Princes' Islands from Istanbul: Ferry Timetable, Beaches and Day Trip 2027

Princes' Islands from Istanbul: the cheapest way is the city ferry from Kabataş, which takes a little over 1 hour 45 minutes to Büyükada in the winter timetable and costs 151.23 TL each way with an Istanbulkart (approx. €2.70). The most comfortable is our full-day tour with hotel pick-up, ferry and lunch, 8 hours from $90 per person (approx. €81); it is one of our day tours from Istanbul and fits well into a programme of Istanbul tours.

We have worked in Istanbul since 2010 (TÜRSAB group A, no. 15751). This page covers what German travellers ask before a Princes' Islands excursion: getting there, timetable, island choice, beaches, costs and a day plan. Euro amounts are approximate, at $1 = €0.895 (ECB, 30 October 2026) and $1 = 49.39 TL (Central Bank of Turkey, 14 October 2026). Timetable and fare come from Şehir Hatları (16 October 2026), cross-checked on 3 November 2026 with Ada Gazetesi.

How do you get to the Princes' Islands?

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

Most people take the city ferry of Şehir Hatları from the Kabataş pier at the terminus of the T1 tram. From Sultanahmet the tram takes about 20 minutes, and from Taksim the F1 funicular reaches Kabataş in about three. The boat calls at Kadıköy on the Asian side, then at Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada.

Kabataş has several piers. The island ferries leave from the Adalar pier, as the sign above the turnstiles says ("Adalar" means islands). You pay with the Istanbulkart at the turnstile, and there is no reservation. Our Istanbulkart guide (in English) explains how to buy and top up the card.

From the Asian side, board at Kadıköy or take the shorter crossing from Bostancı, which timetable portals put at 40 to 50 minutes; the private company Mavi Marmara also sails from there (fare not checked). Dentur Avrasya leaves from Beşiktaş, Kabataş and Sirkeci, next to Eminönü. A tour includes ferry and pick-up in the price.

Princes' Islands ferry: timetable and crossing time

The timetable changes twice a year. The Şehir Hatları winter timetable runs from 7 September 2026 to 27 June 2027, and many websites still show the summer list. From Monday to Saturday 15 boats leave Kabataş, the first at 06:45, the last at 23:30.

Mind the gap between 12:00 and 14:00: after the 12:00 boat (12:05 on Sundays) the next leaves at 14:00, then at 16:30. For a full day on the island take the 11:05 or the 12:00. The 14:00 boat reaches Büyükada around 15:45, which in November leaves under two hours of daylight, as the sun sets around 17:40.

Crossing time depends on the stops. The 09:00 boat from Kabataş calls at Kınalıada around 10:00, Burgazada at 10:15, Heybeliada at 10:30 and Büyükada at 10:45, so 1 hour 45 minutes. A few evening boats skip stops. Out and back you spend about three and a half hours on the water, which is why half-day trips disappoint.

The private Dentur Avrasya line leaves on weekdays at 09:30 from Beşiktaş, 09:45 from Kabataş and 10:00 from Sirkeci and reaches Büyükada at 11:15 (portal istanbulsehirhatlari.com, checked 3 November 2026; fare not checked). In strong wind sailings are cancelled. More detail in English is in our ferry guide from Kabataş.

Which island? Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada or Kınalıada

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

Of the nine islands only four have a regular ferry, and the further out, the bigger and busier. For a first visit Büyükada is the sensible choice, with the most sights, the most restaurants and the hill with the Aya Yorgi monastery.

On Heybeliada stand the naval school by the pier and, on the hill, the Halki seminary, the Greek Orthodox school closed since 1971, visible from outside only. Burgazada is small and residential, with the museum in the house of the writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık (2027 opening hours not checked). Kınalıada, the closest, is the barest and the least visited by foreigners.

The classic mistake is three islands in one day. For two, take the 09:00 boat to Heybeliada, walk for two hours and go on to Büyükada on a later boat; the ticket costs the same.

Büyükada: sights and a walking route

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

From the pier the route passes the clock tower square into the streets of the wooden villas that Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Ottoman families built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The best stand in the lanes above the seafront; half an hour gives a first impression, and an hour includes a break by the water.

The climb to the Aya Yorgi monastery (St George) leads up Yücetepe hill, a little over 200 metres. The last stretch is a steep cobbled path without shade; allow 30 to 45 minutes and take water. People go up for the view over the Sea of Marmara and to tie a thread and make a wish. Around 23 April, St George's feast, the hill is full of pilgrims.

