As tourists (and locals) you may find yourself overwhelmed by the busy life of Istanbul city — the heavy traffic, bazaars, and crowds. Visiting the Princes Islands is one way to see and experience the serene and slow rhythm of life of Istanbul. The Princes Islands (known as Adalar), consists of nine islands. It is historically known as the place for exiled princes and royalties during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Hence, it gets the name Princes Islands. Among the nine islands, only four islands are accessible for tourists. These are Büyükada (meaning “Big Island”), Heybeliada (meaning “Saddlebag Island”), Burgazada (meaning “Fortress Island”), and Kınalıada (meaning Henna Island”). From Istanbul city, it takes just less than an hour away by ferry that crosses the waters of the Marmara Sea, to reach these islands.

In case you wonder if it is worth it to visit one or two of these islands, I would say yes especially if you have a few days to spend in your Istanbul trip. It is a different experience to be in one of the Princes Islands. The next decision now is, which of these islands to visit? In our case, we decided to go to Büyükada since it is the largest island and it offers rich mix of historical, cultural, and nature parts of the city. It is also one of the most convenient island to reach since ferries from both European and Asian side run frequently to this island. The other islands are of course worth it to visit in its own way. In case you need help to decide which island to visit, check this blog for more information. You can also check my blogpost if interested to know more about the European side of Istanbul.

Planning your trip to Büyükada Island

There are many ports to choose from when departing from Istanbul city depending on your location. You can hop the ferry from Kabataş if you are in the European side, or from Kadıköy and Bostancı if in the Asian side. Going to the island yourself by taking a ferry can save you a lot of money, time, and freedom during your travel. Note that hotels, tour agencies, and online bookings ask for 30 euros per person (around 1,430₺ or Turkish Lira) for a whole day island tour (starting at 9am to 18:00). This includes hotel pick up, private tour guide and boat, as well as lunch. This could work is you are a couple. For a family of five like us, the costs can accumulate (equivalent to 150 euros or 7,160₺). Besides, it is difficult to plan strict timing when with kids.

We decided to go on our own and it surprises us how much we saved and planned flexibly our time. The bus ticket from our hotel going to the port is 27₺, (kids are free, thus 54₺ for two parents). It costs 160₺ per person for ferry trips back and forth (a total of 480₺ for me, my husband, and my eldest son or equivalent to 10 euros!). We left our hotel at 9:05, departed at Usbostanci at 10:00am, and arrived at Büyükada island at 10:45am. Always check for the schedule of the ferry back so you can plan when you need to be back at the port. A simple search in Google map saves time in planning and provides real-time travel routes.

Our experience of Büyükada Island

There are not so much tourists yet when we arrived in the center before lunch (yet it became way more in the afternoon). When in Büyükada, you have the option to go by electric bus that will bring you at the center of the island or rent a bike for 80₺ per hour. Since we want to immerse ourselves in the island, we went walking for four hours. I will recommend to go by foot since there are certain routes that cannot be reached by bus and you will discover and enjoy many beautiful hidden views of the Marmara sea on one side, hidden island spot on the other side, and even the old architecture on top of the island. We have explored more than half of the island simply by walking (with three kids)!

When in the island, there are many things that you could do. You can go into one of the beaches to sunbath or to take a swim in the water. Note that you need to pay an entrance for the beach. There are also restaurants in the island (both in the center as well as in other remote areas). Be warned though that most of them are overpriced with average quality. There are also some playgrounds for kids in case you are a family visitor. Lastly, you can do sight seeing of historical mansions dated back in Ottoman times as well as the 20,000 square meter Prinkipo Greek orphanage.