Spanish-speaking guide in Istanbul.

How do you get to the Princes' Islands by ferry on your own?

The public ferry is run by Şehir Hatları, the municipal ferry company. It leaves from the Kabataş pier, next to the T1 tram terminus, and calls at Kadıköy, Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada. There are also departures from Eminönü and from Bostancı, on the Asian side, which is the shortest crossing at about 50 minutes. You pay with an Istanbulkart at the turnstile; no booking is needed.

Timetables change twice a year. The Şehir Hatları winter timetable runs from 7 September 2026 to 27 June 2027 and, as we checked on 16 October 2026, the first boat leaves Kabataş at 06:45 and the last at 23:30. There is a gap that surprises people: nothing leaves between 12:00 and 14:00, and then nothing until 16:30. If you miss the 11:05 boat, the 12:00 is the last reasonable one for a full day. The detailed times are in our guide to the Princes' Islands ferry from Kabataş.

Watch the summer weekends: on Saturday mornings the ferry is full, and the 18:00 boats back can be standing room only. Sit on the starboard deck on the way out to see the Old City skyline. Other private companies, such as Turyol, advertise lines to the islands from Kabataş and Bostancı; we have not verified their 2026 fares, so confirm at the pier.

How much does it cost to go to the Princes' Islands? Ferry, tour and guide compared

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

There is no entrance fee to the islands: you pay only for transport, food and whatever you rent there. This table sums up the usual ways to do it.

Do the sums honestly. Independently, a couple spends about €12 on a return ferry, plus lunch and the bicycle. The excursion costs more, but it includes the hotel transfer, which in Istanbul saves a lot of time and taxi money. Prices vary by season, hotel and what each option includes: ask us for today's price on WhatsApp.

What is there to see on Büyükada, the largest island?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

Büyükada holds almost everything you see on a first trip. Leaving the pier, the clock tower square sends you towards the streets of the grand wooden mansions that Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Ottoman families built between the 19th and 20th centuries. The Splendid Palace Hotel, a historic hotel on the island, is one of the most photographed facades.

The climb to Aya Yorgi, the Monastery of St George, is on the Yücetepe hill, a little over 200 metres up. The last stretch is a steep cobbled path with almost no shade: allow 30 to 45 minutes and bring water. The church is small; people climb for the view over the Sea of Marmara and for the custom of tying a thread and making a wish. Around 23 April, St George's feast, the hill fills with pilgrims and the queues for vehicles grow long.

On the other hill is the Prinkipo Greek Orphanage, one of the largest wooden buildings in Europe, empty for decades and visible only from outside, behind a fence. Leon Trotsky lived on the island in exile from 1929 to 1933. If the day is short, choose: Aya Yorgi or the mansions, but not both in a hurry.

What is there to see on the other islands: Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada?

There are nine islands in all, but only four have a regular passenger ferry. Heybeliada is greener and quieter than Büyükada: the old naval school stands by the pier and, on the hilltop, the Halki Orthodox seminary, the Greek theological school closed since 1971. You see it from outside.

Burgazada is small and residential. Its best-known visit is the museum dedicated to the writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık, set in the house where he lived; check the opening hours before you go, because we have not verified them for 2027. Kınalıada, the closest to the city, is the barest and the one foreigners visit least.

A common mistake is trying to see three islands in a day. The ferry timetable does not allow it without rushing. Our excursion makes short stops at Kınalıada and Heybeliada precisely because most of the time is spent on Büyükada. If you want to see Heybeliada or Burgazada properly, come back another day and take the first boat.

Are there beaches on the Princes' Islands of Istanbul?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

Yes, but do not expect Caribbean sand. The beaches are small pebble coves and private beach clubs that charge entry. In June 2026 the newspaper GZT reported that entry to private beaches in Istanbul, Büyükada included, starts at 500 TL and reaches 2,000 TL at some venues on some weekends; check the price of the specific club.

The swimming season runs from June to September. If your excursion includes lunch and little free time, like ours, do not count on time to swim; for that it is better to go independently on a weekday and stay until the last reasonable boat.

Bring swimwear, a towel and water shoes, because the pebbles are slippery. Before going with small children, ask the club whether there is a lifeguard.

How do you get around the islands without cars?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

There are no private cars on the islands. You walk, rent a bicycle or use the island's electric vehicles; neither the bicycle nor the electric vehicle is included in our price and both are paid for on the spot. The horse-drawn carriages that made Büyükada famous were withdrawn after the 2020 decision, and the rules on electric vehicles have changed several times since, so ask at the pier what is running that day.

On foot, the streets near the pier and the seafront are easy. The hills inland are steep, which is why many people rent a bicycle. If you are travelling with small children or an older person, an electric vehicle for the climb can save more than money.

Many streets are cobbled and slippery on rainy days. With reduced mobility the island is hard going; tell us when you book and we will find an alternative in the city with our Istanbul tours.

When should you go to the Princes' Islands: summer or winter?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

The best months are May, June, September and October, on weekdays. In July and August it is hot, the boats are full and on Saturdays the island is crowded. In winter there are far fewer people and the mood is very quiet, but some restaurants and beach clubs close, and in rain or fog the excursion loses some of its appeal.

As a rule of thumb, if you have only one free day and the weather is dry, go. If it rains, change the day. With three days in Istanbul, give one to the Old City, another to the Bosphorus and leave the islands for the third. See all the options in our day tours from Istanbul.

What do Spanish and Mexican travellers need to travel to Turkey?

Princes' Islands Full-Day Tour from Istanbul, Lunch Included, from $90

Spanish passport: according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (checked in November 2026), ordinary passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. In our check of 1 October 2026, the list of countries whose citizens can enter with a national identity card included Spain, but your airline may have its own rules: ask before flying on the DNI alone.

Mexican passport: the same ministry says ordinary passport holders need a visa. For tourism you can apply for a single-entry, 30-day e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr (checked in November 2026). Apply only on the official site, because other websites charge for the same document.

Turkish Airlines flies nonstop from Madrid to Istanbul, a little over four hours, and connects Mexico City and Cancún with Istanbul. For other cities, check the airlines' timetables; we do not sell international flights. If you are looking for a longer trip with the excursion included, see our Turkey tour packages.

To book, message us on WhatsApp or through the contact page, and we will confirm availability and the price for your date.

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