On the other hill stands the Greek Orphanage of Prinkipo, one of the largest wooden buildings in Europe, empty for decades and seen from outside only. Leon Trotsky lived on the island in exile from 1929 to 1933. With little time, choose between Aya Yorgi and the villas.

Private cars are banned. The horse carriages were abolished in 2020 and replaced by electric vehicles and small electric buses, as the NZZ also reported; ask at the pier for routes and prices, as they are not in our tour price. The alternative is the bicycle: hire shops line the streets behind the pier, so compare prices. The roads are hilly, so an e-bike suits occasional cyclists.

Princes' Islands beaches near Istanbul: where can you swim and what does it cost?

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

Yes, but do not expect the Caribbean. The coast is pebble coves, rocks, wooden platforms and private beach clubs with an entry fee. The season runs from June to September; the sea stays cool until June and the clubs usually close in October.

Prices are from the Ada Gazetesi overview for the 2026 season (checked 3 November 2026) and usually include sunbed, parasol and shower. Yörükali charges the weekday price on Saturdays too. Other sources quote up to 1,000 TL on weekdays and clubs change prices mid-season, so ask on the spot.

Bring water shoes, because pebbles and rocks are slippery, and ask the club about a lifeguard if you travel with small children. Swimming is not part of our group tour, which has lunch and free time but no beach time; to swim, go independently on a weekday and stay for the late boat.

Princes' Islands day trip: guided or on your own?

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

On your own the island is easy and cheap if you are comfortable with the Istanbulkart and the piers. A tour makes sense with little time, with older parents or children, or to avoid the queues at Kabataş.

The honest sums: a couple pays about €11 for the return ferry independently, plus lunch and a bicycle. Our tour costs more but includes the hotel transfer, which saves time and taxi money. It covers ferry tickets, hotel pick-up and lunch; bicycle rental and electric vehicles are extra. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before, and you pay after our written confirmation ("Book Now, Pay Later"). Prices change with the season and hotel, so ask for your date on WhatsApp.

The tour assistant organises the day but speaks English, Spanish or Russian and is not a guide who explains every building. For explanations in German ask for a licensed German-speaking guide, confirmed per date in writing before payment, see German-speaking guide in Istanbul. Start times run from 08:00 to 14:00, and 09:00 is the suggested one.

A day plan on your own, winter timetable, Monday to Saturday:

• 09:00 Ferry from Kabataş, tea on the upper deck, arrival in Büyükada at 10:45.
• 10:45 Clock tower square and the villa streets above the seafront, while it is quiet.
• 11:30 Climb to Aya Yorgi on foot or by electric vehicle.
• 13:30 Lunch by the water; the seafront charges tourist prices, one lane back is cheaper.
• 15:00 The Greek Orphanage from outside, then time by the sea.
• 16:30 Ferry back, arriving in Kabataş around 18:20.

If the weather turns, we also run a Sapanca day trip with ATV, zipline and lunch (10 hours, from $70, approx. €63) and a Bursa day trip (8 hours, from $90); see also Bosphorus tours and day trips from Istanbul.

Best time to go: the Princes' Islands in summer and winter

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

The best months are May, June, September and October, on weekdays: warm enough to sit outside, cool enough for the hill, quieter than the holidays. July and August are hot, and on Saturdays boats and island are packed.

In winter the ferries run and the islands are almost empty, but many restaurants and beach clubs close or shorten their hours, and sailings are cancelled in strong wind. With sunset around 17:40 in December, take a boat before 12:00.

With one free day and dry weather, go; in rain, postpone. Between November and March a Bosphorus cruise or a city day is often better. See our day tours from Istanbul; an English version of this day plan is on Princes Islands day trip from Istanbul.

Getting there from Germany: entry rules, flights and costs

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

For German citizens the Federal Foreign Office says (3 November 2026): entry with a passport, temporary passport or ID card, the ID card also if it expired no more than a year ago; it advises against the temporary ID card, and an expired one is not accepted. For up to 90 days within 180 days no visa is needed. Austrians and Swiss check with their foreign ministry.

Pegasus lists direct flights to Istanbul from Munich (2 h 40 min), Berlin (2 h 50 min), Frankfurt (3 h 10 min), Düsseldorf and Hamburg (3 h 15 min each) and other German cities (checked 3 November 2026). Ask for the destination airport: Istanbul has two, IST and SAW. We do not sell flights.

We bundle hotel, flight and programme into Turkey tour packages, and the island trip fits into a programme of Istanbul tours. Pay the ferry with the Istanbulkart; bicycle, electric vehicle and beach need cash in lira.

Frequently Asked Questions