Islands guide · 1½ hours by ferry
Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada: wooden mansions, pine woods, hilltop monasteries and fish by the harbour, with no cars.
Islands feature
Pine woods, wooden mansions and monasteries an hour and a half from the city.
Take an early ferry from Kabataş, rent a bike on Büyükada, climb to St George and eat fish by the harbour.
Read the full back story below, then plan your trip.
The back story
An hour and a half by ferry from the centre, the Princes’ Islands have no cars: pine woods, wooden mansions, monasteries on the hilltops and swimming coves, with the skyline of Istanbul on the horizon.
The largest island
The largest of the Princes’ Islands, with grand wooden mansions, pine-covered hills and the Monastery of St George.
On the island’s highest hill
The Greek Orthodox monastery on Yücetepe, the highest hill of Büyükada, with views over the Sea of Marmara.
Pine woods and coves
The second-largest island: pine forests, quiet coves and a hilltop monastery.
The writer’s island
The small island where writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık lived; his house is a museum.
The closest island
The closest island to the city, with bare reddish hills and a quiet seafront.
Lunch next to St George
A simple restaurant on the summit of Yücetepe, next to the monastery, with a view over the sea.
Fish on the rocks
A fish restaurant on the rocky western shore of Burgazada, with sunset views.
Kalpazankaya Yolu 42Explore View on map
From Kabataş, Eminönü and Bostancı
City ferries from Kabataş and Eminönü on the European side, and from Bostancı and Kadıköy on the Asian side.
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